City Beach

Cost: Free
Toulouse's City Beach offers 180 metres of fine golden sand at the Parc des Expos. Once installed on the sand, choose from a plethora of sunny activities - volleyball, football, badminton or simply lounge around on a deck chair. There's a special ... Continue reading

(Lille)

Métropole Museum of Modern Art

Cost: €6.50; concessions €3.70/€1.50
Situated in the leafy Villeneuve d'Ascq park on the outskirts of Lille, the Lille Métropole Museum of Modern Art houses an extensive and varied collection of 20th-century and modern art. Works originate from various donations, including the Masure... Continue reading

(Lille)

Old Town

Cost: Not Specified
Lille Old Town stretches from Grand' Place to the ramparts at Porte de Gand and the Citadelle on the town outskirts. Its 16th- and 17th-century Flemish houses wind around the 19th-century cathedral, finished with a shock modern façade in 1999. Th... Continue reading

(Lille)

Zoo

Cost: Free
Lille Zoo is the best freebie in town. Set in the grounds of the Vauban's impressive Citadelle, Lille's most popular attraction clocks up 1.2 million visitors annually, who flock to see the rhinos, zebra, snakes and snow panthers. All for free!... Continue reading

(Paris)

Arc de Triomphe

Cost: €9; concessions €5.50; under 18s free
Napoleon's grand symbol of military victory has ironically twice been a ground for crushing French defeats: in 1871 by Prussians and in 1941 by Germans. Nonetheless, the Arc de Triomphe proudly crowns the Champs-Elysees, sitting on Paris's most imp... Continue reading

(Lyon)

Archaeological Park

Cost: Park free; museum €4; concessions €2.50
Lyon's Archaeological Park (Parc Archéologique), in the heart of the old city, features a monumental ancient theatre and aqueduct, alongside the Museum of Gallo-Roman Civilisation. Once the capital of the Western Roman empire, today Lyon is a UNES... Continue reading

Atger Museum

Cost: Free
The Atger Museum concentrates solely on drawings from the Flemish, Italian, Dutch, German and French Schools. Its patient collector, Xavier Atger, bequeathed his collection to Montpellier's Faculty of Medicine in the 20th century. In addition to d... Continue reading

(Paris)

Branly Museum

Cost: €8.50; under-18s €6 (some exhibitions charge extra)
Architect Jean Nouvel's ultra-modern Branly Museum, near the Eiffel Tower, showcases collections of anthropological and ethnological artefacts, and primitive art from Africa, Oceania, Asia and the Americas. For great views of the Eiffel Tower, head... Continue reading

(Paris)

Catacombs

Cost: €8; concessions €6
The Catacombs, in Denfert-Rochereau, are a labyrinth of quarried tunnels - the final resting place of six million Parisians whose bodies were moved here from overcrowded graves in 1810. Visitors can explore the eerie bone-lined passages, 18 metres ... Continue reading

(Lille)

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de la Treille

Cost: Free
Lille's Cathédrale Notre-Dame de la Treille started life as the church of St Pierre. Having been partially destroyed in the Revolution, many attempts were made to rebuild it. The city finally managed it 1999, in time to see the millennium. Origin... Continue reading

Church of The Jacobins

Cost: Free; cloisters €3
With its tall, graceful octagonal spire of arches dominating the Old Town, the Church of The Jacobins is a distinctive landmark. This beautiful 13th-century Gothic church with red brick cloisters - its interior supported by elegant pillars - hosts ... Continue reading

(Paris)

Cité de l'Architecture

Cost: €8; concessions €5; under-26s free
Cité de l'Architecture in the Chaillot district houses over 850 copies of architectural treasures. Moulded portions of churches, châteaux and great French cathedrals like Chartres sit alongside reconstructions of modern architecture including a m... Continue reading

(Paris)

Eglise Saint Germain des Prés

Cost: Not Specified
Strictly speaking, Eglise Saint Germain des Prés is Paris' oldest church although in fact nothing remains of the original 6th-century structure. Set on the Place St Germain, the church offers a spiritual retreat amidst the quartier's consumer fren... Continue reading

Fabre Museum

Cost: €6; concessions €4
Montpellier's Fabre Museum houses one of France's best art collections, including works by Delacroix, Raphael and Jan van Steen. The original collection was sent to the city in 1803 by Napoleon and was later named after local painter Francois Fabre... Continue reading

(Lyon)

Fabrics Museum

Cost: €7; concessions €4.50; under 3s free
Lyon's Fabrics Museum on the Presqu'île displays one of the world's richest collections of historic silk tapestries and other precious fabrics. The 18th-century mansion also houses fine furnishings and silverware in the Decorative Arts Museum. Te... Continue reading

(Lyon)

Fourvière Hill and Basilica Notre-Dame

Cost: Panoramic tower: €2; children €1 Esplanade: free
A funicular climbs from Vieux Lyon to the top of Fourvière Hill, where the ornate 19th-century Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière stands. The esplanade behind the city's imposing landmark has a panoramic vista across Lyon which is especially lovely... Continue reading

(Lille)

Grand' Place

Cost: Not Specified
On maps, Lille's central square is listed as Place Général de Gaulle. Locals know it as Grand' Place, the historic hub of the city, home to every public celebration in town. Its friendly brasseries and cafes are perfect for people-watching. The ... Continue reading

Halle aux Grains

Cost: Not Specified
Dating back to 1860 (when it was designed by André Denat), this fine octagonal hall found a new lease of life from 1974 when Michel Plasson discovered it as a home for his Capitole Theatre orchestra, while the theatre was renovated. Originally a ... Continue reading

Hôtel d'Assezat

Cost: €5; concessions & children €3
Georges Bemberg's eclectic personal collection of fine art is displayed in the charming Hôtel d'Assézat, a beautiful 16th-century Renaissance mansion in the Old Town. Ranging from Renaissance to post-Impressionist, it includes more than 30 painti... Continue reading