What are the 100 most famous cities and places in France?
Here is a list of the 100 most famous cities and places in France, which are emblematic for their history, culture, landscapes or tourist importance:
Main cities
- Paris - Capital of France, known for the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, etc.
- Marseille - Historic port and gateway to the Mediterranean.
- Lyon - Historic, gastronomic city, known for its traboules and the Festival of Lights.
- Toulouse - The Pink City, famous for aerospace and the Place du Capitole.
- Nice - Pearl of the French Riviera, famous for the Promenade des Anglais.
- Bordeaux - World capital of wine, with historic quays.
- Nantes - Dynamic city, known for the Machines de l'île and the Château des Ducs de Bretagne.
- Strasbourg - European city, known for its cathedral and European institutions.
- Lille - Cultural city, with its Flemish architecture and its Grand Palais.
- Montpellier - Sunny city, known for its Place de la Comédie and its historic center.
Historical and cultural cities
- Rennes - Capital of Brittany, known for its parliament and half-timbered houses.
- Le Havre - Port city, classified by UNESCO for its modern architecture.
- Rouen - Historic city with its cathedral and its Gros-Horloge.
- Grenoble - Capital of the Alps, famous for its mountains and its cable car.
- Dijon - City of the Dukes of Burgundy, known for its mustard and its Palace of the Dukes.
- Reims - City of coronations, known for its cathedral and its champagne.
- Tours - Heart of the Loire Valley, known for its castles.
- Clermont-Ferrand - Capital of Auvergne, famous for its Puy de Dôme.
- Aix-en-Provence - City of art and water, famous for its fountains and its music festival.
- Saint-Étienne - Industrial city, known for its design and industrial heritage.
Iconic places
- Palace of Versailles - Residence of the kings of France.
- Mont Saint-Michel - Island and fortified abbey, a must-see site in Normandy.
- Gorges du Verdon - The largest canyon in Europe, located in Provence.
- Loire Valley Castles - Region known for its many historic castles (Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise).
- French Riviera - Seaside region with cities like Cannes, Nice, and Monaco.
- Provence - Region famous for its lavender fields and hilltop villages (Gordes, Roussillon).
- French Alps - Mountain range, famous for Mont Blanc and ski resorts like Chamonix.
- Dune of Pilat - Highest sand dune in Europe, located on the Atlantic coast.
- Pont du Gard - Well-preserved Roman aqueduct, near Nîmes.
- Île de Ré - Popular tourist destination for its beaches and picturesque villages.
Other famous cities and places
- Biarritz - Seaside resort on the Atlantic coast, famous for surfing.
- Saint-Malo - Corsair town in Brittany, with its ramparts and its intra-muros city.
- Colmar - Picturesque Alsatian town, known for its canals and half-timbered houses.
- Annecy - Town in the Alps, known for its lake and its castle.
- Carcassonne - Medieval fortified city, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Nîmes - Roman city with its arenas and the Maison Carrée.
- Avignon - Famous for its bridge and its Papal Palace.
- Troyes - Medieval town, known for its half-timbered houses.
- Arles - Roman city, famous for its arenas and its connection with Van Gogh.
- La Rochelle - Port city with its medieval towers and its Old Port.
Natural places and regions
- Normandy - Region known for its D-Day beaches and its cliffs of Étretat.
- Brittany - Region of wild coastal landscapes, with sites such as Pointe du Raz.
- Alsace - Wine region with picturesque villages like Riquewihr and Eguisheim.
- Dordogne Valley - Region of prehistoric castles and caves.
- Camargue - Nature reserve famous for its marshes, pink flamingos and wild horses.
- Pyrenees - Mountain range, known for its natural parks and ski resorts.
- Vercors - Mountain range, known for its cliffs and caves.
- Aubrac - Volcanic and granite plateau, famous for its landscapes and its gastronomy.
- Cevennes - National park with landscapes of mountains, forests and rivers.
- Fontainebleau Forest - Forest famous for its rocks and hiking trails.
Iconic cities and places
- Amiens - Known for its Gothic cathedral, the largest in France.
- Lourdes - World famous Catholic pilgrimage town.
- Metz - City of art and history, with its cathedral and the Centre Pompidou-Metz.
- Bayonne - Basque city known for its chocolate and festive culture.
- Bastia - Port city of Corsica, with its fortifications and its old port.
- Perpignan - Catalan city with its palace of the kings of Majorca.
- Cahors - Town in the southwest known for its wine and its Valentré bridge.
- Reims - City of champagne, with its Gothic cathedral.
- Blois - City on the Loire, known for its royal castle.
- Toulon - Port city, naval base and gateway to Provence.
Other notable sites
- Île-de-Bréhat - Small Breton island, paradise for hikers.
- Oléron Island - Atlantic island, famous for its beaches and oysters.
- Périgord - Region known for its prehistoric caves and cuisine.
- Aveyron - Rural region with villages like Conques and the Millau Viaduct.
- Corsica - Mediterranean island known for its mountains and beaches.
- Saint-Tropez - Glamorous seaside resort on the French Riviera.
- Île-de-France - Paris region with sites like Versailles and Disneyland Paris.
- Provence - Sunny region with cities like Aix-en-Provence and Arles.
- Languedoc-Roussillon - Southern region with cities like Montpellier and Nîmes.
- Auvergne - Volcanic region, with the Auvergne Volcanoes Park.
Historical and cultural places
- Orléans - Historic city, known for Joan of Arc.
- Périgueux - Gallo-Roman town with its Byzantine cathedral.
- Cluny - Burgundian town with its medieval abbey.
- Saint-Émilion - Wine village, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Vézelay - Hill and basilica, pilgrimage site on the way to Santiago de Compostela.
- Lourmarin - Provencal village, classified among the most beautiful in France.
- Le Mont-Dore - Thermal and winter sports resort in the Massif Central.
- Chartres - Known for its Gothic cathedral and stained glass windows.
- Verdun - Historic city, known for the battles of World War I.
- Nevers - Religious town with its sanctuary of Saint Bernadette.
Other notable cities and places
- Ardèche - Natural region with gorges and rivers, ideal for canoeing.
- Sarlat - Medieval town in the Périgord Noir, known for its market and architecture.
- Mulhouse - Industrial city, with its technical museums.
- Besançon - Fortified city, with its Vauban citadel.
- Montélimar - Provençal town, famous for its nougat.
- Albi - Red city of Tarn, with its cathedral and its Toulouse-Lautrec museum.
- Beaune - Capital of Burgundy wines, with its Hospices.
- Ajaccio - Birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, capital of Corsica.
- Saint-Jean-de-Luz - Basque seaside resort, known for its port and beaches.
- Vannes - Breton town, with its ramparts and its marina.
Natural and cultural sites
- Noirmoutier Island - Vendée island, accessible via the Gois passage.
- Le Mont-Dore - Thermal and winter sports resort in the Massif Central.
- Saint-Lary-Soulan - Ski resort in the Pyrenees.
- The Gorges du Tarn - Spectacular canyon in Occitanie.
- The Calanques of Marseille - Coastal national park with limestone cliffs.
- The Cirque de Gavarnie - Natural monument in the Pyrenees, listed by UNESCO.
- Les Landes - Region of pine forests and wild beaches.
- The Cliffs of Étretat - Famous white chalk cliffs in Normandy.
- Le Puy-en-Velay - Pilgrimage town with its cathedral and extinct volcanoes.
- The Hospices de Beaune - Historic and wine-producing monument in Burgundy.
These cities and places are among the most emblematic of France, reflecting the geographical, cultural and historical diversity of the country.