68 Notable Architectures to Explore in France

Château du Plessis-Bourré is a beautiful 15th-century castle surrounded by moats. In 1931, it was listed as a Monument Historique. The site was featured in many films and is one of the most visited places in the region.

The Château of Vincennes was used as a royal residence from the 12th to 18th century and it has preserved its medieval towers, the Sainte-Chapelle and the 14th century keep which is the highest of its kind in Europe. The building was surrounded by a 3608 ft -long fortified wall with nine towers and is also protected by a moat, 88 ft which was situated in the outskirts of the city center in the forest of Vincennes. It was one of the architectural wonders in this area.

The Château de Blois is one of the rare monuments offering visitors a comprehensive view of French architecture from the Middle Ages through the classical epoch. It has been listed since 1945 as a historic monument. The medieval castle became a royal residence and the political capital of the kingdom under Louis XII. This place has so many histories to say. The chateau is now used as a public museum that has a lot of collections that pave light to ancient history.

A majestic castle and garden which was located in the town of Châteaudun which was built in the 12th century. The castle is renowned for its Gallery of portraits decorated in the 17th century with 327 portraits of famous people. One of the architectural wonders which were built on the edge of the Russy Forest.

The Citadel of Saint-Tropez is a historic building containing one of the most visited attractions in Saint Tropez, as well as the Maritime History Museum. The museum displays the work, artifacts, and other objects related to the lives of sailors as well as the sea activities that took place many centuries ago. The Citadel was constructed based on the drawings of engineer Raymond de Bonnefons in 1602 and 1608.

The Maeght Foundation is a modern art museum located on a beautiful hill overlooking Saint-Paul de Vence in the southeast of France. The museum has a set of 12000 items of art that includes paintings, sculptures, collages, ceramics, and all kinds of recent art.

Villa Kerylos is a house designed in Ancient Greek style by the French archaeologist Theodore Reinach in the early 1900s. It has been listed as a historic monument since 1966.

The Jardin des Plantes de Nantes is a beautiful municipal botanical garden in Pays de la Loire, France. The garden includes about 11,000 species plants and a fine collection of statues, as well as pavilions, fountains, and cascades. One of the notable feature of the garden's is its palm house and greenhouses. It contain an exceptional collection of epiphytes, including orchids of the African lowlands and Asian mountains respectively.

A large Benedictine monastery founded around 1060 by William the Conqueror and his wife. It is a gem of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. It also houses William the Conqueror’s tomb. Today the buildings have become the seat of the town hall. Together with the recently rehabilitated Place Saint-Sauveur, the Abbaye-aux-Hommes forms a unique heritage complex.

The château is one of the largest mediaeval monuments in France and is set over three hectares with an outer wall of 700 m and 18 towers.

The lieu unique is a contemporary cultural center located in Nantes, France. Lieu unique is a space for extraordinary artworks in different domains such as visual art, theatre, dance, circus, music, but also literature, philosophy, architecture, and digital culture.

Machines of the Isle of Nantes is an extraordinary artistic project and a must-visit tourist destination in Nanes city of France. The project is a blend of the 'invented worlds' of Jules Verne, Leonardo da Vinci's mechanical universe, and Nantes' industrial past.

The Picassiette house is an example of naive architecture made up of earthenware and glass mosaics cast in cement. It is located in Chartres and depends on the Museum of Fine Arts in the city.Visiting the Maison Picassiette means examining every corner where buildings, faces, flowers, animals, and other surprising shapes appear.

The Meillant castle is a historic manor in Meillant, built in the 15th century; it has been listed as an official monument since 1963. this renaissance castle offers visitors the opportunity to discover the traditional architecture through unique themed visits. It is characterized by its Late Gothic style.

The museum features two different permanent exhibitions. One is the "fine arts" which includes fine arts from 14th- 12th century, paintings, sculptures, etc. The second is the "History of Angers" which encompasses archaeology, and art objects from the Neolithic period to the present day.

It is one of France's last Gothic cathedrals and a historic monument situated in the heart of n Nantes city. Its construction was started in 1434, and took 457 years to finish in 1891.

Nice Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the very heart of the old town of Nice. The cathedral is one of Nice’s major monuments and also it is the seat of the Diocese of Nice.

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Nice is a Roman Catholic basilica and the largest church in Nice. It was built between 1864 and 1868 in a Neo-Gothic architectural style.

The Benedictine Palace is a building mixing styles Gothic and neo-Renaissance, built in the late XIXth century to Fecamp for Alexander The Great Prosper, a dealer in spirits and who made his fortune by inventing and selling liqueur Benedictine. It contains a museum presenting various collections of carved ivories, coins, locks, old religious paintings and so more, and also there is an exhibition space dedicated to contemporary art was created in 1988.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the palace is one of the largest medieval Gothic buildings in Europe. Palais des Papes is a historical and architectural landmark and primarily a tourist attraction. It is also part of Avignon’s thriving cultural scene and hosts concerts and exhibitions as well as the Festival d’Avignon in its courtyard, making it an integral part of the city’s modern artistic traditions.