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Fun and Interesting Facts About France

We thought to share a few fun facts about France and categorize them – just for the fun of it!

Cuisine

  • The average French citizen eats 500 snails each year and the population approximately 500 million snails!
  • France produces over 400 varieties of cheese!
  • Some claim that French toast isn’t French but was invented by a man called Joseph French.
  • Turning a baguette upside down is unlucky in France.
  • The croissant was invented in Austria.
  • You can easily find rabbit and horse dishes on a French restaurant’s menu.
Cheese platter travelandhome
Click on our cheeseboard to find out how to prepare delicious charcuteri boards.

Fashion

  • Kilts originated in France, not Scotland.
  • Denim clothing was originally developed in France in the city of Nimes.
SCOTLAND Kilts

Fall In Love With Brittany

The perfect puzzle-box pictures. The ultimate picture-perfect puzzle-boxes Stand in beautiful Brittany, close your eyes, imagine someone holds one massive puzzle-box in front of you, open your eyes… THIS is the point where you can’t help but fall in love…

Geography

  • When I think of canyons America springs to mind, but surprisingly Europe has a canyon of significance too! The Verdon Gorge (Gorges du Verdon in French) is 25 km long and up to 700 m deep in some places. That makes Verdon Gorge in Provence the largest canyon in Europe.
  • Mont-Blanc in the French Alps is the highest peak in Europe at almost 4,810 meters high. Plan and book a ski holiday in the picturesque Megève resort village in the Alps of southeastern France, in the Mont Blanc massif.
  • Marseille is the oldest city in France and the largest city in the Provence region.
Winter snow ski holiday best in Megeve French Alps

The best tours and experiences in Marseille, Provence

Inventions

French inventions include the parachute, the hot air balloon, the motion picture camera, the bicycle, and inflatable tires for cars.

Lavender

I don’t blame you for having visions of Provence when you think of lavender. Although Provence is known for its lavender production, it is Bulgaria that produces the most lavender. However, Provence is famous for its lavender essential oil for stress relief and relaxation.

Lavender inspired home decor purple travel and home min

Law

  • It is against the law to take photos of police officers or police vehicles.
  • It’s also illegal to name a pig “Napoleon”.

Monuments

The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world.

The tower was built in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World’s Fair and was initially intended to be a temporary structure.

However, it quickly became a cultural icon and a symbol of Paris, which made it permanent. One of the main reasons for its popularity is its location, as it is located in the heart of Paris, and offers visitors spectacular views of the city.

Another reason is its architectural significance, as it was the tallest man-made structure in the world at the time of its completion and is an impressive example of 19th-century engineering.

Additionally, the Eiffel Tower is a popular spot for tourists to take pictures, dine in its restaurants, and even get married. The tower has also been featured in many movies, and it has become an essential stop for many tourists visiting Paris.

Museums

The most visited art museum in the world is the Louvre in Paris – also home to the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.

Observances

April Fool’s Day was also originated in France after the nation started following the Gregorian Calendar but failed to communicate the change properly.

Perfume

Grasse on the foothills of the Alpes-Maritimes in Provence is known as the “perfume capital of France”.

Grasse, France' Perfume Capital

Although the very first evidence of perfume was found in Cyprus, it is the French that is famous for it.

Politics

President Charles de Gaulle is I the Guinness Book of World Records for surviving the most assassination attempts on his life – all of 32 attempts!

Romance

A 1910 law in France forbids couples from kissing on train platforms to avoid delayed departures.

Traffic

The city of Paris has only one stop sign.

Weddings

The tradition of wearing a white dress for wedding days originated in France back in 1499. Now that’s amazing if you think about how traditions tend to be forgotten.

And that seals the deal for me in terms of one of the most romantic countries to get married. Especially in the Provence region!  Provence is steeped in history and accolades that make it a perfect wedding destination.

Provence France romantic wedding destination ideas
With around 300 days of sun in a year, it makes for a perfect honeymoon destination if you're into soaking up some rays.
Visit Menton France travel most beautiful places in France min
Book your trip to the beautiful city of Menton, France.

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And a fun fact

I hope you enjoyed the fun facts about France. I bet you never knew about the stop sign!!

If you have a fun fact about France which is not listed above, why not tell us about it?

 

Wine

France, like South Africa, is famous as a wine-producing country.  Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Jura are beautiful wine regions to visit. And then there’s the romantic Provence., the oldest wine-producing region in France.

The best tours, experiences and sightseeing in the Provence region

In conclusion, France if a fabulous holiday destination with reference to