France

The Palace of Versailles (Château de Versailles in French) is a former royal residence located in Versailles, nearly 20km west of Paris. With over 15 million people visiting the Palace, Park, or Gardens of Versailles every year, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in France and in the world. The Palace of Versailles was originally a hunting lodge when built in 1623 by King Louis XIII, before expanding under King Louis XIV. The palace was the favourite residence for both kings, and in 1682, Louis XIV moved the seat of his court and government to Versailles, making the palace the de facto capital of France. In 1789 the royal family and capital of France returned to Paris, leaving the Palace of Versailles largely abandoned and emptied of its contents for the rest of the French Revolution. Napoleon Bonaparte, following his takeover of France, used Versailles as a summer residence from 1810 to 1814, but did not restore it. When the French Monarchy was restored, it remained in Paris and it was not until the 1830s that meaningful repairs were made to the palace. The palace and park were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979 for its importance as the centre of power, art, and science in France during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Notre-Dame de Paris is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral was consecrated to the Virgin Mary and is considered a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture and one of the greatest monuments of the Middle Ages. The cathedral is one of the most widely recognized symbols of the city of Paris and the French nation. While undergoing renovation works, the roof of Notre-Dame caught fire on the evening of 15 April 2019. Burning for around 15 hours, the cathedral sustained serious damage. Following the fire, the cathedral has been closed to the public and the government of France hopes the reconstruction to be completed by spring 2024.

The Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey is an abbey located within the city and island of Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy. The worship of Saint Michel was introduced on the Mount in 708, and it became one of the most important places of medieval pilgrimage. Benedictine monks started building an abbey here in the 10th century. Originally referred to 'The Wonder of the Western World', the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel is a magnificent example of gothic architecture from the early 13th century. Since 1979, the Mont Saint-Michel and its bay have been a UNESCO world heritage site.

The Louvre Museum (French: Musée du Louvre) is the world's most-visited museum and a historic monument in Paris. It is the home of many of the most known work of arts, including the Mona Lisa. A central landmark of the city, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement (district or ward). The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built in the late 12th to 13th century to be a medieval fortress, later become a palace for the kings of France, and only in 1793 opened as a museum with an exhibition of 537 paintings. Nowadays, the Louvre Museum contains more than 380,000 objects and displays 35,000 works of art in eight curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Paintings; Prints and Drawings.

The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Locally nicknamed "La dame de fer" (French for "Iron Lady"), it was constructed from 1887 to 1889 for the 1889 World's Fair. It has become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognisable structures in the world. The Eiffel Tower is the most visited monument with an entrance fee in the world.