Here’s a list of the largest French cities, ranging from the most visited Paris to the Mediterranean Nice and German-influenced Strasbourg. Learn about the characteristics of each city and the main highlights and attractions of each one.
Paris
Population : 2,240,621; Department: Paris; Region : Île-de-France
Paris is the ultimate urban destination in France, indeed in Europe. This is a city that boasts an endless list of museums, sights, and must-sees. It is also the perfect city for wandering aimlessly, discovering charming neighborhoods such as Î le Saint Louis and the Marais. The French even have a word for this; It is the flâneur that evokes the stains of the city with top hats strolling through the parks and gardens. And of course, Paris is the place to find first-class cuisine and first-class art, not to mention some of the best shopping in the world.
The top attractions in Paris are the most popular in France, from Disneyland (16 million visitors) to the Louvre (9.4 million) and the Eiffel Tower (7.5 million). While all French cities are great for enjoying the coffee life, Paris elevates it to an art form.
Marseilles
Population : 852,516; Department : Bouches-du-Rhône; Region: Provence-Alpes-Maritimes-Côte d’Azur
The largest city in Provence and now the second largest in France, Marseille has seen a major resurgence in recent years. The great historic maritime city has been extensively rebuilt in many areas, while the new MUCEM (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations) has brought a new cultural stir.
Marseille offers a wonderful combination of Mediterranean climate, big city and that joie de vivre from the south of France. It is also a great place for restaurants, bars, cafes, and shops.
Marseille is easily accessible from many other destination cities and you can now take the train from London St Pancras to Marseille without changing train or station; It takes only 6 hours and 27 minutes.
Lyon
Population : 496,343; Department : Rhône; Region : Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes
Lyon is frequently underrated, but it is one of the most interesting and lively cities in France and well worth a visit.
The inventors of cinema lived and worked here; Don’t miss the Lumière Museum and see the first film ever made. There are also others covering the fine arts, the French resistance (a particularly brutal history in Lyon), and the printing press. Oh, and the Romans started it all.
The city is crossed by secret passages. There is an impressive Festival of Light every year in December and as the most famous gastronomic destination in France, Lyon has the best restaurants and bistros.
Toulouse
Population : 453,317; Department : Haute-Garonne; Region : Occitania (Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrenees)
Known as the ville rose (pink city), Toulouse is another charming city often overlooked by visitors. On the River Garonne, this elegant and spacious city stretches along the banks of the river. The food here, and in the rest of the region, is excellent. The purchase options are very wide.
Toulouse is also a great start for regional tourism, and it is from here that you find yourself on a slow barge journey through Gascony.
pleasant
Population : 343,619; Department : Alpes-Maritimes; Region : Provence-Alpes-Maritimes-Côte d’Azur (PACA)
Nice is a wonderful city on the French Riviera and a popular destination for couples, honeymooners and sun worshipers. The Queen of the Riviera, as the city is known, has a charming old town, attractive pedestrian walkways lined with cafes and boutiques, and one of the best markets in southern France on the famous Cours Saleya. Loved and discovered by Impressionist artists, it is full of charming, little art museums, many of them in the houses the artists lived. It is well known for its lively restaurants and bars, as well as its street food for those in a hurry.
Nice is a year-round destination, with Carnival drawing visitors in February and March, and the famous Nice Jazz Festival filling the city with music lovers in July.
There are numerous options for getting to Nice, including the train from London; it’s a good start to the holidays
Nantes
Population : 291,287; Department : Loire-Atlantique; Region : Pays de la Loire
Nantes is a charming city in western France on the western end of the Loire River. A huge and impressive renovation has catapulted the city into the premier league of French cities. Its history is tumultuous; its banks are now full of life and lively works of art, boutiques, restaurants and cafes.
But his most peculiar and famous project must be Machines de l’Ile. Ride the huge elephant or take one of the Jules Vernes style creatures on the carousel ‘you will be amazed at the ingenuity.
Strasbourg
Population : 274,394; Department : Lower Rhine; Region : Grand Est (Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine)
Strasbourg is the ultimate European city. It has flavors of France and Germany and is located right on the border of the two countries. Its quaint La Petite France neighborhood looks like something out of a fairy tale book, a riverfront neighborhood with wooden buildings accented by colorful flower pots.
But it also has excellent museums, shops, a wonderful Christmas market, it is worth visiting and of course the best Alsatian restaurants.
Montpellier
Population : 268,456; Department : Hérault; Region : Occitania (Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrenees)
Another one of those cities that many have heard of but less visited, Montpellier is a charming city. It would be one of the main cities in the south of France, with a venerable past, good museums and an old pedestrian center to walk around.
Bordeaux
Population : 241,287; Department : Gironde; Region : Nouvelle Aquitaine (Aquitaine, Limousin and Poitou-Charentes)
Bordeaux, on the French Atlantic coast, is a thriving city full of shops, incredible historical attractions, and nestled in the heart of the wine country. Bordeaux’s great history as the premier port for the New World, as well as the great producer of wines shipped to England, has been reinvigorated, most recently by the opening of the world-class Bordeaux Cité du Vin, showcasing the history of the came all over the world. from 600,000 years ago to today. Atmospheric and urban, Bordeaux is one of the most beautiful cities in France.
Little
Population : 228,652; Department: Nord; Region : Hautes-de-France (North, Pas de Calais and Picardie)
Lille is blessed with a location in the center of Europe. It is an hour and a half from London by Eurostar, 1 hour from Paris and half an hour from Brussels. Not surprisingly, Lille reflects the influences of a variety of European cultures. It’s a lovely city, with winding cobbled streets in the old town, lovely museums (including the cozy Hospice of the Countess Museum that feels like you’re walking through a Dutch Old Master painting), and great restaurants.
