FRANCE has more 'must-see' sights than any other European country, according to a new league table by travel firm Lonely Planet of the 500 best places to visit in the world.
An impressive 19 French locations are featured in the ‘Ultimate Travel’ guide (although two of them are actually in Monaco).
Iconic Paris landmarks feature with the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Louvre -but there are many others from around the country such as the Château de Chenonceau in the Loire Valley, the most visited château in the country after the Royal Palace of Versailles, and the ancient Roman Pont du Gard in the Languedoc-Roussillon.
Monet’s garden in Giverny that inspired his art is also listed as is the Aiguille du Midi which boasts the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world.
Here is the full list of French entries in rank order. How many have you visited?
29. Château de Versailles
37. Louvre
40. Eiffel Tower
55. Notre Dame
96. Cimetière Du Père Lachaise
123. Aiguille du Midi
143. Carcassonne Walled City
179. Gorges du Verdon
185. Mont Blanc
201. Mont Saint-Michel
234. Pont du Gard
260. Château de Chenonceau
333. Grotte de Lascaux
340. D-Day Beaches
347. Casino de Monte Carlo
460. The Mighty Volcano (Reunion Island)
473. Monet’s Garden
478. Flanders Fields
493. Musée Océanographique de Monaco
France continues to be the most visited country in the world, with 83.7 million visitors last year according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.
The Angkor Watt temples in Cambodia stole the crown of 1st place in Lonely Planet’s rankings – and the US is the country with the most entries with 27.
The full list is available as a book from shop.lonelyplanet.com.
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