There are so many treasures and wonders in France's museums – but you can't visit everything!
So La Poste has made a list of top attractions for you. Get ready to discover some of the finest national museums throughout the country!
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Across France
Ajaccio
This museum retraces the history of the Bonaparte family in Corsica.
Blérancourt
This museum is devoted to relations between France and the United States, from the American War of Independence, in which France took part, up to the 20th century.
Chambord
The symbolic palace of the French Renaissance, the château of François I is a must-see stop on any tour of the Loire valley châteaux.
Dijon
Located in a 17th century town house, the hôtel Lantin, the Magnin museum presents works from the Italian, Northern and French schools, from the late 16th century to the mid-19th century.
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac
This museum presents a collection of objects originating from prehistoric sites in the Dordogne region.
Marseille
This museum devoted to the civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean has been set up in the renovated Fort of Saint Jean.
Mont Saint-Michel
"The Wonder of the West", Mont Saint-Michel stands in the heart of an immense bay flooded by the highest tides in Europe.
Pau
The Château de Pau museum harbours important collections devoted to Henry IV along with a large number of tapestries.
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Nationals Monuments
The most comprehensive site for discovering the sites of national monuments to visit as you travel through France.
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Paris
To discover the riches of the capital, go to the Mairie de Paris website dedicated to sightseeing.
Located in the heart of Paris, the Louvre museum houses one of the most breathtaking collections of works of art in the world.
The Musée d’Orsay presents a broad spectrum of French and European art from 1848 to 1914: painting, sculpture, graphic arts, objets d’art, architecture, furniture and photography.
The Guimet museum of Asian art presents one of the richest collections of Asian art in the world.
The Museum of the Middle Ages houses collections offering a very broad overview of the Romanesque and Gothic Middle Ages (sculpture, illumination, stained glass, gold and silver work, tapestries, etc).
Located in the Tuileries gardens, the Orangerie museum houses a collection of 144 paintings from the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, particularly Monet’s Water Lilies.
The Picasso Museum showcases a unique array of the master’s works, along with his private collection.
The primitive art Quai Branly museum presents exceptional collections of objects from the civilisations of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.
The National Galleries of the Grand Palais are the most important venue in France for international exhibitions.
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Paris area
Chantilly
The Château de Chantilly comprises one of the most beautiful museums of old paintings after the Louvre and an extremely rich library of rare and precious books.
Compiègne
The château houses a museum devoted to the Second Empire, along with a national motor museum and museum of tourism.
Ecouen
The château d’Ecouen’s collections constitute one of the most prestigious ensembles of Renaissance objects (furniture, ceramics, enamels, stained glass, gold and silver work, weapons, tapestries, etc).
Fontainebleau
70 km south-east of Paris, the Château de Fontainebleau presents the history of more than 700 years of French royalty, from the coronation of Louis VII in 1137 to the fall of the Second Empire in 1870.
Rueil-Malmaison
The former residence of Josephine Bonaparte, the Château de Malmaison, devoted to Napoleonic history, has kept its period decor and furnishings.
Versailles
In 1661, Louis XIV, the Sun King, decided to build a château at Versailles worthy of his rank. The château became the residence for the kings of France until the Revolution in 1789.
