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We've compiled the best of the best in France - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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.
Part of a network of marine museums around France, this branch, lodged in the graceful 18th-century section of the Toulon arsenal, is particularly fascinating. The rich maritime history in this part of the Mediterranean comes alive via model ships, paintings, mastheads, and a pictorial account of the city's role in World War II.
Fernand Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker thought of as a forerunner of the pop-art movement. He was known for his bold, colorful, and geometric style that blended Cubism with modern subject matter. On a visit to this museum, English-language audio guides can help you learn more about the man and his work. Alternatively, use a QR code to listen on your mobile phone with headphones.
Don't bother to rush to this eccentric little natural history museum, but since it's next door to the Institut Calvet museum (and free) you might want to stop in and check out the petrified palm trunks, the dinosaur skeleton, the handful of local beetles and mammals, and the careful and evocative texts (French only) that accompany them. The museum is named for a local naturalist and functions as an entrance to the massive library of natural history upstairs.
Prepare to get wet—preferably equipped with snorkel, flippers, and some goggles—at France's only underwater museum. Exhibits, which are 109 yards off Catalans beach at a depth of 15 feet, consist of 11 submerged sculptures that highlight marine diversity and the human capacity to both destroy or save what remains of this fragile and beautiful ecosystem.
These two museums are housed in the city's largest ensemble of Renaissance buildings, the Hôtel de Gadagne, built between the 14th and 16th century. The
Founded at the end of the 19th century by the Occitan writer and lexicographer Frédéric Mistral, this museum was a favorite before its 15-year-long restoration and reinvention and is a must-see now. It tells the story of Provençal life from the 18th century to the present in a setting that showcases architectural history—including the beautifully restored 17th-century Jesuit chapel, now an exhibition space—from the Roman era to today. The eye-catching scenography, displays of artwork and everyday objects, and state-of-the-art interactive features reflect the creative talents of top architects and designer Christian Lacroix, an Arles native.
Housed in an ultramodern building designed by architect Norman Foster, the collection here dates back to when Narbonne was a major Roman port and capital of the Roman province of Gaul. Its centerpiece is a giant modular wall with 760 fragments of funerary blocks. Other highlights include sculptures, murals, and mosaic floors. Interactive 3D screens bring the exhibits to life. You can also check out the nearby Horreum, an underground warehouse dating back to the 1st century BC.
The area's famous vein of natural ocher, which runs for about 25 km (16 miles) along the foot of the Vaucluse Plateau, has been mined for centuries, beginning with the ancient Romans, who used ocher for their pottery. Visit this museum housed in a former factory to learn more about ocher's extraction and its modern uses. English-language guided tours (50 minutes) are available. If the landscapes of Provence that inspired so many great artists have also inspired you, head for the on-site gift shop to pick up some bottled pigments or a set of ocher and indigo watercolors to use in your own creative endeavors.
The last vestiges of Toulon’s medieval and Renaissance past can be seen in this once-decrepit maze of narrow streets, alleyways, and squares that lies just behind the port. A targeted urban renewal plan has largely restored this storied quartier around the bustling Rue des Arts district, home to dozens of small galleries, cafés, boutiques, vintage shops, and bars. It also features murals and sculptures, like the trompe l’oeil painting on the Rue Chevalier Paul depicting the saucy ladies of the night who inhabited the famous red light district—still referred to by locals as Chicago—that catered to the sailors who once flocked here.
Just 3 km (2 miles) south of Amboise on the road to Chenonceaux, the Pagode de Chanteloup is a remarkable sight—a 140-foot, seven-story, Chinese-style lakeside pagoda built for the duke of Choiseul in 1775. Children will enjoy puffing their way to the top for the vertigo-inducing views, but some adults will find the climb—and the 400-yard walk from the parking lot—a little arduous. You can take a 3D virtual tour of the former château that once stood on the grounds, in its only remaining pavilion, for an idea of its pre-destruction magnificence (it was demolished in 1823 for unknown reasons), then rent a little rowboat (€6 per hour) to float across the adjoining lake. It's worth a quick stop if you're in the area, especially for architecture buffs, and the views from the top are lovely.
If you're bound for the Bois de Vincennes, pay a visit to the Palais de la Porte Dorée, which was built for the 1931 Colonial Exhibition and is one of the best examples of Art Deco architecture in Paris. The ornate facade features bas-relief sculptures representing France's erstwhile empire. Inside, the elaborate marble, ornate metalwork, frescoes, and original lighting are all beautifully maintained. Entry to the ground floor is free. On either end are furnished salons, one representing Asia, the other Africa; peek into the central room, called the Forum, where restored Africa-inspired mosaics line the walls. The upper floors are occupied by the Musée Nationale de l'Historie de l'Immigration, a fascinating modern museum tracing the history of immigration in France through photographs, artworks, and first-person accounts. The basement contains L'Aquarium Tropical, a favorite among generations of Parisians, who all visited as kids, with a pair of rare albino alligators, plus 300 species of exotic marine life. Be sure to check out the Palais's excellent temporary exhibitions.
Inaugurated in 1869, this grandiose hilltop palace was built to commemorate the completion of an 84-km (52-mile) aqueduct bringing the water of the Durance River to the open sea. The massive, classical-style building surrounds—with impressive symmetrical grace—a series of fountains and has a museum in each of its wings. In the Musée des Beaux-Arts (Fine Arts Museum) are 16th- and 17th-century paintings, including several by Rubens; French 19th-century paintings by such artists as Courbet, Ingres, and David; and fine marble sculptures and drawings by the Marseille architect Pierre Puget. There are also delightful sculptures by caricaturist Honoré Daumier. In addition to prehistoric and zoological artifacts, the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle (Natural History Museum) has a large aquarium with fish from around the world.
A great alternative to Disneyland, and a wonderful day out for young and old, this Gallic theme park takes its cue from a French comic-book figure whose adventures are set during the Roman invasion of France 2,000 years ago. Among the 30 rides and six shows that attract thundering herds of families each year are a mock Gallo-Roman village, costumed druids, performing dolphins, splash-happy waterslides, and a giant roller coaster.
This picturesque, landscaped city park has labeled ancient trees, a rose garden, playgrounds, a carousel, and a small zoo.
In cold weather you can visit an authentic submarine and the Espace Chapiteaux (a circus tent featuring contemporary acrobatic theater performances) before hitting the museums. The hands-on one at the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie is a favorite stop for families and a must for science fans; its 3D Omnimax cinema (La Géode) is housed in a giant mirrored ball. Arts-oriented visitors of all ages will marvel at the excellent, instrument-filled Musée de la Musique. The park has even more in store for music lovers in the form of the Philharmonie de Paris, a striking 2,400-seat concert hall designed by Jean Nouvel. All that's left of the slaughterhouse that once stood here is La Grande Halle, a magnificent iron-and-glass building currently used for exhibitions, performances, and trade shows.
This exquisitely landscaped, 20-acre park began in 1778 as the Duc de Chartres's private garden. Though some of the land was sold off under the Second Empire (creating the exclusive real estate that now borders the park), the refined atmosphere and some of the fanciful faux ruins have survived. Immaculately dressed children play under the watchful eye of their nannies, while lovers cuddle on the benches. In 1797, André Garnerin, the world's first-recorded parachutist, staged a landing in the park. The rotunda—known as the Chartres Pavilion—is surely the city's grandest public restroom: it started life as a tollhouse.
Virtually all of the Camargue’s major roads, as well as its hiking, cycling, and horseback riding paths, are within the park. In fact, you’ll rarely feel you’ve gotten an off-the-beaten-path experience until you’re out of the car and exploring on foot, by bike, or on horseback. In the saddle, you’re likely to be with a group unless you book an individual tour in advance. Signs for horseback rides are everywhere along the main roads, and there are about 15 major cycling and trekking routes, most of which can be completed within one to six hours.
The best sources for maps and information, and what you’re likely to encounter, can be found at the tourist office in Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer, where many trails begin, or the Centre d’Information de la Réserve Nationale de Camargue, which also has exhibits on area wildlife and is the starting point of three discovery trails. You can also get trail maps and expert advice at the bike rental shops like Le Vélo Sainto ( www.levelosaintois.com) in Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer.
You'll need comfortable hiking shoes and a backpack to carry mosquito repellent, sunglasses, binoculars, snacks, and plenty of water. Provisions are available in the main gateway towns, and routes are well marked so there’s little worry about getting lost.
The easiest place to view birdlife is the Parc Ornithologique du Pont de Gau. On some 150 acres of marsh and salt lands, birds are protected, and injured birds are treated and kept in large pens to be released if and when they're deemed able to survive. A series of boardwalks (including a short, child-friendly inner loop) snakes over the wetlands, the longest leading to an observation blind, where a half hour of silence, binoculars in hand, can reveal unsuspected satisfactions.
The 35-acre zoo in the Bois de Vincennes is France's largest, with 1,000 or so animals housed in cleverly designed environments (aka "biozones") that mix species as Mother Nature intended. These include a free-range aviary you can walk through and a greenhouse that re-creates a slice of the rain forest.
Up a set of grand tiered stairs that lead from the Quai Bonaparte, the Parvis St-Michel is a broad plaza paved in some 250,000 round white and gray stones patterned in the coat of arms of the Grimaldi family. The plaza was created in the 17th century by Prince Honoré II; the letter H is incorporated into the design as a kind of signature at the base of his great gift to the city.
If your knowledge of Paris history is nul (nil), stop here for an entertaining free tutorial. Built in 1879 as a private museum, the Pavillon today is a restored structure of glass and iron that showcases the city's urban development through the ages. A giant model of Paris traces its evolution (with information in English). There are photos, maps, and videos, plus a giant digital interactive model detailing what Paris is predicted to look like in the future. Reconstruction plans—called Grand Paris—are vast and take into account the 2024 Olympics and beyond. The Pavillon also has a café-bookstore and hosts frequent architecture-theme temporary exhibits.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
