France
Eiffel Tower
Paris-France
France, in Western Europe, is a land of medieval cities, alpine villages, and Mediterranean beaches. Its capital, Paris, is famous for fashion, world-class art museums like the Louvre, and landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower. The country is celebrated for its fine wines, cheeses like Camembert, Brie, and Roquefort, and regional dishes such as Brittany’s crêpes and Burgundy’s coq au vin. History comes alive in Lascaux’s ancient cave paintings, Lyon’s Roman Theatre, the Palace of Versailles, Loire Valley chateaux, Normandy’s WWII sites, and Mont-St-Michel, while the French Alps offer ski resorts and the Riviera dazzles with glamorous beaches. From the lavender fields of Provence to the sparkling vineyards of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne, France combines culture, cuisine, and breathtaking landscapes in one unforgettable destination.
Baguette
The fresh baguette is perhaps the most iconic French food, equally delightful on its own or paired with classic cheeses like Gruyère or Brie. In Paris, be sure to try Le Grenier à Pain, which won this year’s Grand Prix de la Baguette, the city’s prestigious competition for the best baguette.
Crème brûlée
Crème brûlée is a favorite French dessert. Once you crack the thin hard caramel shell and dip your spoon into the creamy custard below, there’s no going back.
Grilled cheese sandwich
The French take on a grilled cheese, Croque-Monsieur features ham and melted Gruyère sandwiched inside, with rich béchamel sauce oozing over the top for a decadent treat.
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower, a wrought-iron lattice masterpiece on Paris’s Champ de Mars, was designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel and built between 1887 and 1889 as the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair. Initially criticized by some artists and intellectuals, it has become a global icon of France and one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks. Standing 324 meters (1,063 ft.) tall—roughly the height of an 81-storey building—it is the tallest structure in Paris and the most-visited paid monument in the world, with millions ascending it annually. The tower held the title of the tallest man-made structure globally for 41 years and, with the addition of a broadcasting aerial in 1957, remains taller than the Chrysler Building by 5.2 meters (17 ft.). Its square base measures 125 meters (410 ft.) on each side, and excluding transmitters, it is the second-tallest structure in France after the Millau Viaduct.
Notre-Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame de Paris meaning “Our Lady of Paris”, also known as Notre-Dame Cathedral or simply Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, and it is among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world. The naturalism of its sculptures and stained glass serve to contrast it with earlier Romanesque architecture. As the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris, Notre-Dame contains the cathedra of the Archbishop of Paris, currently Cardinal André Vingt-Trois. The cathedral treasury contains a reliquary, which houses some of Catholicism’s most important relics, including the purported Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the True Cross, and one of the Holy Nails.
French Riviera
The French Riviera, along southeastern France’s Mediterranean coast, is home to glamorous beach resorts like Saint-Tropez and Cannes, as well as the independent microstate of Monaco. Originally a health retreat in the 18th century, it later drew aristocrats, artists, and the 1960s “jet set.” Today, it remains a popular holiday destination, with scenic paths connecting its charming coastal villages and towns.