Places of Interest in France

Given below is a list of the important cities in France:

Paris

Paris is the capital city of France and also its largest one. It's densely populated with over 12 million people. The city boasts of some major tourist attractions, as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre museum that made Dan Brown 'Da Vinci Code' more real, its cathedral Notre Dame de Paris and the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur. A smaller version of 'The Statue of Liberty' also stands here. Paris is home to most famous fashion houses in the world.

Things to see in Paris:

• Eiffel Tower
  The Eiffel Tower stands in the heart of Paris. The Eiffel Tower is only 1,040 feet high. Located on its first floor and in the stairways is the story of the Eiffel Tower, as told by posters, photos, illustrations, films and interactive displays.
• The Louvre
  The thousands of priceless classic and modern masterpieces makes the Louvre Museum the jewel in the crown of French culture and one of the most important museums in the world. The Louvre Museum takes you through the history of France and into the minds of kings and revolutionaries.
• Arc de Triomphe
  The Arc de Triomphe has served as a triumphant symbol of victory for French troops returning home from battle. Napoleon ordered the Arc de Triomphe's construction in 1809 to celebrate the triumph of the Republican armies. Unfortunately for Napoleon, his empire soon began to collapse. Consequently the Arc was not completed until much later in 1836. The Arc de Triomphe is decorated with friezes of battle scenes and carved with the names of Napoleon's victories.
• Notre Dame
  The Gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame was built around 1200 by Maurice de Sully. By about 1250, Jean de Chelles built the north arm and began work on the south arm, which was completed by Jean de Montreuil. The chapels of Notre Dame were constructed by the early 1300s. The buttresses next to the chevet are one of the buildings major attractions.
• Museum of the Army and Tomb of Napoleon
  The Musée de L'Armée at Les Invalides houses the Tomb of Napoleon, arguably the greatest Frenchman that ever lived. Suitable, the museum also contains a history of the Army of France. Napoléon's tomb is made of red porphyry with a green granite base which is circled by a crown of laurels and inscriptions of his victories.
  

Marseilles

The oldest city of France, birth place and home to many famous artists. It's located on the south-east coast of France, on the Mediterranean. It is privileged for being the center for arts and culture. It has famous historical museums and opera houses. The city is well known for its Hip Hop music.

Things to see in Marseilles:

• Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde
  The Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde is the most prominent structure of the entire Old Port area because it sits on a 530 foot spur of land. A chapel existed here before the church from 1214. The present church was erected in the 19C and was consecrated in 1864. It has a 148 ft tall tower with a gilded statue of the Virgin at its top.
• Château d'If
  Rancois I created the Chateau d'If in 1524 as part of the defenses of Marseille, but the Ile was never used for this purpose. It quickly became a prison, significantly to house the Protestants who especially those who were destined for use in galley service. Many prisoners were kept here in conditions that quickly lead to death while some were given large cells with seaward views.
• Vieux Port
  Le Vieux Port, or Old Port, is where Marseille was founded. This natural U-shaped harbor is large enough only for small fishing and pleasure craft--not for the huge sea-going container ships, which use the much larger harbor just to the west. Around the Old Port are the fortresses of Saint Nicholas and Saint Jean. They served a dual purpose--both to defend the port and to maintain control over the often-restive civil population of this city.
• Cassis
  The town, dating back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, was rebuilt upon ruins in the 17th century. The narrow lanes bring the traveler back to the past and the backdrop of the pretty harbor facing the white limestone cliffs creates an esthetic easel. The active and bustling port of Marseille lies some fifteen miles to the northwest along the coast.
• Vieille Charité
  "La vieille charité", designed by Pierre Puget, was built from 1671 till 1745 out of the local pink and white stones (from quarries "La Couronne") to house the infortunates. The building is composed of 4 wings opened to the interior like a cloister towards a courtyard with a Baroque style chapel. The building housed people who received training to find job. Later it became a hospice. It was classified as historic monument in 1951 and has been recently restored. Today, it houses scientific and cultural activities such as Audiovisual national institute, High education in social sciences, CNRS research library, mediterranean archeology museum.
  

Cannes

Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film FestivalThe city is also famous for its various luxury shops, restaurants, and hotels.

Things to see:

• Palais des Festivals et des Congres
  This site hosts the famous Cannes Film Festival each year. Here, you can find many handprints of some famous celebrities which are embedded in flagstones just outside the building.
• Musee de la Castre
  The chateau in Cannes has been converted into a beautiful museum. It is located in the former chateau of the Lerins Isles. One can see some 19th century paintings by some of the local artists which depict Cannes. There is also a collection of about 200 musical instruments, located here.
• La Croissete
  This beautiful sidewalk perfectly symbolizes the glamour that Cannes has been associated with. One can find many vendors here who sell some beautiful souvenirs. There are some wonderful cafes, just by the beach-side, which are perfect for relaxing.
• Musee de la Mer
  This is quite a unique museum which is dedicated to the prison system and underwater archaeology collections. The main highlight of this museum is that it is devoted to the mysterious 'Man in the Iron Mask'.
  

Lyon

The city's architectural landmarks are included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The international headquarters of Interpol, is based in Lyon. It's famous for its finest chefs and gastronomical cuisine.

Things to see:

• Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière
  Visitors often mistake this brilliantly white church for a storybook castle. The inside produces a similar reaction, where the walls are lined with shimmering paintings, staircases full of marble statues, and a room displaying bejeweled items from the past.
• Parc de la Tête d’Or
  Anglophones, this is truly one of the most magnificent features of the city. It has many acres of rolling green grass house colorful botanical and rose gardens, shaded running and bike trails, a large, island-dotted lake, and a full-sized zoo complete with giraffes, bears, lions, monkeys, and hippos.
• Vieux Lyon – Old Lyon
  The old medieval part of the city has narrow cobblestone streets that pull travelers back a few centuries. It mixes stone buildings as well as Renaissance-style architecture, complete with soaring towers, spiraling staircases, and buildings painted in shades of red and yellow.
  

Toulouse

This city is situated in south-west France on the banks of the River Garonne. It's the business center for the information and biotechnology industries and the headquarter for Airbuses. It's the most favored destination for trade fairs and conventions. It is also considered as an educational hub, with more than 120,000 students, studying in its university, also the oldest in Europe.

Things to see:

• Le Capitole
  This is the site of the original Town Hall, built in 1759. You can tour the historic building, and see busts of famous people of Toulouse, and gorgeous 19th and 20th century paintings.
• St. Sernin-Basilica
  This restored Romanesque church has a charm all it's own. It also has organs that must be seen to be believed.
• City of Space
  This monument has all forms of space, such as satellites, rockets, communications, and weather. In the gardens stands a life size space rocket, and there is also a wonderful planetarium with a variety of great shows.
• Port de l"Ebouchure
  This is the junction of the Canal du Midi, the Brienna Canal, and the Garonne River. Three picturesque bridges span the waterways, and at the reservoir, you can view a marble bas-relief of life on the Garonne.
  

Nice

The city's major tourist attraction especially, for honeymooners, is the French Riviera. It has the most delightful coastline, full of finest resorts. Its flower market is known for rare and exotic flower collection. It enjoys a Mediterranean climate throughout the year.

Things to see:

• Cours Saleya Flower Market
  Nice's famous Flower Market is one of the best attractions in the whole city. The edges are lined with cafés and souvenir shops, and the stands themselves are packed with amazing produce and myriad flowers.
• Matisse Museum
  The lovely and innovative art of Henri Matisse was inspired by the fresh colors and lines of Nice. This vast museum shows Matisse's works from his more traditional early days to the end of his career. There are also some of his personal effects here. The museum gift shop features prints of the artist's works.
• Le Chateau
  The best reason to visit the chateau is for the spectacular panoramic view of the city and sea. You won't actually see much of a castle.
• Nice Archaeology Museum and Roman Ruins
  To this day visitors can see the ruins of a Roman arena and bathhouses at (or next to) this museum in the Nice Cimiez neighborhood (right next to the Matisse Museum). Inside, the archaeology museum houses an interesting mix of historic and archeological exhibits on the area.
  

Nantes

This city is just 35 miles away from the sea, therefore enjoys an enviable coastline. It has diversified itself into both; a cultural as well as an industrial region. The city museum, 'The Musée des Beaux-Arts', has one of the most important art collections of France.

Things to see:

• Famous Nantes Clock
  The Orloj is mounted on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Square and is a popular tourist attraction. The Orloj is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details.
• Nantes Castle
  The Nantes Castle, an ancient symbol of the Czech lands, is the most significant Czech monument and one of the most important cultural institutions in the France. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Nantes Castle is the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000 m². A UNESCO World Heritage site, it consists of a large-scale composition of palaces and ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural styles.
• Basilique Saint-Nicolas
  This basilica is a catholic roman church that was built in 1869 by Jean-Baptiste Antoine Lassus in neo gothic style using local granite and limestone. It’s probably my favorite church of any other in Nantes. There was a church on the same spot since 11th century.
• Opéra Graslin
  Walking along rue de Voltaire we saw several stores around, some nice buildings (pic 1) but the most impressive was L’Opera Graslin (pics 2-3 ). It was built at the end of 18th century (1788) by architect M.Crucy in italian style but damaged by fire in 1796 and had to be rebuilted. It took the name of Jean-Louis Graslin that was the owner of the land.
  

Strasbourg

The city gardens are known for their blend of the French and German landscape architecture. The European parliament is located in this city. It's a transport center for France, with the road, rail and river communications based here.

Things to see:

• Strasbourg Cathedral
  It is one of Europe's most beautiful example of gothic architecture. The stunning pink sandstone facade is quite unique and breathtaking. Each day at 12:30 p.m., visitors can see the circa-1800s astrological clock with its lengthy show.
• La Petite France
  It is easily Strasbourg's prettiest and most enchanting neighborhood, and arguably one of the best neighborhoods in all of France. Stroll along its streets, along bridges over the Ill River.
• The Cathedral Spire
  It has been the symbol of the City of Strasbourg. The spire reaches a height of 142 metres. this makes it the tallest medieval structure on the continent. There are other taller spires in Europe but they were not built in medieval times, so Strasbourg holds the record and of course, always will.
• Boat Tour on the River Ill
  The River Ill winds its way around the old city of Strasbourg. So a great way to see and learn all about this city is to take a boat ride around it.
  

Montpellier

The famous summer festival, 'Festival de Radio France et Montpellier' of opera and music is held in this city. The festival included concerts, movies and art discussions. Most city tourist attractions are for free, held in historic courtyards.

Things to see:

• Place de la Comédie
  Montpellier’s main square crowned at its southern end by the elegant 19th century opera house. This is the place to sit and sip a coffee in one of the main cafés which line the place.
• Saint Peter’s Cathedral
  Known for its two rocket-shaped pillars which support a stone canopy above the main door, this bulk of a building dates from the 14th Century. The interior though is sadly lacking anything of interest.
• Rue de la Loge
  Montpellier’s Oxford Street, stuffed with shops and boutiques selling everything from chewing gum to designer clothes. It runs from the Place de la Comédie to the centre of the old town. Another popular square, particularly for young people, is the Place Jean-Jaurès is roughly half way down the street.
• Antigone district
  This is Montpellier at its most modern. Get here by walking through the Polygone shopping centre in Place de la Comédie. Using Ancient Greek motifs and designs as inspiration, this ultra-chic suburb of flats, shops and restaurants is certainly eye-catching if a little O.T.T.
• Musée Fabre
  This is the place to come to get your art fix when you’re in Montpellier. One of the best collections anywhere in France of old masters from Flanders, France and Italy. This truly impressive array of paintings is mainly the work of a local artist and collector who bequeathed them to the city in 1825.
  

Bordeaux

With about 116,160 hectors of vineyards, it's no surprise that Bordeaux is one of the worlds major wine industry center. It not only produces large quantities, but also the most expensive red and white wines. The historic part of the city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as, "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble" of the 18th century.

Things to see:

• North of Les Quais, over the river, the Aquitaine Bridge is an architectural achievement unique in France.
• Do not miss the Victory Arch (Roman architecture), at the center of La Victoire.
• Rest for a while in the wide Public Garden, north of Gambetta square.
• Checkout the statues and the Girondins memorial on the Quinconces square.
• Musee D'Art COontemporain at 7, rue Ferrère. Definitely worth a visit, if you are interested in modern art. In summer 2004 there was a marvelous video installation "1 hour portrait". The exhibition is not too big, so you need maybe 1,5 hours. Tel. 33 (0)5 56 00 81 50.
• Musee D'Aquitaine, 20, cours Pasteur. Shows a very interesting exhibition also for children about the history of the region. Tel : 33 (0)5 56 01 51 00. The ticket costs about 4 euros.
• You can also buy daily pass(less than 1.5 euros) or weekly pass(less than 10 euros) which can be used for both Bus and Tramway.