Aix-en-Provence
This elegantly vaulted baroque chapel was originally part of a 17th-century monastery.
Must-see attractions in France
Musée d’Histoire Jean Garcin: 1939–1945
Vaucluse
A small museum exploring the harsh realities of life in occupied France during WWII.
Beaune
Dating to 1465, this tower is a prominent landmark along Beaune's eastern ramparts.
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Displays voluptuous bronzes by Villefranche sculptor Antoniucci Volti (1915–89).
Versailles
This soaring statue of Louis XIV guards the gates to the Château de Versailles.
Paris
This neoclassical church was completed in 1836. Monet was baptised here in 1841.
Perpignan
The Hôtel de Ville has a typically Roussillon pebbled façade of river stones.
Lourdes
Connects the Basilique Supérieure with the Chemin de Croix (Way of the Cross).
The Lot
Natural cave with stalactites and 20,000-year-old cave art; in L’Hospitalet.
Basilique Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire
Lourdes
The lower of Lourdes' two basilicas has magnificent gilded mosaics.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Nazareth
Vaucluse
Orange's oldest church was consecrated in the 12th century.
Roussillon
Built during the late 12th century on a 605m-high promontory 58km southwest of Carcassonne via the D118 and D620, Puivert belonged to the aristocratic…
Lugdunum Convenarum Archaeological Site
The Pyrenees
In an open field just outside the village centre, this small archaeological site has a few ruins from the town's glory days as Lugdunum Convenarum, a key…
Lille, Flanders & the Somme
Wheat flour has long been milled and linseed oil pressed in windmills like this one, set on the highest point in town to catch the wind. In the 19th…
Côte d'Azur
North of the old town are the ruins of a Roman theatre, where plays, dances and musical performances would have been staged (the gruesome stuff and…
The Dordogne
A warren of meandering lanes leads up to La Roque’s dramatic fort, where a series of defensive positions constructed by medieval engineers were carved out…
Auvergne
The brass taps of the Source de l'Hôpital, which was first used in Gallo-Roman times, dispense unlimited quantities of warmish mineral waters to curistes …
St-Émilion
Defensive city walls were built around St-Émilion by the English in the 13th century. Several surviving sections of the medieval walls and gates can be…
Côte d'Azur
At the southeastern edge of the old town is the 3rd-century Porte d'Orée, the only remaining arcade of monumental Roman thermal baths. The scant remnants…
Nice
The scant remains of Nice's Roman amphitheatre can't compare to other ancient sites in southern France, but they do lend an atmospheric air to the park…
Lorraine
Built in 1877, this city gate is adorned with a marble plaque recalling the ‘victorious peace’ that inspired a ‘cry of joy’.
Lorraine
Once part of Verdun's original city ramparts, this 14th-century gate was later used as a prison from 1755 to 1860.
Marseille
The small, bustling, beach-volleyball-busy Plage des Catalans is the closest stretch of sand to the Vieux Port.
