France is among the most popular place in the world.
Find out why a trip to France is so unique and explore the most stunning sites and attractions in France.
France is the most popular destination in the world, with more than 85 million tourists a year.
The country is well known for its delicious food and great wine, and many people also come to admire numerous French sights .
1. Notre-Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame Cathedral is the most visited destination in France after Disney Land and is located in the historic core of Paris.
The Catholic cathedral seats 10,000 people and is frequented by roughly 13 million tourists a year.
The Notre-Dame was finished in 1345, following approximately 180 years of work, and is one of the earliest Gothic church constructions in France.
2. Montmartre Sacré-Coeur
The old Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre cathedral in Paris is one of the most renowned monuments in France.
On average, the sanctuary is frequented by one in three tourists in Paris, reporting 10 million yearly visitors.
Construction began in the 19th century and was inspired by the architecture of Roman Byzantine churches.
The steps positioned in front of the building give a great view of the city.
3. Musée du Louvre
The Louvre is an art museum in Paris that is housed in the former palace of the kings of France.
The museum is one of the most significant in France and is the most visited in the world, with roughly 10 million visitors a year.
The genesis of the collection dates back to the 14th century, and several French kings directly took control of the collection of paintings such as the Mona Lisa, illuminations, and other art pieces that may still be appreciated here today.
Most of the relics date back to approximately 1848.
Across the Seine River lies another art museum, the Musée d’Orsay, which is housed in a former train station and is likewise one of the most visited places in France.
Its items, unlike those at the Louvre, focus on the era after 1848.
4. The Eiffel Tower 🗼
The Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic structures in France and the highest skyscraper in Paris, at 324 meters.
From the observation platforms, you enjoy a magnificent view of the city.
The Eiffel Tower was erected in 1889 for the Universal Exhibition to mark the centennial of the French Revolution.
When construction began in 1987, there was strong resistance to the skyscraper, which was really supposed to be dismantled after 20 years.
It was not until the Eiffel Tower was completed that the detractors died down and the surprise at what was then the highest building in the world was so tremendous that the Eiffel Tower has become the most important landmark in Paris and all France to this day.
5. The Star Arc of Triumph
The Arc de Triomphe de la Étoile, or Arc de Triomphe for short, is a monument located in Place Charles-de-Gaulle, one of the largest open squares in Paris.
The plaza is the most significant site for state events and celebrations in France.
The Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806 and finished in 1836 under King Louis Philippe I. Completed.
It is one of the most prominent monuments in France and is a well-known sight in Paris.
6. Georges Pompidou Centre
The Georges-Pompidou National Center for Art and Culture is a state center for art and culture and one of the most popular locations in Paris.
Its purpose is to ensure access to information, and it houses a museum with works of art from the 20th century, an industrial design center, a library, a musical research center, a children’s workshop, a cinema, a theater, and meeting spaces.
7. Versailles Palace
The Palace of Versailles is one of the biggest palace complexes in Europe.
Located in Versailles, a neighboring city of Paris, the palace was the seat of the French monarchs until the French Revolution, in the mid-17th century.
The longest expansion of the massive Baroque edifice spans more than 500 meters and formed the basis for many other French palaces.
Since the 19th century, the palace has been utilized as a museum for relics of historical importance, and many rooms have been kept with their original furniture to this day.
The Palace of Versailles is one of the most prominent landmarks in France and is visited even more often than the Eiffel Tower, with approximately 8 million yearly tourists.
8. Etretat Cliffs
The little village of Étretat is located in Normandy, directly on the English Channel, and is distinguished by towering cliffs on each side of the town.
With its hotels and leisure amenities, the town is a popular site for holidays in France.
Étretat is located in one of the few depressions among the 120 kilometers of cliffs.
There are many natural stone arches in the vicinity, a 70-meter high rocky outcrop, and a beach moderately sheltered from the wind owing to the cliffs.
9. Omaha Beach American Military Cemetery
During World War II, the Allies christened a section of the French coast of Normandy as Omaha Beach.
It was here that the first American forces landed on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
The American War Cemetery erected here is roughly a 2-hour drive south of Étretat and is one of the most visited destinations in France.
10. Mont St. Michel
Mont Saint-Michel is a rocky island in Normandy in the English Channel and the most visited natural attraction in France.
The island is located one kilometer off the mainland and is famed for its fortified monastery of the same name, where the Benedictines lived until the 1960s. Since 2001, the religious of the Jerusalem Communities have resided there.The island is visited by some pilgrims, but largely by visitors, and has become one of the most popular locations in France.
11. Dinan
The city of Dinan is located in Brittany, one of the most popular areas for holidays in France.
Brittany is a peninsula and the northwesternmost region of France.
The region is home to several attractive coastal resorts and walled cities such as Saint-Malo and Dinan, making Brittany one of the most popular destinations in France.
The city of Dinan was built on a hill and is famed for its spectacular rings of walls that reach approximately 2,600 meters around the ancient town.
12. Puy du Fou:
Puy du Fou is a historical theme park located near Les Epesses in the west of France.
It is one of the most popular theme parks in Europe and one of the most frequented sites in France, with more than 2 million visitors a year.
Various historical stories are presented here, with medieval castles, Vikings, gladiator combat, chariot races, and many amazing effects.
The bird display with raptors is also recommended.
You may also enjoy the concerts in Spanish with headphones.
13. Bordeaux
The city of Bordeaux is located in the southwest of France, around 45 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean.
With more than 250,000 residents, the city is an important center in the region.
It is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in France, mainly for its world-famous Bordeaux wine and superb food.
Walking along the Gerona River, you may observe the famous mansions that overlook the river and explore the adjacent parks.
There are old buildings, churches, and museums throughout the city, but the city center in particular is noted for its historic splendor and draws many visitors.
14. Pilat’s Dune
The Dune du Pilat is located in the south-west of France, near the Atlantic coast.
It is up to 110 meters high and, with a length of nearly 2.7 kilometers, it is the longest shifting dune in Europe.
The dune is frequented by more than a million tourists each year, making it one of the most significant attractions in France.
The best routes to ascend it are up the steep eastern face or through a stairway in the northeast.
15. Strasbourg
Strasbourg is located in the east of France, in Alsace, and immediately on the border with Germany.
Many European institutions are located here, such as the Council of Europe, the European Parliament or the European Court of Human Rights.
Some areas of the city center, including the medieval old town and the modern town, have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and, like the iconic Strasbourg Cathedral, are among the most important in France.
16. Mont Blanc, Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc is the most significant holiday destination in France, especially for enthusiasts of winter sports.
It is located directly on the border with Switzerland and Italy and became famous across the world for holding the first Winter Olympics.
The municipality is dominated by the Mont Blanc range, whose highest point is the highest in Europe, at 4,810 meters.
Le Brévent ski resort provides slopes of medium and tough difficulty, while La Fiégère offers suitable slopes for families and beginners.
17. Mont Saleve
Mont Salève is located in Monnetier-Mornex, a French commune located on the Swiss border, near Geneva.
The ridge is 18 kilometers long and up to 1,380 meters high.
The region is a wonderful starting point for adventures on foot or by bike and is one of the most unexplored areas in France.
The peak is regarded as the local mountain of the Swiss city of Geneva and gives a wonderful view across Geneva and Lake Leman to Mont Blanc and Lake Annecy.
18. Lake Annecy
Lake Annecy is located in southern France, about 50 kilometers south of Geneva and west of Mont Blanc.
The lake is fed by mountain rivers and is regarded as the cleanest lake in Europe, making it one of the top tourist destinations in France.
It is the sixth biggest lake in France and is 14.6 kilometers long.
The breadth ranges between 800 meters and 3.35 kilometers.
On the eastern side, near Tallores, you can scale a steep rock wall above the ocean, forgoing harnesses as you’ll just fall into the water if you screw up (deep water only).
19. La Plagne
The ski resort of La Plagne is situated on the western side of the Parc National de la Vanoise, which lies immediately on the border with Italy .
In summer, the Parc National de la Vanoise provides numerous lovely hiking and biking paths, while in winter, the ski resorts, such as La Plagne or Les Arcs, are among the most popular tourist destinations in France.
Together with Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry, they constitute the Paradiski ski pass network, which provides a total of more than 171 ski lifts, 425 kilometers of pistes, 559 snow cannons, eight snow parks, a half pipe and more than 150 kilometers of cross-country ski paths.
20, Chambord Castle in the Loire Valley
With its many castles, the Loire Valley is today one of the most popular attractions in France.
Chambord Castle is the biggest castle in the Loire Valley and is located approximately a 2-hour drive south of Paris.
The Loire River flows here through what is known as the Loire Valley, where the French nobility resided owing to its natural beauty.
Starting in the 16th century, more than 400 castles were erected along the Loire and its tributaries, reflecting all periods of European art history.
21. Puy Mary
The Puy Mary is a 1783 meter summit in the Massif Central.
The Massif Central is a mountain range located in the center-south of France, which comprises around 15% of the nation.
It also hosts the month of Cantal, whose mountain range covers a circular 80 kilometers in diameter and has been recognized as the biggest stratovolcano in Europe.
The highest peaks in this range are the Plomb du Cantal, the Puy Mary, and the Puy Griou.
The region is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in France due to the various hiking paths, medieval villages, and some winter sports sites.
22. Lyons
Lyon is located in the southeast of France and is the third largest city in the country, after Paris and Marseille, with more than 500,000 residents.
With its lovely riverbanks and avenues along the Rhône and Saône rivers, Lyon is highly popular for city breaks and vacations in France.
The old town, in particular, is worth a visit, and throughout the city there are various ecclesiastical structures, such as the Saint-Jean cathedral or Notre-Dame de Fouvière, multiple theaters, cinemas, an opera house, and more than 30 museums.
23, Col d’Izoard
The Col d’Izoard is a 2,360 meter pass in the French Alps, heading south to the picturesque Parc National Natural Regional du Queyras, near the Italian border.
The route through the harbor is an excellent alternative to the more established highways if, for example, you wish to travel south of the Alps, Mont-Blanc or Geneva, the Côte d’Azur, Menton or Nice, in the Mediterranean.
24. Chin
Menton is the easternmost French town on the Côte d’Azur and borders directly on Italy.
With more than 300 days of sunshine a year and its pastel-colored home facades, the city of Menton is one of the most popular destinations in France and on the Côte d’Azur.
The city enjoys a particularly moderate temperature thanks to the mountains of the Maritime Alps that surround it.
Summers are exceedingly hot, but in winter it snows once every 10 years at most.
Menton has a very Italian flavor to it; a great ancient town, a few churches and museums, and many beautiful gardens with mainly subtropical plants that may thrive well owing to the moderate environment.
25. Nice
Nice is the fifth largest city in France and is generally referred to as the capital of the Côte d’Azur.
The Côte d’Azur is around 120 kilometers of French coastline on the Mediterranean Sea, and its various beaches and cities should surely be visited with a rental vehicle.
Nice is a heaven for cultural enthusiasts, since no other city on the Mediterranean coast has more museums, cathedrals, gardens, and parks to offer than Nice.
Since 1860, a cannon has been fired every day at 12 o’clock from the castle, to the east of the old town, so that the residents dine on time.
25 places to visit while in France
