France Central, Historical, Modern architecture + Water sports pictures

• Europe
• 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.

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

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

This serene mountain town has rustic charm and natural beauty and is the site of one of Europe’s most famous divine encounters.

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

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

Take a cruise on this wide river, as it meanders between the leafy parks and historic bridges and buildings of the Pink City.

This serene mountain town has rustic charm and natural beauty and is the site of one of Europe’s most famous divine encounters.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Take a cruise on this wide river, as it meanders between the leafy parks and historic bridges and buildings of the Pink City.

Enjoy views of the impressive futuristic train station from this green, pedestrianized plaza at Strasbourg’s core.

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.

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.

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.

Take a cruise on this wide river, as it meanders between the leafy parks and historic bridges and buildings of the Pink City.

Containing parts of Limousin history from Roman times to the present, this magnificent Gothic house of worship is an important part of the skyline of Limoges.