France, the largest country in Western Europe and a member of the European Union, is known for the Tour de France, the French Alps, the Cannes Film Festival, and Paris, the world’s fashion capital.
Locals call France l’Hexagone due to its roughly six-sided shape. There’s much more to explore in France beyond the French Revolution and landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Paris Gare du Nord. For more interesting facts about France, read on.
King Louis XIX reigned for such a short time that it’s a Guinness world record. Louis-Antoine took the throne in July 1830 after the abdication of his father, Charles X, but he abdicated after just 20 minutes in power, leaving his nephew to take on the role. Louis XIX shares this record with Crown Prince Luís Filipe, who became king of Portugal following the death of his father. However, he perished from a fatal wound 20 minutes later.
The Palace of Versailles was the residence of French kings since Louis XIII. Unfortunately, King Louis XIX didn’t get much a chance to enjoy the beautiful grounds.
French baguettes are renowned for their superior quality, thanks to high standards in ingredients, traditional baking techniques, and the cultural importance placed on fresh, artisanal bread.
It is considered unlucky to place your baguette upside down on a table. As with most superstitions, its origins are difficult to verify. This long-running concept is said to date back to medieval times, when capital punishment was very much the done thing. The established narrative is that at that time, bakers would leave a loaf of bread upside down to indicate they were intended to be picked up by executioners, leading to people avoiding the practice. If you do accidentally commit this faux pas in France, simply cut a cross into the underside of the baguette before you eat it.
French cuisine is so popular around the world that no one could have been surprised when it was added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list in 2010. With famous dishes such as coq au vin, french onion soup, and escargot, France was bound to gain UNESCO world heritage status at some point.
The country is definitely a must-visit destination for anyone who loves food, especially cheese. France produces over 1,000 types of cheese, meaning you could try a different French cheese every day for more than two years.
Rustic Pathways students learn French cooking techniques during their trip exploring Paris.
In February 2016, France implemented a law banning supermarkets from throwing away or intentionally spoiling unsold food items. Instead, these establishments are encouraged to donate foods approaching their sell-by date to local food banks or charities. The groundbreaking law, brought about following a grassroots campaign within France, is designed to tackle food waste and food insecurity in the country. Well done, France!
Paris introduced the world’s first public transportation system, the omnibus, in 1662. This novel idea, which involved horses pulling vehicles along established routes, seems like it should have been a hit, but it actually only lasted a few years. By 1675, the omnibus had fallen out of favor and no longer shuttled people through the streets.
Another transport-related fact: The punctuality of trains on the French railway network was taken so seriously that in 1910 the French government implemented a kissing ban at railway stations in order to avoid delays!
>> LEARN MORE: 20 Fascinating Fun Facts About Paris.
The origin of the hot air balloon is said to date back as far as 181-280 AD in China, with unmanned lanterns sent into the sky. However, the passenger-carrying hot air balloon as we know it today comes from France. The first major public demonstration of Joseph and Étienne Montgolfier’s invention was held in front of King Louis XVI at the Palace of Versailles in 1783. Due to safety concerns, the passengers on this voyage were a sheep, a duck and a cockerel, who survived despite damage to the balloon sending it back to earth. As a reward for these ‘heroes of the sky,’ the animals were given a home in the Menagerie in Versailles.
Thanks to the Lumière brothers’ creation of a camera-projector called the Cinématographe, the world’s first film screening took place in the Grand Café in Paris in 1895. Their film was just a number of seconds in length and only showed workers leaving the Lumiere factory but it was impressive enough that they were able to charge admission later that year for their screening of short films showing scenes of French life.
Yes, you read that right. Though certainly not a common practice, it is legal to marry someone who is deceased so long as you meet the right criteria and receive official approval. According to French law, living partners hoping to tie the knot in such a situation must be able to prove that the deceased party did intend to marry them when they were alive.
One notable example of such a situation occurred in 2017 when the partner of a police officer killed in a terrorist attack was allowed to conduct a posthumous wedding. Not only did the ceremony receive official approval but then-president François Hollande was in attendance.
The record for the longest confirmed lifespan of anyone in history belongs to a French woman named Jeanne Louise Calment. Calment, who passed away in 1997, lived for 122 years and 164 days.
The Louvre museum, an essential stop on any trip to France, is the most popular tourist destination for art lovers around the world. Home to renowned pieces such as the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, the Louvre draws millions of visitors annually, pulling in 8.9 million visitors in 2023.
The Louvre Museum, attracting around 10 million visitors each year, has weathered numerous challenges, including fire and flood threats, yet remains one of the world’s most visited and resilient cultural institutions.
Owing to its overseas territories, France has 13 different time zones, more than any other country, beating out enormous nations such as the United States and Russia, which both come second with 11. France’s time zones include Tahiti Time, Easter Island Standard Time and Wallis & Futuna Time, to name just a few.
Emma Juno Sparkes hails from the U.K. and holds a BA in Graphic Design Communications from University of the Arts London. Her passion for travel and cultural exchange flourished in South Korea, where she taught English for eight years before moving into media. Emma has written about travel and culture for a number of outlets including Morning Calm, The Korea Times and Seoul magazine. When she’s not at work you can find her exploring the streets of Seoul, searching for hidden gems and practicing photography.