There are many
famous places in France, it would be impossible to see them all in one trip. If
this is your first visit to France, the choices can seem overwhelming, where
are you going? What are the best places to see?
Here is a picture of
some of the most famous places in France you or your family and friends might
visit - depending on their interests, if it comes to historic sites, museums,
areas of natural beauty or food and wine.
If you are spending
a couple of weeks here you can easily visit most of the locations listed below.
It will be a quick trip, but it is certainly feasible and will have many
wonderful memories.
1. The Eiffel Tour
The Eiffel Tower,
built in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel for the Universal Exhibition, is undoubtedly
one of the most popular attractions in France.
It is amazing to
think that the Eiffel Tower was, for a time, viewed as an eyesore and even
ugly; It was nearly demolished in 1909.
2. Louvre
The Louvre Museum,
once a royal palace, is now a museum of art best known in the world, with works
such as the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, as well as spectacular works of art
by Michelangelo, Raphael and Botticelli.
3. Notre Dame de
Paris
Next in line is the
beautiful Gothic cathedral, Notre Dame, built around 1163-1345, visited by over
12 million people a year, and one of the most famous French monuments.
4. Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe
and magnificent Ave des Champs-Elysées, are spectacular to see. The Arch was
commissioned by Napoloeon to commemorate the victories of their armies; the
tomb of the unknown soldier of France is here, and every night a flame is lit
memorial
5. Versailles
If you can, try to
visit the Palace of Versailles, built during the reign of Louis XIV - known as
the Sun King (Roi Soleil) to show their wealth and power of the monarchy at
that time. Versailles is easily accessible as a day trip from Paris. It is
without doubt, absolutely spectacular, and one of the most amazing things is
likely all to see.
6. Mont St Michel
Mont St Michel is
one of the most recognizable monuments in France, located off the coast of
Normandy. In fact, it is the next most visited site after Paris!
It’s hard not to be
awed by the sight of Mont St Michel, with its Gothic-style Benedictine abbey
perched high atop a rocky outcrop.
7. Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc (which
means White Mountain in French) is the highest mountain in the Alps, located
between Italy and France. Chamonix is here,
the site of the first Olympic Winter Games, and one of the most popular places
to visit in France for skiing places.
Even if you are not
planning to ski worth a visit.
You can take the
cable car Aiguille du Midi spectacular views of the mountains. Definitely one
of the highest (and probably one of the most exciting - or fear, depending on
which side you look) - Cable car ride you will take!
8. Chateaux of the
Loire
The Loire Valley,
playground royalty from the 15th to the 18th centuries, has many beautiful
Renaissance castles.
There are several
hundred castles in the Loire; some of the most popular are Château d'Amboise,
Chambord, Chenonceau, Cheverny and Blois.
The Loire is also
known for its excellent wines too, and you can try Muscadet, Sauvignon and many
more.
To the south, there
are even more famous places in France.
9. Carcassonne
Carcassonne in the
Languedoc, is the largest walled city in Europe and one of the best examples of
medieval architecture.
Carcassonne towers
and turrets pointed seem to have come straight out of a fairy tale or a Walt
Disney. But there is no make-believe here - it's all true. Carcassonne is also
one of the most popular French monuments.
10. Lascaux
Some of the best
collections of prehistoric art can be found in southwestern France.
The ancient cave
paintings, drawings and sculptures that can be seen here are really impressive,
some dating back as 35,000 years.
Lascaux sites (now a
replica) are places of popular tourist attraction in France, with many others
also worth visiting.