Search results for

CroisiEurope’s river cruises focus on reducing their environmental impact—and reaching peak cultural immersion in destinations including Paris and the Mekong River.

Whether it’s a riverside mansion you seek or an escape into nature, these are our top picks for a quick Paris break.

Restaurants, brasseries, bistros, and bars line the streets of Paris. The only question is how many you can pack into one trip.

There is wonder everywhere you look in Paris. Go beyond the iconic sights to see this classic destination’s unsung sides and experience its delights in unexpected ways.

On its anniversary, the Yellow Vest protests against a gas tax and French President Emmanuel Macron turned violent once again in 2019.

Exploring the Belleville neighborhood in Paris.

More rough-and-tumble and far less touristy than the Tuileries and Luxembourg gardens, the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is a green space that’s worth a visit—especially given the recent resurgence of its surrounding district, the formerly working-class neighborhood of Belleville. You’ll find a nice mix of mostly Parisians walking, eating, canoodling, and sipping cocktails at the park’s not-too-overpriced Rosa Bonheur bar. In short, there’s plenty to keep you entertained if you just want to sit back and people-watch. From the elevation of this former quarry (much of the stone used to build Paris was extracted here), you can get a nice view of the city, especially if you make the trek to the Victorian-era folly that sits at the park’s highest point.

This chateau is a personal favorite. Most of the photos you see of it show it show it lording over the Cher river, but I decided to use a photo showing one of the courtyards. As is typical with many of the wonderful chateaus of France there are wonderful gardens, a beautiful chapel, and an adorable little farm with very friendly donkeys, but the interior architecture is what impresses me most. The kitchen is the most impressive spot and you can spend quite a bit of time wandering through the rooms that make up the cooking area, carving area, the pots and pans, it’s amazing! There is usually an art exposition on the top floor, but it will be hard to tear yours eyes from the actual floor to see the art as the mosaic design is quite impressive. As I mentioned in my highlight about the Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire, I am a personal fan of the history of these two châteaus due to the incredible rivalry between Catherine de Medici and Diane de Poitiers. When Catherine’s husband Henry II, died she forced his mistress Diane to exchange châteaus! But as both places are quite beautiful I am not sure who got the raw end of the stick!

This beautiful courtyard, modern art installations, hundreds of Corinthian columned walkways and perfectly placed fountains and gardens, make the Palais Royal a photographer’s playground. Personally, I can never get enough of the reflection opportunities in what these gorgeous silver balls are able to capture. Be sure to soak up the Palais Royal on your way to or from the neighboring Louvre Museum.

On sunny days, Parisians head for the Luxembourg Garden, built by Marie de’ Medici in 1611 and modeled after the Boboli Gardens in her native Florence. In addition to the magnificent Medici Fountain, there are more than 100 statues arranged around the garden’s 20 hectares (50 acres), which encompass both formal French and English gardens. Here you’ll find chess players, puppeteers, children sailing tiny boats on the octagonal pool and sometimes a free concert in the gazebo.