7 interesting cities in France worth visiting

France is the most visited country in the world, with over 83 million tourists coming here every year! We invite you on an exciting journey through French cities that will undoubtedly surprise and enchant you: Lille — Mont-Saint-Michel — Nantes — Toulouse — Montpellier — Avignon — Lyon. You can travel between them by bus, high-speed or regular trains, and planes. A train trip from Avignon to Lyon will cost €25, while a bus ticket for the same route costs only €9 but takes an hour longer.

1. Lille

Lille will be a very profitable and interesting find for travelers — unforgettable French charm, haute cuisine, and exquisite architecture.

The city is located near Belgium and Luxembourg. You can reach Lille from Charleroi, Belgium, for just €5.

In Lille, visit the Palais des Beaux-Arts, which you can start admiring from the outside. Inside, you can appreciate the works of renowned artists such as Renoir, Rubens, Monet, and Rembrandt as you stroll through the museum's halls. Equally interesting is a visit to the house-museum of the French hero Charles de Gaulle.

What to visit: Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Lille Natural History Museum, Hospice Comtesse Museum, Lille Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, Lille Stock Exchange, Botanical Garden, Citadel.

2. Mont-Saint-Michel

A unique place with no equivalents in the world. An abbey perched on a rock amidst the plains. But in reality, it's not just an abbey — it's a whole town with narrow streets, cafes, and many beautiful spots.

Visiting Mont-Saint-Michel is free, and anyone can walk around the complex as much as they like, but there is a fee for visiting attractions. For instance, entrance to the abbey costs €10.

Every tourist should do the following in Mont-Saint-Michel: visit the Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre chapel, watch the tide from the stone parapet, and during low tide, walk at the foot of the mountain.

What to visit: Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey, Saint-Aubert Chapel, Saint-Pierre Church.

3. Nantes

Another unique city on our route. Undoubtedly, the main advantage of Nantes is the well-preserved buildings from different eras, divided into quarters. Without exaggeration, you can travel through time simply by walking through the city's quarters: from the medieval Decré and Bouffay of the 15th century to modern areas with post-war 20th-century buildings.

Be sure to try fish and seafood dishes in the cafes and restaurants of Nantes, accompanied by local wines.

What to visit: Castle of the Dukes of Brittany, Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, Museum of Fine Arts, Dobrée Museum, Les Machines de l'île.

4. Toulouse

It's best to visit Toulouse from September to November or from March to May, when the weather is comfortable. The city is very vibrant, unconventional, and you can feel the blend of past and future.

You can book a hotel with a discount of up to 65% on the website.

Toulouse is the center of space and aviation in France. It is home to perhaps the best space museum in Europe. You will definitely be amazed by the dozens of cool exhibits – there's even a replica of the legendary Soviet satellite launched into space in 1957. And at the aviation museum, you can take a tour of the Airbus A380 — another reason to visit Toulouse.

What to visit: Basilica of Saint-Sernin, Toulouse Town Hall , Augustinian Museum, space town, Saint-Etienne Cathedral, Asseza Palace, Notre-Dame de la Dorade.

5. Montpellier

Montpellier is a very dynamic and youthful city. Most of the attractions are located in its old part, which is separated from other districts by a pedestrian zone.

There are many fountains, squares, and museums. The most interesting is the Fabre Museum, which houses paintings by Rubens, Bruegel, Matisse, Manet, Renoir, and other great artists.

The advantage of Montpellier is that the city is located several tens of kilometers from the Mediterranean coast and a number of picturesque lakes.

What to visit: Montpellier Cathedral, Fabre Museum, Peyroux Gate.

6. Avignon

This city charms at first sight. Small in size, beautiful architecture, almost always good weather – these qualities will appeal to many.

The center of Avignon is surrounded by high walls built in the 14th century. You can enter through one of the eight gates, which used to serve as portals to the city. The pride of Avignon is the Papal Palace, the main attraction of the city. The reason is that in the Middle Ages, Avignon became the capital of the Catholic world for 70 years, where the popes lived before returning to the Vatican.

What to visit: Papal Palace, Pont Saint-Bénézet, Avignon Cathedral, Calvet Museum, Petit Palais Museum.

7. Lyon

Lyon is worth spending 2-3 days in because it is impossible to visit all its top attractions in one day. The city enchants with its colorful quarters, which are very different from each other. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, as this quarter has remained unchanged since the Renaissance. The two rivers, the Rhône and the Saône, form the picturesque Presqu'île peninsula, which is one of Lyon's symbols.

You can book a hotel with a discount of up to 65% on the website.

The city is also home to the headquarters of the famous organization, Interpol, so safety here is always top-notch.

What to visit: Parc de la Tête d'Or, Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, Lyon Cathedral, Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon, Amphitheater of the Three Gauls, Croix-Rousse.