France is the most visited country in the world. In 2018, over 89.4 million people visited the country, which was almost seven million more than the second most visited country in the world. So what can people expect from this country with a land area of 640,679 square kilometers (158 million acres)? A lot!
Most visits are to the capital city, Paris, also known as the City of Love. This city occupied by over 2.1 million French nationals and is packed with various tourism sites: Eiffel Tower, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Arc de Triomphe, and Sainte-Chapelle. It is also home to the most famous art museum in the world, the Louvre. Then, of course, there is Disneyland Paris, which is Europe’s most popular theme park.
There is also the French Riviera, which receives over 10 million visitors every year. There are also around 41 UNESCO World Heritage Sites all over the country. A lot of them are architectural marvels. It’s not a surprise that a lot of the buildings in France are works of art, as the French are very creative. It is the home of painter Oscar-Claude Monet. France also became home to several other artists like Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh and Belarus-born Marc Chagall.
In the field of literature, there is Victor Hugo. In music, modern French musicians that have made a name for themselves in international music are David Guetta and Daft Punk. In support of cinema, the country also hosts the Cannes Festival, which is a distinguished international film festival. In the field of fashion, France is one of the fashion capitals in the world and is home to famed fashion houses Chanel, Dior, and Givenchy.
There are so many places to visit in France, which have a lot of historical significance. But France is also home to 11 national parks that are worth visiting.
1. Cevennes National Park
Located in the cultural region of Cevennes, from which the park got its name, this protected area comprises of mountains blanketed with thick vegetation. One of the highlights of the park is the Aven Armand cave. It is a narrow pit that descends 75 meters before visitors reach a chamber that has been dubbed the “Great Hall.” The room is about 100 meters long and 55 meters wide. The ground speleothems are beautiful and come in various shapes. Some even rise to 30 meters in height.
The entire Cevennes is rich in history and culture because it was a venue for the Camisard Revolt in the 1700s. The park reminds us of those dark times when Protestants were being executed. The park also has a beautiful arboretum called Arboretum de Cazebonne.
2. Parc National de Forêts de Campagne et Bourgogne
This is the country’s youngest national park, which was only established last Nov. 8, 2019. Tourists can expect this park to be in pristine condition with less human traffic. The park straddles the border of Burgundy and Champagne. It is the largest national park in the metropolitan at 2,476 square meters (611,840 acres).
The park is on a plateau covered with lush forest, 80% of which already existed during the French Revolution (1789 to 1799). Some rare flowers within the park need to be protected such as the sabot-de-venus orchid. Among the animals in the park are black storks, deer, wild cats, and wild boars.
There are marked trails for hiking within the park, as well as some paddling opportunities in the water bodies within the territory.
3. Port-Cros National Park
The park is within the island of Port-Cros and was established as soon as the island was turned over to the French government. That was the condition for the island’s turnover, that it will be created into a national park. It was the first in Europe that has both terrestrial and marine resources. There are only three beaches in the park, though, that will allow swimming.
The terrestrial part of Port-Cros comprises of hills completely covered with greeneries, which complement the blue of the surrounding waters. There are also some archeological sites within the territory, which comprises of Roman tombs. This gave way to the theory that the Romans used to occupy the island. There were also coins found of Roman origin as well as canals that have the marks of Romans.
4. Pyrenees National Park
The scenic and mountainous landscape is the main offering of this park in the departments of Hautes-Pyrenees and Pyrenees-Atlantiques. This is one of the earliest national parks in the country, created to give animals an area where they can freely roam without fear of being hunted. According to records, there are 70 different species of mammals within the park. There is also a large population of plants of various species.
One of the most beautiful sights in the park is that of Pic du Midi d’Ossau, a mountain that rises at the Ossau Valley. Other beautiful attractions are Cirque de Gavarnie and Gave de Gavarnie River.
5. Vanoise National Park
This is France’s first national park, established in 1963 and located in the Savoie department. The park is located in the French Alps. The park’s centerpiece is the Vanoise massif, which is a mountain range in the Alps. It is the third highest peak in France at 3,855 meters high, in the summit of Grande Casse. There are over 40 principal peaks within the Vanoise massif. Three more peaks are over 3,500 meters tall: Mount Pourri – 3,779 meters, Dent Parrachee – 3,697 and Grande Motte – 3,653 meters.
When combined with Italy’s Gran Paradiso National Park, the largest alpine national park in the world is created. The Vanoise protects several animals including a large population of Alpine ibex, which is also the park’s coat of arms. Other resident animals of the park are Alpine marmots, ermines, Eurasian badgers, Eurasian lynxes, mountain hares, weasels, and wolves. There are also over 100 species of birds recorded in the park. Among them are Alpine accentors, bearded vulture, black grouses, black woodpeckers, choughs, Eurasian eagle-owl, golden eagle, nutcrackers, and rock ptarmigans.