Historic Attractions and Sights in France

Within the walls of Roman theaters your imagination brings to life the poets sharing their hearts, gladiators fighting to death, musicians composing their song in the arena where you stand. Find out about visiting the Roman theaters of Lyon, France.

The Charles de Gaulle Memorial in Colombey-les-deux-eglises, Champagne

One of the bloodiest points in the history of this area revolves around the rise and eventual massacre of the Christian Cathar religious sect in the 12th century. Tourists can visit the ruins of Cathar strongholds, and villages where crusaders conducted massacres with a trip to the beautiful and history-rich Cathar Country.

Top 6 Things to Do in Antibes -- Antibes Top 6 Things to Do

North France is full of top attractions and places to stop at. Too often, visitors drive past them on their journeys south, missing some wonderful attractions, fortified, walled cities, and great museums. So turn off the motorway and see some of my recommended sights. Some are well known; others are well-hidden secrets; all of these in...

The International Centre of Lace and Fashion of Calais is a super place, attracting visitors for the fashion element it has on show, the fascinating history of the lace making industry in Calais which goes back centuries, and the working machines. It’s in a converted 19th-century lace factory and makes a great 3-hour visit.

The Wellington Quarry Museum is an exceptional and eerie place. Located in the tunnels that criss- cross the ground 20 meters beneath Arras, the museum commemorates and tells the story of the World War I Battle of Arras on April 9th, 1917.

Located on the banks of the Loire river, the Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery in Nantes is an impressive, broodingly thoughtful place. Nantes owed much of its wealth to the slave trade and was the most active port between the mid-17th and mid-19th centuries and so the Memorial in this city e is particularly relevant.

Aigues-Mortes in the Camargue area of Languedoc-Roussillon is one of France’s most romantic towns. Called the ‘City of Dead Waters’ and in the middle of lagoons, this perfectly preserved medieval walled town conjures up the past with its fortifications, massive walls, towers and chapels.

The British Memorial in western Arras was set up in 1916 as part of the exisitng French cemetery. After the war, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission brought the other cemeteries in Arras to create this one memorial. It has 2,652 tombes within its walls. It also commemorates 35,942 soldiers missing from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New...

The magnificent castles or chateaux that line the mighty River Loire are a major attraction in summer. But happily, some stay open in the winter as well. And in winter, you have the rooms to yourselves so you feel the ghosts of the great figures of the past walking beside you through the echoing, empty rooms. Here are four of the most...

There’s a surprising amount of places to visit in Angers, but dominating the whole of the town is the impressive Chateau. Not much is left apart from the walls and towers, but inside you’ll come across one of the great treasures of France –- the Apolaypse Tapestry.

The Great War Museum (Le Musee de la Grande Guerre), commemorating World War I in a new and different way, is located in Meaux, just outside Paris. Opened at 11am on Friday November 11th, 2011, it houses an astonishing collection of artefacts. The main part of the exhibition is the two Battles of the Marne, one in 1914 and the second in 1918. In...

Nausicaa, the National Sea Experience Centre, is one of the main reasons many people visit Boulogne. It was opened in 1991 as a brave venture when Boulogne was losing its position as a major Channel port. Today it’s a wonderfully easy-to-negotiate journey through the wonders of the sea, catering for families, enthusiasts and school parties and...

The Musee de l’Hospice Comtesse (the Hospice Museum of the Countess) is set on the banks of the former old port in Lille in northern France. Established as a religious community to care for the sick and the poor in the 13th century, it stands in a beautiful courtyard. Wander through the rooms to see the story of caring for the needy in an...

The Cabaret-Rouge British and Commonwealth War Cemetery at Souchez is large, with 7,655 Commonwealth burials from World War I. The War Cemetery stands on the D937 Arras-Bethune road, just north of Arras. Taking its name from a small café that stood by the road here, Cabaret-Rouge was a cemetery as early as March 1916.

The Neuville-Saint-Vaast German War Cemetery is the biggest German war cemetery in France, located in the village of Neuville-Saint-Vaast near Arras in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. Impressive and moving, it encapsulates the German War Commission's motto, Reconciliation above the graves.

Notre-Dame de Lorette is the largest French military cemetery, with over 40,000 soldiers, both known and unknown from France and her colonies, buried here. Soldiers from World War I and unknown bodies from both world wars are commemorated on this wildswept hill opposite Vimy Ridge.

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial and Memorial Park in northern France commemorate the Battle of Vimy Ridge, fought on April 9th, 1917 by four Canadian divisions. The 240-acre Park is on the site of the battle, on land given by a grateful France to Canada. The soaring, significant Vimy Memorial stands on Hill 145, part of the Canadian...

Angers in the western Loire Valley is less well known than the posher part nearer Paris where kings, queens, princes and aristocrats built their fabulous chateaux. But this secret part of the Loire Valley is delightful with its own hidden treasures.

Rouen is a lovely city and is the historic capital of Upper Normandy. It’s one of France’s lesser known cities, and well worth a visit. Walk through the old part of the city, visit the cathedral and make sure you see at least some of the museums.

There are plenty of attractions in Reims, capital of the Champagne Region from the gothic cathedral, one of France's finest, to the Automobile Museum, from Champagne tastings to the room where General Eisenhower accepted Germany's unconditional surrender in May 1945

If you want a short trip outside Paris, try any of these suggestions. You can go for a day trip, or stay overnight for easy sightseeing outside the capital. Perhaps combine some of them into an overnight or longer stay.

Compiegne is not a well-known destination, but don’t dismiss it. This small town just north of Paris has a lot to offer. First and foremost is the over-the-top Compiegne Palace with its outstanding parkland and formal gardens. Then there’s a delightful model museum, and nearby the evocative Armistice Museum, a reminder of World War I and its...

The Tapestry of the Apocalpyse in Angers Castle, Anjou, is one of the most impressive tapestries in the world. The medieval tapestry ilustrates the Apocalpyse from the Book of Revelations.

Compiegne, just north of Paris, is best known for the grand Palace of Compiegne. But there are other treats in store in this small town. This guide takes you to the Palace, the Historic Figurine Museum and the surrounding Forest of Compiegne.

Rene Lalique, one of the world's great jewelery and glassware designer, now has a museum devoted to his work. Visit the little village of Wingen-sur-Moder in the Vosges National Park in Alsace to see his wonderful creations in the dramatic setting of this attraction. It makes another unusual museum in France to visit.

The Wilfred Owen Memorial in Ors, northern France, is a startling and impressive memorial to one of Britain's greatest war poets. Opened in October 2011, it adds to the sites of World War I that you can visit in the area.

The Chateau of Falaise – the Castle of William the Conqueror at Falaise, Normandy

The World-Famous Bayeux Tapestry in Bayeux, Normandy, is one of the great works of art and a wonderful depiction of 1066 and the battle between William the Conqueror and King Harold of England

The Armistice Memorial, Compiegne -- Guide to the Armistice Memorial in North France

La Piscine Museum at Roubaix -- one of France's top art museums at La Piscine Museum, Roubaix

Places and Museums associated with Charles de Gaulle, President of France at Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, Champagne-Ardenne Region