10 Palaces to Explore in France

Checkout places to visit in France

France

France, including its overseas territories, has the most number of time zones with a total of 12 time zones. France has long been a global center of art, science, and philosophy. It hosts the world's fourth-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is the leading tourist destination, receiving around 83 million foreign visitors annually.

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Palaces to Explore in France

Domaine National du Palais-Royal

This is a former royal palace located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. A popular monument decorated in the antique style so fashionable in the 18th century. There is art, history, cafes, shops, and magnificent gardens to enjoy here. This is one of the favorite spots for locals and tourists to come for a stroll. It now serves as the seat of the Ministry of Culture, the Conseil d'État, and the Constitutional Council.

Luxembourg Palace

Luxembourg Palace was originally built to be the royal residence of the mother of Louis XIII of France, Marie de’Medici. It currently serves as a popular tourist attraction as well as the seat of the Senate of the Fifth Republic. Construction began in 1715 for this architectural gem built for Marie de' Medici. Its magnificent heritage is visible throughout its hallways.

Palace of the Kings of Majorca

The Palace of the Kings of Majorca is a palace and a fortress with gardens overlooking the city of Perpignan in Pyrenees-Orientales, Occitanie, France. A fortified palace in the Gothic style organized around three courtyards 60 m square. One of the majestic buildings which is famous among tourists.

Palace of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles is an opulent complex and former royal residence outside of Paris. It was a simple hunting lodging and later a small château with a moat occupied the site until 1661. The Palace was stripped of all its furnishings after the French Revolution, but many pieces have been returned and many of the palace rooms have been restored. The Palace of Versailles has been listed as a World Heritage Site for 30 years and is one of the greatest achievements in French 17th century art.

Palais Bénédictine

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.

Palais des Ducs et des États de Bourgogne

The palace of Burgundian Dukes is situated in the center of the city. Built to display the power and might of the dukes, it is now the city hall with the mayor's office and other administrative offices. The tall tower of Philippe le Bon offers an impressive panoramic view of the city. The neoclassical edifice was built over several centuries, but the oldest parts of the building, including the kitchens and the Guard Room, dating back to the 15th century.

Palais des Papes

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.

Palais du Rhin

The Rhine Palace, a former imperial palace, is located in Strasbourg, in Neustadt, on the Place de la République, which it dominates with its imposing dome. With the large garden that surrounds it and the old stables behind the building, it forms one of the most complete and emblematic sets of German architecture at the end of the XIX th century. One of the nice location which says about the anciet history of France and its architectural intellingnce.

Palais Idéal

The Ideal Palace is a monument built in Hauterives by the postman Ferdinand Cheval, from 1879 to 1912. A masterpiece of naïve architecture and naïve art, it has been classified as a historical monument since 1969. This monument entirely built by one man measures 12 meters in height and 26 meters in length, the various pieces were assembled with lime, mortar, cement, and reinforcements metallic.

Palais Jacques Coeur

The Jacques-Heart Palace is a mansion located in Bourges, considered by the elegance of its architecture, the richness, and variety of its decoration, as one of the most sumptuous civil buildings of xv the century and a masterpiece of civil architecture in the flamboyant Gothic style. It was born from the desire of the rich merchant Jacques Coeur to build a “big 'house” in his native town, but Charles VII's treasurer never lived there. This palace is classified as historical monuments by 1840. i

Map of Palaces to explore in France