Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie

Built inside the shell of an unfinished 1970s slaughterhouse auction hall, the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie is the largest science museum in Europe. Architect Adrien Fainsilber reworked the vast concrete-and-steel structure into a building of glass, light and water, which opened in 1986 on the edge of the Parc de la Villette and draws more than two million visitors a year.

Inside, hands-on galleries cover subjects from mathematics, sound and light to space, energy and the human body, and a planetarium sits within the main building. The Cité des enfants is a separate, heavily interactive area designed for young children. Outside stand two of the site's best-known features: La Géode, a mirrored geodesic sphere housing a large-format cinema, and the Argonaute, a decommissioned French Navy submarine that visitors can walk through.

The museum suits families and curious adults alike, and its scale means a visit can easily fill half a day or more.