Take a tour through the traboules -- originally built so that the silk weavers could carry their delicate work around the city without damaging them, then used during World War II for Resistance fighters. It is the world’s second-largest wine-producing region and wine tours and tastings are a big draw for visitors. Paris must head the list, followed by Nice on the French Riviera, neither of which would come as a shock. The northernmost city on the Loire, Orléans is just over 100 km from Paris. The city has a long history dating back to the Ancient Greeks. 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. Visit the Place de la Bourse, check out the Water Mirror, go to th… 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. You can walk through the upper levels and watch bullfighting and opera from the tiered seats. Rank. Paris Paris is the most famous city in France and one of the most visited by tourist’s city in the world. And it has two rather more off-beat claims to fame. Located on the French Riviera close to the Italian border, Nice is the second most-visited city in France. Between Bordeaux and Biarritz you'll find some great beaches, including some of the best naturist resorts. Mary Anne Evans is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers. This is the place to stroll around, sitting in pavement cafés and listening to musicians. Stretching along the left back of the river Rhône, Avignon is regarded as the center of Provence where religion played a dramatic part and art flourished. It’s an easy city to get around, with a great tram system taking you through the main parts. We created a big list of the 35 most beautiful cities to visit in France. It does not include free admission sites such as Notre-Dame in Paris and the Gothic cathedrals of France, the park of Versailles Palace, the shrines of Rocamadour and Lourdes, the old town of Sarlat or the Cité of Carcassonne. 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. You can’t miss the grand Gros-Horloge clock on the front of an ancient archway and you mustn’t miss the Musée des Beaux-Arts which has a superb collection of 15th to 20​th-century paintings, including a collection of Impressionist paintings that is second only to the Musée d’Orsay’s in Paris. The pedestrianized Old Town centers around the Place de la Loge with cafés and brasseries, overlooked by the 14th-century Gothic Loge de Mer, once the city’s stock exchange. 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. Which cities would you choose for a French trip? Please note that we are not associated with or sponsored by the European Union. Brittany is one of the most beautiful regions in France, situated in the northwest of the country. Old Nice is the place to start the day with breakfast in the Cours Saleya watching the daily market fill up with the freshest fruit and vegetables. The historic part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 5. The Queen of the French Riviera is a glitzy, exciting city with around 348,195 inhabitants, making it France’s 5th largest city. 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. Modern Marseille is notable for being very inclusive and multicultural. It's a number one attraction with fantastic light shows playing across the city's facades and buildings over 3 days and nights. Artists and writers who flocked to Aix met at the Café des Deux Garçons at no. A huge market takes over the center on Wednesdays; while one side of the square is taken up with the Capitole, the building of the city government. For families, there’s the theme park, Samara, showing how our distant ancestors lived in prehistoric times in north Europe. 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.) Lille, which is Northern France’s largest city with around 234,000 inhabitants, is popular for weekend breaks both from London and from Paris, particularly at Christmas when its Christmas Market fills the streets. It means that without changing trains and taking just over 6 hours, Marseille has become a possible short break city from the UK. It’s one of Europe’s greatest aquarium collections with the fish swimming in tanks made as near as possible to their natural habitats. It was the city where Charles de Gaulle was born in 1890 and his house is full of mementos of the great leader, though for the real story of the man you need visit the inspiring Memorial and his home in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, between the medieval city of Troyes and Chaumont in Champagne. The city was for three centuries under English rule, the result of the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry Plantagenet who became Henry II. It is the oldest city of France and the largest one after Paris. 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. Once the Roman capital, then a religious center in the Middle Ages, Arles has a fascinating history. This list of the most popular cities might surprise you...in alphabetical order with one exception. Keep in the cool at the Jardin de la Fontaine, France’s first public garden created in 1750. This popular city in France is ideal for relaxing excursions, boat tours, rock climbing, hiking, swimming, and kayaking. Marseille is probably the second most famous city of France. World-renowned for its wine, Bordeaux is surrounded by vineyards. Cairo is growing fast in popularity, thanks to the region becoming more stable. Top 10 Most Visited Sites 1 Disneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallée = 15,600,000 visitors Lyon is located near the Swiss border, 300 miles south of … Paris, France's capital, is the most visited city in Europe, receiving 38 million tourists in 2019. Marseille is also a great place to savor some delicious French seafood and Mediterranean cuisine. According to leading travel and tourism guide books for journeying to France, the most visited place in Paris is the Eiffel Tower and Disneyland Paris. If you’re staying in Paris, make time for some visits to nearby attractions, like Fontainebleau, Vaux le Vicomte which was the inspiration for much of Versaille, and Alexandre Dumas’ Chateau de Monte Cristo. They come to visit the countryside, the coast, and the historic cities and villages. With its gorgeous climate, it’s an all-year-round destination, with one of the world’s most famous carnivals kicking off the annual season of events in the early Spring. To review official information regarding travel to the Schengen Area you can access europa.eu. Connected to London via the Channel Tunnel... 02. 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. 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. 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. Some head for the mountains, others to the seaside, and some to the picturesque villages of rural France. It’s a colorful city and a good place to try out Catalan cuisine which is distinctly different from its French neighbors. Between Biarritz and Bordeaux, you'll find some great beaches, including some of the best naturist resorts. Taste the best gourmet specialities and indulge in the finest wines. Nantes never stands still; the latest project involved placing artworks down the estuary that empties into the Atlantic. 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. Space and exploration are celebrated at the ​Cité de l’Espace where you can walk inside a Mir space station mock-up. 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. Then there are the small quartiers with their street markets and restaurants and bars where the locals hang out. Don’t miss the moving Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery down by the river. Nice is amazing city located in the southern part of the country. 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