1176 Best Sights in France

The "little" palace has a superb, sometimes overlooked, collection of excellent paintings, sculpture, and objets d'art, with works by Monet, Gauguin, and Courbet, among others, and entrance is free. The Palais also hosts a revolving series of excellent temporary exhibitions (€15). The building, like the Grand Palais across the street, is an architectural marvel of marble, glass, mosaics, and gilt built for the 1900 World's Fair, with impressive entry doors and gilded gates and huge windows overlooking the river. Search directly above the main galleries for the 16 plaster busts set into the wall, representing famous artists. Outside, note two eye-catching sculptures: French World War I hero Georges Clemenceau faces the Champs-Élysées while a resolute Winston Churchill faces the Seine. In warmer weather, head to the charming garden café with terrace seating. The museum is open until 8 pm on Friday and Saturday.

To see some interesting medieval buildings, walk along the Petite Rue des Fabriques d'En Nabot—near Le Castillet—to the adjacent Place de la Loge, the town's nerve center.

There's a breathtaking view of the coast from the top of this ivory lighthouse atop Cap Hainsart, at the northern end of Biarritz's Plage Miramar. If you're up for it, climb 248 steps to its still-working beacon, whose beams sweep the ocean at regular intervals from dusk until dawn.

You can sample a little of what draws famous people to this part of the world by walking up Chemin de Calvaire from the Plage de la Salis in Antibes—a distance of about 1 km (½ mile) via a challenging pathway—and taking in the extraordinary views from the hill surmounted by this old phare (lighthouse). You can also climb all 114 steps to the top. Next to the lighthouse, the 16th-century double chapel of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garoupe contains ex-votos and statues of the Virgin, all in memory of and for the protection of sailors.  Reward your trek with a drink or a meal at the Bistrot du Curé next door.

Built in 1840, demolished by retreating German occupiers in 1944, rebuilt in 1947, and further restored between 2012 and 2018, this white lighthouse with a crowning red lantern is Cap Ferret's enduring landmark. From the top—258 steps above ground level—there's a fabulous panorama of the coast and the lagoon.

This modern aquatic center, which floats on the Seine and is named after the much-beloved American-born entertainer, features a pool with a retractable glass roof, two solariums, a steam room, Jacuzzis, and a gym. Check the opening hours and schedule of classes online.

Below the central cluster of museums and perfumeries, the picturesque Place aux Aires is lined with 17th- and 18th-century houses and their arcades. Every Saturday morning there's a small market selling produce and spices (the bigger market happens Wednesday 8–1, at Place du Cours Honoré Cresp). 

Right by the market, the pretty little Place aux Herbes is a picturesque spot for a pause on a park bench, a drink, or a restaurant meal in the deep shade of the plane trees.

Shady, imposing Place Bellecour is one of the largest squares in France, and is Lyon's fashionable center, midway between the Saône and the Rhône. Classical facades erected along its narrower sides in 1800 lend architectural interest. The large, bronze equestrian statue of Louis XIV, installed in 1828, is the work of local sculptor Jean Lemot.

Of all the elegant squares in Aix, this one is the most evocative and otherworldly. Set back from the city's fashionable shopping streets, it forms a horseshoe of shuttered mansions, with cobbles radiating from a simple turn-of-the-20th-century fountain. It makes a fine setting for the chamber music concerts that are held here in summer.

The Surrealists called Place Dauphine "le sexe de Paris" because of its suggestive V shape; however, its origins were much more proper. The pretty square on the western side of Pont Neuf was built by Henry IV, who named it in homage to his son the crown prince (or dauphin) who became Louis XIII when Henry was assassinated. In warm weather, treat yourself to a romantic meal on a restaurant terrace here—the square is one of the best places in Paris to dine en plein air.

In pretty Place de l'Horloge, a campanile tops the Hôtel de Ville, and you can admire the delicate stonework on the arched portal and mullioned windows of a Renaissance house. Just past the tower on the right is an overlook taking in views toward Gordes, Roussillon, and Mont Ventoux.

Shaded by plane trees, this square is the social nerve center of Avignon, with a concentration of bistros, brasseries, cafés, and restaurants that draw swarms of locals.

Ignore the guides herding around French and German tour groups, and head straight for the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville. Its town hall contains a famous collection of silver-gilt, 17th-century tankards, and the place itself is a pretty place to perch. It is particularly lively the first Sunday in September, when the town hosts a grand parade to celebrate the Fête des Ménétriers (Festival of the Minstrels)—a day when at least one fountain here spouts free wine. Headlined by medieval musicians, the party begins in the morning with the parade in the early afternoon. Entrance tickets cost €10 (contact the tourist office for details).

Almost nothing remains of the infamous Bastille prison, destroyed in 1789, though tourists still ask bemused Parisians where to find it. Until the late 1980s, there was little more to see here than a busy traffic circle ringing the Colonne de Juillet (July Column), a memorial to the victims of later uprisings in 1830 and 1848. The opening of the Opéra Bastille in 1989 rejuvenated the area, however, drawing art galleries, bars, and restaurants to the narrow streets, notably along Rue de Lappe—once a haunt of Edith Piaf—and Rue de la Roquette.

Before it became a prison, the Bastille St-Antoine was a defensive fortress with eight immense towers and a wide moat. It was built by Charles V in the late 14th century and transformed into a prison during the reign of Louis XIII (1610–43). Famous occupants included Voltaire, the Marquis de Sade, and the Man in the Iron Mask. On July 14, 1789, it was stormed by an angry mob that dramatically freed all of the remaining prisoners (there were only seven), thereby launching the French Revolution. The roots of the revolt ran deep. Resentment toward Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette had been building amid a severe financial crisis. There was a crippling bread shortage, and the free-spending monarch was blamed. When the king dismissed the popular finance minister, Jacques Necker, enraged Parisians took to the streets. They marched to Les Invalides, helping themselves to stocks of arms, then continued on to the Bastille. A few months later, what was left of the prison was razed—and 83 of its stones were carved into miniature Bastilles and sent to the provinces as a memento (you can see one of them in the Musée Carnavalet). The key to the prison was given to George Washington by Lafayette and has remained at Mount Vernon ever since. Today, nearly every major street demonstration in Paris—and there are many—passes through this square.

The centerpiece of the left bank is this open square built in 1729–33. Ringed with large-windowed buildings, it was beautifully designed by the era's most esteemed architect, Jacques Gabriel, father of Jacques-Ange Gabriel (who went on to remodel Paris's Place de la Concorde). Across the road from the square, just beside the river is the Miroir d'Eau (Mirror of Water), a large rectangle of shallow water that reflects the sky and periodically comes to life as a fountain. Just keep in mind that it's a lot less spectacular in winter, when the water is drained and it is no more than a paved area.

Lined with pollarded trees and handsome, 18th-century mansions (another successful collaboration between King Stanislas and Emmanuel Héré), this UNESCO World Heritage site's elegant rectangle leads from Place Stanislas to the colonnaded facade of the Palais du Gouvernement (Government Palace), former home of the governors of Lorraine.

The number of bistros and brasseries increases as you leave the Vieille Ville to cross Place des Martyrs, and if you veer right down Rue de la Loge, you emerge onto the festive gathering spot known as Place de la Comédie. Anchored by the neoclassical 19th-century Opéra Comédie, this broad square is a beehive of leisurely activity, a cross between Barcelona's Ramblas and a Roman passeggiata (afternoon stroll, en masse). Eateries and entertainment venues draw crowds, but the real pleasure is getting here and seeing who came before, wearing what, and with whom.

Northwest of the cathedral, this classical square is the centerpiece of the tiny Ile du Petit-Saulcy. The Jaumont stone of the grandiose 18th-century Opéra-Theatre (the country’s oldest active opera theater) forms a stark contrast to the gray sandstone Temple Neuf, a Protestant church erected in Romanesque Revival style by the Germans from 1901 to 1904. Every summer, the square hosts an ephemeral garden, bringing fountains, flowers, and shrubs to the city center.

This square at the foot of the Champs-Élysées was originally named after Louis XV. It later became Place de la Révolution, where crowds cheered as Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and some 2,500 others lost their heads to the guillotine. Renamed in 1836, it also got a new centerpiece: the 75-foot granite Obelisk of Luxor, a gift from Egypt quarried in the 8th century BC. Among the handsome 18th-century buildings facing the square is the Hôtel Crillon, which was originally built as a private home by Gabriel, the architect of Versailles's Petit Trianon.

Set beside the river, Place de la Daurade ranks among the city's nicest squares. The corner of the quay offers a romantic view of the Garonne, the Hôtel Dieu on the other bank, and the pretty Pont Neuf. A stop at Café des Artistes is almost obligatory.

The spacious layout and ponderous architecture of this monumental cirque (circle) have nothing in common with the Vieille Ville except for the local red sandstone. A different hand was at work here—that of occupying Germans, who erected the former Ministry (1902), the Academy of Music (1882–92), and the Palais du Rhin (1883–88). Five hundred yards southeast, the handsome neo-Gothic church of St-Paul and, another 200 yards further on, the pseudo-Renaissance Palais de l'Université (University Palace), constructed between 1875 and 1885, also bear the German stamp. From here, the tree-lined boulevard of Allée de la Robertsau heads northeast towards the Parc de l'Orangerie. Its heavy turn-of-the-20th-century houses, some reflecting the whimsical curves of the Art Nouveau style, would not look out of place in Berlin.

On this broad square, the slender, expressive saints of St-Trophime overlook wide steps that attract sun worshippers and foot-weary travelers. The square is also home to the 17th-century Hôtel de Ville, a noble Italianate landmark by the great Parisian architect François Mansart (as in mansard roofs); a passageway allows you to cut through its graceful vestibule from Rue Balze. The obelisk of Turkish marble once stood in the Gallo-Roman cirque but was hauled to the square in the 18th century.

This triangular square is typical of the countrified style that has made Montmartre famous. Now a hub for shopping and people-watching, the place is surrounded by hip boutiques, sidewalk cafés, and shabby-chic restaurants—a prime habitat for the young, neo-bohemian crowd and a sprinkling of expats. Trendy streets like Rue Houdon and Rue des Martyrs have attracted small designer shops, trendy secondhand clothing stores, and even a pâtisserie specializing in meringues. Many retailers remain open on Sunday afternoon.

Enjoy a time-out in the social center of the Old Town, where a symmetrical forest of plane trees shades cafés and restaurants, skateboarders, children, and grandfatherly pétanque players. Also called Place Carnot, the square becomes a very affordable feast for both eyes and palate during the morning Tuesday and Saturday markets. At night, a café seat is as coveted as a quayside seat during the day.

Toward the Vieux Port area, boutiques line Rues Sibilli, Gambetta, and Clemenceau (where you can taste the most decadent tarte tropézienne at Marcel & Cavazza)—you never know when that photographer from Voici will be snapping away at the trendoisie. If you're here on the first weekend in May, check out Les Chefs de Saint-Tropez's ( www.leschefsasainttropez.com) three-day fêtent les producteurs event featuring local produce, culinary demonstrations, tastings, and a chef's pétanque competition.

The four majestic horses rearing up from a monumental 19th-century fountain in the middle of this large square are an allegory of the River Saône by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, who sculpted New York Harbor's Statue of Liberty. The 69 fountains embedded in the wide expanse of the square are illuminated by fiber-optic technology at night. The notable buildings on either side are the Hôtel de Ville and the Musée des Beaux-Arts.

At the busy intersection of Rue de Rennes and Boulevard du Montparnasse, this small square commemorates an impassioned radio broadcast Charles de Gaulle made from London on June 18, 1940. In it he urged the French to resist Nazi occupiers (who had invaded the month prior), thereby launching the French Resistance Movement. It was also here that German military governor Dietrich von Choltitz surrendered to the Allies in August 1944, ignoring Hitler's orders to destroy the city as he withdrew. The square (in fact, a triangle) has been restored and now has a bench and one of the city's sculpted, cast-iron Wallace drinking fountains, which run with clean clear water and where you can fill up your water bottle. There are about 100 of these fountains around the city, most of them painted green (though there is at least one red one in Chinatown) and named after Sir Richard Wallace, an English art collector who funded the project in the 19th century.

Lined with shops and cafés, this vast, open square in the city center is a good spot to get your bearings, soak up some sun, or peruse the outdoor markets held here weekly. A parking garage is conveniently underneath.

From the castle ramparts, cobbled steps lead down to Place du Marché, a leafy square where cafés remain open late into the balmy summer night—just be prepared for the inflated prices they charge.

This central marketplace is overlooked by the 13th-century Kappelturm Beffroi (Chapel Tower Belfry). The stout, square structure is topped by a pointed steeple that's flanked at each corner by frilly openwork turrets. Next to it, the Hôtel de Ville, parts of which date from the 14th century, is open to visitors the third weekend of September during Les Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days).