7 Must-Visit Destinations for History Buffs

Well, arguably, at least. Paris’ history, from its early flourishing under the Roman Empire to its conquest by Nazi Germany only 75 years ago, is as fascinating as it is volatile. Despite a history as bloody as you’d expect from a capital city in Western Europe, Paris has grown into one of the world’s most significant cities, and, nowadays, you could live in the city for a decade and still never quite experience all of its historical treasures.

From the Bastille to Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower to the Champs Élysées (and these, of course, are only a handful of the most iconic), there’s not a street nor building in central Paris that isn’t steeped in history. For visitors after something more tangible, of course, there’s always l’Eglise du Dome (Napoleon’s final resting place), the Louvre (come on, you should know – it’s the Louvre) or, if you’re a Woody Allen-esque lover of 1920s Paris, the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore on the Left Bank – the second iteration of a shop that was once the favourite haunt of Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce and Ezra Pound (amongst others) and today counts first editions of some of the world’s most famous books amongst its collection.

Carcassonne, in Languedoc-Roussillon, has its fair share of stuff to see and do for history fans – the Basilica of St. Nazaire, Carcassonne Cathedral, the Pont Vieux over the Aude – all pretty fascinating stuff. That’s not why it’s here, though. It’s here because of the Cité.

The Cité of Carcassonne is a medieval citadel built in the Roman period and improved throughout history, and today is a hotchpotch of different architectural styles from almost every century of the last thousand years. From afar, it looks like something straight out of a fairy tale, as 3km of fortified walls and 52 towers dominate the skyline. The fortress was impregnable, which perhaps attests for its survival and longevity (though the restoration efforts of Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century can’t have hurt), and walking through its streets today is no dissimilar experience to walking them 500 years ago.

Only Paris has more sites of national interest than Bordeaux. Bordeaux is a city the history of which is intertwined with the wine trade, and the exportation of the stuff made it a global trade centre in the 18th century.

Today, it is home to 362 monument historiques, over a dozen museums, the prestigious Opéra National de Bordeaux and one of the largest centres of 18th Century architecture in Europe (a shining example of which is the iconic Place de la Bourse). Bordeaux is also home to the Place des Quinconces (the largest city square in Europe), the Pont de Pierre, built by Napoleon, the thousand year old Bordeaux cathedral and even the remains of a 2nd century Roman amphitheatre.

Barcelona, like Paris, is a leading global city, and as such is hardly lacking in historical sites and sights. It was a Roman colony a few thousand years ago (we’re starting to think you’d really struggle to find somewhere that wasn’t), and since then has become the heart of Catalonian culture.

The Gothic Quarter is the centre of the old city of Barcelona, and is populated by a host of Roman and medieval buildings.  For fans of more recent history, examples of modernista architecture (which appeared towards the end of the 19th century) can be found all over the city – such as Gaudi’s Park Güell or his masterpiece, the Sagrada Família. Construction began on that particular building in 1883 and is scheduled for completion in 2026 – in its own way, the Sagrada Família is a piece of living, ongoing history; something truly unique. The perfect city to combine with Spain wine tours.