1176 Best Sights in France

Take a tour of the twin-tower Maison Louis-XIV. Built as the Château Lohobiague, it housed the French king during his nuptials and is austerely decorated in 17th-century Basque fashion.

Real fans of painter Toulouse-Lautrec may want to snap a photo of his birthplace, the Maison Natale de Toulouse-Lautrec, which remains a private residence.

Built in 1537, the Maison Pfister is the most striking of Colmar's many old dwellings. Note the decorative frescoes and medallions, carved balcony, and ground-floor arcades.

The landscape artist Charles-François Daubigny, a precursor of the Impressionists, lived in Auvers from 1861 until his death in 1878. You can visit his studio, the Maison-Atelier de Daubigny, and admire the mural and roof paintings by Daubigny and fellow artists Camille Corot and Honoré Daumier.

At this authentic working manade (small ranch), on a back road off Route D38 about 10 km (6 miles) from Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer, you'll learn about Camargue taureau (bull) breeding and bullfighting culture (in French only) and then head out  in a tractor-drawn cart to meadows where the fierce-looking black creatures lazily observe you before turning back to their grazing. Afterward, you can relax on the terrace with a glass of Camargue-region wine or a lunch featuring local dishes, including bull stew. If you’re inspired to stay overnight, eight tidy guestrooms in stone cottages feature rustic furniture made from driftwood collected on the beaches of Stes-Marie-de la Mer.

Tapestries have been woven at this spot in southeastern Paris, on the banks of the long-covered Bièvre River, since 1662. The Galerie des Gobelins stages exhibitions on two light-flooded floors, highlighting tapestries, furnishings, timepieces, and other treasures mostly drawn from the state collection. Guided Wednesday-afternoon visits to the Manufacture (in French, by reservation only) allow a fascinating look at weavers—from students to accomplished veterans—as they work on tapestries and rugs that take years to complete. Also on-site is a highly selective school that teaches weaving, plus a workshop charged with repairing and restoring furnishings belonging to the French government, which are also stored here in a vast concrete warehouse.

Up and going by 8 am every day, this market—immortalized in Marcel Pagnot's Fanny (and Joshua Logan's sublime 1961 film adaptation)—puts on a vivid and aromatic show of waving fists, jostling chefs, and heaps of still-twitching fish from the night's catch. Hear the thick soup of the Marseillais accent as blue-clad fishermen and silk-clad matrons bicker over prices, and marvel at the rainbow of Mediterranean creatures swimming in plastic vats before you, each uglier than the last: the spiny-headed rascasse (scorpion fish), dog-nosed grondin (red gurnet), the monstrous baudroie or lotte (monkfish), and the eel-like congre. "Bouillabaisse" as sold here is a mix of fish too tiny to sell otherwise; the only problem with coming for the early morning show is that you have to wait so long for your bouillabaisse lunch.

For an authentic view of daily Corsican life, tour this wonderful open-air food market brimming with gastronomic delights. There is an array of local cheeses, charcuterie, breads, pastries, olives, condiments, and aromatic meats for sale. Traditional indulgences like chestnut-infused beignets can be savored in an atmosphere guaranteed to be lively and local.

Bring your euros—cash is the preferred method of payment.

Between the lively pedestrian Rue St-Michel and the waterfront, the marvelous Marché Couvert (Les Halles) is considered one of the best (but pricey) food markets in France. Its Belle Époque facade is decorated in jewel-tone ceramics, and it's equally colorful and appealing inside, where, each day, some 30 merchants sell homemade bread (one gluten-free) and mountains of cheese, oils, fruit, and Italian delicacies daily (be sure to try the local dish, barbbajuans, a fritter stuffed with Swiss chard and ricotta). On Saturday, there is a clothing market outside at Place Fornari. Across from the market, the Italian Café Sini sells to-die-for apricot croissants and mouthwatering pizzas.

Toulon’s picturesque old town market is held at the Cours Lafayette and neighboring streets every day but Monday (8 am to 1 pm). Filled with bustling stalls selling every French staple imaginable, as well as flowers, clothes, lavender and other Provençal specialties, for full immersion in the French market experience. Be on the lookout for stands selling the delicious crispy cade, a Toulon specialty made from chickpea flour right before your eyes. For the really local produce, the Marché des Producteurs, on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday morning, features seasonal products from local small producers (distinguished by their green awnings), including honey, cheeses, and orchard fruits and nuts.

To experience local living in one of the best ways, visit this excellent street market that takes place every Wednesday and Saturday morning. On Wednesday, there are produce and food stands, but also inexpensive clothing, jewelry, household items, and fun souvenirs. Saturday is a food lover's paradise with multiple stands selling fresh produce, spices, olives, fish, cheese, meat, and other gastronomic pleasures. It's a good place to pick up lunch (the Lebanese stand across from No. 42 makes excellent sandwiches to go) before paying your respects at Cimetière du Montparnasse across the street.

Just a couple of blocks east of the train station along Rue Jean Jaurès, you can pick up fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as clothes, shoes, belts, and bags at this covered market. While in the neighborhood, visit the nearby Asian and kosher shops, or stop in for one of the creamiest cappuccinos this side of Italy at Volupté ( 32 rue Hoche Closed Sun.).

This self-described "fabric kingdom" has been selling Parisians their curtains for more than 90 years. With five floors, it actually stocks a lot more than draperies, including bolts of fine silk, feather boas, and spangled cushions. Among the regulars here are the designers who create the famous windows at Hermès. The Marché anchors a fabric district that extends to the neighboring streets; each shop is a bit different from the next.

Here you'll find more than 100 vendors with an eye-popping array of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and every French delight, including truffles and the famous Le Fontainebleau cheese, a creamy, frothy local specialty. The market is held Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday from 7 am to 1 pm at the Place du Marché.

Wine and cinema come together in a captivating way at this state-of-the-art estate owned by the British film director Ridley Scott and located in Oppède, just 5 km (3 miles) northwest of Ménerbes. Here, Scott and his team of experts make award-winning wines without the use of harmful chemicals and with respect for the region's biodiversity, especially the bees, the winery’s symbol. Visitors are welcomed for impromptu tastings and organized tours. On the one-hour Classic Tour (€20), you’ll taste four wines. As part of the 90-minute Superior Tour (€50), flights of private-selection wines are served in a VIP tasting room amid costumes, props, and posters from Scott’s iconic films. An on-site boutique sells wines and other local specialties, and the winery also rents several luxury villas and a farmhouse (three-night minimum stay).

Dramatic forest scenery makes taking a drive west and northwest of St-Tropez (take the D98 toward Grimaud) along the D558 worthwhile even if you're not heading up to the A8. This is the Massif des Maures, named for the Moors who retreated here from the Battle of Poitiers in 732 and profited from its strong position over the sea. The largest forest area in the Var reaches an altitude of 2,560 feet. Some 26 villages share the Massif's borders and—amid vineyards and mushroom-shape parasol pines unique to the Mediterranean—crowd the highway (as do cyclists in spring). 

The forest is dark with thick cork oaks whose ancient trunks are girdled for cork every 10 years or so, leaving exposed a broad band of sienna brown. Looming even darker and thicker above are chestnut trees, cultivated for their thick, sweet nuts, which you are not allowed to gather from the forest floor, as signs from the growers' cooperative will warn. The best place to sample châtaignes—whether in doughnuts, beer, or the famous marrons glacés (candied chestnuts)—is at the festival held every October in Collobrières, aka the chestnut capital of the world. 

On the east end of Île de la Cité lies this stark monument to the more than 200,000 French men, women, and children who died in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. The evocative memorial, inaugurated by Charles de Gaulle in 1962, was intentionally designed to be claustrophobic. Concrete blocks mark the narrow entrance to the crypt, which contains the tomb of an unknown deportee killed at the Neustadt camp. A dimly lit narrow gallery studded with 200,000 pieces of glass symbolizes the lives lost, while urns at the lateral ends contain ashes from the camps.

Dating to around 4500 BC, Carnac's menhirs remain as mysterious in origin as their English contemporaries at Stonehenge, although religious beliefs and astronomy were doubtless an influence. The 2,395 monuments that make up the three alignements—Kermario, Kerlescan, and Ménec—form the largest megalithic site in the world, and are positioned with astounding astronomical accuracy in semicircles and parallel lines over about a kilometer (half a mile). The site, just north of the town, is fenced off for protection, and you can examine the menhirs up close only from October through March; in summer you must join a €13 guided tour (some are in English). This visitor center explains the menhirs' history and significance, plus it offers an excellent selection of interesting books in all languages as well as regional gifts.

A tour here will take you for a 20-minute ride on a laser-guided electric train with commentary provided by an audio guide that gives insight into the Champagne-making process. Admire the giant 200,000-bottle oak barrel it took 24 oxen three weeks to cart to the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1889, and the decorative wall sculptures by Gustave Navlet. A panoramic elevator down to (and up from) the cellars is a welcome plus. A chilled glass of bubbly awaits at the end of the tour. There is a choice of five different tastings, and one of the options includes a Blanc de Noirs (made using only black-skinned grapes).

Méribel's first ski lift was built in 1938, and within a year construction had started on the accommodations that would turn this into a world-class ski resort. But because it sits inside Vanoise National Park, Méribel never experienced a period of rampant growth. Done up in the traditional Savoyard style, its rows of gorgeous chalets make Méribel feel like a village that's been here for centuries.

Back in 1992, the Winter Olympics were held in nearby Albertville. Méribel was the site for women's alpine skiing events, a testament to its world-class slopes. There are 150 km (93 miles) of ski trails, serviced by more than 50 lifts. There are some gentle green runs, but most of the slopes here are best for intermediate skiers.

The MO.CO. art center, housed in a 19th-century building, hosts three temporary exhibitions a year. These contemporary art exhibitions are often themed, and can include sculptures, paintings, photos, videos, and installations from local, national, and international artists. The garden is also worth a visit; it's composed of plant species from around the world centered around a quirky fountain of watering cans.

Established in 1849, Molinard offers an extensive tour that includes visits to the Soap Factory, the Distillery (witness "the nose" at work concocting new fragrances), and the Cream Room, where the packaging team hand-labels each bottle or pump. For €35, you can create your perfume in a few basic steps at Le Bar des Fragrances.

This fully functioning monastery is worth the pilgrimage. You can find a lovely garden, replanted along the lines of the original 16th-century layout; the Musée Franciscain, a didactic museum tracing the history of the Franciscan order; and a 15th-century church containing three works of remarkable power and elegance by Bréa.

Louis XVI transferred the royal Mint to this imposing mansion in the late 18th century. It was moved again (to Pessac, near Bordeaux) in 1973; however, weights and measures, medals, and limited-edition coins are still made here, and the site houses a museum devoted to currency. There is an extensive collection of coins and related artifacts, plus workshops where you can watch artisans in action as they mint, mold, sculpt, polish, and engrave using century-old techniques. Public spaces host cultural programs and temporary contemporary art exhibitions. Check the website for Wednesday and Saturday afternoon craft workshops for children. The museum is also home to the three-star Guy Savoy restaurant (reservations required:  [email protected]) and the simpler Café Frappé par Bloom.

If Sir Elton John chose it as the place for his summer residence, you know the views from Mont Boron must be sensational. From the port, take Bus 30 to the Miramar stop or Bus 15 to Château de L’Anglais. Along Boulevard du Mont Boron, enjoy the gorgeous panorama over the Port de Nice, and then head up to the Route Forestière; there will be red and yellow hiking symbols along the way. Near La Petite Batterie, you’ll arrive at a spectacular viewpoint across Villefranche Bay. Continue on foot along the forest path for another 2 km (1.2 miles) to reach the 16th-century Fort du Mont-Alban. Alternatively, from town you can take Bus 33, which drops you closer to the historic site.

Rising 1,900 feet above the town, with panoramas of Toulon, the surrounding countryside, and the sea, Mont Faron can be reached by the circular Route du Faron in either direction or in six minutes by cable car from Boulevard Admiral Jean-Vence. At the top, the World War II memorial commemorates the mountain fort's role in the Provence débarquement of August 1944 and the liberation of Toulon. There is also a zoo that acts as a breeding center for a dozen types of wild cats, including lions, tigers, jaguars, lynxes, and pumas.

In addition to all the beautiful views of Mont Ventoux, there are equally spectacular views from Mont Ventoux. From any of the surrounding hill towns you can take an inspiring circle drive along the base and over the crest of the mountain, following the D974. This road winds through the extraordinarily lush south-facing greenery that Mont Ventoux protects from vicious mistral winds. Abundant orchards and olive groves peppered with stone farmhouses make this one of Provence's loveliest landscapes. Stop for a drink in busy Bédoin, with its 18th-century Jesuit church at the top of the Old Town maze.

Mont Ventoux was the site of the first recorded attempt at l'escalade (mountain climbing), when Italian poet-philosopher Petrarch grunted his way up in 1336. Although people had climbed mountains before, this was the first "do it because it's there" feat. Reaching the summit itself (at 6,263 feet) requires a bit of legwork. From either Chalet Reynard or the tiny ski center Mont Serein, you can leave your car and hike up to the peak's tall observatory tower. The climb is not overly taxing, and when you reach the top you are rewarded with gorgeous panoramic views of the Alps. And to the south, barring the possibility of high-summer haze, you'll take in views of the Rhône Valley, the Luberon, and even Marseille.

Hiking maps are available at maisons de la presse (newsstands) and tourist offices. Town-to-town treks are also a great way to explore the area; one of the most beautiful trails is from Malaucène to Séguret. In the off-season, lonely Mont Ventoux is plagued with an ungodly reputation due to destructive winds; attempts at saving its soul are evident from the chapels lining its slopes. Whether it's possessed by the devil or not, don't attempt to climb it in inclement weather; from late fall to early spring, in fact, the summit is closed by snow.

Across the river is the Boly Mill, where Bernadette was born on January 7, 1844.

Of the 14 windmills (moulins) that used to sit atop this hill, only two remain. They're known collectively as Moulin de la Galette, a name taken from the bread the owners once produced. The more storied of the two is Le Blute-Fin: in the late 1800s there was a dance hall on the site, famously captured by Renoir (you can see the painting in the Musée d'Orsay). A facelift restored the windmill to its 19th-century glory; however, it is on private land and can't be visited. Down the street is the other moulin, Le Radet.

Now housing a restaurant, this pretty mill was built in the early 1600s. It’s a delightful place to dine and enjoy live music on a terrace directly beside the flowing waters of the Aven River, in view of the footbridge.