France Travel Guide

Housed in the 13th-century Toussaint Abbey church in Angers, this gallery displays more than 500 portraits—busts, reliefs and medallions—carved by sculptor David d'Angers (1788–1856). Among the subjects are Victor Hugo, Honoré de Balzac, Goethe and Lafayette. A glass roof floods the Gothic nave with light, while the artist's monumental pieces, including his statue of the Greek general Philopoemen, anchor the collection. Don't miss the adjacent Musée des Beaux-Arts, which shares the same entrance.

The Citadel of Dinant crowns a sheer 100-metre cliff above the Meuse, one of Belgium's four 'Meuse Citadels'. Fortified since 1051, the current stronghold was largely built by the Dutch between 1818 and 1821, after Napoleon's defeat. Its turbulent past includes the 1466 sacking of Dinant and the German reprisals of 1914. Reach the top by cable car or climb the 408 steps, then follow the ramparts for sweeping views of the river, the onion-domed collegiate church and the colourful old town below.

The Palace of Versailles is France's most magnificent palace, known for the Hall of Mirrors, gardens and Louis XIV's opulence, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Louvre is among the world's largest museums, formerly a royal palace whose glass pyramid entrance is an icon. Its collection of over 35,000 works includes the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo. Plan at least half a day and prioritise key galleries in advance.

Musée d'Orsay is Paris's Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art museum, known for Monet, Van Gogh and Renoir masterworks.

Notre-Dame de Paris is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture begun in 1163 on the Île de la Cité along the Seine. Victor Hugo's novel made it world-famous; after the 2019 fire it is being restored, with the exterior and square reopened. The facade is free to view; tower visits require booking.