France Landmarks

1. Eiffel Tower

Named after the man whose company designed and constructed the Eiffel Tower, it was erected in just two years for the Paris 1889 Exposition Universelle which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Critics at the time would be surprised to learn that the Eiffel Tower is one of the most visited monuments in the world.

2. Arc de Triomphe

An iconic symbol of France, construction of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe began in 1806 on the orders of Napoleon I to honor victories in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. Each night the flame of remembrance is lit on the WWI tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

3. Louvre Museum

The world’s most visited art museum, The Louvre Museum in Paris, is housed in part of Philip Augustus’ 12th century fortress. Its collection of paintings is one of the richest in the world and includes Italian masterpieces like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

4. Grand Gardens of Versailles

A 60-90 minute train ride from Paris, the Grand Gardens of Versailles surround three sides of the Palace of Versailles. Visitors will fully appreciate why it took nearly 40 years of monumental construction to complete when they admire its trees - some more than 200 years old - statues, the orangery, ornamental flower beds, magnificent water features, the large canal, numerous pools, and surely, its lawns.

5. Palace of Versailles 

The opulent chateau and gardens of the Palace of Versailles located ten miles southeast of Paris was once the site of a hunting lodge just large enough for Louis XIII and his small entourage. It was his successor, the “Sun King”, who radically transformed Versailles, making it the seat of France’s government by the time of his death in 1715.

6. Aix en Provence 

Aix en Provence is a college town in Southern France and birthplace of post-impressionist painter Paul Cezanne. Go to see the landscape that inspired his work, the picturesque Le Cours Mirabeau boulevard, or Le Grand Marche which are open air markets in the city’s squares that feature provincial treats, garments and a flea market.

7. French Alps 

The Alps of France are an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise from its legendary ski slopes to the iconic climbs of the Tour de France cycling race. Its northern and southern regions encompass several departments of France and are distinct in their vegetation and elevation with the southern Alps’ closer proximity to the Meditteranean Sea.

8. Charming Arles 

Charming Arles, located on the Rhone River in Southern France, was an important city of the Western Roman Empire. See remains that include portions of the wall around the old city and an impressive arena, still in use and built to hold more than 20,000 spectators.

9. Amboise Chateau 

Overlooking the Loire Valley, the royal Amboise Chateau is a stunning architectural masterpiece constructed in the early Renaissance period. Besides its royal residents, the chateaux hosted many illustrious guests and at one point in its history, even some not so illustrious prisoners.

10. Palace of Popes 

In Southeastern France’s Provence region, beautiful Avignon sits on the Rhone River. Its Palace of Popes, built in the 1300s, is the largest gothic edifice in all of Europe.

Along the French, Spanish border lies the Basque Country and while generally associated with Spain, three of its seven provinces lie in France. Bask on the beaches of  Biarritz, one of France’s great seaside resorts thanks to Napoleon III who made it a playground for the wealthy and aristocratic.

12. Basilique St. Michel

Wine first comes to mind but Bordeaux is not only a famed wine growing region but also a port city on the Garonne River in southwestern France. The Basilique St. Michel is an imposing Gothic church that took over 200 years to build and from its spire, the second tallest in France at 375 feet, you’ll see some outstanding views of the city and surrounding countryside.

13. Burgundy

In the east-central part of France, Burgundy is named after the Burgundians, a Germanic people originating from the Baltic Sea who occupied the area in the 5th century. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of the 12th century Abbaye de Fontenay in the idyllic wooded countryside, the Roman Ruins in Atun or the many towns in the region each with their own character like the medieval town of Noyers-sur-Serein. 

14. Cannes

Famed for its international film festival, Cannes on the French Riviera is a resort town to behold. Posh and lively, there’s no shortage of sights, including people and yachts. The seaside boulevard, Promenade de la Croisette, is an iconic French boulevard a mile long and brimming with the most luxurious of hotels, all with private beaches.

15. Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

The quaint resort town of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc is nestled at the base of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain peak in Europe at nearly 16,000 feet. Chamonix is synonymous with skiing and has been a world class ski destination since the Winter Olympics that were held there in 1924.

16. Champs-Elysees 

Some call the Avenue de Champs-Elysees the most beautiful in the world. Nearly 300,000 visit the avenue each day to admire monuments, shop, enjoy films and  theater, dine at Michelin starred restaurants and if it’s July, they’ll be watching Tour de France cyclists cross the finish line or celebrating Bastille Day. 

17. Rhone Valley

A visit via car, foot or bike to the vineyards that produce the Cotes du Rhone wines of the Rhone Valley are a must, as is enjoying the outstanding cuisine including the Valrhona chocolate. For Roman history, visit Pont du Gard in Nimes, an aqueduct that dates back to the 1st century and also in Nimes, one of the best preserved Roman amphitheaters in the world. 

18. La Cite de Carcassonne

The UNESCO World Heritage La Cite de Carcassonne in Southern France is a medieval citadel surrounded by two concentric walls nearly 2 miles in length, all completely intact. Visitors often wonder whether people live within the walled city and indeed there are more than a few dozen who do, although many leave in the summer months because of the swelling number of tourists.

19. Paris

Paris is a UNESCO World Heritage hotspot. The banks along the Seine River themselves are UNESCO listed and from their wide boulevards you can see the evolution of Paris and its history: the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre Museum are just a few of the outstanding sites.  

20. Chateau de Cheverny

In the heart of the Loire Valley, the 17th century Chateau de Cheverny has been inhabited by the same family for six centuries. Its orangery greenhouse was used during WWII as a safe haven for many works of art from The Louvre, including the Mona Lisa.

21. Dijon

In the Burgundy region of France, Dijon, offers so much more than mustard and Burgundy wine! Those are a must to savor but this medieval city was made the center of arts and architecture by the dukes that ruled the region and has been called the best-kept secret in France.  

22. The French Pyrenees

The French Pyrenees, soaring to heights over 10,000 feet, form a natural barrier between Spain and France and stretch from the Mediterranean Sea to the east and the Atlantic to the west. This frontier area became home to the Basques in the central Pyrenees as well as other ethnic groups and in more recent times it is the village of  Lourdes, one of the great European Catholic pilgrimage sites, that has popularized the Pyrenees region.       

23. Lyon

Lyon has secret passageways, Roman theaters, an underground archaeological museum, it’s own Notre-Dame, the largest art collection in France and is the country’s gastronomic capital and yet, it flies under the tourist radar. Go to this urban hub for its history, charm, surprising modernity and a French experience not over taken by hordes of tourists. 

24. Musee d’Orsay 

Paris’ Musee d’Orsay is famous for the world’s largest collection of Impressionist paintings including those from Monet, Renoir and Pissarro. In early 2020, the museum announced that the historic train station housing the museum will be made entirely public; administration offices will be converted to galleries and an education and research center all thanks to an anonymous 22 million dollar American donation.  

25. Normandy

Just north of Paris, Normandy is both a rural and seaside destination most famous for its WWII D-Day Landing Beaches. On June 4, 1944, allied forces from Britain, Canada, America and France attacked German forces on five different landing beaches along a 50 mile stretch of the Normandy coast making it the largest amphibious assault in history.