Top 100 places to visit in France
100 must-see places and attractions in France, from famous landmarks to hidden gems, each with a map and photos.
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100 places
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1Landmark
Eiffel Tower
Gustave Eiffel's wrought-iron tower of 1889, with viewing platforms looking out over Paris.
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2Museum & gallery
Louvre Museum
Former royal palace housing a vast art collection, including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.
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3Castle & palace
Palace of Versailles
Louis XIV's opulent royal palace, with the Hall of Mirrors and extensive formal gardens.
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4Island
Mont-Saint-Michel
Medieval abbey and village crowning a tidal island in the bay between Normandy and Brittany.
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5Religious site
Notre-Dame de Paris
Gothic cathedral on the Île de la Cité, reopened in 2024 after restoration following the 2019 fire.
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6Museum & gallery
Musée d'Orsay
Former railway station holding a major collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art.
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7Castle & palace
Château de Chambord
Vast Renaissance château in the Loire Valley, famed for its double-helix staircase and rooftop.
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8Landmark
Arc de Triomphe
Napoleonic triumphal arch at the top of the Champs-Élysées, with a rooftop terrace view.
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9Religious site
Sacré-Cœur Basilica
White-domed basilica on the hill of Montmartre, giving wide views across Paris.
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10Castle & palace
Château de Chenonceau
Renaissance château spanning the River Cher, shaped by a succession of influential women.
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11Old town & city
Cité de Carcassonne
Restored medieval fortified city with double walls and 52 towers above the River Aude.
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12Religious site
Sainte-Chapelle
13th-century royal chapel whose upper level is enclosed by soaring stained-glass windows.
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13Mountain & viewpoint
Aiguille du Midi
Cable car to a 3,842-metre peak with close views of Mont Blanc and the surrounding glaciers.
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14Archaeological site
Pont du Gard
Three-tiered Roman aqueduct bridge over the Gardon river, built in the 1st century AD.
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15Nature & national park
Gorges du Verdon
Deep limestone canyon with turquoise water, cliff-top roads and kayaking on Lake Sainte-Croix.
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16Historic site
D-Day Landing Beaches
Normandy coastline of the 1944 Allied landings, lined with museums, memorials and cemeteries.
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17Coast & beach
Étretat Cliffs
Chalk cliffs with natural arches and a needle rock, painted by Monet and walkable along the top.
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18Castle & palace
Palais des Papes
Huge Gothic palace that was the seat of the popes in the 14th century.
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19Religious site
Chartres Cathedral
Gothic cathedral renowned for its medieval stained glass and labyrinth floor.
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20Park & garden
Monet's Garden
Claude Monet's house and gardens, including the water-lily pond and Japanese bridge he painted.
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21Old town & city
Strasbourg Grande Île
Historic centre around the Gothic cathedral, including the half-timbered Petite France quarter.
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22Coast & beach
Dune du Pilat
Tall moving sand dune on the Atlantic coast overlooking the Bay of Arcachon and pine forest.
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23Old town & city
Vieux Lyon
Renaissance old quarter of Lyon, known for its hidden traboule passageways and bouchon restaurants.
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24Old town & city
Colmar Old Town
Alsatian town of colourful half-timbered houses and canals in the Little Venice quarter.
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25Nature & national park
Calanques National Park
Limestone inlets with clear water between Marseille and Cassis, reached on foot or by boat.
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26Old town & city
Rocamadour
Pilgrimage village of chapels and houses built into a cliff above the Alzou canyon.
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27Old town & city
Vieux Nice
Old town of narrow lanes, baroque churches and the Cours Saleya market beside the sea.
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28Museum & gallery
Lascaux IV
International Centre for Cave Art, with a full-scale replica of the Palaeolithic Lascaux paintings.
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29Castle & palace
Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg
Restored mountaintop castle overlooking the Alsace plain and the Vosges foothills.
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30Castle & palace
Palace of Fontainebleau
Royal palace used by French monarchs for eight centuries, set in a large forest.
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31Old town & city
Saint-Émilion
Medieval wine village with a monolithic underground church, surrounded by vineyards.
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32Landmark
Place de la Bourse
18th-century riverside square in Bordeaux, reflected in the Miroir d'Eau water mirror.
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33Archaeological site
Arles Amphitheatre
Roman arena from the 1st century AD, still used for events, at the heart of Roman Arles.
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34Lake & river
Lake Annecy
Clear Alpine lake ringed by mountains, popular for swimming, cycling and boat trips.
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35Old town & city
Annecy Old Town
Canal-lined old town with the Palais de l'Isle, a former prison on an island in the Thiou.
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36Theme park & attraction
Disneyland Paris
Resort with two Disney theme parks, east of Paris at Marne-la-Vallée.
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37Religious site
Notre-Dame de la Garde
Neo-Byzantine basilica on a hilltop above Marseille, with views over the city and harbour.
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38Historic site
Les Invalides
Complex housing the Army Museum and Napoleon's tomb beneath a gilded dome.
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39Old town & city
Saint-Malo Walled City
Rebuilt corsair port enclosed by ramparts, with walks along walls above sandy beaches.
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40Archaeological site
Carnac Stones
Thousands of Neolithic standing stones arranged in long rows across the Breton countryside.
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41Archaeological site
Nîmes Arena
Well-preserved Roman amphitheatre from around 100 AD, still used for concerts and events.
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42Old town & city
Gordes
Hilltop village of stone houses in the Luberon, crowned by a Renaissance château.
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43Religious site
Sénanque Abbey
12th-century Cistercian abbey still home to monks, framed by lavender fields in summer.
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44Nature & national park
Valensole Plateau
Farmland plateau known for rows of lavender that bloom from late June to July.
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45Landmark
Palais Garnier
Lavish 19th-century opera house with a grand staircase and Chagall-painted ceiling.
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46Museum & gallery
Musée de l'Orangerie
Gallery in the Tuileries displaying Monet's large Water Lilies panels in oval rooms.
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47Neighbourhood & street
Le Marais
Historic Paris district of aristocratic mansions, the Place des Vosges, boutiques and cafés.
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48Nature & national park
Mer de Glace
France's largest glacier, reached by the Montenvers rack railway from Chamonix.
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49Nature & national park
Cirque de Gavarnie
Glacial amphitheatre of cliffs in the Pyrenees with one of Europe's tallest waterfalls.
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50Religious site
Reims Cathedral
Gothic cathedral where French kings were crowned, with sculpted façade and Chagall windows.
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51Historic site
Hospices de Beaune
15th-century charity hospital with a glazed multicoloured tile roof in Burgundy's wine capital.
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52Religious site
Albi Cathedral
Massive brick Gothic cathedral with a painted interior, at the centre of Albi's episcopal city.
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53Landmark
Millau Viaduct
Cable-stayed bridge carrying the motorway high above the Tarn valley, with a visitor area.
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54Religious site
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
Major Catholic pilgrimage site built around the grotto where Bernadette reported apparitions.
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55Old town & city
Honfleur
Harbour town with tall slate-fronted houses around the Vieux Bassin, loved by painters.
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56Museum & gallery
Bayeux Tapestry Museum
Displays the 70-metre embroidered cloth depicting the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
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57Museum & gallery
Musée Rodin
Mansion and sculpture garden showing Rodin's works, including The Thinker and The Kiss.
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58Historic site
Panthéon
Neoclassical mausoleum in the Latin Quarter holding the tombs of eminent French figures.
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59Historic site
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Tree-lined cemetery with the graves of figures such as Chopin, Oscar Wilde and Édith Piaf.
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60Park & garden
Jardin du Luxembourg
Formal gardens around the Luxembourg Palace, with fountains, statues and a boating pond.
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61Castle & palace
Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
17th-century château whose design and Le Nôtre gardens inspired Versailles.
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62Park & garden
Château de Villandry
Loire château famed for its restored Renaissance ornamental and vegetable gardens.
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63Castle & palace
Château d'Amboise
Royal château above the Loire where Leonardo da Vinci is buried in the Saint-Hubert chapel.
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64Theme park & attraction
Puy du Fou
Historical theme park staging large-scale shows on French and European history.
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65Old town & city
Bonifacio
Corsican citadel town perched on white limestone cliffs above the sea at the island's tip.
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66Coast & beach
Calanques de Piana
Red granite cliffs and rock formations plunging into the Gulf of Porto on Corsica's west coast.
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67Old town & city
Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Walled hilltop village on the Riviera, long associated with artists and the Fondation Maeght.
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68Old town & city
Èze
Medieval village clinging to a rock above the Riviera, with an exotic garden at its summit.
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69Park & garden
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Belle Époque villa with nine themed gardens on the Cap Ferrat peninsula.
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70Nature & national park
Camargue Regional Natural Park
Rhône delta wetlands with flamingos, white horses, black bulls and salt marshes.
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71Museum & gallery
Carrières de Lumières
Former limestone quarry hosting immersive art projections, below the village of Les Baux.
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72Museum & gallery
MuCEM
Museum of Mediterranean civilisations in a lattice-clad building linked to Fort Saint-Jean.
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73Coast & beach
Pointe du Raz
Rugged headland at the western tip of Brittany facing strong currents and the Île de Sein.
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74Coast & beach
Pink Granite Coast
Stretch of Breton coast with pink rock formations along the Ploumanac'h customs path.
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75Island
Belle-Île-en-Mer
Brittany's largest island, with wild coastal cliffs, beaches and a Vauban citadel.
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76Religious site
Amiens Cathedral
One of the largest Gothic cathedrals in France, known for its sculpted west façade.
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77Religious site
Rouen Cathedral
Gothic cathedral painted repeatedly by Monet, in a city of half-timbered streets.
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78Neighbourhood & street
Avenue de Champagne
Street lined with grand Champagne houses offering cellar tours and tastings.
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79Landmark
Place Stanislas
18th-century square with gilded wrought-iron gates, forming an ensemble with nearby squares.
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80Religious site
Vézelay Abbey
Romanesque basilica on a hilltop, a starting point for the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
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81Old town & city
Sarlat-la-Canéda
Golden-stone medieval town in the Périgord Noir with a busy weekly market.
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82Nature & national park
Gouffre de Padirac
Deep limestone chasm with an underground river explored by boat.
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83Old town & city
Cordes-sur-Ciel
13th-century fortified hilltop town with Gothic houses overlooking the Cérou valley.
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84Old town & city
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
Medieval village perched on a cliff 100 metres above the River Lot.
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85Religious site
Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy
Romanesque pilgrimage church in the village of Conques, holding a medieval reliquary treasury.
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86Nature & national park
Gorges du Tarn
Limestone canyon carved by the Tarn, popular for canoeing past cliffside villages.
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87Nature & national park
Pont d'Arc
Natural stone arch over the Ardèche river at the entrance to the Ardèche gorges.
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88Mountain & viewpoint
Puy de Dôme
Volcanic summit in the Chaîne des Puys, reached by rack railway, with views over Auvergne.
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89Old town & city
Le Puy-en-Velay
Town of volcanic pinnacles topped by a chapel and statue, a start of the Way of St James.
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90Mountain & viewpoint
Pic du Midi de Bigorre
Pyrenean summit observatory reached by cable car, with a sky-deck and panoramic views.
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91Coast & beach
Grande Plage, Biarritz
Main surf beach of the Basque Coast resort, below the Hôtel du Palais.
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92Old town & city
Vieux-Port of La Rochelle
Old harbour guarded by medieval towers, surrounded by arcaded streets and seafood restaurants.
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93Island
Île de Ré
Flat Atlantic island linked by bridge, known for cycling paths, salt marshes and white villages.
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94Theme park & attraction
Machines of the Isle of Nantes
Workshop and gallery of giant mechanical creatures, including a rideable 12-metre elephant.
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95Old town & city
Vieux-Lille
Old quarter of Flemish-style brick and stone houses around the Grand Place.
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96Old town & city
Collioure
Catalan fishing port with a château and a church bell tower on the sea, favoured by Fauvist painters.
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97Mountain & viewpoint
Mont Ventoux
Bare limestone summit of Provence, famous as a Tour de France climb, with wide views.
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98Nature & national park
Vanoise National Park
France's first national park, with glaciers, ibex and hiking trails in the Savoie Alps.
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99Historic site
Douaumont Ossuary
Memorial and ossuary on the Verdun battlefield, holding the remains of soldiers of 1916.
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100
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