Attractions

Paris:

There's so much to do in Paris that compiling a list of top things to do is difficult. From outdoor activities to historic monuments to great food and wine, Paris is a historic and cultural center with hundreds of top things to do and see.

Eiffel Tower: Ascend the Eiffel Tower for spectacular views of Paris. At over 1,000 feet, the massive structure has two restaurants, a souvenir shop, a viewing area, and more.

The Louvre: Paris' world famous museum was built in the 12th century and is divided into eight collections. The Mona Lisa is on display behind a glass case, roped stanchions, and a throng of museum goers.

Notre Dame: Notre Dame Cathedral is an impressive marvel of medieval architecture. Started in 1163 and completed in 1330, Notre Dame has a striking gothic exterior, two broad towers, famed rose windows and plenty of sweeping arches.

Arc de Triomphe: Commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to honor the French military, Parisians refer to the Arc de Triomphe as L'Etoile, and revere it as a patriotic symbol of France's history. Located in the center of the world's largest traffic roundabout, the Arc de Triomphe towers 164 feet above the ground.

Versailles: Located 13 miles southwest of Paris, the Palace of Versailles was the political capital of France for over a century. No luxury or extravagance was spared. Every corner, ceiling, and wall is detailed with carvings, woodwork, marble, or another exquisite covering. Now Versailles is one of the best tourist attractions in France. Visitors come to see the lavish palace, the abundant gardens, and the surrounding sights.

The Opera House is the famous Paris Opera House, seventeen stories high and able to seat 2,000 people. It was commissioned by Napoleon III after an incident where his royal procession was bombed upon entering a show at an old opera house.

The River Seine: This river flows right through Paris and is certainly a beautiful sight.

Aix-en-Provence:

Cézanne’s Studio: Paul Cézanne is the famed Provencal Impressionist painter from Aix-en-Provence. Though he was renounced by Parisian painters for his peasant flare, Cézanne never abandoned his Provencal heritage. Cézanne draws out the true essence of Provence with its rich landscapes in all his paintings. He had several studios at different times in his life, but his last workshop, Atelier Cezanne in Aix-en-Provence, is open for tours.

Le Cours Mirabeau is the premiere boulevard in Aix-en-Provence. This elegant and wide street is filled with the beautiful architecture that makes the city so stylish. Enjoy one of the many restaurants and cafes, or gaze upon the brilliant mansions that line the street.

Le Musée Granet (Granet Museum): This museum is named after its collection’s previous owner, François Marius Granet, who endowed his private collection of paintings to the city in his will. The works include paintings from well-known French, Dutch, Italian and Flemish artists.

The Albertas Gardens are decorated with lovely ponds, staircases and statues. In 1751, plans were drawn for these gardens on the Bouc lands by Jean Baptiste d’Albertas. With his death in 1790, construction on the gardens was ceased. It was not until 1949 that the Albertas family renovated and completed this historic monument.

Pont du Gard is one of the best preserved Roman ruins in the world. It was built in 19 B.C. to supply water from Uzès to the large, ancient city, Nîmes. The aqueduct spans for 30 miles both on and underground. The Pont du Gard is the magnificent three-tiered bridge that crosses the riverbanks of Rive Gauche and Rive Droite.

Nice:

The capital of the French Riviera is a place out of a fairytale with its glamorous casinos, sweet smelling perfume, and sparkling beaches.

Fragonard Perfume Factory is actually part of the town of Grasse—the French capital of perfume. Surrounded by the flowers used to fill the perfume bottles, the Fragonard Perfume Factory is definitely a destination that must be visited in France.

Nice City Beaches: Whether you find a cozy spot on a public beach or rent a chair at a private beach, these beaches offer the perfect way to relax on the French Riviera. Unlike most beaches in the United States, the beaches in Nice are covered in smooth pebbles and rocks.

Promenade des Anglais: This wide pedestrian boulevard, named after the many British tourists (Anglais is French for English) that use to stroll along the promenade on their vacations, stretches the length of Nice’s coastline right along the beach. A popular option for touring is renting a bicycle and wheeling down the promenade. There are always activities to watch and sights to see such as the elegant Hotel Negresco.

Cours Saleya: Since the Middle Ages, this plaza has been the heart of Nice’s market square. Every morning until noon markets still rule the square with vendors selling beautiful fresh flowers, gifts, produce, spices and other Riviera specialties.

Castle Hill: The prime place to view a majestic sunset, or sunrise over the French Riviera. From the top you can see all of Nice and the Mediterranean Sea. It was on this spot that ancient Greeks first settled here around 400 BC. During the Middle Ages, a giant castle watched over the surrounding area, but this fortress no longer exists.

Chagall Museum: This museum is a must for art lovers and novices alike. It is the world’s largest collection of work from French modernist painter, Marc Chagall. The primary theme of this architecturally simple but beautiful museum is the exhibition of 17 larger format paintings based on biblical themes from Genesis, Song of Songs and Exodus. These paintings display vibrant colors with a rich palette of blues, greens, purples and reds.

Florence:

Florence has an attractive historic center, with some amazing architecture, including fine Renaissance palaces and the famous shop-covered bridge, the Ponte Vecchio. Home to some of the world's finest art and the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is the perfect place to see some of Italy’s most iconic attractions, sights and views. Whereas Venice is ideal for relaxing, Florence is made to be seen and heard.

The Ponte Vecchio The Ponte Vecchio is the most beautiful of the bridges that cross the River Arno as it flows through the city of Florence. Its original structure dates from Roman Times, and both sides of the bridge are lined with gold and silversmiths shops. It's a popular tourist attraction because of the views it offers from its central porticoes. On the far side of the Ponte Vecchio you'll see the Medieval Mannelli Tower.

Uffizi Museum The Uffizi Museum is probably Florence's most visited tourist attraction and features works by all the great Renaissance artists of Florence—such as Michelangelo, Della Robbia, Botticelli and Andrea del Sarto—as well as masterpieces by other world-renowned artists. The oldest museum in Europe, it was created from the core of the Medici art collections dating from the late 16th century. The museum features over 1,600 pieces of art that are exhibited in 45 rooms of the previous Palace of the Medici’s. Reservations are strongly recommended to avoid the long lines.

Accademia Gallery One of the major sightseeing attractions of Florence, the Accademia Gallery is home to a very important collection of Florentine paintings, dating from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Today it's more famous for being the home of Michelangelo's David, which was moved here in 1873. For many visitors to Florence, this statue is the symbol of the Renaissance movement. Like the Uffizi museum, reservations are strongly recommended.

Boboli Gardens The Boboli Gardens (Giardino di Boboli) are rich and extravagant pleasure-gardens with large expanses to explore, and photogenic views over Florence. The garden is dotted with statuary, fountains and a variety of features commissioned specially, or taken from the fabulous Medici art collections. The Boboli Gardens spread over the steep hillside behind the vast Pitti Palace, across the Arno from central Florence. Ideal for visiting if your tour takes place in the warmer months. The gardens are extremely vast, so be prepared to walk.

Il Duomo Located in the Piazza Duomo, right in the heart of the city, this ancient cathedral stands adjacent to its bell tower, both available to climb; and if you don’t mind stairs, the view is worth the climb. You will be able to overlook the city and snap pictures that look like postcards from the highest building in Florence.

Chianti Region:

The Duomo: Siena's cathedral, the Duomo, begun in the twelfth century, is one of the great examples of Italian romanesque architecture. Its main facade was completed in 1380. Its campanile and baptistery make a fine group. It is unusual for a Christian cathedral in that that its axis runs north-south. This is because it was originally intended to be the largest cathedral in existence, with a north-south transept and an east-west aisle, as is usual. After the completion of the transept and the building of the east wall (which still exists and may be climbed by the public via an internal staircase), the money ran out and the rest of the cathedral was abandoned.

Piazza del Campo: The shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, the town square, which houses the Palazzo Pubblico and the Torre del Mangia, is another architectural treasure, and is famous for hosting the Palio horse race. The Palazzo Pubblico, itself a great work of architecture, houses yet another important art museum. Included within the museum are Ambrogio Lorenzetti's series of frescos on the “good government” and the results of “good and bad government”, and also some of the finest frescoes of Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti.

Rome:

Colosseum The Roman Colosseum is a tremendous amphitheater, the embodiment of both the grandeur and cruelty of the great Roman Empire. Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum hosted spectacular games that included gladiator exhibitions, fights between animals, prisoner executions and—strangely enough—naval battles.

Roman Forum Towering Ionic columns stretch proud and fragmented into the Italian sky and ancient porticoes stand guard over the empty shells of buildings that were once the centers of commerce, justice and worship for the city.

Pantheon Of all the great buildings constructed during the crest of the Roman Empire, only this one still stands. Pantheon history states that the interior of the roof is intended to symbolize the heavens, and the giant hole above is supposedly the eye of the gods.

Trevi Fountain The Trevi Fountain dominates a small square in the heart of the city near the Spanish Steps. The fountain entered pop culture thanks to the nighttime bathing scene in the film "La Dolce Vita" by Fellini, or for many Americans, the popular 1954 film “Three Coins in A Fountain.” This huge Baroque construction, inspired by sea mythology, took 30 years to build.

The Sistine Chapel The piece de resistance of the Vatican museum, the Sistine Chapel is the culmination of Michelangelo's finest work. Frescos detailing the life and times of both Jesus and Moses line the walls beneath the benevolent portraits of former popes.

The Vatican Museum Deep in the holy center of Vatican City, the Vatican Museum houses an enormous collection of art collected through its centuries of history, from Egyptian pieces to Etruscan ruins to Renaissance paintings and, of course, the legendary Sistine Chapel. Of all of the museums, not just in Italy but the world over, this one is not to be missed.