The Louvre Museum is the big daddy of Paris museums, a vast building housing a vast collection of... Eiffel Tower, Paris. Nice first was put on the map by the English milords who originally included Nice on their 18th-century Grand Tours. Of course, France’s wine capital is a must-visit for food and wine connoisseurs – but don’t worry if that’s not your thing. And it’s the canals that water the strange hortillonnages (market gardens). A truly global city and one of the largest in Europe, Paris has a reputation for being among the most beautiful and romantic places in the world. Artists and writers who flocked to Aix met at the Café des Deux Garçons at no. Click here, to know more. It’s a city for walking around, taking in the different areas from the Croix-Rousse, the old silk weavers’ district to the new district which makes up in cultural blockbusters what it lacks with its bland appearance. Paris. It’s one of Europe’s greatest aquarium collections with the fish swimming in tanks made as near as possible to their natural habitats. The old capital of Provence is one of the south of France’s most charming cities. The largest city in the north of France, Lille was formerly a merchant city that owes its wealth to the fact that it lies between Flanders and Paris. Famous artists like Renoir and Cézanne were known to visit Marseille to capture its beautiful scenery in paintings. To the east lie such delights at Notre Dame d’Orsan, where you can also spend the night and near Nevers, the spectacular Ainay-le-Vieil. Lyon in the Rhône valley is the second biggest city in France with nearly 500,000 inhabitants. From Nantes, it’s a relatively short drive to one of France’s beautiful, and relatively unknown islands, the Isle de Noirmoutier, a delightful island just off the coast, cut off from the mainland twice a day (though you can cross a bridge to get there.) Today it’s a beautiful, theatrical city with a lively arts scene and a famous annual Arts festival in July and August that recalls medieval pageants and uses the city’s splendid backdrop as its stage. To the north lie the rich cornfields of the Beauce while the wild and beautiful Sologne forest lies to the south. Once run-down, this is the place for the waterside bars and restaurants that make up some of Amiens' lively nightlife. There’s a cathedral with an outstanding tomb with marble figures so life-like they send shivers down your spine, and a gracious 19th-century part. It’s another place for a good short break from either Paris or London. There are formal gardens, a cathedral, and the Musée Fabre which displays 17th to 19th-century European paintings by major artists, ceramics and contemporary art. … Orléans makes a good starting point for a tour of the Loire Valley Chateaux, which make the main reason to visit the region. There’s little left of the huge theater which could seat 12,000 people but it’s an impressive ruin. Between Biarritz and Bordeaux, you'll find some great beaches, including some of the best naturist resorts. Connected to London via the Channel Tunnel... 02. A stroll along the Promenade des Anglais is a must, with the sparkling Mediterranean sea to one side and the grand Belle Epoque buildings lining the streets and the hills behind Nice. On [...], Frontex, officially named the European Border and Coast Guard Agency is a European Union (EU) agency responsible for coordinating border control efforts across various [...], With close to 90 million visitors per year, France is the most popular tourist destination in the world. Top 20 Most Popular French Cities for International Visitors Paris. The other great Roman edifice is Les Arènes, an amphitheater of the 1st century with a capacity for 20,000 spectators, with cages for the animals and a huge backstage area. 2. Ahhhh, Bordeaux! Nice. The riverfront has bars and restaurants where you can sip Loire wines. This article takes a closer look at the most popular attractions in France. But Nîmes is not all ancient buildings. The Queen of the French Riviera is a glitzy, exciting city with around 348,195 inhabitants, making it France’s 5th largest city. The main attraction drawing visitors is the Chateau de Versailles and its impressive gardens, however it is a large city in its own right and is worth exploring further. Nice is served by Nice Côte d’Azur Airport — the third busiest airport in France. Not only do they offer tourists with an array of stunning architecture, history, culture, but you can also enjoy the non-stop delicious delicacies found throughout this beautiful European country.. The city centers around the Place du Capitole, just the place for people watching from the pavement terraces. The Palais Rohan, the former Bishop’s Palace is the place for a walk through the France of the fashionable 18th century. Lille is the best city to visit if you are fond of delicacies such as waffles, mussels and French fries. All figures reflect population sans doubles comptes (French: population municipale). When you mention the best cities to visit in France, you just can’t skip its gorgeous capital.The city is so vast, there are so many things to do that some visitors never even make it out of it to explore the rest of the country. To review official information regarding travel to the Schengen Area you can access europa.eu. Orléans also makes a good stop on the Loire a Velo cycle route that runs 500 miles from the little village of Cuffy in the Cher to the coastal village of St-Brevin-les-Pins on that Atlantic coast. It has amazing cities, villages, landscape and culture. You won’t regret coming to Strasbourg around Christmas time; the capital of Alsace has one of the best and most extensive Christmas Fairs in France. Strasbourg. The Castle of the Dukes of Brittany is now an outstanding museum, telling the story of the city’s rise and fall as well as its slave trade. Museums fill the gracious buildings; there are plenty of old churches, including the Basilica of St-Sernin, begun in 1080 to accommodate the pilgrims flocking to Santiago in Spain, and the Jacobin church, the first church of the Preaching Friars who helped fight the Cathar heresy. But it’s the Machines de L’Ile that have led the revival. Lyon is located near the Swiss border, 300 miles south of … From the remarkable Gallo-Roman museum on the hill of Fourvière (try to be there for the excellent summer arts festival which takes place here in the old Roman arenas), you can see Lyon stretching out below you. Then sit in a café or restaurant surrounded by locals and the students that make Aix such a lively city. It later played a crucial role in the birth of cinema when Auguste and Louis Lumière invented the cinematograph in the city. Toulouse is one of France’s university cities, popular for its alternative vibe, lively music scene and quaint old town. You can walk through the upper levels and watch bullfighting and opera from the tiered seats. It has been a tourist destination since the 18th century, when wealthy English visitors would take advantage of the Mediterranean climate during the winter. For anybody interested in the ocean, the Musée de la Mer with its collection of weird tropical fish, sharks, and stingrays from all the world’s great oceans is a must. Add to that the Maison Carrée, the best preserved of all Roman temples dating back to Augustus (1 st century BC) but rebuilt in the 5th century and used by Napoleon for a model for the Madeleine church in Paris; the surviving Roman gateway of Porte d’Auguste, and the famous Pont du Gard, just 12 miles (20 km) northeast of Nîmes, a huge long stretch of the original 31 miles (50 km) long Roman aqueduct. Once a major trading and industrial city with silk as the main production, today it’s a city with a vibrant buzz, the reputation of a major gourmet destination, exceptional museums and unique attractions like the traboules (secret, covered passageways that lead you hidden through the city), and the great murals painted on its buildings throughout the city. What Is Frontex and How Does it Affect the Borders of France? The northernmost city on the Loire, Orléans is just over 100 km from Paris. In the Middle Ages, Arles was one of the major starting points for a pilgrimage to Compostela in Spain. One of the greatest annual events in northern France is the annual braderie or flea market that takes over the whole city for a weekend in September. From 1309 to 1377 seven French popes held power here. There's another great attraction to the north of Arles, the Carrières de Lumières near Les Baux-de-Provence, vast limestone quarries housing over large reproductions of the great Impressionist artists. Below is a list of communes in France (Overseas departments included) with a legal population of over 30,000 as of January 2017. Once the Roman capital, then a religious center in the Middle Ages, Arles has a fascinating history. Visit the Old Port of Marseille. This is the place to stroll around, sitting in pavement cafés and listening to musicians. The historic part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Five special cities in France Dijon. A world capital of fashion, food, and culture, visitors can enjoy fine dining, stroll along the banks of the Seine, and visit the cobbled streets of the historic Montmartre district where artists from Manet and Van Gogh to Picasso set up their studios. Sample great food in the restaurants, sit in the pavement terrace cafes and head out to the famous Bordeaux wine region. Today it’s the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Amiens has surprisingly attractive parts. Every2 is another major shopping mall in France which was opened officially in 1975 and currently features 225 shops. Walk a little further south to the Palais des Rois de Majorque, a 2-story building reflecting James I of Aragon’s wish to conquer the Kingdom of Majorca. [4] It has some of the world's largest and renowned museums, including the Louvre , which is the most visited art museum in the world , but also the Musée d'Orsay which, like the nearby Musée de l'Orangerie , is mostly devoted to impressionism , and Centre Georges Pompidou , dedicated to Contemporary art . The jazz festival in high summer is another major attraction. Bangkok, Thailand: 24,177,500 arrivals (2018) / 25,847,800 arrivals (2019) 3. My favourite city in the west and one of the places to visit in France that I can go back again and again. London, England: 19,233,000 arrivals (2018) / 19,559,900 arrivals (2019) 4. Lille makes a great center for sightseeing in this part of the world. By using Tripsavvy, you accept our. There is no way around it. Etias France » France’s Most Visited Cities. The red-tiled roofs crowd the city's roofscape, with the towers of the St-Jean cathedral standing out. It's a number one attraction with fantastic light shows playing across the city's facades and buildings over 3 days and nights. The other great site is the Pont d'Avignon, or Pont St-Bénézet, which stretches out into the river but doesn’t reach the opposite bank. City breaks in France. All the leading French and international sports, ready-to-wear, and beauty products are found in the mall. Its great antique glory was the Roman Theater, built between 27-25 BC. Today Bordeaux is a gracious, neo-classical city, created by the French in the 18th century. To the west of the city, you can visit Aérospatiale’s Usine Clément Ader, the high tech factory where Airbus passenger jets are assembled, including the gigantic A380 Airbus. But Marseille is in my top 5 French cities to see for the simple fact that it has so much to explore and experience!. Nearby towns include Blois and its famous château and Chartres with its world-famous spectacular Gothic cathedral to the north. It all starts in Paris. Arles is near Avignon, Nimes, and Montpellier. Don’t miss the evocative, beautiful Musée de l’Hospice Comtesse, a former hospital full of works of Flemish art in its old rooms. Paris: The Most Visited City in France France’s cosmopolitan capital holds the number one spot on this list and it is not hard to see why. Strasbourg has both a distinctive historic center which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and modern skyscrapers that house the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. In 2018, Asia is the biggest player in the rankings. Here, on a long island in the Loire in the center of the town, you’ll find not only the fabulous Grand Éléphant who ‘walks’ around carrying passengers, flexing its trunk and spraying water over delighted bystanders, but also a Marine Worlds Carousel that plunges you into a Jules Vernes version of the world. For nationals of a number of non-EU countries, it will be necessary to acquire an ETIAS to visit France, while travelers from other countries will have to apply for a visa. Place General … But there’s plenty to take you to Strasbourg at any time of the year. The cathedral St-Sauveur, the Quartier Mazarin, the Fondation Vasarely, and the Tapestry Museum are good places to step into. The final must-see site in the region is the Puy du Fou theme park, second only to Disney. Its rose-red stone gave its name to the old city; the Ville Rose rises up from the Garonne river while the Canal Du Midi flows majestically through the northern part. Artworks looted by Napoleon are on display in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, making it the second museum after the Louvre in Paris, while important contemporary exhibitions are put on at the TriPostal, the old sorting office in the center. No wonder Amiens attracted Jules Verne who lived here for most of his life and died here in 1905. The cities in Brittany are full of history, with megalithic stones, medieval towns and castles, walled cities and a strong independent identity (breton – the dialect that used to be spoken in this part of France – is taught in some schools and used on the road signs alongside French). All of France’s most visited cities are served by international airports and major railway lines. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in France. Marseille is also a great place to savor some delicious French seafood and Mediterranean cuisine. The Most-Visited Sites in France Disneyland Paris. If you're after sun and sand, Montpellier is near some great Mediterranean beaches, including the delightful resort of Sète. Disclaimer: This website is owned and operated by a private agency. Mary Anne Evans is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers. Paris is the most popular French city, so we have to start there. Bordeaux in the Gironde on the Atlantic Coast, Peter Richardson/robertharding/Getty Images, Lille in Nord-Pas de Calais, North France, Nantes in Pays de la Loire, French Atlantic Coast, Toulouse in the Tarn Gorges of Languedoc-Roussillon. Lyon is easily reached by French public transport, with trains, including TGV, connecting Perrache and Part-Dieu Stations with other major cities. It’s a great city to eat in, from the socca at Chez Pipo to the great bistros in the port where you can sit on the terrace watching the yachts bobbing in the water. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is in the Camargue, where cowboys on white horses round up the bulls in the strange marshy flatlands. Jardin Botanique de la Ville de Nice (botanical garden), Château/Castle of Nice (a hill and park where a castle once stood, offering panoramic views), The Odeon of Lyon — an Ancient Roman theatre, Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls — Roman ruins, Vieux Lyon (the old medieval and Renaissance quarter), The Cathedral of Sainte-Marie-Majeure (“La Major”), Église Sainte-Croix (Church of the Holy Cross). We created a big list of the 35 most beautiful cities to visit in France. The ten big tourist cities in France , ranked in "must see" order. But it has an illustrious past as well, some of which you can see in Cimiez with its Roman ruins. You can’t see it but you can see the buildings that surround it showing the Dance of Death. It's also very near the strange city of Aigues-Mortes, built as a fortress port by Louis IX in the 13th century as a jumping off point for his departure on the Seventh Crusade, and still with its massive fortifications and towers. Its other claim to fame is as the place where denim was first manufactured, leading to its name fabric de Nîmes. Toulouse makes a great center for visits in southwest France. Founded as an Ancient Greek colony around 600BC, Marseille has been an important city for centuries. They are easy to reach for international travelers who have the correct documentation to cross the border into the country. On the border with Italy, Nice has more of a cosmopolitan, European feel than many of France’s other cities. La Marseillaise, the Revolutionary song was called after the people of Marseille and sung during the storming of the Tuileries. Marseille is also near other spectacular places: the delightful Var in Provence, the cities of Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Nîmes, and Montpellier, and not forgetting the intensely romantic Aigues-Mortes, and the wild marshes, bulls, and cowboys of the Camargue. Modern Marseille is notable for being very inclusive and multicultural. France aims to woo 5 million Chinese tourists a year by 2020, with cashless payments. Add to that a huge Saturday flea market and a daily fruit and veg market around the Arc de Triomphe and you’ve got a great city to visit. Keep in the cool at the Jardin de la Fontaine, France’s first public garden created in 1750. Marseille’s opera house and art galleries make it a regional center for the arts. And if you are a naturist or just like to bare all, then the nearby resort of Cap d'Agde is the place to go. 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