Home > Top Architectural City Breaks in France
Top Architectural City Breaks in France
Your guide to the top architectural cities in France for a city break or short holiday. Whether you love ancient masterpieces or leading edge design, whether your taste is for grand public places or simple domestic vernacular, let us help you find the perfect destination for an architectural French city break.
Roman amphitheatres and viaducts, soaring Gothic cathedrals, massive city walls, medieval workshops and half-timbered houses, mountain hilltop battlements and settlements, glorious chateaux, Napoleonic town planning. All these vie for attention with innovative, contemporary structures that house galleries, concert halls, museums and much more.
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Architectural City Break Destinations:
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Avignon (Vaucluse)
Located at the confluence of the Rhône and Durance rivers, Avignon is well known for its ramparts, its famous Pont Saint-Bénezet and the Palais des Papes. It is known as the City of the Popes. Avignon is a UNESCO world heritage site and home to the largest gothic palace in Europe.
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Carcassonne (Aude)
Carcassonne is situated in the Languedoc region of France, in the south of the country, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On a clear day, there are views of the Pyrenees. Visiting the medieval fortified town of Carcassonne - the Cité - is like stepping back in time.
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Chartres (Eure-et-Loir, Loire Valley)
Chartres, within easy reach of Paris and the Loire Chateaux, enjoys international renown thanks to its cathedral, which is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.
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Le Havre (Seine-Maritime)
City of Art and History. France’s second port, Le Havre was founded in 1517 by Renaissance king Francois 1st. It is located on the edge of the Seine River, on the channel, 200kms from Paris.
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Lyon (Rhone)
Lyon is the third largest French city, it is a major centre of business and has a reputation as the French capital of gastronomy and is registered as a World Heritage site.
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Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle)
The medieval town of Nancy is approximately 3 hours by train from Paris and is famous for its triumphal arch built to honour Louis XV. Nancy combines beautiful classical 18th century architecture, the narrow streets of the medieval city and the modern university city with a buzzing nightlife.
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Paris (Paris)
Paris is the capital of France and one of the world’s great cities with endless amount of things to do. Despite the massive size of the city, Paris is also an easily navigable destination as the city centre itself is relatively compact and all areas of Paris are connected by a highly efficient public transport system.
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Rennes (Ile-et-Vilaine)
Rennes is the regional capital of Brittany. It is located in the extreme east of Brittany, about 75km south of St Malo. Between tradition and modernism, cultural identity and an open spirit, Rennes is a 'must visit' destination before heading for rural Brittany.
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Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin)
Strasbourg has flavors of both France and Germany, and sits right on the border of the two countries. The home of the European Parliament, this surprisingly cosmopolitan destination hosts France's oldest Christmas market and features a stunning cathedral.
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Toulouse (Haute-Garonne)
Toulouse, with its beautiful historic centre, is one of the most vibrant and metropolitan provincial cities in France.
