French Wonders You Can Explore From Home

From Versailles to the Mont Blanc, discover the cultural and natural jewels of France

By Google Arts & Culture

Opéra Garnier

The Opéra Garnier was inaugurated in 1875 and its stage has seen some of the greatest Opera singers and ballet dancers, from Maria Callas to Rudolf Noureev, perform.

Marc Chagall’s Ceiling for the Paris Opéra - 1st series of panels (1963-01-01/1964-09-23)Opéra national de Paris

Its ceilings was decorated by Marc Chagall in 1964.

Move your mouse around to explore this staircase designed by architect Charles Garnier (who gave his name to the building).

Mont Blanc

Rising at 4,808 m above sea level, Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps, a chain of mountains in the South East of France. Explore the permanent snow of this natural jewel!

LIFE Photo Collection

Marie Curie

Marie Curie was a pioneer who devoted her entire career and life to science, discovering two radioactive elements along the way. Learn more about this incredible scientist.

The Bedroom (October 1888) by Vincent van GoghVan Gogh Museum

Van Gogh in Arles

Did you know Van Gogh lived in Arles, in the south of France, for a year? He even painted the room he stayed in, in what was to become one of his most famous works. Read through 10 Things You Might Not Know About Vincent van Gogh.

In the Orangerie Museum, you can explore the famous Water Lilies cycle by Claude Monet. Move your mouse around for a 360° view.

The Eiffel Tower

Did you know this French landmark was built in 2 years, 2 months and 5 days for the  for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, a technical prowess for its time?

Now is your time to explore the scenic view of Paris: move your mouse around to take in the sights.

Musée Pasteur

Set in the appartment where scientist Louis Pasteur spent the last 7 years of his life, the Musée Pasteur comemorates the life and research of the man responsible for finding the vaccine for rabbies.

Château de Chambord

Built by King of France François 1er in the 16th Century, Chambord is a jewel of Renaissance architecture.

Letter from Albert Einstein to Louis de Broglie - 15 February 1954 (2) (1954-02-15) by Albert EinsteinAcadémie des sciences

Albert Einstein's letters

Glimpse Albert Einstein's fascinating - sometimes funny - exchanges with great French mathematicians. These formative conversations would go on to shape his ground-breaking scientific work. Read the letters.

Lavender Fields

The Provence Region, in the South of France, is home to beautiful and fragrant lavender fields. The flowering season spans from mid-June to mid-August, but you can have a look online year-round!

Central Piece of the Feline Fresco (Chauvet Cave, Ardèche) (2018-08-02/2018-08-02) by L. Guichard/Perazio/SmergcGrotte Chauvet - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Chauvet

The Chauvet cave, located in Ardèche, in the South of France, hosts some of the oldest works of art ever created: they are dated at 36, 000 years ago! The cave is not open to the public for preservation reasons, but you can explore it online.

Palace of Versailles

The former hunting lodge of Louis XIII was transformed and extended by his son Louis XIV who installed here the Court and the government of France in 1682. Up until the French Revolution, a line of kings succeeded each other, each taking his turn to embellish the Palace. And now, the Palace is yours...

Click and move around the image to explore Le Nôtre's Garden.

Fossil Crocodile ("Crocodileimus robustus") (Entre 155,6 et 150,8 millions d'années (Kimmeridgien))Musée des Confluences

Crocodiles in France

This fossil crocodile is on display in the permanent exhibition of the Musée des Confluences in Lyon. This specimen called France its home 150 million years ago.

Arènes de Nîmes

Located in the South of France, the Arène de Nîmes come straight from Roman times.

Gladiators used to roam this exceptionally well preserved amphitheater.

Palais de Tokyo

Palais de Tokyo was created in 2002: Its liveliness, joyfulness, and adventurous approach made Paris sit up and take notice. As an anti-museum par excellence, a rebellious undeveloped plot in the 16th arrondissement, a offbeat yet ambitious “palace”, a place for exchanges and surprises, it was the pioneer of a movement of reconciliation between the City of Light and contemporary art.

Mont-Saint-Michel

In 709, there was just a small church on this hill surrounded by the sea when the tide is high. Monasteries and abbeys were progressively added in the Middle Ages, and the Mont is now a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Grand Palais

Situated in the very heart of Paris on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, this iconic building was built for the Universal Exhibition in 1900. It is particularly famous for its glass roof, the largest in Europe.

Ensemble (ca. 1927) by Gabrielle "Coco" ChanelThe Metropolitan Museum of Art

How Coco Chanel revolutionized fashion

This ensemble represents the "little black dress," one of Chanel's most popular and enduring contributions to women's fashion. 

Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac

 The arts of Africa, Oceania, Asia, and the Americas are at the heart of this Museum inaugurated in 2006. Walk around its unique collections!

Tulle workers in the workshop at the beginning of the 20th centruyCité de la dentelle et de la mode

Where crafts meet fashion

The Cité de la dentelle de Calais guides you through the history of lace, the precious textile that's an integral part of French tradition.

Museum of Street Art

Who said street art was only for the streets? Dive into the collections of this Museum founded by Magda Danysz.

Console studio 116c du groupe de recherche musicale (GRM) (1967) by AnonymePhilharmonie de Paris

Innovative Sounds

This instrument is Console studio 116c from the "Groupe de recherche musicale (GRM)" (Group of musical research). In 1967, it was top of the technology!

Cinémathèque Française

It's only fitting that a museum dedicated to cinema would have an impressive camera collective. Walk along the storage, and enjoy exhibitions on the seventh art.

Cap Fréhel

Famous for its cliff and lighthouses (there are no other buildings on this wild peninsula), the Cap Fréhel is a scenic location in Britanny. 

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