Paris
Check out modern art at the gallery of department store Galeries Lafayette.
Must-see attractions in France
Aix-en-Provence
This especially charming square in the Quartier Mazarin has a baroque fountain (1667) with water-spouting dolphins.
Pays d’Aix
Famed for its rosé, Château de la Gaude is graced by a delightful formal garden and listed 18th-century château.
Tarn
Feel stress melt away as you idle by frog-filled ponds and under shady palm trees in these sculpted flower gardens.
Biarritz
A good option for families due to its sheltered aspect, this tiny wedge of sand is just under the Musée de la Mer.
Giverny
Fans of the artist may want to visit this bust of Monet, sculpted by Daniel Goupil and gazing out over the fields.
Var
Within sight of the Îles d’Hyères, this 52-acre vineyard abuts the early-18th-century Château de Brégançon.
Limousin
Three crashing cascades are about a half-hour hike along riverside trails that begin at the foot of the village.
Bastia
Depicting Napoléon in the guise of a Roman god, this statue occupies pride of place in Bastia's largest square.
Arcachon
In a wooden shack opposite the casino, this aquarium has a small collection of Atlantic fish in floodlit tanks.
Vaucluse
Tucked behind the Romanesque church, this baptistry was built in the 6th century on the site of a Roman temple.
Normandy
Still used by fishing vessels but dominated by pleasure craft, the port is lined with evocative old buildings.
Yonne
Presided over by a 12th-century bell tower, this church is a convenient landmark in Auxerre's medieval centre.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Annonciation
Nancy
Crowned by a frescoed dome, Nancy’s 18th-century cathedral is a sombre mixture of neoclassical and Baroque.
Strasbourg
This square is dominated by the Renaissance-style Chambre de Commerce (Chamber of Commerce).
Golfe du Morbihan
This lovely beach on the west side of the island is secluded, but swimming is very dangerous due to riptides.
Colmar
This 15th-century house is identifiable by its much-photographed sculpture of a marchand (merchant).
Touraine
The Gothic Palais du Bailliage was once the residence of Chinon’s bailiwick. Now houses a seasonal hotel.
Lyon
The Jardin Rosa Mir is a walled garden decorated with thousands of seashells accessed off a narrow laneway.
Touraine
This wine estate has a wine museum and offers tastings; the ridge-top château is not open to the public.
Carcassonne
The castle’s second gate, Porte d'Aude, was partly destroyed in 1816 and no longer has its drawbridge.
Tours
Built in the 1840s, Tours' neoclassical courthouse has an imposing colonnade facing place Jean Jaurès.
Paris
The 1775 Château de Bagatelle sits within the beautiful Parc de Bagatelle. Visits by guided tour only.
Finistère
This lovely stretch of sand is around 1.5km northwest of town. There are lifeguards on duty in summer.
Reims
Reims’ pedestrianised main square draws locals in the mood for a bite, a beer or a bit of shopping.
The Dordogne
Wonderfully musty displays of vintage winemaking equipment and scale models of local river boats.
Beaune
This massive early-16th-century tower is a prominent landmark along Beaune's southern ramparts.
Golfe du Morbihan
This small, sheltered beach on the south coast of the island is a good choice for young kids.
Dijon
Dijon's town hall sits smack in the middle of the Palais des Ducs et des États de Bourgogne.
Avignon
The relics of the patron saint of Avignon, St Agricol, are kept in this 14th-century church.
Nancy
Built in 1908, the art nouveau Chambre de Commerce features wrought iron by Louis Majorelle.
The Dordogne
The best views of Périgueux' Cathédrale St-Front are from this bridge, just to the east.
Lyon
Lyon's cinematic story is told in still-image form here in one of the city's many murals.
Cannes
Cannes' westernmost beach is this narrow strip of sand about 5km outside the city centre.
Limousin
The slate roof of the ancient covered market shelters an equally ancient baker’s oven.
Côte d'Azur
Fishermen unload their daily catch each morning at the western edge of Beaulieu's port.
Tours
Most of this Gothic church, once part of a Benedictine abbey, dates from the mid-1200s.
Alsace
The hillside Chapelle St-Sébastien is known for its Romanesque tower and Gothic choir.
Aix-en-Provence
This elegantly vaulted baroque chapel was originally part of a 17th-century monastery.
