France's sightseeing infrastructure is the result of deliberate national policy stretching back centuries, and the concentration is extraordinary. The great art collections of the capital require days rather than hours. The regional heritage circuit — prehistoric cave paintings, Romanesque abbeys, Roman amphitheatres, Gothic cathedrals, Loire châteaux — covers a cultural geography that is vast and largely undiscovered by visitors who stay in Paris. Mont Saint-Michel, the Carcassonne ramparts, the Versailles gardens, and the Alsace village landscapes each represent complete sightseeing itineraries on their own. Tours by locals add the missing layer. Take it all in.