The Louvre, Paris

This museum could eat most sports stadiums for breakfast and still have space left over to confuse the most directionally gifted art connoisseur. It first opened in 1793 and was immediately stuffed full of stolen goods pillaged by Napoleon’s armies. Courtesy of architect I.M.Pei, it now sports a snazzy glass-pyramid entryway with a reflective pool that helps catch the impatiently waiting crowds. The world record for seeing the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory and Venus de Milo and getting back out the front door is something like two hours.

Palace of Versailles

Louis Quatorze certainly knew how to live. Or so it would seem. There’s the grand entrance, room enough to properly house an entire class of illegitimate children, endless gardens that require an army of trimmers and pruners, and a hall with more mirrors than a Las Vegas magic act. It’s good to be king.

Eiffel Tower, Paris

Built for the international Exhibition of Paris in 1889, this giant phallic radio antenna has become not just the urban icon for Paris but for all Europe. It didn’t win over the French right away” several petitioned to have it torn down. You can still ride the elevator or you could make the world’s most famous stair climb and earn the spectacular view.

Mont Saint-Michel

This outcropping town on the north coast of France looks like a sandcastle comes to life. That the tide comes in and turns into an island periodically just adds to this visual effect.

Notre-dame, Paris

The lady with the stone flying buttresses sits on the lle de la Cite in the epicenter of Paris. In fact, stand out in front of the main entrance and you’ll find a spot in the cobblestones that marks the very centre of the city.

Skate through Paris

At 10pm on Friday, at the base of the Montparnasse tower, about 15,000 in-line skaters congregate to commence their three-hour (30km) tour of Paris. In 1994, the Paris Roller Club turned the once ragtag gathering into an establishment event that now consumes the city with skaters. It runs all year long, unless it’s raining or the streets are wet.

Taste wine in Bordeaux

Even if you fancy yourself as a beerophile, a tasting tour of the greatest vineyards on the planet is a remarkable experience. The hardest part may be spitting the wine out (on a long day of tasting, the idea is to keep yourself from slipping under the table).

Cycle in Corsica

Corsica lives up to its billing as the ile de beaute (the island of beauty); roads wind by cliffs and beaches as they circle this unlikely piece of French property off the southeastern coast. The capital, Ajaccio, is as well known for its cuisine as it is for being the birthplace of its most famous son, Napolean.

Shop at the Clignancourt Market, Paris

It doesn’t really matter what you’re looking for, or even if you buy anything, the market will keep your eyes and nostrils on full alert. There are elaborate antiques – and mass-produced fakes that will fool people back home for a fraction of the price – and every street food vendor worth his salt (and cayenne pepper) seems to have a stall.

Barge through Bordeaux

Thomas Jefferson wrote of barging, “Off all the methods of traveling I have ever tried, this is the pleasantest”, and you can actually float all the way from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean. Just head up the Garonne to the Dordogne – which will bring you to Toulouse – then take the Canal Lateral to the Canal du Midi. Travellers tend to pony up for week-long rides on lavishly renovated models with full catering and scheduled pit stops at wineries.

Sample cheese in the Savoire

Each region of France is famous for its particular type of cheese and you’d fare well following your own taste buds. However, if you’re not sure which of the 265 kinds to try, head to Savoire, the region that packs in the most cheese diversity.