We visited Paris in April 2026. We visited Musee d’Orsay, the Palace of Versailles, Notre-dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower.
About ten years back, we covered Nice, St. Agnes, Monaco, Menton, Palais des Papes in Avignon, Mont Saint-Michel on the west of France, and the Grand Alps route.
Musee d’Orsay is an amazing museum with the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces, spanning French art created between 1848 and 1914. The paintings and sculptures are simply amazing.
Notre-Dame de Paris, a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture, was constructed between 1163 and 1345. Over the centuries, it survived the French Revolution, hosted imperial coronations, underwent massive 19th-century restorations, and was rebuilt after a devastating 2019 fire. After the fire, the restoration of Cathedral of Notre Dame has been really well done. The paintings, sculptures etc were stunning.
Palace of Versailles began as a modest hunting lodge in 1623 for King Louis XIII and was transformed into a sprawling symbol of absolute monarchy by his successor, King Louis XIV. Palace of Versailles is a must visit place, and one needs to book tickets in advance to avoid waiting in line. The paintings, art and the gardens are really pretty.
The Louvre museum is a must see place. It’s one of the top ten rated museums in the world. It does take a significant amount of time to explore the entire museum.
The drive on the grand alps route in France is stunning. The views from top of Mont Blanc is amazing. One needs to be careful since the oxygen levels are low on top of the mountain.
Our visit to Nice and south of France was very nice. The scenery across Nice, St. Agnes, Monaco, Avignon were awesome. The Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes) in Avignon, France, is the largest Gothic palace and medieval fortress in Europe, encompassing 15,000 square meters of floor space. It served as the spectacular seat of Western Christianity during the 14th century when the papacy relocated from Rome to France.
Mont-Saint-Michel’s history spans over 1,300 years. Beginning as a humble 8th-century sanctuary dedicated to Archangel Michael, it evolved into a powerful medieval Benedictine abbey. Later serving as an impregnable fortress during the Hundred Years’ War and a notorious prison, it is now an iconic UNESCO World Heritage Site.
My Travels - by Sivamani 