Editing Tourism in France (section)

== Touristic regions ==
=== Paris ===
{{Main|Tourism in Paris}}
{{see also|List of museums in Paris|List of tourist attractions in Paris}}
[[File:Anthony DELANOIX 2015-05-10 (Unsplash).jpg|thumb|The [[Eiffel Tower]] seen from the [[Place du Trocadéro]]]]
[[Paris]], the [[capital city]] of France, is the third most visited city in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.travel-university.org/destinations/europe/france/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060507041333/http://www.travel-university.org/destinations/europe/france/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2006-05-07 |title=France |publisher=Travel-university.org |date=2010-07-28 |access-date=2013-09-30 }}</ref>

It has some of the world's largest and renowned museums, including the [[Louvre]], which is the [[List of most visited art museums in the world|most visited art museum in the world]], but also the [[Musée d'Orsay]] which, like the nearby [[Musée de l'Orangerie]], is mostly devoted to [[impressionism]], and [[Centre Georges Pompidou]], dedicated to [[Contemporary art]].

Paris hosts some of the world's most recognizable [[landmark]]s such as the [[Eiffel Tower]], which is the most-visited paid monument in the world,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.travelzones.net/europe/france/eiffel-tower-worlds-most-visited-paid-monument/ |title=The Leading Travel Zone Site on the Net |publisher=travelzones.net |access-date=2013-09-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426234425/http://www.travelzones.net/europe/france/eiffel-tower-worlds-most-visited-paid-monument/ |archive-date=2011-04-26 }}</ref> the [[Arc de Triomphe]], the [[Notre-Dame de Paris|cathedral of Notre-Dame]], or the [[Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, Paris|Sacré-Cœur]] on [[Montmartre]]. The [[Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie]], located in [[Parc de la Villette]], is the biggest [[science museum]] in [[Europe]].<ref>{{cite news
 | title = France: Insider's guide to Paris
 | first = Ferne
 | last = Arfin
 | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/france/4177043/France-Insiders-guide-to-Paris.html
 | newspaper = [[The Daily Telegraph]]
 | date = 11 January 2009
 | access-date = 6 September 2009 }}
</ref> Near Paris are located the [[Palace of Versailles]], the former palace of the Kings of France, now a museum, and the medieval village of [[Provins]]. Both attractions are protected as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

=== French Riviera ===
{{Main|French Riviera}}
[[File:Saint Tropez Eglise.jpg|thumb|left|[[Saint-Tropez]] on the ''Côte d'Azur'']]
With more than 10 million tourists a year, the [[French Riviera]] (French: ''Côte d'Azur''), in Southeastern France, is the second leading tourist destination in the country, after the [[Île-de-France|Parisian region]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.frenchriviera-tourism.com/regional-tourism-organization/the-french-riviera-tourist-board-06_191.html |title=The French Riviera Tourist Board |publisher=Frenchriviera-tourism.com |access-date=23 January 2011}}</ref>

According to the Côte d'Azur Economic Development Agency, it benefits from 300 days of sunshine per year, {{convert|115|km}} of coastline and beaches, 18 golf courses and 3,000 restaurants.<ref>Côte d'Azur Economic Development Agency. [http://www.crdp-nice.net/dp/IMG/pdf/Kit_Info_Cote_d_Azur_FR_Version_sept_07.pdf p. 31 CRDP-Nice.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704173303/http://www.crdp-nice.net/dp/IMG/pdf/Kit_Info_Cote_d_Azur_FR_Version_sept_07.pdf |date=2010-07-04 }}</ref> Each year the ''Côte d'Azur'' hosts 50% of the world's [[Luxury yacht|superyacht]] fleet, with 90% of all superyachts visiting the region's coast at least once in their lifetime.<ref>Côte d'Azur Economic Development Agency, [http://www.crdp-nice.net/dp/IMG/pdf/Kit_Info_Cote_d_Azur_FR_Version_sept_07.pdf p. 66] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704173303/http://www.crdp-nice.net/dp/IMG/pdf/Kit_Info_Cote_d_Azur_FR_Version_sept_07.pdf |date=2010-07-04 }}</ref>

Main cities on the French Riviera include [[Nice]], [[Antibes]] and [[Cannes]]; [[Cap Ferrat]] is also a popular destination. Cannes hosts the annual [[Cannes Film Festival]]. Tourists often visit [[Port-Cros National Park]], east of [[Toulon]], as well as the city-state of [[Monaco]], famous for its [[Monte Carlo Casino]], near the Italian border.

=== Provence ===
{{Main|Provence}}
[[File:Armée de lavande.jpg|thumb|''Paysage provençal'']]
A large part of Provence, with [[Marseille]] as its leading city, was designed as the 2013 [[European Capital of Culture]]. Numerous famous natural sites can be found in the region, as the [[Gorges du Verdon]], the [[Camargue]], the [[Calanques National Park]] and the typical landscape of [[Luberon]]. Provence hosts dozens of renowned historical sites like the [[Pont du Gard]], the [[Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments|Arles' Roman Monuments]] or the [[Palais des Papes]] in [[Avignon]]. Several smaller cities also attracts a lot of tourists, like [[Aix-en-Provence]], [[La Ciotat]] or [[Cassis]], on the [[Mediterranean Sea]] coastline.

=== Loire Valley ===
{{Main|Châteaux of the Loire Valley}}
[[File:Chenonceau Castle02.jpg|thumb|left|[[Château de Chenonceau]], Loire Valley]]
Another major destination are the ''[[Château]]x'' (castles) of the Loire Valley. The [[French Revolution]] saw a number of the great French châteaux destroyed and many ransacked, their treasures stolen. The overnight impoverishment of many of the deposed [[nobility]], usually after one of its members lost his or her head to the [[guillotine]], saw many châteaux demolished.

During [[World War I]] and [[World War II]], some chateaux were commandeered as military headquarters. Some of these continued to be used this way after the end of the Second World War.

This [[World Heritage Site]] is noteworthy for the quality of its architectural heritage, in its historic towns such as [[Amboise]], [[Angers]], [[Blois]], [[Chinon]], [[Orléans]], and [[Saumur]], but in particular for its castles, such as the Châteaux d'[[Château d'Amboise|Amboise]], de [[Château de Chambord|Chambord]], d'[[Château d'Ussé|Ussé]], de [[Château de Villandry|Villandry]], de [[Château de Chenonceau|Chenonceau]] and de [[Château de Montsoreau|Montsoreau]], which illustrate to an exceptional degree the ideals of the [[French Renaissance]].

=== French Alps ===
{{main|French Alps}}
[[File:L122 - Passerelle aiguille du Midi.JPG|thumb|[[Aiguille du Midi]]]]
The French Alps are the portions of the [[Alps]] [[mountain range]] that stand within [[France]], located in the [[Rhône-Alpes]] and [[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]] regions. While some of the ranges of the French Alps are entirely in France, others, such as the [[Mont Blanc massif]], are shared with [[Switzerland]] and [[Italy]].

More than 20 skiing resorts make it a popular destination among Europeans in the winter.

=== Corsica ===
{{main|Corsica}}
[[File:000 Calanques de Piana JPG.jpg|thumb|left|Corsican landscape]]
Corsica is the fourth largest island in the [[Mediterranean Sea]] after [[Sicily]], [[Sardinia]] and [[Cyprus]]. It is a popular attraction for tourists with both cultural aspects (with its main cities [[Ajaccio]] and [[Bastia]] and smaller towns like [[Porto-Vecchio]] and [[Sartène]]) and geographical features ([[Parc naturel régional de Corse]]).

The [[Calanques de Piana]] and [[Scandola Nature Reserve]] are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The island is {{convert|183|km|mi|abbr=off}} long at longest, {{convert|83|km|mi|abbr=off}} wide at widest, has {{convert|1,000|km|mi|abbr=off}} of coastline, more than 200 beaches, and is very mountainous, with [[Monte Cinto]] as the highest peak at {{convert|2,706|m|ft|abbr=off}} and around 120 other summits of more than {{convert|2,000|m|ft|abbr=off}}.

Mountains comprise two-thirds of the island, forming a single chain. Forests make up 20% of the island.

==== Other tourist attractions ====

* [[Panthéon]]
* [[Sacré-Cœur, Paris|Sacré-Coeur]]
* [[Tuileries Palace|Palais des Tuileries]]
* [[Père Lachaise Cemetery|Cimetière du Père-Lachaise]]
* [[Luxembourg Palace|Palais du Luxembourg]]
* [[Centre Pompidou|Centre Georges-Pompidou]]
* [[Place de la Concorde]]