Most popular French Cities
Which cities would you choose for a French trip? Paris must head the list, followed by Nice on the French Riviera, neither of which would come as a shock. But how about the others? This list of the most popular cities might surprise you.
1.Aix-en-Provence
The old capital of Provence is one of the souths of France’s most charming cities. 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.
2.Biarritz on the Atlantic Coast
Biarritz came to the fore in the mid-19th-century, created by Napoleon III as the most fashionable resort in France. Much remains of the old city and the gracious mansions, the hales, the place de L’Atalaye, and the old port are the focus of today’s visitors.
3.Bordeaux, Southwest of France
On the banks of the mighty river Garonne, Bordeaux is one of France’s most attractive cities to visit, important during the Roman occupation and today recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
4.Lyon
Lyon is the second biggest city in France. 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.
5.Marseille, Provence
Marseille is both France’s second city and the oldest with a bit of everything from Roman remains to the superb museum devoted to the cultures of the Mediterranean, was the European City of Culture in 2013.
6.Nice on the Côte d’Azur
The Queen of the French Riviera is a glitzy, exciting city. On the border with Italy, Nice has more of a cosmopolitan, European feel than many of France’s other cities. It’s an easy city to get around, with a great tram system taking you through the main parts.
7.Orléans in the Loire Valley
Orléans is a gracious city with 18th- and 19th-century streets and arcades also is a good starting point for a tour of the Loire Valley Chateaux, which make the main reason to visit the region. The châteaux are strung along the river like a necklace of precious beads and the gardens are equally as spectacular.
8.Paris
Paris is one of the world’s most romantic and beautiful capital cities. 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.
9.Strasbourg, Capital of Alsace
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. It has a magnificent Notre-Dame built in red Vosges sandstone in the 12th century.
10.Toulouse
Toulouse is one of France’s most exciting provincial cities as well as being the main town in western Languedoc. Try to visit Albi with its astonishing cathedral and great Toulouse-Lautrec Museum.
