1176 Best Sights in France

In the 17th-century Palais de l'Archevêché (Archbishop's Palace), this museum showcases a sumptuous collection of tapestries that once decorated the bishops' quarters. There are 17 magnificent hangings from Beauvais and a series on the life of Don Quixote from Compiègne. Temporary exhibitions highlight contemporary textile art. The main opera productions of the Festival d'Aix take place in the broad courtyard.

Housed in the cloisters of the 13th-century church of St-Julien, this collection honors the Compagnonnage, a sort of apprenticeship-cum-trade-union system. On display you'll see virtuoso 19th-century works produced by candidates for guild membership, some of them eccentric (an Eiffel Tower made of slate, for instance, and a château constructed of varnished noodles).

In La Madeleine, inspect the sleek Musee du Débarquement Utah Beach (Utah Beach D-Day Museum)—a stunning facility, located right on the beachhead, where exhibits include vintage aircraft and a W5 Utah scale model detailing the German defenses. Continue north to the Dunes de Varreville, where you'll find a monument to French hero General Leclerc, who landed here. Offshore you can see the fortified Iles St-Marcouf. Carry on to Quinéville, at the far end of Utah Beach, to visit the World War II Museum ( 18 av. de la Plage  02–33–95–95–95  www.worldwar2-museum.com  €9); open daily from April to October, this small museum evokes life during the German Occupation.

The first museum built to commemorate D-Day opened in 1954, but after 70 years, it was showing its age. In 2023, after a three-year construction program, a brand-new museum opened on a site next to the original building on Arromanches beach, where the Allied forces sited the legendary \"mulberry\" floating harbors to offload tanks, trucks, artillery, fuel, and supplies. The new museum features a scale model of this remarkable feat of construction, along with displays of original weapons, uniforms, and military vehicles.

This sweet museum traces the evolution of the most famous of all Basque pastries. Call ahead for a schedule of workshops and baking classes.

Located in the northwestern corner of the Luxembourg Gardens, this former orangerie (a greenhouse for orange and other warm weather trees) for the Palais du Luxembourg became the city's first public painting gallery in 1884. It now features excellent temporary exhibitions that are often worth a visit.

This residence of bishops and cardinals before Pope Benedict XII built his majestic palace houses a large collection of Old Master paintings, most of which are Italian works from the early Renaissance schools of Siena, Florence, and Venice—styles with which the Avignon popes would have been familiar. Later pieces here include Sandro Botticelli's Virgin and Child and Venetian paintings by Vittore Carpaccio and Giovanni Bellini. The museum café and tearoom, with a picturesque outdoor terrace in the mansion's ancient courtyard, is a favorite spot for lunch, coffee, or teatime (open 10–7).

This eye-catching museum overlooking the Seine was designed by architect Jean Nouvel to house the state-owned collection of "non-Western" art, culled from the Musée National des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie and the Musée de l'Homme. Exhibits mix artifacts from antiquity to the modern age, such as funeral masks from Melanesia, Siberian shaman drums, Indonesian textiles, and African statuary. A corkscrew ramp leads from the lobby to a cavernous exhibition space, which is color-coded to designate sections from Asia, Africa, and Oceania. The lighting is dim—sometimes too dim to read the information panels (which makes investing in the €5 audioguide a good idea). The museum really shines for the quality and imagination of its temporary exhibitions, whose topics range from the art of Japanese bamboo to the historic role of gold thread in textiles. 

Renowned for his bold modern designs, Nouvel has said he wanted the museum to follow no rules; however, many critics gave his vision a thumbs-down when the museum opened in 2006. The exterior resembles a massive, rust-color rectangle suspended on stilts, with geometric shapes cantilevered to the facade facing the Seine and louvered panels on the opposite side. The colors (dark reds, oranges, and yellows) are meant to evoke the tribal art within. A "living wall" composed of some 150 species of exotic plants grows on the exterior, which is surrounded by a wild jungle garden with swampy patches—an impressive sight after dark when scores of cylindrical colored lights are illuminated. The trendy Les Ombres restaurant on the museum's fifth floor (separate entrance) has prime views of the Eiffel Tower—and prices to match. The budget-conscious can enjoy the garden at Le Café Branly on the ground floor.

You'll find an eclectic assortment of local treasures inside the Hôtel Estienne de Saint-Jean, a 17th-century mansion. The collection ranges from faience to santons (terra-cotta figurines) to ornately painted furniture. The building is lovely, too.

Housed in the 17th-century bishop's palace opposite the cathedral, this museum shows off garments embroidered in the exotic and vibrant style for which Nîmes was once famous. Look for the 18th-century jacket made of blue serge de Nîmes, the renowned fabric—now simply called denim—from which Levi Strauss first fashioned blue jeans.

To one side of Place de la Halle, the Musée du Vieux Pérouges contains local artifacts and a reconstructed weaver's workshop. The medieval garden is noted for its array of rare medicinal plants.

This museum is worthwhile for the building itself as much as for its collection of Toulouse memorabilia, paintings, sculptures, and documents. Be sure to note the ground-floor fireplace and wooden ceiling.

There's no better way to learn about the local wine production than to spend an hour at the Musée du Vin Maison Brotte, a private collection of wine-making equipment displayed in the caveau (wine cellar) of the Brotte family.

The 18th-century Hôtel Estrine now houses this museum, which contains many reproductions of Van Gogh's work (along with letters to his brother, Theo) and hosts exhibitions of contemporary art, much of it inspired by Vincent. It also has a permanent collection dedicated to the father of Cubism, Albert Gleizes, who lived in St-Rémy for the last 15 years of his life.

This excellent small museum, dedicated to the work of Honfleur-born Eugène Boudin, traces a career crucial to the development of Impressionism. His friendship with, and influence on, Claude Monet is visible in his masterful depiction of the region's skies and seaways.

From crowd-packed Place de la Comédie, Boulevard Sarrail leads north past the shady Esplanade Charles de Gaulle to this rich, renowned art museum. The building—combining a 17th-century hôtel, a vast Victorian wing with superb natural light, and a remnant of a Baroque Jesuit college—is a mixed bag of architectural styles. The collection inside is surprisingly big, thanks to the museum's namesake, a Montpellier native. François-Xavier Fabre, a student of the great 18th-century French artist David, established roots in Italy and acquired a formidable collection of masterworks—which he then donated to his hometown, supervising the development of this fine museum. Among his gifts were the Mariage Mystique de Sainte Catherine by Veronese and Poussin's coquettish Venus et Adonis. Later contributions include a superb group of 17th-century Flemish works (Rubens, Steen), a collection of 19th-century French canvases (Géricault, Delacroix, Corot, Millet) that inspired Gauguin and van Gogh, and a growing group of 20th-century acquisitions that buttress a legacy of paintings by early Impressionist Frédéric Bazille. There is also a stand-out collection of 20 works by Pierre Soulages, gifted by the artist himself.

Beside the basilica, Musée François-Pompon is partly devoted to the work of animal-bronze sculptor Pompon (1855–1933), whose smooth, stylized creations seem contemporary but predate World War II. The museum also contains Gallo-Roman funeral stones, sacred art, and a room highlighting local gastronomic lore.

If you like wax museums, this one founded in 1882 ranks among the best. Pay the steep entry price and ascend a grand Phantom of the Opera–like staircase into the Palais des Mirages, a mirrored salon from the 1900 Paris Exposition that transforms into a hokey sound-and-light show the kids will love. (It was a childhood favorite of designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, who is in the collection, of course.) From there, get set for a cavalcade of nearly 300 statues, from Elvis to Ernest Hemingway, Picasso to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Every king of France is here, along with Mick Jagger and George Clooney, plus scores of French singers and celebrities.

This interactive museum of Strasbourg history, housed in a step-gabled former slaughterhouse dating from 1588, contains a collection of maps, armor, arms, bells, uniforms, traditional outfits, printing paraphernalia, and two huge relief models of the city. The newer collection on the first floor covers civic history from the Napoleonic era to the present day.

Inside a former prison, the Musée Historique traces the 1,000-year history of the Mont.

Housed in the Hôtel Cabu, a Renaissance mansion restored after World War II, this history and archaeology museum contains works of both \"fine\" and \"popular\" art connected with the town's past, including a remarkable collection of pagan bronzes depicting animals and dancers. These were hidden from zealous Christian missionaries in the 4th century and discovered in a sandpit near St-Benoît in 1861. One exhibit is dedicated to the life of Joan of Arc.

With its soaring structure of steel, glass, and teak, the MIP has long been one of the more sleekly spectacular museums along the coast. The contemporary design relies on color-coding to easily trace the 3,000-year history of perfume making (highlights include a fascinating collection of 4,000 antique perfume bottles). Artist contributions, like the "Eye Nose You" project that lets you discover details of the scented body through a photographic lens, add a living dimension to the museum.

Recently restored, the 16th-century mansion where La Fontaine was born and lived until 1676 is now a museum, furnished in the style of the 17th century. It contains La Fontaine's bust, portrait, and baptism certificate, plus editions of his fables magnificently illustrated by Jean-Baptiste Oudry (1755) and Gustave Doré (1868). It's currently closed for renovations until 2026.

Around the back of Notre-Dame, on Boulevard de la Reine (note the regimented lines of trees), are the elegant Hôtel de Neyret and the Musée Lambinet, a sumptuous mansion from 1751, with collections of world-class paintings, weapons, fans, and porcelain (including the Madame du Barry "Rose"). This lovely, serene mansion exemplifies the elegant life of the cultivated 18th-century Versailles bourgeoisie. Because the museum is rarely crowded, it's a pleasure to peruse at your leisure.

Housed in a pretty little Jesuit chapel on the main shopping street, this collection of sculpture and stonework is primarily from Gallo-Roman times but also includes Greek and Etruscan works. There are several interesting inscribed slabs, a selection of shabtis (small statues buried with the dead to help them get to the afterlife), and a notable depiction of Tarasque of Noves, the man-eating monster immortalized by Alphonse Daudet. Most items, unfortunately, are haphazardly labeled and insouciantly scattered throughout the chapel, itself slightly crumbling yet awash with light.

Not far from the Musée des Beaux-Arts, this museum claims to have the world's finest collection of wrought iron, with exhibits spanning the 4th through 19th centuries. The displays, imaginatively housed in a converted medieval church, include the professional instruments of surgeons, barbers, carpenters, clockmakers, and gardeners.

For proof that life is indeed sweet in Cordes-sur-Ciel, visit this two-room museum dedicated to sugar and chocolate. It showcases the confectionery creations of noted chef Yves Thuriès.

In a 17th-century mansion, this museum showcases a private collection of original furnishings and paintings from the 16th to the 19th century.

Bronzes by Art Deco sculptor Aristide Maillol (1861–1944), whose voluptuous, stylized nudes adorn the Tuileries Gardens, can be admired at this handsome mansion lovingly restored by his former model and muse, Dina Vierny. The museum is particularly moving because it's Vierny's personal collection. The stunning life-size drawings upstairs are both erotic and tender—age gazing on youth with fondness and longing. Access to the museum is possible only when temporary exhibits are staged, which happens regularly, often involving well-known modern and contemporary artists.

This spectacular Belle Époque villa houses the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire (Museum of Art and History), where familiar paintings from French, Italian, and Dutch masters line the walls. Be sure to see the palace gardens, set with towering palm trees, a marble bust of the handsome General Masséna, and the Jardin de la Légion d’Honneur (a memorial to victims of the July 14 tragedy), all backdropped by the ornate trim of the Hôtel Negresco; this is one of Nice's most imposing oases.