Through the Eiffel Tower into the French Riviera, through the Grotte de Lascaux into the Mont Saint Michel, France is just a nation celebrated for the history, gorgeous architecture, and an array of must-see places.

Through the Eiffel Tower into the French Riviera, through the Grotte de Lascaux into the Mont Saint Michel, France is just a nation celebrated for the history, gorgeous architecture, and an array of must-see places.

In fact, France could be the world’s number 1 location for worldwide visitors, and Marseille had been called the 6th top trending destination for 2020.

You with your trip once the pandemic-related travel restrictions are lifted when you’re ready to start planning your next vacation, here are France’s 10 biggest cities to help.

Discover below these breathtaking French urban centers, their many city that is charming, their famous monuments, and annual activities. Our destinations that are top:

  1. Paris
  2. Marseille
  3. Lyon
  4. Toulouse
  5. Nice
  6. Nantes
  7. Montpellier
  8. Strasbourg
  9. Bordeaux
  10. Lille

You can view this video below to practically explore these French towns and their many monument that is famous.

1. Paris: la ville lumiere (town of light)

Paris could be the money plus the biggest city in France:

Paris may be the second-largest French-speaking town in the entire world. With an estimated population of over 11,020,000 in 2021 Paris may be the only city in France with a populace bigger than 10 million.

Paris welcomes around 16 million site site visitors each year.

Paris could be the way to obtain motivation for many of the very famous poets, philosophers, and article writers. Los angeles Seine, the river, divides the part that is oldest of Paris into two components: the Left Bank (la rive gauche) and also the Right Bank (la rive droite).

Most readily useful activities to do:

  • Walk round the area that is romantic of.
  • Climb the Eiffel Tower to truly have the most view that is famous of.
  • simply take a river cruise at evening or prior to sunset.

2. Marseille: la cite phoceenne

Marseille is the country’s second-largest city and it is found in the Southern of France.

  • 863 310 individuals
  • 3 hours from Paris by TGV (“Train a Grande Vitesse”: high-speed train)

The town provides stunning coastlines coupled with a range that is wide of to see and do. Marseille is France’s oldest town. It absolutely was launched around 600 BC by a colony that is greek. The port that is commercial the greatest in France plus one of the most extremely essential into the mediterranean and beyond.

Numerous locals talk to a distinct accent: l’accent Marseillais.

Popular points of great interest:

  • Le vieux slot: old harbor
  • The town center while the Roman architecture
  • The Chateau d’If, a jail situated on the ocean, the French form of Alcatraz

3. Lyon

Lyon may be the 3rd city that is largest in France, after Paris and Marseille.

  • 516 092 residents
  • 2 hours from Paris by TGV

Lyon is 470 kilometer (292 mi) south-east of Paris.

An easy reminder that is historical: Lyon ended up being the administrative centre of France through the Roman Empire! The part that is central of had been called a global Heritage web site by UNESCO.

Occasion

  • The season that is coldest kicks off aided by the Festival of Lights (la Fete diverses Lumieres), certainly one of France’s most well-known winter festivals (around December 8th). The event typically features light shows. The residents, les lyonnais, destination candles inside their windows.
  • Make a booking at a “bouchon“, a kind of restaurant found just in Lyon.

4. Toulouse: la ville rose

Toulouse is within the Southern of France.

  • 479 553 habitants
  • 4,5 hours from Paris

The Pink City is home to three Unesco heritage sites with 2,000 years of history.

Toulouse may be the capital that is european of aeronautics and room industry. The town had been opted for by Airbus to ascertain its head office.

Toulouse is a city that is beautiful go to, because of the wide Garonne river moving through the center of the town together with red stone structures when you look at the center (offering it the nickname associated with Pink City: “la ville rose“).

Sights:

  • The gothic church “Les Jacobins”: it is a fairly impressive 13th-century Romanesque red stone building.
  • Los angeles cathedrale Saint Sernin: the biggest church that is romanesque France.
  • Le Capitole: an excellent bit of architecture that glows red within the sunrise.

5. Nice

Sweet may be the fifth most city that is populous. Sweet is situated in the corner that is southeast of between your Alps while the Mediterranean shore.

  • 340 017 residents
  • 6,20 hours from Paris by TGV

You can travel to whenever you want of the season. Sun and ocean make sweet a prime destination that is coastal France.

Popular points of great interest:

  • The sweet Carnival (every February) the most popular festivals in France.
  • The Castle Hill of Nice: amazing view, a must-see!
  • Marc Chagall nationwide Museum: a sizable assortment of functions by Marc Chagall, the famous painter that is russian-French and designer.
  • The Promenade des Anglais (7 miles long): a great place for walking, running, or walk that is cycling.

6. Nantes

Nantes is just a populous town in Loire-Atlantique regarding the Loire, 50 kilometer (31 mi) through the Atlantic shore.

  • 309 346 people
  • 3 hours by train from Paris

Nantes has doubled in proportions considering that the 1960s. 25% regarding the agri-food jobs in France are situated in Nantes and lots of regarding the manufacturers that are leading located in the town: Biscuits St-Michel, Charal, and Fleury Michon for example.

Tech Hub for the electronic companies sector as well as other industries that are creative. Nantes offers a very top quality of life, a job that is strong with a somewhat low price of residing.

Popular points of great interest:

  • The cathedral
  • The castle associated with the dukes of Brittany “Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne”: learn the reputation for Nantes through the medieval. The castle inside tour goes through all of the events that are important.
  • The devices regarding the Isle of Nantes (Les Machines de l’ile in French) could be the must-see attraction in Nantes! It really is a project that is original the globes of Jules Verne and Leonardo da Vinci. It comprises of articulated devices representing giant animals. Probably the most famous could be the 12 meters high and 48 tons giant elephant.

7. Montpellier

Montpellier is found in the national country’s southern area.

  • 285 121 individuals
  • 4 hours from Paris by TGV

It’s one of several few big towns without Roman heritage. Montpellier has several advantages : Mediterranean weather, slow speed of life, gorgeous boulevards, also it’s cheaper than Paris.