Rated Tourist Attractions

With its turreted towers and crenellated ramparts, Carcassonne seems straight out of a fairy-tale scene. This well-preserved (and renovated) fortified city offers a total immersion into the world of the Middle Ages.

Brittany is a beautiful historic region on the northeastern coast of France. A rugged coastline, quaint fishing villages, and weathered seaports characterize this region, which is steeped in ancient traditions and famous for its costumed religious festivals.

Biarritz is a fashionable beach town on the beautiful Bay of Biscay in France's Basque country. This celebrated seaside resort has an elegant and aristocratic air; it was a favorite destination of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III.

Suspended between heaven and earth on a sheer limestone cliff, Rocamadour is an unforgettable sacred site. In the 11th century, this pilgrimage destination was the third most important in Christendom after Jerusalem and Rome. Rocamadour was also a stop on the medieval Way of Saint James pilgrimage trail to Santiago de la Compostela in Spain.

Visitors can delve into the fascinating world of prehistoric art in Lascaux, the finest example of Paleolithic art in the world. This UNESCO-listed site is in the Vézère Valley of the Dordogne region. Discovered in 1940, the Lascaux Cave contains exquisite prehistoric paintings, but in 1963 was closed to the public to prevent damage.

For more than eight centuries, the magnificence of Chartres Cathedral has inspired the faithful, and some say this sublime sanctuary has restored belief in the doubtful. The UNESCO-listed cathedral exemplifies the glory of medieval Gothic architecture.

Traveling through the Loire Valley gives the impression of stepping into a children's storybook. Turreted fairy-tale castles grace the enchanting countryside of dense woodlands and gently flowing rivers. The entire area of the Loire Valley, a lush area known as the "Garden of France," is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Rising dramatically from a rocky islet off the Normandy coast, the UNESCO-listed Mont Saint-Michel is one of France's most striking landmarks. This "Pyramid of the Seas" is a mystical sight, perched 80 meters above the bay and surrounded by imposing defensive walls and bastions.

The most fashionable stretch of coastline in France, the Côte d'Azur extends from Saint-Tropez to Menton near the border with Italy. Côte d'Azur translates to "Coast of Blue," a fitting name to describe the Mediterranean's mesmerizing cerulean waters.

The Château de Versailles emblematizes the grandeur of the French monarchy prior to the fall of the Ancien Régime. This UNESCO-listed monument represents a glorious moment of France's history, under the reign of Louis XIV (known as the "Sun King"), when the palace set the standard for princely courts in Europe.