25 interesting facts about France to inspire your next trip

France is so much more than just Paris, cheese, and croissants (though these are all excellent and something we’re very proud of). The country is steeped in rich history – it’s been an influential hub in Europe since the country’s founding. It’s a place of culture, fashion and art. There’s honestly so much to learn about France in and out of your travels, and we’re going to share some fun facts about France that may surprise you and inspire you to visit.

1. France is called “‘L’Hexagone” (the Hexagon)

Why? Because it’s hexagon shaped, of course. If you look at a picture on the map, you’ll notice that France’s borders are fairly well defined with six ‘straight’ lines. Of course, the nickname rather simplifies the country’s actual shape, but the Dodecahedron doesn’t sound quite as good.

The nickname is widely used throughout France, and it’s actually used in schools in Geography classes for children of young ages to learn to draw the country.

2. The Eiffel Tower was not meant to be a permanent structure

Though it’s perhaps the most iconic attraction in France today, the Eiffel Tower was actually never fated to become that! It was built in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel to be the centerpiece of that year’s Exposition Universelle – a fair meant to showcase scientific, technological, and cultural achievements – and it was meant to be dismantled in 1909. 

Why did it remain? Because turns out it was actually pretty useful when it comes to emerging technologies of the 20th century, including radio! It’s a good thing it stayed as well because the Eiffel tower today brings around 7 million tourists a year! 

3. French is the official language of 29 countries

Does a fact about French count as a fact about France? We think so. You’ll know France as the beautiful language of love, filled with ‘ooo la las’ and ‘hon hon hon’ (we don’t actually say that), but did you know it was so widespread? The French language is also the second most geographically widespread language after English! Wow. 

While you’re here, why not learn some French phrases to blurt out around the globe!

4. French gastronomy is a UNESCO World Heritage

If there’s one thing you probably already know about France it’s that the food is delicious and very highly regarded. So much so that French Gastronomy was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2010! This is in part due to the rich history behind French cuisine and the influence it has had on many other cuisines, but it is also because of the social and cultural impact food has in France.

In France, a meal is so much more than just that. Oftentimes we will spend hours at the table chatting and drinking. If you ever spend a Christmas with a French family expect to be seated at the table from 1pm to at least 5pm. This just emphasises the way food brings people together in France and reinforces social ties.

5. Putting a baguette upside down is considered bad luck

A pretty quirky fun fact about France is that you should NEVER place a baguette upside down. I mean baguettes are pretty sacred to us in general, but the superstition stems from the Middle Ages when public executions were common.

Executioners used to leave their bread in bakeries when their gruesome duty called, and bakers would distinguish their bread from other loaves by placing the baguette upside down. Pretty soon, this ended up being associated with executioners and therefore with death and misfortune. So, if you don’t want to attract any bad luck on your travels, make sure to keep your baguette ridge side up!

6. French people open Christmas gifts on the 24th of December

Christmas is celebrated differently around the world, and in France the focus for the holiday is usually on the 24th for ‘Le Réveillon’. This can be different from household to household, of course, but traditionally families stay up eating and playing games and listening to songs, and at midnight gifts are exchanged. Then, on the 25th, everyone wakes up, wishes each other a Merry Christmas, and generally wider family members will come visit and we all sit down for one of those 5 hour meals I was talking about. 

Usually families with younger children might opt to just open gifts on the morning of the 25th, but opening them on the 24th is France’s main tradition. 

7. There are over 1,600 different cheeses in France

To say we French are obsessed with cheese is an understatement, and when you have as many creamy and delicious options as we have, it’s hard not to see why. There are just about 1,600 varieties of cheese in France, all grouped into 8 distinct categories:

• Fresh cheese: Not aged at all, usually very soft in texture and mild in flavour. Think ricotta or feta.
• Bloomy Rind cheese: Soft creamy cheese with a mold rind that keeps it all together. Think brie or camembert.
• Semi-soft cheese: The best cheeses for melting into dishes! Think reblochon or raclette. 
• Washed Rind cheese: Like Bloomy Rind cheeses, the cheese is ripened from the inside out. However, the mold is not allowed to bloom and instead washed, and instead a sticky orange bacteria grows. Think langres and epoisse.
• Semi-hard cheese: These cheeses are aged and get their flavour depending on the bacteria they’re fed. Think comté or tomme de savoie.
• Blue cheese: These cheeses are injected with mold on the interior to create a blue vein-like pattern. Think roquefort or blue d’auvergne.
• Hard cheese: Cheese that is extremely low in moisture and has a crumbly texture. Think cantal or esquirrou.
• Stretched-Curd cheese: An Italian style of cheese, these are pulled and stretched and typically soft. Think mozzarella or burrata.

France produced 1.77 million tonnes of cheese in 2024!

8. French people consume around 20 litres of wine a year per person

What goes great with cheese? Wine of course! And wine is obviously something the French excel at as well. According to studies, French people individually consume around 22.5 litres of wine a year per person, amounting to an estimated number of 1.02 million hectolitres in the country! 

The country’s wine consumption has decreased significantly in the last 10 years however due to health advisors prompting people to watch their alcohol consumption. Perhaps a rise in sober living is coming and an interest in sober trips? 

9. Croissants were actually invented in Austria

Perhaps more a fact about Austria instead of a fact about France, but it’s true. Croissants are part of a style of pastry called ‘viennoiserie’ which hails from Austria (like Vienna, get it?). The style was brought over in the 1800s and quickly became a popular favourite. Plenty of other French pastries are actually French, though, so don’t fret. 

10. France’s motto is pretty epic

Many countries around the world have very cool mottos which define them, but none defines a country as well as France’s: ‘Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité’. This translates to ‘liberty, equality, fraternity’ and it speaks to the country’s rebellious heart and history, which persists to this day. The motto was coined during the time of the French Revolution between 1789 and 1799 and it has remained today, found on stamps and coins and official government documents and buildings. It’s often found alongside a depiction of ‘Marianne’, a woman who symbolizes the triumph of the Republic over the Monarchy.

11. France is home to the longest beach in Europe

With over 100km of beach, France’s Côte d’Argent is considered one of Europe’s longest beaches. Located right at the bottom of France’s Atlantic coast, right near Spain, this coast is filled with sandy beaches and glittering ocean. The area is great for surfers and the Landes area is the most famous, surrounded by forests for some really unique landscapes.

12. 17,000 people were executed using the Guillotine

When a country is as old as France is, there’s plenty of fun facts to be found in its history. But perhaps one of the most memorable (and grisly) moments of France’s history is the French Revolution in a time known as the Reign of Terror. This period was one of intense violence between 1793 and 1794 as the people sought a revolution against the monarchy. This culminated when King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine and became the last king of France.

During this time, the guillotine was a threat that resided in town squares. A sharp angled blade catching the sun and solemn wooden posts creating the framing. If you were suspected of opposing the revolution in any way, execution was swiftly handed out. It’s estimated that between 17,000 and 22,000 people were executed by guillotine.

13. The French army was the first to use camouflage in 1915

Another historical fact about France, the French army during World War 1 was the first to create a dedicated camouflage unit. Army uniforms as well as guns and vehicles were painted in the camouflage style by a dedicated team, and a year later this strategy was adopted by the British. The word camouflage actually comes from French!

14. France has the most Nobel Prize winners in Literature

This fun fact may not be surprising to some as France’s literary history and culture is very long and rich. I mean, the Enlightenment period happened in France as well, with philosophers and authors becoming some of the most famous and influential thinkers in the modern world.

But yes, 16 French individuals and/or French language authors have won the Nobel Prize in Literature! Essayist Sully Prudhomme was the first to win the prize in 1901 (when the first ceremony was held) and he was followed by: Frédéric Mistral, Romain Rolland, Anatole France, Henri Bergson, Roger Martin du Gard, André Gide, François Mauriac, Albert Camus, Saint-John Perse, Jean-Paul Sartre, Samuel Beckett, Claude Simon, J. M. G. Le Clézio, Patrick Modiano, and most recently Annie Ernaux (the first and only woman of this list).

Fun fact! Jean-Paul Sartre famously refused the award. He was married to one of France’s other very influential authors Simone de Beauvoir, and he was a student of Marxism and Existentialism. 

15. France is home to Europe’s highest mountain

Famously the Alps span through a rather large portion of France, and in this portion sits the Mont Blanc which is not only the highest Alpine mountain but also the highest mountain in Europe! It is 4,806m tall (15,777ft).

This fact can be contested, however, if you count Russia’s Mt. Elbrus (5,642m) as a part of Europe or not.

16. April Fool’s is not celebrated with pranks in France

Instead of being met with pranks for April Fool’s in France, we celebrate by sticking a fish to your back! Why? Well, supposedly this tradition started when King Charles IX changed the start of the new year from 1st April to 1st January in 1564. Old habits die hard, and people did not immediately adjust to the change and, seeing as the end and New Year period is surrounded by gift giving, continued to give each other gifts around the 1st of April.

But as the change started to stick, these gifts evolved into jokes and often food items, the most common being fish. Nowadays, it’s mostly children who will stick paper fishes to people’s backs in a cute and jokey tradition.

17. The rail network in France is the second largest in Europe and the ninth largest in the world

France’s public transport system is generally well regarded, and with a rail network that spans 29,000km it’s pretty easy to get around! France was one of the first countries in the world to use high-speed train technology and the state owned SNCF (France’s national rail society) introduced the high-speed rail in 1981. Train trips from Paris to the French Riviera are a total breeze!

18. France has laws protecting French music

France is a very proud country with a rich and deep culture and history. So proud, in fact, that laws were instated in 1994 to protect and promote French language and culture. How does this law work? Well, it states that 40% of music played on the radio must be French-language music. 

Interestingly, this law doesn’t include French-language cinema or literature or other forms of media – but perhaps it will in the future? 

19. The Tour de France is over 100 years old

Of course France made headlines with the 2024 Paris Olympics, but the country’s biggest crowd-attracting event is the Tour de France! What is now known as the world’s biggest cycle race was started over 100 years ago in 1903 when 60 cyclists took the long route around l’Hexagone. Now, the race hosts around 200 riders on a 23-day circuit of over 3,500km.

20. French was the official language of England for a while

Yes, indeed! Though France and England’s shared history has been rocky at best, French, specifically Old French, was the official language of England from 1066 to the end of the 14th century. This was during the time after the Norman Conquest, and French was considered to be the language of the elite. It was used in law, literature, administration and politics, so if you wanted to get ahead learning it was essential.

This fact is why many words exist in the English language today like ‘chamber’ which comes from ‘chambre’. French was ousted as England’s official language during the Hundred Years’ War when English nationalism was on the rise. 

21. France has both a President and a Prime Minister

When you consider all the political turmoil France has been through (see fact about the guillotine above), it makes sense that the country sought out a very effective and just political system. Which is why we have a President and a Prime Minister.

The President is elected by the people, and once they are elected, they appoint a Prime Minister. How this works is that the President is considered the head of state and they control foreign policy and defense, whereas the Prime Minister is the head of government and has control over domestic policy and day-to-day governing. 

Interestingly, France has had many forms of government ranging from monarchy to democracy, various republics, and even, very briefly, an empire when Napoleon Bonaparte declared himself emperor! 

22. Food waste is illegal in France

On a more sustainable note, France was the first country in the world to make it illegal for supermarkets from throwing away or destroying unsold food. Instead, supermarkets must donate perfectly good food that has not reached its expiry date to foodbanks and charities! Any supermarket caught not doing this would face a fine of up to €75,000.

This is a massive step in reducing food waste across the country, as well as reducing famine. 

Want to know something else great? Contiki’s French chateau has taken strides to avoid food waste with our some very cool waste management technology called Kitro! Check it out on our Impact Report. 

23. The Louvre is the biggest museum in the world

Undoubtedly one of the best museums in Paris, The Louvre is also the BIGGEST museum in the world! It has 73,000 square metres of space, and it’s filled with around 38,000 pieces of artwork spanning the ages. It’s of course home to Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, and the museum attracted 8.7 million visitors in 2024!

24. Why is the French national anthem called ‘La Marseillaise’ and not ‘La Parisienne’?

La Marseillaise is France’s national anthem which was made popular during the time of the French Revolution. The song’s lyrics are rather brutal, though it inspires a call to arms and a rejection of tyranny, and it links together war, citizenship, and nationalism in a powerful way. Though the lyrics are bloody, it is ultimately a song about France’s people, rather than the aristocracy of people in power, and, just like this historical period, La Marseillaise is a chant of defiance, and represents France quite well.

But, why is it called La Marseillaise? Because it was sung by troops from Marseille as they marched towards Paris. 

25. France has the most châteaux in the world

Does this fact come as any surprise? Though France did violently reject the monarchy at one point, much of its history was defined by kings and queens and regal affairs. When you think of Paris you might think of the Eiffel Tower, but you may also think of Versailles – the palace of the Sun King, gold and brilliant in his image. 

France is home to an estimated 45,000 châteaux and fortresses, some of which are still beautifully preserved today, and others which need some care. Visiting châteaux is one of the best reasons to visit France, and you can see the absolutely jaw-dropping Château de Chambord on our France in a Week trip!