The Eiffel Tower was built by Gustave Eiffel's company for the 1889 World's Fair in Paris. At about 330 metres, it was the tallest structure in the world until 1930. Many people disliked it at first, but it became the symbol of Paris and France. Lifts and stairs climb to three levels with views over the city. At night it sparkles with lights for a few minutes every hour.

The Arc de Triomphe stands at the top of the Champs-Élysées in the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, where twelve avenues meet. Napoleon ordered it in 1806 to honour his army, and it was completed in 1836. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier lies beneath it, with an eternal flame. Visitors can climb to the roof for a view along the avenues.

The Champs-Élysées is the most famous avenue in Paris, running about two kilometres from Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. Its lower part has gardens, while the upper part is lined with shops, cinemas, cafes and car showrooms. It hosts the Bastille Day military parade and the final stage of the Tour de France.

The Pont Alexandre III is the most ornate bridge in Paris, built for the 1900 World's Fair. It was named after Tsar Alexander III to celebrate friendship between France and Russia. Its single steel arch is decorated with lamps, cherubs, nymphs and gilded statues of winged horses on tall pillars. It links the Invalides with the Grand Palais.

The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world, housed in a former royal palace in the heart of Paris. It opened as a museum in 1793. Its collection ranges from ancient Egypt and Greece to the 19th century, including the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The glass pyramid entrance, designed by I. M. Pei, opened in 1989.

The Tuileries Garden stretches from the Louvre to Place de la Concorde in Paris. It was created in 1564 for Catherine de' Medici's Tuileries Palace, which burned in 1871. The formal French garden was redesigned by André Le Nôtre. Statues, ponds and chairs fill its paths. The Orangerie museum, with Monet's water lilies, stands at its western end.

Notre-Dame de Paris is a Gothic cathedral on the Île de la Cité, built mainly between 1163 and 1345. It is famous for its flying buttresses, rose windows and gargoyles. In April 2019 a fire destroyed its roof and spire. After five years of restoration, it reopened in December 2024 with a rebuilt spire and cleaned interior.

Sainte-Chapelle is a royal chapel on the Île de la Cité in Paris, built in the 1240s for King Louis IX to hold relics of Christ's Passion. Its upper chapel has some of the finest stained glass in the world: fifteen windows, each about 15 metres tall, show over a thousand scenes from the Bible. It stands within the Palais de Justice.

The Basilica of Sacré-Cœur stands at the top of Montmartre, the highest point in Paris. It was built between 1875 and 1914 in a Romano-Byzantine style with white domes of travertine stone. Inside is one of the largest mosaics in the world. The steps in front give wide views over Paris, and the artists' square, Place du Tertre, is nearby.

The Musée d'Orsay is housed in a former railway station on the left bank of the Seine, built for the 1900 World's Fair. It opened as a museum in 1986. It holds the world's largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, with works by Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh and Cézanne. The great clocks of the station can still be seen.

The Palace of Versailles was the royal residence of France from 1682 until the Revolution in 1789. Louis XIV turned a hunting lodge into a vast palace. Its Hall of Mirrors has 357 mirrors facing tall windows onto the gardens. The formal gardens by André Le Nôtre stretch for kilometres with fountains and a Grand Canal. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mont-Saint-Michel is a tidal island off the coast of Normandy, crowned by a Benedictine abbey. A monastery was founded here in 708, and the abbey grew over centuries into a Gothic masterpiece. A medieval village with ramparts climbs the rock below it. The tides here are among the strongest in Europe. A footbridge links it to the mainland. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Château de Chenonceau spans the River Cher in the Loire Valley. Built in the 16th century, it is known as the Ladies' Château because women shaped its history, including Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de' Medici. Its gallery stretches across the river on arches. It is surrounded by formal gardens and is one of the most visited châteaux in France.

The Château d'Amboise stands on a hill above the Loire. It was a royal residence in the 15th and 16th centuries, and King Charles VIII and Francis I lived here. Leonardo da Vinci, invited by Francis I, is buried in the château's Chapel of Saint-Hubert. His last home, Clos Lucé, is nearby. The terraces give views over the river.

The Château de Chambord is the largest château in the Loire Valley, built from 1519 for King Francis I. Its roof is a forest of towers, chimneys and lanterns. At its centre is a famous double helix staircase, possibly inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, where two people can climb without meeting. It stands in a huge walled forest park.

The Palais des Papes in Avignon was the residence of the popes in the 14th century, when seven popes lived in Avignon instead of Rome. Built mainly between 1335 and 1364, it is one of the largest Gothic palaces in Europe. Its great halls and chapels have fragments of frescoes. It hosts the Avignon theatre festival each July.

The Pont d'Avignon, officially Pont Saint-Bénézet, is a medieval bridge over the Rhône at Avignon. It was built in the 12th century and once had 22 arches, but floods destroyed most of them; four remain. A small chapel stands on the bridge. It is famous from the French children's song Sur le pont d'Avignon.

Gordes is a village in the Luberon in Provence, built on a hill. Its stone houses cascade down the slope below a Renaissance castle. It is one of the most beautiful villages in France. Nearby is the Village des Bories, a group of dry-stone huts, and the Sénanque Abbey in a valley of lavender.

The Arles Amphitheatre is a Roman arena built around 90 AD, which once held about 20,000 spectators. In the Middle Ages it was turned into a fortress with houses inside. Today it hosts bullfights and shows. Arles also has a Roman theatre and was home to Vincent van Gogh, who painted many works here. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Aix-en-Provence is a historic city known for its fountains, elegant mansions and markets. Its main street, the Cours Mirabeau, is lined with plane trees and cafes. The painter Paul Cézanne was born here, and his studio is open to visitors. The Montagne Sainte-Victoire, which he painted many times, rises east of the city.

The old town of Nice, Vieux Nice, is a maze of narrow streets with colourful buildings and Baroque churches. The Cours Saleya hosts a famous flower and food market. Above it, Castle Hill offers a park, a waterfall and the best views over the Bay of Angels and the port. Socca, a chickpea pancake, is a local speciality.

The Promenade des Anglais runs about seven kilometres along the Bay of Angels in Nice. It was named after the English visitors who paid for an early path along the sea in the 19th century. Its blue chairs, palm trees and pebble beach are symbols of Nice. Grand hotels like the Negresco line the road. The city's Belle Époque seafront is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Èze is a medieval village perched on a rocky peak about 430 metres above the Mediterranean between Nice and Monaco. Its narrow stone lanes wind up to the Exotic Garden at the top, built on the ruins of a castle, with cacti and views over the coast. The philosopher Nietzsche walked a path from the sea to the village.