Architecture in France

Discover 109 places to experience unusual architecture in France.

Nave of the church.

Notre-Dame-de-Lorette

Claude Monet was baptized in this lavishly ornate Paris church.

Église du Bon-Pasteur

This abandoned church in central Lyon is missing its front stairs.

Église Notre-Dame de Vals (Church of Our Lady of Vals)

A medieval church built into an ancient cave.

Le Stryge

This demon atop the Notre-Dame de Paris looks utterly bored.

Gue(ho)st House.

Gue(ho)st House

This building’s ghostly exterior reflects its former lives as a prison, school, and funeral home.

The labyrinth of Amiens Cathedral.

Amiens Cathedral Labyrinth

A sublime medieval path adorns the marble floor of one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in France.

Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle.

Orschwiller, France

Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle

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

Boat houses.

Équihen-Plage, France

Inverted Boat Houses

These rustic holiday homes are made from discarded fishing boat hulls.

Firminy, France

Saint-Pierre of Firminy

This church looks more like a spaceship than a house of worship.

La Maison d'Adam (Adam's House)

A medieval house adorned with enigmatic carvings, including one of a man displaying his masculine attributes.

Jardin des Vestiges - ancient quay with re-use

Marseille, France

Le Jardin des Vestiges

This garden houses the remains of the ancient Greek port of Marseille.

Colorful beach cabins in the dunes at Gouville-sur-Mer.

Gouville-sur-Mer, France

Gouville-sur-Mer Beach Huts

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

The Porte de Paris.

Porte de Paris

This triumphal arch celebrating the Sun King's conquest of Lille is a masterpiece of military architecture.

La Maison Sculptée.

Amanlis, France

La Maison Sculptée

An enchanting work of outsider art, full of whimsical sculptures and carvings.

The second-hand book market.

Vieille Bourse Book Market

Tables of secondhand books fill the inner courtyard of this 17th-century stock exchange.

Notre Dame du Travail Church.

Notre Dame du Travail Church

The industrial architecture honors the laborers who brought the Exposition Universelle of 1900 to life.