The image shows the stone ramparts and towers of a medieval fortified city under a blue sky, with tourists walking along the walkways and near an arched gateway; a conical-roofed tower and distant landscape are visible in the background.

Things to do in France

Historic Architecture

9 places
across 126 destinations

CC BY-SA 4.0 • Photo by Krzysztof Golik via Wikimedia Commons

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A golden statue of the Virgin Mary crowned and robed, standing atop a stone lantern and dome structure against a blue sky with white clouds.

Lyon, Rhône-Alpes

Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière

19th-century basilica with panoramic Lyon views

A wide-angle view of a large medieval cathedral with two towers, flying buttresses, and rose windows, set against a dense urban backdrop of red-tiled roofs and distant hills under a clear sky.

Lyon, Rhône-Alpes

Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste

UNESCO-listed medieval cathedral with astronomical clock

From €3

Lyon, Rhône-Alpes

Musée des Confluences

Science and anthropology museum at Lyon's river confluence

From €6

A narrow, cobblestone street in a historic European city, flanked by tall, multi-story buildings with Renaissance-style architecture, including arched doorways and shuttered windows; pedestrians walk along the street, and a sign reading "Au pavill

Lyon, Rhône-Alpes

Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon)

UNESCO Renaissance district with hidden traboules

Lyon, Rhône-Alpes

Hospices Civils de Lyon

France's second university hospital, founded 1802

A sunlit interior courtyard of a historic stone building featuring Renaissance-style arched walkways, terracotta planters with greenery, and a colorful mural on the far wall.

Lyon, Rhône-Alpes

Musée Gadagne

Renaissance palace housing Lyon history and world puppets

From €8

The Palais Saint-Pierre, home of the Musée des Beaux-Arts, on Place des Terreaux in Lyon

Lyon, Rhône-Alpes

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon

France's second-largest museum in a 17th-century abbey

A stone-arched, vaulted passageway with a ramp, leading through a building to an outdoor courtyard, featuring a barred window and modern lighting fixtures.

Lyon, Rhône-Alpes

Traboules of Lyon

Historic Lyon passageways linking streets through buildings

Free

The image shows the Château Lumière, a grand late 19th-century mansion with distinctive architecture including a steeply pitched roof and ornate details, with vertical banners hanging from the facade that read "Institut Lumière" and feature images

Lyon, Rhône-Alpes

Lumière Museum

Birthplace of cinema in the Lumière family mansion

From €7