Bordering the Seine River, this equine-fanatic mecca was built during the mid-19th century upgrade of the Bois de Boulogne. The regular meets attracted the denizens of society as well as the bourgeois and working class, while its immaculate track and stunning surrounding forestry have been immortalized in dreamy landscape portraits by Degas and Manet.

In its infancy, the 57-hectare track was home to some of the first ever international horse racing meets and now hosts the prestigious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe every October (with the winners trotting away with a cool four million euros). Every so often, the sound of hooves pounding the track is replaced with live music, with artists such as Iggy Pop, U2 and Vampire Weekend gracing the dirt paths.