Things to Do in France

ZooParc de Beauval is France’s largest and most diverse zoological park, with over 6,000 animals of 600 different species under its roof. Animals are classified under seven families: herbivores (giraffes, zebras, rhinos), birds (cockatoos, sea eagles, vultures), reptiles (chameleons, turtles, snakes, tortoises), fishes (clown fishes, piranhas, seahorses), big cats (tigers, lions, pumas), primates (macaques, lemurs, capuchin monkeys), and aquatic mammals (sea lions, manatees). Some of the specimens housed by ZooParc de Beauval are endangered and are kept in captivity for breeding purposes; one of the zoo’s mission is to help visitors preserve the Earth’s biodiversity through a variety of tips and tools.

In addition to basins, greenhouses, and other habitats, ZooParc de Beauval offers many shows between March and September.

Cap Taillat is a promontory into the Mediterranean Sea located right at the doorstep of Saint-Tropez. Although difficult to reach (it is only accessible on foot after a short coastal trek), Cap Taillat is one of the most beautiful sights in the area, with wild and unspoiled beaches as well as preserved flora. The many viewing points offer splendid and unobstructed panoramas of the turquoise sea and the dramatic coastline, punctuated by creeks and endemic palm trees. It is a popular summer attraction for visitors from all over France.

Lyon's Theâtre des Celestins (Theâtre de Lyon) is as famous for its design as it is for its theater program, which showcases contemporary and classical pieces and even cabaret. The most established theater in the city, Celestins was designed by French architect Gaspard Andre and unveiled in 1881 in the neoclassical style inspired by Ancient Greece. Andre also designed other famous Lyon buildings, including Place des Jacobins and the Grand Temple de Lyon. 

Named after the Celestine monastery that sat in the spot of the theater from 1407 to 1779, Celestins is in the heart of Old Lyon, just off the right bank of the Saône. The famous theater has two auditoriums inside"”one with space for 750 people and another smaller one with 150 seats. Its facade gets lit up during Lyon's Festival of Lights every December, which attracts millions of visitors.

Listed as a "monument historique" in 1997, Theâtre des Celestins was renovated between 2003 and 2005, and today, the site is accessible for tours that take visitors behind the scenes and even into the costume rooms to learn all about the theater's history.

The École Militaire is a large complex of buildings located in the 7th neighborhood (arrondissement) of Paris that houses several different military training facilities. The original military school was founded in 1750 by Louis XV, who wanted to create an academic college for cadet officers from poor families. One of the school’s more well-known students was Napoleon Bonaparte, who graduated from the École Militaire in one year instead of the standard two. The impressively decorated building is still home to a training school for officers in the French army. The buildings are located within sight of the Eiffel Tower and the Trocadero – very close to the Champ de Mars, which originally served as a parade ground for the school’s troops and students. The front facade of the building (facing the Eiffel Tower) is decorated with true 18th-century grandeur and still contains bullet holes where German units made a ‘last stand’ prior to the liberation of Paris in WWII.

Walking the quaint cobbled streets of Butte-aux-Cailles, it's easy to forget that you're in Paris. With its rows of petite painted houses, family-run bistros and tiny boutiques, the lively neighborhood maintains the feel of a rural village, despite being just minutes south of the Seine.

The best way to explore Butte-aux-Cailles is on a walking tour, starting along the main streets of Rue des Cinq Diamants and Rue de la Butte aux Cailles, then ducking off to explore the maze of side streets and alleyways. Along the way, pay a visit to the Sainte-Anne de la Butte aux Cailles church, admire the pretty timber-fronted houses along Rue Daviel or take a dip at the famous Piscine de la Butte aux Cailles, fed by natural hot springs.

Most importantly, take the time soak up the ambiance of local life in the quartier "“ stop for a coffee in one of the terrace cafes, browse the small shops for local produce like honey and handicrafts, or buy a bag-full of croissants and pain au chocolats to munch on as you stroll through the Jardin Brassaï park.

The Wall of Love (Le Mur des Je T'aime) is a massive work of art featuring the words “I love you” written in over 250 languages. Composed of 612 dark-blue tiles, this work by artist Frédéric Baron and calligraphist Claire Kito is a favorite meeting spot for lovers and offers more evidence that Paris is in fact the City of Love.  

A must-see for couples visiting Paris from around the world, the Wall of Love is a monument to love, peace, and harmony. The artist, Frédéric Baron, wanted to give lovers a meeting place and began collecting the words “I love you” in as many languages as he could. Splashes of color on the dark-blue wall represent broken hearts.

A visit to the Wall of Love in Jehan Rictus Square is often included in tours of the Montmartre district of Paris. The park is also a lovely spot to enjoy a picnic lunch and rest a bit before continuing your exploration of Montmartre. 

The Wall of Love is located in Jehan Rictus Square in the Montmartre district of Paris. Montmartre is in the 18th arrondissement on the city’s right bank, just north of the infamous Pigalle red-light district. From central Paris, take metro line 12 to the Abbesses stop and you’ll be within a few minutes’ walk of the park.

Like many attractions in Paris, The Wall of Love can be visited year-round. Keep in mind that parks in Paris have opening and closing times that vary with the seasons, so the Jehan Rictus Square does closer earlier during the winter months. Visit early in the morning during the summer months for the chance to photograph the wall without the crowds. 

Located in the 18th arrondissement north of central Paris, Montmartre is one of the most colorful  districts in the city. Visit the hilltop Sacré-Coeur Basilica, where you’ll enjoy some of the most spectacular views of the city, and then wander the historical cobblestones and famous staircases of Montmartre’s North Slope.

Zoo de la Flèche claims to be the oldest zoo in France and currently hosts over 1,200 animals from 130 species (including 25 endangered species), originating from five continents and spread over 15 hectares. More than just an entertainment, the zoo aims to protect the animals as well as sensitize and educate visitors to the 21st century challenges our natural environment faces. The zoo offers three different shows: “Marine World”, which features seals, “Lords of the Skies” and its prey birds, as well as the “Parrot Jungle” show.

The zoo is mostly famous for its five epic sleepover safari experiences with polar bears, arctic wolves, lemurs, white tigers, and grizzly bears.

Once the buzzing center of Paris' wine trade and home to the biggest wine market in the world, Bercy Village has now reinvented itself as one of the city's most unique shopping destinations, thanks to an urban renewal project that started in the 1990s. Today, the vintage and modern stand side-by-side, with the 19th-century wine cellars and warehouses repurposed as shops, clothing boutiques and art galleries. The old train tracks, where barrels of wine would arrive from regions like Bordeaux, are still embedded in the cobblestone streets.

Wine tasting is still a popular activity in Bercy Village, but it's also a beautiful spot for a walking tour. With its historic architecture, tranquil Bercy Park and plenty of cafes, restaurants and bars make for a delightful mid-sightseeing pause. There are also over 30 shops to browse, selling art and handicrafts, artisan foods, fashion and gifts, including big names like Parisian perfumer Fragonar, L'Occitane, Oliviers & Co and Sephora, plus a multiplex cinema and a spa.

Most visitors to Disneyland Paris make a beeline for the Disneyland Park, but don’t miss out on a trip to the adjoining Walt Disney Studios Park too, where you’ll find even more shows, rides and Disney-themed fun. The smaller of Disneyland Paris’ two theme parks is devoted to unveiling the magic behind the movies and it’s designed like a Hollywood movie studio, with four distinct areas - Front Lot, Toon Studios, Production Courtyard and Backlot. 

As well as taking a studio tram tour, watching dazzling displays of stunts and special effects and learning how your favorite Disney films were created, there’s also a host of thrilling rides and iconic Disney characters to meet. Highlights include the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™, Ratatouille: The Ride, Flying Carpets Over Agrabah, and the Toy Story Playland.

Disneyland© Paris

The multiple drum towers that make up the imposing façade of this massive chateau were once a part of an impressive fortress inhabited by the Romans in the 9th century. After some additional construction, Chateau d'Angers was used as an armory in the First and Second World Wars. Today it's been converted into an epic museum that houses the largest"”and oldest"”collection of medieval tapestries in the world. 

Visitors can venture past the castle's three-meter-thick walls and explore the 17 towers that stretch high into the sky surrounding the city of Angers. Covering an area of more than 220,000 square feet, the castle grounds offer tourists plenty to discover outdoors before venturing inside to check out the museum's galleries. 

The Carrière Wellington museum opened in March 2008 in Arras in the North of France, inside a quarry used during World War I. It commemorates those who built the tunnels and, subsequently, fought in the Battle of Arras during World War I. The Arras Tunnels formed an intricate network that ran from the town center to the German front lines, and housed over 20,000 soldiers of the British Empire and the Commonwealth. In fact, it was New Zealand soldiers who named the quarry after the city of the same name in their home country.

Although they were used as air shelters during the Second World War, the tunnels remained essentially forgotten until their rediscovery in 1990. 350 meters of the quarry’s galleries, located approximately 22 meters underground, can be accessed today. The museum showcases historical artifacts to help visitors understand the context around the Battle of Arras, notably why the military strategy was so remarkable at the time and what life was like for the underground soldiers.

Paris's tropical aquarium was constructed in 1931 by French architect Albert Laprade and it was intended as a permanent reminder of the Paris Colonial Exposition; the building has a distinctive colonnaded façade designed to resemble a classical Greek temple and it is a monument to Art Deco styling. The exterior walls are covered in bas-relief carvings of more than 250 figures and animals depicting life in France's colonies, which were created by sculptor Alfred Janniot. Today the aquarium makes a great family afternoon out, with over 5,000 animals and fish from more than 300 colorful species on display, from barracudas to turtles and starfish. 

 

Recent additions to the aquarium are two rare young albino alligators, while temporary exhibitions take on weighty subjects such as global warming and conservation. Upstairs in the Palais de la Porte Doree is a small museum showcasing the story of immigration into France from her colonies, but the most spectacular part of the Palais de la Porte Doree is the ground floor, with walls adorned with friezes of colonial scenes and stylish Art Deco furniture on display in the banqueting hall. 

Villers-Bretonneux is an important stop on the Australian Remembrance Trail of the Western Front, a popular route for visitors looking to learn more about that country's efforts in France during World War I. The Australian National Memorial remembers April 24, 1918–the day Australian troops pushed back against the Germans and retook the land they had gained. 

But more importantly, the memorial lists over 10,000 soldiers from WWI for whom there is no grave. Also of note in Villers-Bretonneux is the Franco-Australian Museum, located in the Victoria School–by far the most iconic building in the village. Both the memorial and the surrounding cemetery are the setting of ANZAC Day events in France each year on April 25.

Located at the foot of the hill where the infamously fierce Battle of Belleau Wood was fought in World War I, the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial overlooks the Marne Valley and is dedicated to the memory of lost soldiers. It was designed by famed French-American architect Paul Cret, who also planned several war memorials and battlefield monuments across Europe and in the United States. At 42 acres, it is one of the most important American cemeteries and memorials in France and commemorates the sacrifices and achievements of fighting men in the region, as well as the cooperation of French and American forces during World War I. Because of the role the US marines played in the battle, the Aisne-Marne Cemetery is often considered to be a pilgrimage site for American soldiers on leave. It features a T-shaped cemetery and a memorial chapel, which is built on top of a small hill, directly over the front-line trenches dug during the battle. Of the 2,288 burials in the cemetery, 251 contain unknown remains; 1,060 soldiers' names are inscribed on the Chapel's walls. Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial is located nearby the Chateau-Thierry American Monument and the Belleau Wood US Marines monument, which hold equally significant importance in military history of World War I.

The Battle of Belleau Wood saw the U.S. forces recapture the woods on the Metz-Paris road around Chateau-Thierry, taken at the end of May by the German Seventh Army forces. The June 1918 Battle of Belleau Wood was quite significant for the American Army, which often refers to this battle as a key component of the United States Marine Corps' lore and dedication; the soldiers, led by General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, held off a critical sector of the final German offensive, teaming up with the French and British forces to stop the advances that would eventually lead to the German Empire's recognition of the Armistice of November 11"”one of the first actions of the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe.

Once the site of a fierce battle that caused substantial casualties, Belleau Wood is now home to a vast memorial in honor of the three-week long action. In the center of the road leading to the woods is a flagpole and a monument, erected in commemoration of the valor and bravery of the 4th Marine Brigade who captured this area in 1918 as well as the actions of the of the U.S. Army's 2nd Division, who not only survived but overpowered the German attacks. Shell holes, war relics, weapons and trenches can be found in heaps in the vicinity, especially near the monument. The entire site is dedicated to the sacrifices and achievements of fighting men in the region, as well as the cooperation of French and American forces during World War I.

Encircled by the River Ill and the Canal du Faux Rempart, the Grande Île or “Big Island,” is the UNESCO–listed historic center of Strasbourg and home to the majority of the city’s top attractions. For most visitors to the city, the Grande Île serves as the prime focus of sightseeing tours. It also hosts Strasbourg’s world-famous Christmas market during the festive season.

Start your walking tour at the legendary Cathedral of Notre Dame, the city’s most iconic landmark, where you can take in views of the city from the 216-foot-high (66 meters) viewing platform. Next door, the Palais Rohan (Rohan Palace) is home to the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Galerie Robert Heitz, while the ornate Maison Kammerzell is a fine example of a half-timbered medieval townhouse. Additional highlights include the St Thomas Church and the picturesque La Petite France district, where the River Ill feeds a network of canalways crossed by the Vauban Dam and the historic Covered Bridges.

Just southwest of Lille is the historic farming town of Vimy, a popular day trip destination from Paris among history buffs and the site of aggressive fighting during World War I. The town’s definitive Battle of Vimy Ridge, fought between Canadian and German troops in 1917, resulted in a Canadian victory that proved essential in the advancement of British forces.

Even so, this led to more than 10,000 Canadian casualties, and the Canadian National Viny Memorial has since been instated on a 250-acre portion of the former battleground to honor those lost. In 1922, France granted the land for the memorial, and in 1936, it opened for all to come and pay respects. 

Although a portion of the site is still off limits to the public due to dangerous wartime trenches and craters, the twin statuary, which have the names of all who fought in the battle inscribed on the stone foundation surrounding them, can be seen from miles away. The memorial cemetery serves as the final resting for most of the 3,598 soldiers who gave their lives in the fight.

Located within Paris-Le Bourget, one of Europe's busiest business airports, is one of the world's largest and oldest museums dedicated to aeronautics. The Air and Space Museum encompasses 1.6 million square feet (150,000 square meters) of hanger space showcasing more than 150 aircraft, including a 747, Concorde, DC3, Mirage and Ariane rocket, as well as a variety of aviation memorabilia dating back as far as the sixteenth century. 

The Ballooning Era exhibit details the fascinating history of hot air and gas balloon flight, while the newly added Planete Pilote allows young visitors to take a seat in an aircraft cockpit, experience the buzz of an air traffic control tower or explore how a space station operates. An onsite planetarium takes visitors on a virtual journey into the heavens, while flight simulators teach them how crews operate real aircraft.

One weekend each month, the special Cockpits Secrets program takes visitors into some of the museum's legendary cockpits "” typically closed to the public "” to hear the stories and history of these great aircraft.

The Centre Pompidou in Paris houses the Musee National d'Art Moderne, one of the best collections of modern and contemporary art in the world. With its futuristic industrial design by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, the Centre Pompidou is an icon of 20th-century architecture. 

Built in 1971, the Centre Pompidou was designed with its insides on the outside, freeing up all interior space for exhibitions. The external plumbing, pipes, vents, and cables make the center look almost Lego-like. Highlights of the Musee National d'Art Moderne include pieces by Picasso, Matisse, Dalí, and Pollock. 

Many full-day sightseeing tours of Paris include a visit to the Centre Pompidou. Those with a particular interest in modern art can take a small-group or private tour of the Centre Pompidou to learn about surrealism and current trends in contemporary art from a guide. 

The Centre Pompidou is centrally located in the 4th arrondissement of Paris and is easily reached by public transportation. The center is within short walking distance of the Rambuteau, Hôtel de Ville, and Châtelet metro lines and is also accessed by the RER commuter train and several bus lines. 

The Centre Pompidou is a popular attraction, so book tickets and tours ahead of time to avoid spending time waiting in line. The Musee National d'Art Moderne is busiest when new exhibitions open, on rainy days, and the first Sunday of each month, when museum admission is free. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.  

The Centre Pompidou prides itself on being both a museum and a hub for cultural events and festivities, with hands-on workshops, film showings, dance performances, and live music events year-round. Check the museum schedule to see what events are happening during your visit. Also, the streets surrounding the center are popular with street performers, jugglers, and mime artists. 

With its striking white stone façade and attractive jumble of crenellated towers and pointed turrets, the majestic Chateau de Pierrefonds has all the presence of a fairy tale castle, set against the equally enchanting backdrop of the Compiègne forest. Originally built in the 15th-century by Philippe d'Orleans, the castle was torn down by Louis XIII in the 17th century, then rebuilt by celebrated architect Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th-century as an imperial residence for Napoleon III.

In recent years the castle has also made a name for itself as a filming location for several movies and TV shows, most notably Les Visiteurs, The Man in the Iron Mask and hit BBC series Merlin. Visitors can explore the Great Courtyard, the lavish state rooms, the chapel and the keep, as well as following the parapet-walk and walking the drawbridge.