1175 Best Sights in France

At the corner of a picturesque Place Saint-Louis in the heart of the old town, this 13th-century church mixes a sober Romanesque architecture with graceful Gothic elements in its flying buttresses and lovely rose window. It was built in the 13th century to commemorate Saint Louis’s final crusades, and a statue of the saint and king, who was monarch when the church was built, stands in the square. Though the church was ransacked by the Protestants in the 15th century and suffered damage during the Revolution, a sensitive restoration has returned it to its medieval splendor, although with modern windows. The rounded towers and square belltower are typical of the local architecture.

This 19th-century, neo-Byzantine church owes its warm, reddish hue to the pink sandstone native to the Estérel region. Its striking dome, reminiscent of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, watches over yachts and cruise ships as they glide into the harbor. Step inside, and you might be treated to the angelic strains of a choir rehearsal—or perhaps even a recital.

Eugénie and her Carlist compatriots weren’t the only members of the upper-class to arrive in 19th-century Biarritz. Czarist-era Russian aristocrats found refuge here too, turning the city into their Yalta-by-the-Atlantic. Witness the Église Orthodoxe Russe, a Byzantine-style church built above the Grand Plage (and handily close to the Casino) in the early 1890s. Its rather drab gray exterior conceals the glittering gold, stained glass, and mosaic work within. Biarritz's Orthodox community would later grow handily thanks to the Russians, Ukrainians, and other émigrés who came here in the years following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Note that opening hours of the church can be irregular as extensive renovation work is being carried out until at least 2027; it's best to call or check the website before visiting.

This austerely beautiful medieval church dates back to 1284 and the founding of Monpazier, but it was extensively rebuilt in 1450. A new bell, still in use today, was added in 1476. The gorgeous Gothic-style wooden choir stalls were added in 1506.

Founded in AD 500, this grand church across from the Louvre's eastern end is one of the city's oldest. It was destroyed during the Norman siege in 885–886, rebuilt in the 11th century, and subsequently expanded until the current edifice was finished in 1580. The bell, named Marie, dates to 1527. Guided visits in French take place on Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30 pm.

Corsica's largest and arguably grandest church dates from the mid-17th century, although its twin bell towers—which dominate the view of the Vieux Port just to the south—were only added some 200 years later. The lavish interior is filled with artwork, including numerous marble statues and paintings depicting St John the Baptist.

One of the Labourd province's prettiest churches was built in the 16th century and enlarged in the 17th with a triple-decker set of galleries. Parish priest Pierre Axular ranks among the great early authors in the Basque language. His tomb is under the bell tower with an epitaph by Prince Bonaparte: \"Every hour wounds; the last sends you to your tomb.\" 

Combining Roman, Gothic, and Baroque styles, this small church is noteworthy for Jean Cocteau’s avant-garde stained-glass windows, the artist's last major work before his death in 1963. Eschewing religious themes in favor of Greco-Roman myth and shamanism, Cocteau used pastel shades and abstract designs that hint at Cubism. The right window in the chapel features a self-portrait, with figures on the left window thought to represent conflicting aspects of the artist’s personality.

This impressive Gothic church in the shadow of the Centre Pompidou was completed in 1550. Notable features include the turret (it contains the oldest bell in Paris, cast in 1331) and an 18th-century pulpit supported on carved palm trees. There are free concerts here Sunday at 4 pm.

The 12th-century church of St-Paul is noted for its octagonal lantern, its frieze of animal heads in the chancel, and its late-period Flamboyant Gothic chapel.

The oldest structure in the city, the 12th-century church with buttresses attaching it to surrounding houses is located in the center of the citadel's maze of cobblestone streets. Inside the Pisan-Genoese church, look for the 3rd-century white-marble Roman sarcophagus and the Renaissance baptismal font. Walk around the back to see the loggia built above a huge cistern that stored water for use in times of siege. The 14th-century bell tower rises 82 feet.

Next to the Museum of Archeology in the vieille ville, this 12th-century church (also known as Église St-Pierre-des-Templiers) is a miniature-scale Romanesque church. It was recently discovered that its foundations lie on top of two other churches dating from the Carolingian era (AD 800–888). Climb up the 129 steps of the 13th-century bell tower, the Tour San Rafeu, for 360-degree panoramic views, and snap away.

The interior of the village's Église St-Fermin is overblown Rococo—all pink and gold.

Paris's oldest church was built to shelter a simple shard of wood, said to be a relic of Jesus's cross brought back from Spain in AD 542. Vikings came down the Seine and sacked the sanctuary, and Revolutionaries used it to store gunpowder. Yet the elegant building has defied history's abuses: its 11th-century Romanesque tower continues to be the central symbol of the neighborhood. The colorful 19th-century frescoes in the nave are by Hippolyte Flandrin, a pupil of the classical master Ingres, while the Saint-Benoit chapel contains the tomb of philosopher René Descartes. Step inside for spiritual nourishment, or pause in the square to people-watch—there's usually a street musician tucked against the church wall, out of the wind. The church also stages superb organ concerts and recitals; see the website for details.

The marriage of the Sun King and the Infanta took place in 1660 in the church of St-Jean-Baptiste. The marriage tied the knot, so to speak, on the Pyrénées Treaty signed by French chief minister Mazarin on November 7, 1659, ending Spanish hegemony in Europe. Note the church's unusual wooden galleries lining the walls, creating a theaterlike effect. Fittingly, St-Jean-Baptiste hosts a \"Musique en Côte Basque\" festival of early and Baroque music during the first two weeks of September.

This 12th-century church served as a chapel of the Knights of Malta, a medieval order of friars devoted to hospital care. The church was Aix's first attempt at the Gothic style, and it was here that the counts of Provence were buried throughout the 18th century; their tombs (in the upper left) were attacked during the revolution and have been only partially repaired.

A late-Gothic masterpiece, this church sits across Rue de la République behind the cathedral and bears testimony to the wild excesses of Flamboyant architecture. Take time to examine the central and left-hand portals of the main facade, covered with little bronze lion heads and pagan engravings. Inside, note the 16th-century organ, with its Renaissance wood carving, and the fine marble columns. Recent renovations revealed the beauty of the church's stone filigree.

This serene Baroque structure at the foot of the château anchors the oldest church-parish in Nice. Built in 1405, it was here that Martin Luther preached in 1510 and Garibaldi was baptized in 1807.

This modest baroque church, above Rue Obscure, contains a movingly realistic sculpture of Christ carved in fig wood by an anonymous 17th-century convict.

Across the square, beneath a 240-foot spire, the late-Gothic church of St-Pierre is a riot of ornamental stonework.

Classed as a world treasure by UNESCO, this extraordinary Romanesque church alone would justify a visit to Arles. The side aisles date from the 11th century and the nave from the 12th. The church's austere symmetry and ancient artworks (including a stunning early Christian sarcophagus) are fascinating. But it's the church's superbly preserved Romanesque sculpture on its 12th-century portal, the renovated entry facade, that earns it international respect. Particularly remarkable is the frieze of the Last Judgment, with souls being dragged off to Hell in chains or, on the contrary, being lovingly delivered into the hands of the saints. Christ is flanked by his chroniclers, the evangelists: the eagle (John), the bull (Luke), the angel (Matthew), and the lion (Mark).

Dedicated to Joan of Arc, this church was built in 1979 on the spot where she was burned to death in 1431. The aesthetic merit of its odd cement-and-wood design is debatable—the shape of the roof is supposed to symbolize the flames of Joan's fire. Not all is new, however: the church showcases some remarkable 16th-century stained-glass windows taken from the former Église St-Vincent, bombed out in 1944.

This graceful, old 17th-century Jesuit cloister has been converted for office use by the well-known Avignon Festival—a performing arts event that lasts most of the month of July. The cloister's symmetrical arches (now partly enclosed as the sleek Hôtel Cloître St-Louis) are shaded by ancient plane trees. You can wander around the courtyard after you've picked up your festival information. Occasional exhibitions are held inside as well.

This sleek riverside building testifies to the growing importance of the governing body of the European Union. Eurocrats regularly commute between Brussels, Luxembourg, and Strasbourg, hauling their staff and files with them. One week per month (except August), you can slip into the hemicycle and witness the tribune in debate, complete with simultaneous translation. Reservations must be made in advance online. Alternatively, if Parliament is not in session, you can take a self-guided tour and visit Le Parlamentarium, where high-tech, interactive modules explain how the European Union works. For all visits, valid ID must be provided upon arrival.

Peek into this noble institution on Rue de l'École de Médecine, next door to Cathédrale St-Pierre. Founded in the 13th century and infused with generations of international learning (especially Arab and Jewish scholarship), it is one of France's most respected medical schools and Europe's oldest active one. Guided tours (€15) can be reserved at the tourist office.

Founded in 1960, this family-run winery produces some of the finest whites in Alsace. Its Grands Crus Frankstein–Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Muscat are particularly prized for their complex acidity and minerality. Call ahead to book a tour of the cellars or stop by for a tasting at the shop.

Aubagne on a market day is a feast in more ways than one. Depending on the season, for sale are fresh local asparagus, vine-ripened tomatoes and melons, and mesclun scooped by the gnarled fingers of blue-aproned ladies in from the farm (Tuesday, Thursday, and weekends, 8–1:30). The weekend markets make more of regional products; those labeled Pays d'Aubagne must be organically raised. Although they're not as social as markets in Aix, these farmers' markets are more authentic.

A farmers' market is open daily on Place du Coderc from 8 am to 12:30 pm; on Wednesday and Saturday bigger versions spill over the square to the front of the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall). If you love your gras (fat) as much as the locals do, you'll also want to witness one of the many marchés au gras that run on Wednesday and Saturday, November through March. The Saturday morning marché aux truffes (truffle market)—held December through February on Place St-Louis—is tempting, too.

Held in the first half of August, this festival focuses on Celtic culture—music, drama, poetry, dance—and fellow Celts from Cornwall, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Galicia, and other Western European locales pour in to celebrate.