1175 Best Sights in France

Corsica's largest grouping of megalithic menhir statues, Filitosa is reached via a stroll down a tree-lined path. You'll discover life-size stone figures of ancient warriors that rise up mysteriously from the undulating terrain, many with human faces whose features have been flattened by erosion. A small museum houses archaeological finds, including the menhir known as Scalsa Murta, whose delicately carved spine and rib cage are surprisingly contemporary for a work dating from some 5,000 years ago. There's a great English-language guidebook (€4), and much of the signage is in English. After your tour, enjoy a beverage at the small brasserie.

Located at the foot of the Pont des Invalides, this floating museum is well placed to bring art and culture “closer to Parisians,” one of its stated missions as part of the Reinventing the Seine project, launched in 2018. The barge’s 26 massive glass panels, designed to mirror the river, render it almost transparent, and its surprisingly spacious interiors exhibit a permanent collection of works from the pioneers of street art. Temporary shows in the barge’s hold and on the main floor showcase emerging talents. There’s also a café, bar, and bookstore on the first floor and the chic rooftop bar is a popular spot in summer when the barge features outdoor concerts and art openings.

In the unlikely setting of Bonnieux’s old train station, France’s leading museum for West African art showcases a scintillating array of contemporary works in several exhibitions a year. The museum was founded 20 years ago by Jean-Paul Blachère (owner of Blachère Illumination, which lights the Eiffel Tower, New York’s Fifth Avenue, and Harrod’s London), who became enthralled with contemporary African art three decades ago and has since dedicated himself to discovering and exhibiting the exceptional talents of West Africa and beyond.

There's no shortage of museums in Paris, but this eye-catching gallery may be the city's premier place to view cutting-edge art. Funded by luxury giant Cartier, the foundation is at once an architectural landmark, a traveling corporate collection, and an exhibition space. Architect Jean Nouvel's 1993 building looks rather like a glass house of cards, layered seamlessly between the boulevard and the garden. The foundation regularly hosts Soirées Nomades (Nomadic Nights) featuring lectures, dance, music, film, or fashion on various evenings. Some are in English. Family tours and creative workshops for children ages 6 to 12 are also available as are free guided tours (in French) of exhibits on Tuesday through Friday, depending on space.  There are plans for the Fondation Cartier to move to a new location in the Place du Palais-Royal in the 1e in late 2025.

Located in the beautifully restored 15th-century Hôtel Léautaud de Donines, this foundation pays homage to Van Gogh's legacy and monumental influence with an impressive range of artworks contributed by 90 contemporary artists. It also hosts temporary art exhibitions, concerts, and other cultural events. Van Gogh's 15-month stay in Arles represented a climax in the artist's career. Enchanted with Arles's limpid light, vibrant landscape, and scenic monuments, Van Gogh experienced here what was to be his greatest blossoming as a painter.

Deliciously thick with dripping moss, this 18th-century fountain is fed by Sextius's own thermal source. It seems representative of Aix at its artfully negligent best. In sunny Provence, Aix was famous for its shade and its fountains; apropos, James Pope-Hennessy, in his Aspects of Provence, compares living in Aix to being at the bottom of an aquarium, thanks to all the fountains' bubbling waters and the city's shady streets and boulevards.

Within a tiny square at a symmetrical crossroads in the Quartier Mazarin, this lovely 17th-century fountain has four graceful dolphins at the foot of a pine-cone-topped obelisk. Under the shade of a chestnut tree and framed by broad, shuttered mansions, it makes an elegant ensemble worth contemplating from the park bench.

There's no exaggerating the magnificence of the Fontaine de Vaucluse, a mysterious spring that gushes from a deep underground source that has been explored to a depth of 1,010 feet—so far. Framed by towering cliffs, a broad, pure pool wells up and spews dramatically over massive rocks down a gorge to the village, where its roar soothes and its spray cools the visitors who crowd the riverfront cafés. You must pay to park, and then run a gauntlet of souvenir shops and tourist traps on your way up to the source of the water.

Lying offshore and accessible by causeway at low tide only, the \"Bastille of Brittany\" is a massive fortress with a dungeon constructed in 1689 by military-engineering genius Sébastien de Vauban. Thirty-five-minute tours commence at the drawbridge (English text available).

At the top of the village is the Fort St-André, which once ostensibly protected the town of St-André, now absorbed into Villeneuve. The fortress's true importance was as a show of power for the kingdom of France in the face of the all-too-close Avignon popes. You can explore the fortress grounds and the ruined walls of inner chambers. There's a good view from the Notre Dame de Belvézet church within the fort, and you can also climb into the twin towers for broad views over Avignon, the Luberon, and Mont Ventoux.

This vast fortress dates to the time of Henry II of England, who died within its 400-yard long walls in 1189; another historic event occurred in 1429, when Joan of Arc recognized the disguised dauphin (later Charles VII) here. Long years of neglect, however, eventually left the fortress little more than a ruin, completely open to the elements. The good news is that sweeping restoration work has returned its majestic rooftop, ramparts, and towers to their former glory. A visitor center now welcomes guests a few steps from the glass elevator that provides direct access from the center of Chinon's Old Town. You can tour the Logis Royal (Royal Chambers), a section of which has been transformed into an interactive museum dedicated to Joan of Arc. For a bird's-eye look at the landscape, climb the Tour Coudray (Coudray Tower), where in 1307 leading members of the crusading Knights Templar were imprisoned before being taken to Paris, tried, and burned at the stake. The Tour de l'Horloge (Clock Tower), whose bell has sounded the hours since 1399, has a view over the ensemble of buildings; while the ramparts offer sensational ones over Chinon, the Vienne Valley, and (toward the back of the castle) the famous Le Clos de l'Echo vineyard. A salon de thé is open on the terrace from May through September.

Built in 1782, this perfume factory is open to the public daily for free guided tours, and it has the best boutique: look for the Ma Fougassette (My Sweet Fougasse)—your home will have the wonderful scent of a Provence sweet, soft fougasse bread. Sign up for a do-it-yourself-perfume (DIYP) workshop for a more specialized memento of your visit.

More of a showroom than a museum, the small exhibit run by parfumier Fragonard above its boutique on Rue Scribe is heavy on decorative objects associated with perfume, including crystal bottles, gloves, and assorted bibelots. The shop is a good place to find gifts, like body lotion made with royal jelly (from honeybees), myriad soaps, and, of course, perfume. True fragrance aficionados can double their pleasure by visiting the Théâtre Musée des Capucines-Fragonard, another mini-museum nearby ( 39 bd. des Capucines).

A 1-km stretch of golden sand that links Fréjus and St-Raphaël along Boulevards d'Alger and de la Libération actually consists of several private and public beaches, namely Plages de Sablettes, République, and Capitole. Arrive early in the summer to claim your spot close to the sea. Rent a sunbed and umbrella at one of the beach restaurants. Try a wing-foil lesson or rent kayaks or paddleboards at the Base Nautique Marc Modena. Head west to cross the marina footbridge. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: sunrise; swimming.

This 19th-century water tower at the far end of the Pont Neuf, originally used to store water and build water pressure, is now the oldest public institution in France dedicated to photographic exhibits. It was built in 1822, the same year Nicéphore Nièpce created the first permanent photographic images.

A lovely 19th-century passage that's been gorgeously restored, the Véro-Dodat has a dozen artsy boutiques selling objets d'art, textiles, furniture, and accessories. The headliner tenant is Christian Louboutin at 19 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, whose red-soled stilettos are favored by Angelina Jolie, Madonna, and other members of the red-carpet set. On the opposite end, at the Rue du Bouloi entrance, star cosmetics maker Terry De Gunzburg has a boutique, By Terry.

Tracing its pedigree back to 1747, Galimard is one of the world's oldest perfume houses. Today, its factory—open to visitors 365 days a year—is where you can create and name your own perfume in one of the two-hour workshops (€62) held daily at 10, 2, and 4 in Galimard's Studio des Fragrances around the corner ( 5 rte. de Pegomas). For a premium experience, try the Haute-Couture perfume creation workshops (€279) with your very own nez to guide you and a decadent Champagne break.

Tucked away on Plage de l’Épi, this lush, luxurious, family-friendly retreat is accessible via a sandy path flanked by dense Mediterranean greenery. Seated on cane chairs at alfresco tables dressed with vintage floral linens, you can select from Italian coastal dishes such as zucchini-flower fritters, grilled fish, and fresh pasta. While you sip a Bellini at the bar, the little ones can have the time of their lives at Gigi Circus kids’ club. Gigi also offers private dining nooks, a pétanque court, hammocks, and a pool shaded by towering pine trees. A spa nestled within the grounds completes the idyllic setting. Amenities: food and drink; valet parking; showers; toilets. Best for: families; swimming.

A slick visitor center prepares you for entry into the ancient village of Glanum, with scale models of the site in its various heydays. A good map and an English brochure guide you stone by stone through the maze of foundations, walls, towers, and columns that spread across a broad field; helpfully, Greek sites are denoted by numbers, Roman ones by letters. Note that Glanum is across the street from Les Antiques and set back from the D5, and the only parking is in a dusty roadside lot on the D5 south of town (in the direction of Les Baux). In addition, hours vary, so check ahead.

Head north on D11 to Ollioules; just past the village, follow N8 (toward Le Beausset) through a 5-km (3-mile) route that twists its scenic way beneath the chalky rock faces of the Gorge d'Ollioules.

Put on your hiking boots—the Gorges de la Restonica make a spectacular day tour, 10 km (6 miles) southwest of Corte. At the top of the Restonica Valley, leave your car in the parking area. A two-hour climb will take you to Lac de Mélo, a trout-filled mountain lake 6,528 feet above sea level. Another hour up is the usually snow-bordered Lac de Capitello. Information on trails is available from the Parc Naturel Régional. Light meals are served in the stone shepherds' huts at the Bergeries de Grotelle.

Built in 1835, the Grand Phare at Port Goulphar rises 275 feet above sea level and has one of the most powerful beacons in Europe, visible from 120 km (75 miles) across the Atlantic. If the keeper is available and you are feeling well rested, you may be able to climb to the top.

One block south of the Maison du Vin is the city's leading 18th-century monument: the Grand Théâtre, designed by Victor Louis and built between 1773 and 1780. It's the pride of the city, with an elegant exterior ringed by graceful Corinthian columns and a dazzling foyer with a two-winged staircase and a cupola. The theater hall has a frescoed ceiling with a shimmering chandelier composed of 14,000 Bohemian crystals. Contact the Bordeaux tourist office to learn about guided tours.

When peace arrived in the late Middle Ages, the town prospered and many rich residents built pink-sandstone Gothic-style houses—a sizable number of which still line the main street, Grand-rue Raymond VII. Today, many are occupied by painters, sculptors, weavers, leatherworkers, and even creators of illuminated manuscripts, whose ateliers and stores lure the summer crowds.

With a parade of taxidermied animals ranging from the tiniest dung beetle to the tallest giraffe, this four-story natural history museum in the Jardin des Plantes will perk up otherwise museum-weary kids. The flagship of three natural history museums in the garden, this restored 1889 building has a ceiling that changes color to suggest storms, twilight, or the hot savanna sun. Other must-sees are the gigantic skeleton of a blue whale and the stuffed royal rhino (he came from the menagerie at Versailles, where he was a pet of Louis XV). Kids ages 6 to 12 enjoy La Galerie d'Enfants (The Children's Gallery): it has bilingual interactive exhibits about the natural world. A lab stocked with microscopes often offers free workshops, and most of the staff speaks some English. Hang on to your ticket—it will get you a discount at the other museums within the Jardin des Plantes.

The name of the pedestrian rue du Gros-Horloge, Rouen's most popular street, comes from the Gros-Horloge itself, a giant Renaissance clock. In 1527 the Rouennais had a splendid arch built especially for it, and today its golden face looks out over the street. Inside the monument, you can see the clock's inner workings from the 15th-century belfry; audio guides are available in eight languages, with a special Alice in Wonderland–themed guide (in English and French) for kids 6–12. Though the street below is crammed with stores, a few old houses dating to the 16th century remain. Wander through the surrounding Vieux Rouen (Old Rouen), a warren of tiny streets lined with more than 700 half-timber houses, many artfully transformed into fashionable shops.

Beneath the fortified city lies the largest natural cave in the Périgord Noir. There are no wall drawings, but the 500-yard-long illuminated galleries are lined with impressive stalactites. The view of the countryside upon exiting the dark cave is stellar. Bison and rhinoceros bones have been discovered in the cave, and you can see them just as they were found.

A huge ocean grotto, the Grotte de l'Apothicairerie derives its name from the local cormorants' nests that used to reside on it; it's also said to resemble apothecary bottles.

Amid the dimness of the Grotte du Grand-Roc you can view weirdly shaped crystalline stalactites and stalagmites. At the nearby Abri Préhistorique de Laugerie, you can visit caves that were once home to prehistoric humans.

Discovered in 1922, the Grotte du Pech Merle displays 4,000 square feet of prehistoric drawings and carvings. Particularly known for its peculiar polka-dot horses, impressions of the human hand, and footprints, this is the most impressive \"real\" Cro-Magnon cave that is open to the public in France. The admission charge includes a 20-minute film, an hour-long tour, and a visit to the adjacent museum. Tickets are at a premium, with a daily limit of 700 visitors, so for peak summer days book at least one week in advance. If you like cycling, it’s lovely to arrive by bike from St-Cirq-Lapopie.