Paris just wouldn't be Paris without the Eiffel Tower. Designed by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 World Fair, at 300m it was then the world's tallest building. Not everyone was happy when it was first built; many considered it an eyesore and wanted it pulled down, but today it is one of the world's most visited monuments. The first and second floors can be reached using the stairs, and lifts take visitors to the magnificent view at the top.

This municipal swimming pool in Bordeaux is more than just a place for the townsfolk. It has several pools: a big indoor one for serious swimmers, a little one for children with ornaments and a little bridge that goes over their heads, an open-air pool (from springtime onwards) that also has a wave machine. You can sunbathe on the grass or enjoy the toboggan ride, the Turkish baths or the sauna, all of which are for adults only. It has communal changing rooms with secure, coin-operated lockers.