History in France

Discover 32 places to experience unusual history in France.

Laffrey, France

Lieu de Rencontre (Field of the Encounter)

On the shores of Lake Laffrey, a monument commemorating one of Napoleon Bonaparte's most compelling victories.

Trévières, France

La Dame de Trévières

Inaugurated in 1921, this is one of many statues in France dedicated to the people who died during World War I for their country.

Natzwiller, France

Natzweiler-Struthof

Today this former Nazi concentration camp stands as a poignant memorial to the victims of fascism, and a warning from history.

Hotel Lutetia

A glamorous hotel that once accommodated French resistance fighters and concentration camp survivors.

Beaucaire, France

Mas des Tourelles

A winery built on the site of a Gallo-Roman estate uses historical tools to recreate ancient vintages.

Loyasse Cemetery

The first modern cemetery of Lyon is complete with more than 200 chapels and monuments.

Execution Site of Jacques de Molay

The approximate spot where the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar was put to death.

Givenchy-en-Gohelle, France

Canadian National Vimy Memorial

A monument to the thousands of Canadian soldiers who died capturing the French ridge during World War I.

Grave of Philibert Aspairt

The tombstone of an unfortunate explorer who disappeared in the Paris Catacombs.

Falaise, France

Château de Falaise

The birthplace of the ferocious William the Conqueror, this castle is awash in medieval history.

Tower of Joan of Arc

This medieval tower is all that remains of the castle where Joan of Arc was held before being burned at the stake.

Bayeux Tapestry

This enormous "cloth of the conquest" depicts the Norman invasion of England in mind-blowing detail.

Orschwiller, France

Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle

The castle was reconstructed to fit Kaiser Wilhelm II's romanticized vision of the Middle Ages.

Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France

The Venus of Brassempouy

This prehistoric figurine is the oldest known realistic depiction of a human face.

Gouville-sur-Mer, France

Gouville-sur-Mer Beach Huts

Rows of multicolored bathing huts paint the sand dunes with pops of color.

Villerouge-Termenès, France

Cathar Castles

The site of the first medieval crusade that pitted Christians against Christians.