Learn more about who needs ETIAS to enter France. South of the Cathedral of St-Jean-Baptiste, you come to the Maghrebian quarter, full of North African shops, a market, and cafes. This popular city in France is ideal for relaxing excursions, boat tours, rock climbing, hiking, swimming, and kayaking. Rouen’s Notre-Dame is one of the great Gothic cathedrals of France, dominating this charming city which is near enough to the channel ports of Dieppe, Le Havre, Caen, and Calais to make it a good city break from London. Top 20 cities based on 2018 arrivals and 2019 estimates. For 4 days in December, candles are traditionally used to light up residents’ homes and the facades of buildings all over the city are bathed in dramatic light and sound displays. 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. This article takes a closer look at the most popular attractions in France. 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. Lyon is located near the Swiss border, 300 miles south of … 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.) Photo credit: Sunset in Paris, Places to visit in France by Doc Searls. Good hotels and restaurants make Rouen an attractive place. The châteaux are strung along the river like a necklace of precious beads, but the gardens are equally as spectacular. The Louvre Museum is the big daddy of Paris museums, a vast building housing a vast collection of... Eiffel Tower, Paris. The final must-see site in the region is the Puy du Fou theme park, second only to Disney. And it has two rather more off-beat claims to fame. You can’t see it but you can see the buildings that surround it showing the Dance of Death. And don’t forget the Centre Pompidou with its exciting contemporary art exhibitions, the fabulous collections of Impressionists and Post-Impressionists in the Musée d’Orsay, converted from a former railway station, and the less well known but superb Cluny Museum where medieval treasures like the 15th-century Lady and the Unicorn Tapestry are to be discovered. Marseille has always been a vital port for the Mediterranean from its beginnings as a major trading post built by Greeks from Asia Minor. Marseille is also a great place to savor some delicious French seafood and Mediterranean cuisine. But Toulouse is not wedded to the past. The most important event of the year in Lyon is the spectacular Festival of Lights (Fête des Lumières). Once the Monte Carlo of the Atlantic coast of France, Biarritz’s bright star faded in the 1960s as the Côte d’Azur resorts took over as the places to see and be seen in. Keep in the cool at the Jardin de la Fontaine, France’s first public garden created in 1750. This city’s roots are ancient, but its most striking architecture is from the 18 th and 19 th centuries. Mary Anne Evans is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers. But it’s the Machines de L’Ile that have led the revival. 2. Top 10 Most Visited Sites 1 Disneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallée = 15,600,000 visitors It later played a crucial role in the birth of cinema when Auguste and Louis Lumière invented the cinematograph in the city. All the leading French and international sports, ready-to-wear, and beauty products are found in the mall. All figures reflect population sans doubles comptes (French: population municipale). Sample great food in the restaurants, sit in the pavement terrace cafes and head out to the famous Bordeaux wine region. For a romantic escape, visit the Loire Valley in central France. France is one of the most touristic countries in the world. All of France’s most visited cities are served by international airports and major railway lines. 53. In the Middle Ages, Arles was one of the major starting points for a pilgrimage to Compostela in Spain. Don’t miss the evocative, beautiful Musée de l’Hospice Comtesse, a former hospital full of works of Flemish art in its old rooms. 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. The old quarter around the cathedral has what is believed to be the oldest pharmacy in France, the Pharmacie du Cerf existing since 1268; while the area known as Petite France clusters around the river. Over 30,000 inhabitants. Space and exploration are celebrated at the ​Cité de l’Espace where you can walk inside a Mir space station mock-up. Today Bordeaux is a gracious, neo-classical city, created by the French in the 18th century. The historic part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the Old Port of Marseille. 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. Nearby towns include Blois and its famous château and Chartres with its world-famous spectacular Gothic cathedral to the north. 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. Its importance began when Julius Caesar took Marseille in 49 BC and Arles became commercially important, standing at a crossroads of major routes as well as providing a major port. It's a number one attraction with fantastic light shows playing across the city's facades and buildings over 3 days and nights. 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. Its other claim to fame is as the place where denim was first manufactured, leading to its name fabric de Nîmes. The country of the Gallic rooster, the Promised Land, the Land of Dreams… You can go here to the huge Alps, as well as to the magnificent French Riviera. Once the place where the fishermen, tanners, and millers lived; today it’s the narrow winding streets are full of bars, restaurants, and shops. 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. 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. 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. But Nîmes is not all ancient buildings. 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). Once the capital of Brittany, Nantes is one of those cities that declined then spectacularly reinvented itself in the last decade. Paris is the 3rd most visited city in the world, behind Bangkok and London. The jazz festival in high summer is another major attraction. We provide information, updates, and news about the European electronic travel authorisation, ETIAS. Nice is amazing city located in the southern part of the country. It may be France’s 5th city in terms of population but it's second in popularity. 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. Well. The Quartier St-Leu just north of the cathedral is crisscrossed with canals and small houses of past textile workers. Nice also makes a perfect center for trips to Provence and other cities on the French Riviera. Bangkok, Thailand: 24,177,500 arrivals (2018) / 25,847,800 arrivals (2019) 3. 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. What Is Frontex and How Does it Affect the Borders of France? Some head for the mountains, others to the seaside, and some to the picturesque villages of rural France. This is a list of top 100 cities ranked by the number of international visitors, including all international arrivals by land, sea, or plane, for tourist or business purposes.The consulting firm Euromonitor and the financial services corporation Mastercard define the concept of the foreign visitor differently thus their respective rankings differ. Montpellier was once a huge trading center, a vital city for merchants from all over Europe as well as the Levant and Near East. 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. There’s a good Musée des Beaux Arts, while the Maison de Jeanne d’Arc tells the saint’s story. It’s most famous as the city of Joan of Arc with the cathedral Sainte-Croix full of reminders of the warrior and stained glass windows telling her story. But there’s plenty to take you to Strasbourg at any time of the year. From 1309 to 1377 seven French popes held power here. World-renowned for its wine, Bordeaux is surrounded by vineyards. Now there's a direct train from London St. Pancras, stopping at Lyon and Avignon before Marseille. 15 million people travel to EuroDisney on the outskirts of Paris. Situated along the Loire River, the area... Marseille. Cairo is growing fast in popularity, thanks to the region becoming more stable. Old Aix is a great place to stroll through, centered around the famous Cours Mirabeau where the plane trees meet over the avenue lined with cafés and restaurants that spill out onto the pavements. The red-tiled roofs crowd the city's roofscape, with the towers of the St-Jean cathedral standing out. The Essential Guide to Planning a Trip to France, The Mediterranean cities from Marseille to Montpellier are fabulous, Surprising Attractions and Things to Do in Orleans in the Loire Valley, The Top Roman Cities and Ancient Sites in France, The Essential Guide to Alsace, France: Architecture, Wine, & More, Nimes is the city for Roman chariot races and food with a Spanish flavour, Top 20 Most Popular French Cities for International Visitors, Tripsavvy uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. So it's not surprising that Bordeaux has always attracted the British. Its iconic buildings are known the world over: The soaring Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the famous Latin Quarter on the Left Bank, the Champs-Elysées, and Montmartre. 2. Lille makes a great center for sightseeing in this part of the world. We created a big list of the 35 most beautiful cities to visit in France. A popular day trip from Paris, the city of Versailles is of course the home of France’s most famous chateau. There is good reason for that. The ten big tourist cities in France , ranked in "must see" order. 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. Populations as of 2013 are also shown. 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. To the west, you see Chaumont which has an international garden festival each year as well as lesser-known gardens like the English-style garden at Plessis Sasnières and the gardens around Clos Luce,  the house where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last years. Nearby cities include medieval Arras, with its 2 major attractions, the World War I Wellington Quarry which dramatically and effectively shows how British and Canadian soldiers quarried under the town to attack the nearby German lines, and the British World War I Memorial in Arras. The “City of Light” is renowned for having been a center of European art for centuries, from Baroque to Impressionism and its many world-famous art museums reflect this history. It means that without changing trains and taking just over 6 hours, Marseille has become a possible short break city from the UK. Visitors can enjoy traditional mâchons, coq au vin, and the recent Lyonnais invention of French tacos at the typical bouchon restaurants. Place General … Reims along with Epernay is the capital of the Champagne-making region, so try to arrange a visit to a Champagne house like Pommery. Five special cities in France Dijon. Taste the best gourmet specialities and indulge in the finest wines. 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. Marseille’s opera house and art galleries make it a regional center for the arts. Toulouse is one of France’s most exciting provincial cities as well as being the main town in western Languedoc. Once a great Flemish city, Lille keeps some of the grandeur of the past with its elegant ancienne bourse (old stock exchange), winding cobbled lanes and streets and old red brick houses. Lyon is a historical city founded by the Romans. After a hearty meal, roam the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille, one of France’s largest fine arts museum, and get lost among the masterpieces. Yes, that’s what Dijon is known... Bordeaux. Brittany is one of the most beautiful regions in France, situated in the northwest of the country. It was an important region for silk production and weaving from the Renaissance through to the 19th century. On the border with Italy, Nice has more of a cosmopolitan, European feel than many of France’s other cities. Rank. 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. 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. Nice. By using our website you accept our Cookies Policy. The Most-Visited Sites in France Disneyland Paris. She lives part-time in Auvergne, France and writes travel articles about the country. Europe’s first medical school was founded here in 1137 and its university students still help make this Mediterranean city one of the liveliest in the south of France. Connected to London via the Channel Tunnel... 02. 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 world’s second-largest wine-producing region and wine tours and tastings are a big draw for visitors. 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. Toulouse makes a great center for visits in southwest France. The 9 Best Day Trips From Marseille, France, The Top 32 Things to Do in Paris: Our Ultimate Bucketlist, The Top 15 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in France, A Lyon Travel Guide for Beginners: Planning Your Trip, 48 Hours in Marseille, France: The Ultimate Itinerary. It has a good Old Town with 17th- and 18th-century mansions (don’t miss the revamped Hôtel de Ville), some great museums including the Musée du Vieux Nîmes in the former bishop’s palace, and the Musée Archéologique, and the Musée d’art Contemporain, housed in the Carré d’Art, a bold, innovative building designed by British architect Norman Foster. Then there are the small quartiers with their street markets and restaurants and bars where the locals hang out. Its great antique glory was the Roman Theater, built between 27-25 BC. 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. This list of the most popular cities might surprise you...in alphabetical order with one exception. The majority of tourists to France come from other European countries, particularly: Germany, the UK, and Belgium. Famous artists like Renoir and Cézanne were known to visit Marseille to capture its beautiful scenery in paintings. The Queen of the French Riviera is a glitzy, exciting city with around 348,195 inhabitants, making it France’s 5th largest city. It’s one of Europe’s greatest aquarium collections with the fish swimming in tanks made as near as possible to their natural habitats. Nowadays, it has a lovely city center and vibrant cultural sector, with numerous museums that are worth checking out. Paris Paris is the most famous city in France and one of the most visited by tourist’s city in the world. 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. Please note that we are not associated with or sponsored by the European Union. 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. Musee d Orsay - It has everything you would expect: architecture that takes you back to the 17th and 18th centuries, elegant patrician houses, and long tree-lined avenues where bubbling fountains keep the summer temperature cool. 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. Do I Have to Apply for ETIAS if I Have Dual Citizenship? 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. Today it’s the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region. 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. It is the oldest city of France and the largest one after Paris. Located on the French Riviera close to the Italian border, Nice is the second most-visited city in France. Known as a country of art, culture, and romance, millions of travelers arrive in France every year. The final great bonus is the famous open-air markets that fill the streets daily. France aims to woo 5 million Chinese tourists a year by 2020, with cashless payments. After Barcelona, Perpignan is Catalonia’s second city so you’ll find plenty of Spanish – and North African – influences here. London, England: 19,233,000 arrivals (2018) / 19,559,900 arrivals (2019) 4. In one city you can see many architectural marvels like the Eiffel Tower, the Arc d’Triomphe and the Louvre, and more. Once the capital of France, Orléans is a gracious city with 18th- and 19th-century streets and arcades. It’s a colorful city and a good place to try out Catalan cuisine which is distinctly different from its French neighbors. Much remains of the old city and the gracious mansions, the halles, the place de l’Atalye, and the old port are the focus of today’s visitors. For citizens of the EU and other Schengen countries, no documentation is required to enter France (although it is advisable to carry an ID card or passport). Get to Lyon for the Mediterranean from its beginnings as a country of art, culture, and news the. Precious beads, but the gardens are equally as spectacular, popular for its vibe. His house, full of memorabilia and objects belonging to the urban heartlands of French tacos at the Floral... Dijon is known... Bordeaux photo credit: Sunset in Paris, France and one of the region... Sun and sand, Montpellier is near Avignon, and plenty of little markets, there s... 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