Montmartre is known for the gleaming white-domed Sacré-Cœur Basilica up on the hill. It also has a long story. For a time in the Belle Époque, it became a gathering place for artists. People lived and worked there, including Picasso, Renoir, and Van Gogh. Today, this part of the 18th arrondissement still feels like a…
Honfleur is often described through the Vieux Bassin, the old inner harbour. The place looks postcard-perfect. The harbour is bordered by tall homes with slate roofs. Many of the buildings still feel very much as they did long ago. Honfleur is also linked to Eugène Boudin. He was born there. The town is often mentioned…
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont feels very steep. Some of the sharpest changes in height you can find in a Paris park are here. The land was made from an old limestone quarry. Because of that past use, you see high rock faces and low, narrow spots. The uneven ground is the main thing about the park….
People often say the Bois de Boulogne is not a safe place to walk around at night. After dark, some parts of the park can turn into spots for crime. One issue that people mention is open-air prostitution in certain areas. By day, the park can feel like a fun spot for families. The mood…
Visiting Rouen Cathedral usually takes about 45 to 60 minutes. That window is often enough to look closely at the Gothic front, pass through the long nave, and see the tomb where Richard the Lionheart’s heart is kept. Some people stay longer, especially those who like architecture. The building shows changes in French Gothic design,…
Plan on spending about two to three hours at the Centre Pompidou. With that time, you can look through the permanent modern art rooms, take the outdoor escalators up and down, and spend a bit of time with the temporary shows. Inside the building is the National Museum of Modern Art. It covers a lot…
Courseulles-sur-Mer, part of Juno Beach, sits about 25 km (15.5 miles) to the northeast of Bayeux. You can reach it in around 30 to 35 minutes when you take the D12. Because the trip is so quick, Bayeux works well as a base for Canadian visitors who want to see the Juno area. The drive…
Père Lachaise Cemetery is the biggest cemetery located within Paris, covering 44 hectares, or about 110 acres. More than a million people are buried there, and the whole place feels like a large sculpture park. To see it properly, plan for several hours. You also need a map that you can trust. The site is…
Full-day bike trips to the Palace of Versailles are a common pick for people staying in Paris. Most plans mix a train ride to the area with a guided ride across the large estate. Riding around the grounds is often a better choice than walking. The estate spans about 2,000 acres, so getting from the…
Yes. A number of real German bunkers can still be seen at Utah Beach, and you can visit them. One of the clearest examples is the command bunker, labelled WN5. It has been built into the Utah Beach Landing Museum as part of the site. Along this part of the Atlantic Wall, a lot of…