Built between 1887 and 1892, this summer palace was extended in the 1990s by the architects Jean-Marc Ibos et Myrto Vitart to include a narrow 70m x 6.50m building, the glass façade of which reflects the image of the back of the main building. The ga..

An admirable 13th Century chevet prepares the visitor for the vertiginous views of the vaults 48 metres up. This cathedral is one of the masterpieces of Gothic art in northern France. It is lit by wonderful windows that illuminate the 58-metre ..

Laid out first by Louis XIV who had 75 stays there punctuated by sumptuous parties, the old chateau was entirely reconstructed by Louis XV. But it was the Empire that brought it its renown, when Napoléon the first made it the Imperial mansion in 1806..

This square links up with the Grand Square (Grand'Place) by the the rue de la Taillerie. Like its Grand rival, this square has real Flemish architectural balance. Bordered by shops and dominated by the belfry, it is smaller in size but more lively.

The «Louvre of Oriental Art» is how the Guimet Museum has been described. It has probably the world's collection of Asiatic art. Superbly refurbished by Bruno and Henri Gaudin, it offers a walk through the renewed collection, studded with masterpiece..

From this “square” at the top of the Champs-Élysées, halfway between the Louvre and La Défense, twelve avenues radiate outwards from the Arc de Triomphe (hence the name “étoile” or star), a symbol of the imperial city so prized by Napoleon, forming o..

It was around the Île de la Cité that Paris first developed. The historic cradle of the capital, it remains one the city’s most popular and attractive districts. It is home to three of its major monuments: notre Dame cathedral , Sainte Chapelle , a..

You are taken into the impressive world of the fortress that Philippe Auguste built at the start of the 13C: along the route, you will discover the counterscarp wall, the 2. 60 m thick curtain, the foundations of the dwellings that were added by Ch..

Since 1986, the huge main hall of the former Orsay railway station has been the home of art collections covering the period 1848 to 1914, enhancing those of the Louvre and the Musée National d’Art Contemporain . The Orsay houses the world’s finest..

Situated at the top of the Champs-Élysées, this arch occupies the centre of the Place Charles-de-Gaulle , which opens out onto 12 wide avenues. Built in 1806 by Jean-François Chalgrin upon the order of Napoleon, it was only completed in 1836. Huge..

Military history is dealt with from the time of the Ancien Regime to the latest world conflicts. This is one of the finest museums of military art, techniques and history. With over 500,000 exhibits the museum is remarkable for the abundance and the ..

Designed in the French Classical style by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, this church was built between 1677 et 1706. Two cupolas fit one inside the other, illuminated by “hidden light”. The beauty of the domes contrasts with the robust aspect of the square ..

For eight centuries, the Louvre was the residence of kings and emperors. Successive expansion projects have created one of the world’s largest palaces, along with the Vatican. Its worldwide renown is due to its museum, home to unique masterpieces suc..

This grandiose and impressively wide avenue is the city’s most famous thoroughfare, home to a string of luxury boutiques. Highly fashionable during the Second Empire period, it has preserved its fine avenues of chestnut trees, theatres and a few rest..

This huge square was built from 1755-75 by the architect Gabriel. Two impressive colonnaded mansions stand either side of rue Royale. One is home to the Hôtel Crillon , the other the Navy headquarters. On the angles of the square, eight statues repr..

This château is one of the most handsome masterpieces of the 17C. It was built for Nicolas Fouquet by major artists such as Louis Le Vau, Charles Le Brun and André Le Nôtre between 1656 and 1661. At a party on 17 August 1661, Louis XIV became jealous..

This château is at once evocative of the Renaissance, with its famous horseshoe staircase, and of the imagery of Épinal, with the poignant scene of Napoleon bidding farewell to the faithful soldiers of the Old Guard in Adieux de Napoléon . In 1528, ..

Le Nôtre (1613-1700) can be said to have attained perfection in the art of French-style gardens, of which Vaux-le-Vicomte is an admirable example. Flower beds and box trees are laid out in arabesques called Turkish carpets, fountains play in the symm..

The tour of the Château de Fontainebleau 's Grand Apartments takes in the superb Galerie François I . Built between 1528 and 1530, the gallery is decorated with frescoes and stuccoes by Rosso. The king's emblem, the salamander, is omnipresent. Th..

Starting at the terrace of the Château de Versailles , you can explore the grounds on foot, by horse-drawn carriage or in a small boat on the Grand Canal. The rectilinear Axe du Soleil , with its water parterre , fountains, statues (such as the D..