France. In Biarritz at the Hôtel du Palais, love nest of Eugenie and Napoleon III

Very romantic is the story surrounding the Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz dating back to 1855 when Napoleon III and his wife Eugenia Maria de Montijo de Guzman, an Andalusian by order, wanted to fulfil their wish to own a palace in the famous resort town on the Atlantic Ocean. Villa Eugénie, as it was called, was later sold by the Empress in 1881 to the Banque Parisienne, which turned their mansion into a hotel-casino. Reconstruction after a destructive fire in the early 1900s did not affect its original form, which corresponds to the letter E. The view of the waves, the gardens, the scenic beach confirm how shrewd the French rulers were in their choice of sumptuous chandeliers, frescoed walls and period furniture. Visible even from the rooms, the iconic Rocher de la Vierge lighthouse is within walking distance, as is the église Sainte-Eugénie in Romanesque-Byzantine style. The Historical Museum is also a must-see destination to understand the stages that led this fishing bay to become France's most renowned oceanfront resort, earning it the nickname Plage des Rois.