France Action & Adventure, Castles & Palaces, Historical, Island & Reefs, Landscape + Sunset & Sunrise Pictures

• Europe
• The World

From an afternoon picnic in the Luxembourg Gardens to a night at the opera, France’s romantic capital offers both simple pleasures and extravagant splurges.

Find out why literary masters, such as Goethe and Victor Hugo, heaped praise on this remarkable, pink-hued cathedral.

Marvel at the wooden organ and work out the parables depicted in the stained glass in this blend of two separate religious buildings.

Study the Gothic fixtures and enjoy the light, airy feel of the nave, with its intricate vaulted ceiling patterns, in this wonderful church and museum.

Enjoy the spicy Spanish influence on the cuisine, visit a pilgrimage site and ski in the snowy Pyrénées mountains.

One of the oldest museums in France, this institution is a fantastic place to see paintings, sculptures and architecture spanning centuries, back to the Middle Ages.

Explore this photogenic riverside square, which is bordered by two grand neoclassical palaces and features a spectacular fountain at its center.

Watch the sun set over the sparkling Gulf of Porto from this historic Genoese tower, a typical feature of the Corsican coastline.

Attend a theatrical or orchestral performance and admire the artworks on the alleged spot where St. Saturnin of Toulouse was martyred.

Walk amid the blush-colored terracotta façades in la Ville Rose (the Pink City) and find busy marketplaces, live music venues and the mighty Canal du Midi.

Lyon’s crowning glory, this monumental church stands atop Fourvière hill and provides fabulous panoramas of the city.

Study the intriguing pointed pillars on the river and relax on the grassy knoll of the park beside this iconic bridge. 

Whether you’re catching a train or not, be sure to visit this “secular cathedral,” an early 20th-century icon that sits on a hill north of Old Town Limoges.

Explore this photogenic riverside square, which is bordered by two grand neoclassical palaces and features a spectacular fountain at its center.

One of the most eye-catching monuments in Lourdes is the basilica that sits above the grotto, part of a wider sanctuary of impressive churches.

The old meets the new on this narrow and atmospheric Rouen street, which features historic attractions, charming architecture and modern boutiques.

The smaller basilica in the Sanctuary of Notre Dame de Lourdes is an artistic marvel, famed for its colorful mosaics and themed chapels.