France Attractions

The Eiffel Tower is probably the most famous attraction in France. Built in 1889 from iron lattice, the tower standing 324m (1,063 ft) is located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. It is one of the most recognizable structures in the world and is the single most visited paid monument in the world. Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the tower was built as the entrance arch for the 1889 World's Fair. The Eiffel Tower was the tallest man-made structure in the world from its completion until the Chrysler Building in New York City was built in 1930. Not including broadcast antennas, it is the second-tallest structure in France after the 2004 Millau Viaduct. The tower has three levels for visitors and tickets can be purchased to ascend by stairs or lift to the first and second levels. The walk to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the walk from the first to the second...

Notre Dame Cathdral (also, Notre Dame de Paris) is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in France and all of Europe. The name Notre Dame means "Our Lady" in French, and is frequently used in the names of Catholic church buildings in French influenced countries. Notre Dame de Paris was one of the first Gothic cathedrals, and its sculptures and stained glass show the heavy influence of naturalism, unlike that of earlier Roman architecture. NOtre Dame has been the site of many historical events including the crowning of Henry VI of England in 1430 and the marriage of the Catholic Marguerite de Valois to the Huguenot (Protestant) Henri of Navarre in 1572. Today, the cathedral still draws more than a million visitors a year with its massive rose windows, 7800-pipe organ, towering spire and splayed flying buttresses.

Sacre Coeur Basilica (also known as Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Paris) is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Paris, France. The basilica is a popular landmark located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. Today, thousands of tourists climb up the steep and large number of steps (or take the funicular railway to the top of the Butte de Montmartre) every day for the spectacular views across Paris. On a clear day, it is possible to see for 40km (25 miles) from the top of the 112m (367ft) bell tower.

The Orsay Museum (better known as the Musee d'Orsay) is a museum in Paris on the left bank of the Seine. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography, and is probably best known for its extensive collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces (the largest in the world) by such painters such as Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Gauguin and Van Gogh. Many of these works were held at the Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume prior to the museum's opening in 1986.

Claude Monet's home and Garden is a major tourist attraction in the village of Giverny around 80 km (50 miles) N of Paris, on the border between the province of Normandy and the Île-de-France. The acclaimed artist Monet lived at this house until his death in 1926. Nowadays, visitors can see the renovated house and stroll around the beautiful gardens at Giverny. Inside the house, the walls are filled with a collection of Monet’s Japanese painting prints. Visitors can also see a lovely display of waterlilies and bridge in the gardens which were a great inspiration to the artist and featured in some of his most famous works of art.

The Arc de Triomphe is a monument standing 50 m (160 ft) in height, 45 m (148 ft) wide and 22 m (72 ft) deep in Paris. The Arc is located in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle, at the W end of the Champs-Élysées. The triumphal arch represents and honours those who fought for France, particularly during Napoleon's Wars. On the inside and the top of the arc there are all of the names of generals and wars fought. Underneath is the tomb of the unknown soldier from World War I.

The Caves of Lascaux in SW France are famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings. The original caves are located near the village of Montignac, in the Dordogne Region. They contain some of the best-known Upper Paleolithic art. These paintings are estimated to be around 17,000 years old. They consist mainly of primitive images of large animals, most of which are known from fossil evidence to have lived in the area at the time. In 1979, Lascaux was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list along with other prehistoric sites in the Vézère valley. The cave contains nearly 2,000 figures, which can be grouped into three main categories — animals, human figures and abstract signs. Notably, the paintings contain no images of the surrounding landscape or the vegetation of the time. Most of the major images have been painted onto the walls using mineral pig...

Located in the department of Vienne, 10 kilometres N of Poitiers, Futuroscope (or Parc du Futuroscope) is a French theme park based upon multimedia, cinematographic futorscope and audio-visual techniques. It has several 3D cinemas and a few 4D cinemas along with other attractions and shows, some of which are the only examples in the world. The park attraction around 1.5 million visitors annually (about a tenth of the visitors of Disneyland Paris). The notable attractions at the park include: Most are available to non French speakers via translation headsets, while some are French only and are listed below. ÉcoDingo - French Only La Cité du Numérique (Digital City) - Hands on exhibit Danse avec les Robots (Dances with Robots) Arthur, l'aventure 4D (Arthur and the Minimoys 4D) Sous les Mers du Monde 3D (Deep Sea 3D) Les Aile...

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres) is a Latin Rite Catholic cathedral located in Chartres, about 80 km (50 mi) SW of Paris. It is considered one of the finest examples in France of Gothic style architecture. The current cathedral is one of at least four that have occupied the site.

Disneyland Resort Paris is a holiday and recreation resort in Marne-la-Vallée, in the E suburbs of Paris. The complex is located 32 km (20 mi) from the centre of Paris and is France and Europe's most visited tourist site. Disneyland Paris comprises two theme parks (Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park), a retail, dining and entertainment district, and seven Disney-owned hotels. The resort's twin theme parks attract more than 15 million visitors annually and is Europe's most visited theme park and general tourist attractiion.

The Arles Amphitheatre (French: Arènes d'Arles) is a Roman amphitheatre in the S of France town of Arles. This 2-tiered Roman Amphitheatre is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in the S of France, which thrived in Roman times. Measuring 136 m (446 ft) in length and 109 m (358 ft) wide, the 120 arches date back to the first century BC. The amphitheatre was capable of seating over 20,000 spectators, and was built to provide entertainment in the form of chariot races and bloody hand-to-hand battles. Nowadays, it draws large crowds for bullfighting along with plays and concerts in the summer.

The Palace of Versailles, also known as simply 'Versailles', is a royal château located in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French, it is known as the Château de Versailles. The Palace lies around 20 kilometres SW of the French capital. The court of Versailles was the centre of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime. One of the largest, it is also considered one of the most beautiful palaces in the world.

The Château de Chenonceau is a castle near the small village of Chenonceaux, in the Indre-et-Loire department of the Loire Valley in France. It was built on the site of an old mill on the River Cher, sometime before its first mention in writing in the 11th century. The Chateuu interior is well known for its elegant 59m long gallery, for the libraryi and for the famous guard room. Visitors can also see Francois I’s bedroom, Louis XIV’s living room along with Diane de Poitiers’s bedroom.

The Asterix Park (Parc Astérix) is a themed amusement park in France, based on the stories of Asterix. Situated approximately 35 km (22 miles) N of Paris and 32 km (20 miles) from Disneyland Resort Paris. It opened in 1989 and is operated by Compagnie des Alpes. It is especially well known for its large variety of roller coasters, and has begun incorporating rides and themes from historic cultures such as the Romans and the ancient Greeks. There are many attractions and shows in the park, most notably: Tonnerre de Zeus, a wooden roller coaster Goudurix, a large steel multi-looping coaster Oxygénarium, a large, twisting water slide with round dinghies Transdémonium, a haunted mansion filled with special effects la Trace du Hourra, a 900m bobsled, with cars that reach 80 km/h la Galère, a swinging ship Men...

The Palais des Papes (Popes' Palace) is a historical palace in Avignon, in S France. It is one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe. Along with the historic centre of Avignon it is listed as a World Heritage Site of UNESCO. Despite the papacy moving back to Rome in 1377, Avignon remained the property of the Vatican and was used to house members of the Papacy in this grand Palace. Various popes added to the buildings during the Middle Ages, creating the largest Gothic palace in Europe. Nowadays, visitors can visit a selection of the Palace's rooms. The Great Chapel is spectacular site and is more typical of a cathedral than a chapel in terms of size. The palace also gave its name to the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine, and wine tastings are available in a store located in the centre of the palace.

The Bayeux Tapestry is a 0.5 by 70 metres (1.6 by 230 ft) long embroidered cloth which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England as well as the events of the invasion itself. It is one of the most historically important and unusual discoveries to date. The Bayeux Tapestry is annotated in Latin and is housed in the Bayeux Tapestry Museum (Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux).

The Louvre Museum is one of the world's largest museums and is currently the most visited museum in the world. The 60,600 square metred building housing more than 35,000 objects is associated with its glass pyramid roof which is one of the most iconic symbols of Paris. The museum is located on the bank of the Seine river in Paris and is the home of some of the world’s most famous works of art, including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. The other permanent collections includes Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Egyptian and oriental antiquities, as well as sculptures, art objects, prints and drawings. Entrance to the Louvre is via the largest of the 3 glass pyramids that dominate the courtyard. The global success of Dan Brown's novel, The Da Vinci Code (which features a number of scenes involving the Louvre), has contributed to the status of this museum being the 'World's Most Visite...

The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis. It has a capacity of 81,338, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe. It is used by both the French national football team and French rugby union team for international competition. It also hosts the latter stages of most major rugby and football events and has hosted the annual Motorsport event Race of Champions in 2004, 2005, and 2006. The stadium is also used for music concerts and other sporting events. The facility is owned and operated by the Consortium Stade de France.

Provençal Gothic church with wood paneling dating back to the 14th and 15th century. Also worth a look is the collection of 19th century paintings, which includes a fresco by George Roux that portrays the baptism of Christ. The church is situated on top of Suquet hill in old Cannes, the church offers visitors a fabulous view of the town and its bay.

The cable car to the summit, the Téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi, was built in 1955 and held the title of the world's highest cable car for about two decades. It still holds the record as the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world, from 1,035 m to 3,842 m. There are two sections: from Chamonix to Plan de l'Aiguille at 2,317 m and then directly, without any support pillar, to the upper station at 3,777 m (the building contains an elevator to the summit). The span of the second section is 2,867 m measured directly, but only 2,500 m measured horizontally. It thus still is the second longest span width, measured directly. The tramway travels from Chamonix to the top of the Aiguille du Midi – an altitude gain of over 2,800 m – in 20 minutes. An adult ticket from Chamonix (as of July 2011) is €42.50 return. The Aiguille summit cont...

The Crystal Museum in Chamonix is a popular museum exhibiting an impressive collection of crystals, mostly from Chamonix, but also from the rest of the Alps and worldwide. Created and maintained through a paternership between the city council and the local Mineralogical club, it is both very aesthetic and scientific, displaying pedagogical posters. In addition to cataloguing the region’s rich minerals and rocks, this museum hosts intriguing temporary exhibitions such as the history of mountaineering and the impact of climate change on mountains.