1175 Best Sights in France

The 12th-century château is the last inner bastion of Carcassonne. It has a drawbridge and a museum, the Musée Lapidaire, where medieval stone sculptures unearthed in the area are on display.

The Château d'Amboise became a royal palace in the 15th and 16th centuries. Charles VII stayed here, as did the unfortunate Charles VIII, best remembered for banging his head on a low doorway lintel (you will be shown it) and dying as a result. The gigantic Tour des Minimes drops down the side of the cliff, enclosing a massive circular ramp designed to lead horses and carriages up the steep hillside, and later used as a prison, as affirmed by the fascinating period graffiti. François I, whose long nose appears in so many château paintings, based his court here, inviting Leonardo da Vinci to live in nearby Clos Lucé as his guest. The castle was also the stage for the Amboise Conspiracy, an ill-fated Protestant plot against François II; you're shown where the corpses of the conspirators dangled from the castle walls. Partly due to the fact that most interior furnishings have been lost, most halls here are haunted and forlorn, but armed with the 3D histopad provided for your visit, each room comes colorfully alive as it once was. The maze of underground passages are open to the public for guided visits (April–September). While exploring the grounds, don't miss the little chapel of St-Hubert; built in the 1490s, this Flamboyant Gothic gem is fronted by a glorious tympanum, adorned with carvings, and graced by a tomb that's said to contain the remains of da Vinci. In spring and summer, visitors are welcome to picnic in the lovely Italian-style gardens (or the on-site café) to enjoy stunning vistas of the Loire River and the charming village below. The château also hosts a regular program of garden concerts in the summer.

The banded black-and-white Château d'Angers, built by St-Louis (1228–38), glowers over the town from behind turreted moats, now laid out as gardens and overrun with flowers. As you explore the grounds, note the startling contrast between the thick defensive walls, guarded by a drawbridge and 17 massive round towers in a distinctive pattern, and the formal garden, with its delicate white-tufa chapel, erected in the 15th century. For a sweeping view of the city and surrounding countryside, climb one of the castle towers. A well-integrated modern gallery on the castle grounds contains the great Tenture de l'Apocalypse (Apocalypse Tapestry), woven in Paris in the 1380s for the duke of Anjou. Measuring 16 feet high and 120 yards long, its many panels show a series of 70 horrifying and humorous scenes from the Book of Revelation. In one, mountains of fire fall from heaven while boats capsize and men struggle in the water; another features the Beast with Seven Heads.

Set above split-level gardens, this 17th-century village château (also depicted by van Gogh) now houses a fascinating immersive museum. You'll receive a set of headphones (English available), with commentary that guides you past various tableaux illustrating life during the Impressionist years. Although there are no Impressionist originals—500 reproductions pop up on screens interspersed between the tableaux—this is one of France's most imaginative, enjoyable, and innovative museums. Some of the special effects, including talking mirrors, computerized cabaret dancing girls, and a simulated train ride past Impressionist landscapes, are worthy of Disney.

The 16th-century Château d'Azay-le-Rideau was created as a literal fairy-tale castle. When it was constructed, the nouveau-riche treasurer Gilles Berthelot decided he wanted to add tall corner turrets, a moat, and machicolations to conjure up the distant seigneurial past when knighthood was in flower and two families, the Azays and the Ridels, ruled this terrain. It was never a serious fortress—it certainly offered no protection to its builder when a financial scandal forced him to flee France shortly after the château's completion in 1529. For centuries the château passed from one private owner to another until it was finally bought by the state in 1905. Though the interior contains an interesting blend of furniture and artwork (one room is an homage to the Marquis de Biencourt who, in the early 20th century, led the way in renovating château interiors in sumptuous fashion—sadly, many of his elegant furnishings were later sold), you may wish to spend most of your time exploring the enchanting gardens, complete with a moatlike lake.

In the 16th century, François I recognized the strategic advantage of an island fortress to survey the mouth of Marseille's vast harbor, and he built this imposing edifice. Indeed, it was such an effective deterrent that it never saw combat and was eventually converted into a prison. It was here that Alexandre Dumas locked up his most famous character, the Count of Monte Cristo. Though the count was fictional, the hole through which Dumas had him escape is real enough, on display in the cells. On the other hand, the real-life Man in the Iron Mask, whose cell is also erroneously on display, was not imprisoned here. The views aboard the boat ( www.lebateau-frioul-if.fr) between the Vieux Port and If's Port Frioul are alone worth the trip.

The former home of Sébastien de Vauban is just outside Vézelay in the small town of Bazoches-du-Morvan. Built during the 12th century in the stolid form of a trapezium with four towers and a keep, it was bought by Vauban in 1675 with the money Louis XIV awarded him for devising the parallel trenches successfully used in the siege of Maastricht. He transformed Château de Bazoches into a fortress and created many of his military engineering designs here. Vauban is considered the \"father of civil engineering,\" and his innovations influenced innumerable forts throughout France. His designs and furnishings of his day are on display.

After touring Château de Cheverny, relax at this graceful family-owned Renaissance castle, where you can visit the impressive interiors and get a primer in French history at the newly restored 17th-century portrait gallery—unique in Europe—where every famous European between 1328 and 1643 takes your measure from on high. You'll spot François I, who made the Loire Valley de rigueur in the 16th century (and used Beauregard as a hunting lodge), Joan of Arc, and a host of powerful queens. (A tongue-in-cheek contemporary exhibit pairs portraits of winsome pooches owned by notable Parisians.) Picnicking in the lovely 170-acre park is a must. Its scenic pond and 100 acres of gardens, wild and manicured, merit a leisurely afternoon of strolling and lounging.

Perched above a sheer cliff face beside an abrupt bend in the Dordogne River, the muscular 13th-century Château de Beynac has unforgettable views from its battlements. Thanks to its camera-ready qualities, it frequently doubles as a film set. During the Hundred Years' War, this castle often faced off with forces massed directly across the way at the fort of Castelnaud.

The massive Château de Blois spans several architectural periods and is among the valley's finest. Your ticket entitles you to a guided tour—given in English when there are enough visitors who don't understand French—but you're more than welcome to roam around on your own. Before entering, pause in the courtyard to admire examples of four centuries of architecture. On one side stand the 13th-century hall and tower, the latter offering a stunning view of the town and countryside. The Renaissance begins to flower in the Louis XII wing (built between 1498 and 1503), through which you enter, and comes to full bloom in the François I wing (1515–24). The masterpiece here is the openwork spiral staircase, painstakingly restored. The fourth side consists of the Classical Gaston d'Orléans wing (1635–38). Upstairs in the François I wing is a series of enormous rooms with tremendous fireplaces decorated with the gilded porcupine, emblem of Louis XII, the ermine of Anne of Brittany, and, of course, François I's salamander, breathing fire and surrounded by flickering flames. Many rooms have intricate ceilings and carved gilt paneling. In the council room, the duke of Guise was murdered by order of Henri III in 1588. Every evening mid-April through mid-September, son-et-lumière shows are staged.

Having survived the 14th-century Hundred Years' War, this turreted white-stone castle was rebuilt in the 15th century and served as a Catholic stronghold during the Wars of Religion. Now called \"the castle of 100 games,\" the fairy-tale-worthy château was entirely restored in 2011 and is just as famous for its lovely period interiors as its program of fun activities for adults and kids, both indoors and out, including calligraphy, crossbow, archery, chess, grass skis, and more. Various paths take you through a superb labyrinth (open June through September), across lovely woods and streams to troglodyte caves and picturesque ruins. There's also a program of events such as medieval jousts. The château is located about 4 km (2½ miles) from Montbazzillac and 12 km (7½ miles) from Bergerac. The castle also offers audio guides and guided tours in English.

The ruins of William the Conqueror's fortress, built in 1060 and sensitively restored after the war, loom on a mound ahead of St-Étienne. The château gardens are a perfect spot for strolling, and the ramparts afford good views of the city. Inside, you'll discover two museums—the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Musée de Normandie—plus the medieval church of St-Georges, which is used as a welcome center.

This castle has loomed over the harbor since the invasions of the Saracens in the 7th century, evolving over time into a walled enclosure with stout watchtowers. It's private property today and best viewed from a sunny portside terrace.

With a fabulous mountaintop setting, the now-ruined castle of Castelnaud, containing a large collection of medieval arms, is just upstream from Beynac across the Dordogne. Make sure to give yourself at least an hour to visit. In summer the castle comes to life with demonstrations, reenactments, and opportunities to try out some of the medieval weapons yourself.

Perhaps best remembered as Capitaine Haddock's mansion in the Tintin comic books, the Château de Cheverny is also iconic for its restrained 17th-century elegance. One of the last in the area to be erected, it was finished in 1634, at a time when the rich and famous had mostly stopped building in the Loire Valley. By then, the taste for quaintly shaped châteaux had given way to disciplined Classicism; so here a white, elegantly proportioned, horizontally coursed, single-block facade greets you across manicured lawns. To emphasize the strict symmetry of the plan, a ruler-straight drive leads to the front entrance. The Louis XIII interior with its stridently painted and gilded rooms, splendid furniture, and rich tapestries depicting the Labors of Hercules is one of the few still intact in the Loire region. Despite the priceless Delft vases and Persian embroideries, it feels lived in. That's because it's one of the rare Loire Valley houses still occupied by a noble family. You can visit a small Tintin exhibition called Le Secret de Moulinsart (admission extra), and are free to contemplate the antlers of 2,000 stags in the Trophy Room: hunting, called \"venery\" in the leaflets, continues vigorously here, with red coats, bugles, and all. In the château's kennels, hordes of hungry hounds lounge around dreaming of their next kill. Feeding times—la soupe aux chiens—are posted on a notice board (usually 11:30 am), and you are welcome to watch the \"ceremony\" (delicate sensibilities, beware: the dogs line up like statues and are called, one by one, to wolf down their meal from the trainer).

Chateaubriand, an icon of the Romantic Era, grew up in the thick-walled, four-tower Château de Combourg. Topped with \"witches' cap\" towers that the poet likened to Gothic crowns, it dates mainly from the 14th and 15th centuries. Quartered in the tower called \"La Tour du Chat\" along with roosting birds and the ghost of the wooden-legged Comte de Combourg, young René succumbed to the château's moody spell and, in turn, became a leading light of Romanticism. His novel Atala and René, about a tragic love affair between a French soldier and a Native American maiden, was an international sensation in the mid-19th century, while his multivolume History of Christianity was required reading for half of Europe. The château grounds—ponds, woods, and cattle-strewn meadowland—are suitably mournful and can seem positively desolate when viewed under leaden skies. Its melancholy is best captured in Chateaubriand's famous Mémoires d'outre-tombe (Memories from Beyond the Tomb). Inside you can view neo-Gothic salons, the Chateaubriand archives, and the writer's severe bedroom up in the \"Cat's Tower.\" 

The 15th-century Château de Corcelles is noted for its Renaissance galleries, canopied courtyard well, and medieval carvings in its chapel. The guardroom is now an atmospheric boutique and tasting cellar, where you can buy and taste the estate wines.

American winemakers Frank and Riki Campbell not only restored this graceful 15th-century chateau and wine estate in the heart of Bergerac wine country, but made it into one of the most delightful experiences in the region with some of Bergerac’s most sought-after wines. Come for lunch and a sampling of the nine different wines, including award-winning Bergerac reds, whites, a sweet wine, a sparkler, and a rosé, then explore the antiques shop and wine boutique or stay for a picnic on the lovely grounds, surrounded by meadows and woods with views for miles around. Check the website for the chateau’s many convivial events. Be sure to reserve at least two weeks in advance for lunch in high season.

The only way you can get into this château is by paying to see a collection of photo paintings by Belgian pop artist Pol Mara, who lived in Gordes. It's worth the price of admission, though, just to look at the fabulously decorated stone fireplace, created in 1541. Unfortunately, hours change without warning (afternoon visits are your best bet).

The silhouette of the Château de Hautefort bristles with high roofs, domes, chimneys, and cupolas. The square-line Renaissance left wing clashes with the muscular, round towers of the right wing, and the only surviving section of the original medieval castle—the gateway and drawbridge—plays referee in the middle. Adorning the inside are 17th-century furniture and tapestries.

For four centuries, this esteemed wine estate in one of Beaujolais’s most celebrated appellations has been producing Beaujolais wines from the gamay grape—Moulin-à-Vent, Juliénas, Fleurie, and red and white Beaujolais-Villages. Visits include guided tours of the vineyards and winery, tastings in the soaring vaulted cellars (with juices for kids and nondrinkers), fun picnics, food trucks, and other activities. Reservations are recommended.

Winemakers since 1676, Château de la Chaize offers several options for tasting their highly esteemed wines. Tours include visits to the grounds, château, cellars, and the lovely boutique. Visitors will a clear sense of history as they wander these lovely grounds, with the gardens designed by André Le Nôtre and the château designed by Jules Hardouin Mansart, both principal architects of Versailles. Advance reservations are required.

For an introduction to Chinon's distinctive wines, you couldn't find a more poetic spot than this stately Renaissance-style chateau set amid acres of rolling vineyards. Taste the wines among the oak barrels in the cellars (no reservation needed) or stay a little longer for a tour of the vineyards and vinification plant as well as an introduction to how the wines are made before a more thorough tasting (by reservation, €7). Visitors are welcome to stroll the grounds along a marked path on their own.

Looming over the sea at Pointe des Pendus (Hanged Man's Point), the Château de la Napoule is a spectacularly bizarre hybrid of Romanesque, Gothic, Moroccan, and Hollywood styles cooked up by the eccentric American sculptor Henry Clews (1876–1937). Working with his architect wife, Clews transformed the 14th-century bastion into something that suited his personal tastes and then filled the place with his own fantastical sculptures. The couple reside in their tombs in the tower crypt, its windows left slightly ajar to permit their souls to escape and allow them to "return at eventide as sprites and dance upon the windowsill." Today, the château's foundation hosts visiting writers and artists, who set to work surrounded by Clews's gargoyle-ish sculptures.

For many years, little but ruins remained of the once magnificent Château de Lacoste, where the Marquis de Sade (1740–1814) spent some 30 years of his life. Because his exploits, both literary and real, were judged obscene by various European courts, he was also imprisoned several times, including, in 1784, at the Bastille in Paris. It was there that he secretly wrote Les 120 Journées de Sodome (The 120 Days of Sodom), an unfinished novel that featured a Black Forest château very similar in description to de Sade's actual home. Though he had to leave his manuscript behind, de Sade escaped harm during the Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. His Lacoste home, however, was not so lucky: it was destroyed with particular relish during the Revolution.

In 2001, wealthy Paris couturier Pierre Cardin bought the château and oversaw its restoration up until his death in 2020. His legacy lives on in the Festival Pierre Cardin (aka the Festival Lacoste), a two-week arts extravaganza held on the grounds in late July and early August. Events range from outdoor poetry recitals and open-air film screenings to ballet performances and colorful operettas. The castle is also open to the public between mid-June and late September.

Built in the 1460s, bearing a massive portcullis and gate, and never altered, the Château de Langeais has an interior noted for its superb collection of medieval and Renaissance furnishings: its assorted fireplaces, tapestries, chests, and beds would make Guinevere and Lancelot feel right at home. Fifteen-minute waxworks and video shows tell the story of the secret dawn wedding of King Charles VIII with Anne of Brittany in the room where it took place in 1491. Outside, gardens nestle behind sturdy walls and battlements; kids will make a beeline for the playgrounds and tree house. The town itself has other sights, including a Renaissance church tower, but chances are you won't want to move from the delightful outdoor cafés that face the castle entrance. Do follow the road a bit to the right (when looking at the entrance) to discover the charming historic houses grouped around a waterfall and canal.

Situated a few kilometers south of Dijon at the beginning of the Route des Grands Crus, this domaine has vineyards that extend down to Vosne Romanée. It specializes in all three colors of Marsannay AOP (red, white, and rosé), but also produces Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, and Clos de Vougeot. Tours of its gleaming facilities (built in 1990 in traditional Burgundy style) include a visit to the cellars, and the \"Climats de Bourgogne\" tasting includes six Côte d'Or wines for €39. Reservations are essential.

From the middle of the 12th century until late in the 18th, this château served mainly as the country seat of the bishops of Orléans, although in 1429 Lord Salisbury used it as his headquarters during the Siege of Orléans. Château de Meung was sold after the French Revolution and stood derelict for years before private restoration began in the 1970s. It has since been furnished with a diverse collection of artifacts that range from age-old antiques to weaponry (the latter run the gamut from medieval crossbows to World War II submachine guns). The most unexpected parts of the hour-long tour are the underground dungeons, chapel, and torture chamber.

A miraculous Meursault has been produced at this elegant spot since the 7th century. Walk up the Allée des Maronniers through the vines to the château's cour d'honneur. Visits to cellars dating from the 14th and 16th centuries and an art gallery are part of the guided tour, which includes a sommelier-aided tasting of seven wines (€59). More elaborate theme-based guided tours are available by appointment.

The passionate owners of this estate, which is set on more than 60 acres of vineyards and features a restored medieval chateau—once a summer residence of the Avignon popes—trace its winemaking history back to the Romans. The emphasis here is on sustainability and biodiversity, and the estate became fully biodynamic in 2025. It's a shift that’s resulted in exceptional, prize-winning reds, whites, and rosés. Stop in for a tasting (free for up to three wines or €5 for the range) and a walk on the beautiful grounds. You can also stay the night in one of two elegant, fully-equipped stone farmhouses, complete with gardens and a pool. The estate, which is 8 km (5 miles) northeast of Bonnieux en route to Apt, also hosts concerts and offers fun, wine-related activities.