What is France Famous For? 19 French Icons

This beautiful country on the west side of Europe is renowned for its beauty, home to some of the world's most iconic structures and buildings, and of course famous for its incredible food, wine, and fashion. The country has featured heavily in some of the world's best-loved literature, films, plays, and television so iconic French things can be familiar even to those yet to visit.

France is famous for many things - here are 19 of the most iconic things associated with France.

Photo byJad LimcacoonUnsplash

1. Notre Dame Cathedral

The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris was erected in the 14th-century to honor the Virgin Mary. The French Gothic cathedral is located in the heart of Paris on Île de la Cité island in the middle of the Seine and is considered one of the most famous and beautiful in the world.

Notre Dame's full name is Notre Dame de Paris. This means Our Lady of Paris. It is one of the key things that represent France.

With its grand facade and equally awe-inspiring interior, Notre Dame was certainly built to impress. From its noble church bells, marvelous sculptures, bell tower, and stained glass windows to one of the world's largest music organs.

Notre Dame was damaged during the French Revolution in the 1790s. But Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame drove interest in the cathedral.

In April of 2019 Notre Dame caught fire while it was being restored. Serious damage was done but restoration plans began quickly. The aim is for Notre Dame to be restored to all of its glory for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

2. Cannes Film Festival

The city of Cannes is located on the French Riviera. It is a popular summer destination and home to just over 75,000 people. However, it is best known for its world-famous film festival which has been held every Spring since 1946.

Winning awards at Cannes can result in amazing success for films - and its red carpet and paparazzi turn actors and actresses into stars. The highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival is the Palme d'Or.

3. Croissants

When it comes to things France is famous for the croissant quickly jumps to mind. It is believed that croissants originated in Austria and that they were brought to France by Marie Antoinette.

The croissant was named for its crescent shape and is made of layered dough Modern technology has been incorporated into the process and today between 30 and 40% of croissants sold in French boulangeries are made from frozen dough.

The croissant is the cornerstone of the European continental breakfast and it would be rare to find a boulangerie in France that didn't have a supply of freshly baked croissants in the morning. However, be aware that the traditional French way to consume a croissant is to dunk it in your coffee. Butter and other condiments are generally not added

4. Mont Saint Michel

Mont Saint Michel is found nestled on a small island beside Normandy's coast. This impressive landmark was first erected in 708 and was one of the first monuments inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage site in 1979.

From afar, together with the Abbey, it looks like one magnificent medieval structure. However, as you get closer, you'll find an entire town whose medieval features remain intact.

Although it's nestled on a rock, this incredible place turns into an island when the tide comes in, making it an even more incredible sight.

A great way to experience this impressive medieval architecture is to climb to the Abbey. You can also walk around the ramparts and explore its only street, Grand-Rue. If you're coming from Paris, there are some incredible day trips to explore Mont Saint-Michael.

5. The Eiffel Tower

Undeniably the most iconic structure in France and by far, the most photographed, the Eiffel Tower. Standing in sheer wonder, the incredible edifice nestled in Champ de Mars's center is the tallest structure in Paris. It stands 324 meters (1,063 ft) tall. France is famous for its best-known structure.

Built between 1887 and 1889 by French engineer Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower is made of iron rather than steel. It was built as one of the main attractions at the Paris World's Fair in 1889.

Parisians quickly fell in love with The Eiffel Tower and more than 2 million visited in the first year it was open. The tower symbolized French know-how and industrial genius.

Today nearly seven million people visit The Eiffel Tower every year. The top of the Eiffel Tower, which can be visited, is at 276 meters. The other key viewpoint is on what is called the second floor, which is at 116 metres.

6. Mont Blanc

Mont Blanc, also known as White Mountain, is the highest peak in the Alps, reaching a lofty 4,804 meters (15,774 ft) above sea level. The Massif is located between France and Italy and is a must-see for outdoor lovers and nature enthusiasts.

For a gobsmacking scenery, take a cable car up to the top of Mont Blanc, where you'll be rewarded with panoramic views of the Alpine range. As well as some popular ski resorts like Chamonix in France and Courmayeur in Italy.

There are also different excursions to uncover spectacular viewpoints of alpine lakes, glaciers, and ice falls. Such as taking the Tramway or embarking on a Tour du Mont Blanc hiking trip, one of the world's most luxurious trails.

7. French Revolution

The French Revolution lasted from 1789 to 1799 and completely changed France. It turned France into a democratic republic. People took to the streets to protest against the French royalty. Famines had destroyed crops and bread prices had skyrocketed. Revolutionaries broke into the prison and captured and killed the governor of the Bastille. Many more faced the guillotine including Marie Antoinette.

There are no more guillotines outside museums in France today, but the French are still fond of a protest and of a strike.

8. Chateaux

The French countryside is filled with stunning chateaux or what we would call castles. Many of France's medieval and historic chateaus and palaces survived and are major tourist attractions today. The Loire Valley is particularly famous for its chateaux including Chateau de Chambord.

9. Pere-Lachaise Cemetery

Often considered the most famous cemetery in the world., Pere-Lachaise is also perhaps the most visited cemetery in the world. It is home to the graves of more than one million people including Jim Morrison from the Doors and Oscar Wilde. It is also a strangely beautiful spot and it is possible to visit the cemetery on a tour.

10. French Riviera

Also known as the Cote D'Azur, the French Riviera is located in the southeast of France. It has been a popular holiday destination with the upper classes for centuries. Indeed, each year it hosts 50% of the world's superyachts so it is very rarefied air!

The largest city in the region is Nice, the gateway to some of the most popular cities in the area including Saint Tropez, Montpellier, and Marseille to name a few. The French Riviera is also home to the principality of Monaco and its famous casinos.

11. Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the greatest military leaders that the world has ever seen. He crowned himself the first Emperor of France and today his tomb is located in the Les Invalides in Paris. Napoleon reigned as emperor from 1804 to 1815 and the Napoleonic Wars raged during most of this time. Apparently, he wasn't quite as short as history has made out, but he was incredibly vain.

12. Tour de France

The world's most famous bicycle race has been held in France in July every year since 1903. The race covers approximately 3,500 metres and takes over 21 days. It finishes under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

13. Claude Monet

Perhaps the most famous Impressionist painters, Monet lived between 1840 and 1926. His most well-known painting is "Water-lilies". He used to visit the Louvre to surround himself with beautiful art. One of my favourite places in France is lovely Giverny, a small town outside Paris where Monet was based for some years. It is possible to visit his most stunning gardens in the Spring on a day trip from Paris.

14. Baguettes

Baguettes are purchased at a boulangerie in France and are a long thin loaf with a crisp crust. In April of every year, Le Grand Prix de la Baguette is held in Paris to determine who bakes the best baguette in Paris. The French consume 320 baguettes every second, the equivalent of half a baguette per person per day.

In 1993, France passed Le Decret Pain (the Bread Decree) which stated that by law an authentic baguette must be made by hand, sold in the same place it is baked and made only with water, wheat, flour, yeast and salt.

15. Lavender Fields

Lavender fields are to France what cherry blossoms are to Japan - and they have become even more important in the age of social media. I think we have all seen photos of influencers like myself hanging out in lavender fields, often from behind and wearing a hat!

The most famous area of France for lavender is Provence. Lavender begins to bloom at the end of June and tends to be at its peak mid July. This is also when harvesting starts and the fields will be empty by the middle of August so time your visit carefully.

Several lavender farms in Provence offer tours during the peak season. Some of the best places to visit are the Valensole Plateau, Salut, Notre-Dame de Semanque and Drome.

16. Le Louvre

When you’re in Paris, you’ll certainly not want to miss attending the most visited museum in the world: The Louvre Museum. It first opened in 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings, and today, it houses around 38,000 historic objects.

This iconic structure is the world’s largest art museum and is famously known for housing Mona Lisa. The original of this famous painting hangs in the Louvre today and has been since 1804.

Apart from Leonardo Da Vinci’s jaw-dropping painting, you’ll find plenty of other interesting antiques in this mega museum and symbol of Paris. You'll want to book your tickets for the Louvre before you leave home to avoid waiting in the queue.

17. Cheese

Every region in France has its own cheese specialties and more than 1600 cheese varieties are in the country. These vary from hard to soft cheeses and goat's cheese to blue cheese. Some of the most well known types of French cheese are Brie de Meaux, Camembert, Roquefort, Reblochon, Pont l'Eveque and many more.

In France, cheese is served at lunch and dinner, just before dessert. And remember in France cheese is eaten with bread, not crackers. You might want to take a cheese tour in Paris to learn from the experts.

18. Fashion

Paris is known as the home of fashion and the women of Paris as the most stylish in the world. Fashion is a big industry for the French and has been since the 15th century. Paris Fashion Week happens twice a year and features shows by some of the biggest names in French fashion.

And Paris is home to designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Hermes, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and many more.

19. Wine

The history of wine in France can be traced back to the 6th century and the country is one of the biggest wine producers in the world. Wine is intrinsic to the French culture and it is traditional to serve wine with food rather than on its own.

The quality of the wine produced in France is recognized as some of the best in the world. Some of France's most famous wine regions are Bordeaux, the Loire Valley, Burgundy and Cotes du Rhone.