The Champs-Élysées stretches nearly two kilometres from Place de la Concorde up to Place Charles de Gaulle, where the Arc de Triomphe stands tall. It’s a great spot for a stroll any time of year and comes alive during major celebrations like Bastille Day or New Year’s Eve. Each July, the final stage of the Tour de France races down this famous avenue.

The picturesque regional park covers over 23,000 hectares along the coast from Viareggio to Livorno. The grounds feature estates and historic buildings and forested walking trails. You will come across organic farms, apiaries, an archeological area, the Navicelli canal and multiple natural reserves with distinct natural environments. Of course, there is a beach area to swim and cool down after a hike. You can find handy booklets and brochures at the Visitor Centre of Cascine Vecchie. The official website has an exhaustive list of attractions and their opening hours, plus a list of official guides.

The Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon after his win at Austerlitz in 1806, took about 30 years to finish and was finally opened in 1836. Standing 50 metres tall, it sits at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, right at the western end of the famous Champs-Élysées. You’ll probably find yourself there at some point, as most visitors wander down this iconic avenue. The monument honours those who fought and died for France during the Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. Beneath it rests the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I.

Nowhere else in the world is there a reflective sundial of this size, and astronomers from all countries come to Horloge Solaire to study the sundial, which still keeps the time today. In 1673, under Louis the XIV, the Jesuit, Father Bonfa, and his pupils painted frescoes covering 100 square meters of the walls.