France Central, Historical, Landscape + Peaceful pictures

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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.

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

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

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

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

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

Study the Gothic fixtures and enjoy the light, airy feel of the nave, with its intricate vaulted ceiling patterns, in this wonderful church and museum.

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

Lyon’s crowning glory, this monumental church stands atop Fourvière hill and provides fabulous panoramas of the city.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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. 

Although it’s not the Auvergne region’s highest summit, this dormant lava dome is its most iconic. Join the thousands of hikers who visit every year.