All France

The Atlas Obscura Guide To France

619 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in France

Updated May 29, 2023

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Cities

Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Aix En Provence
  2. Amiens
  3. Angoulême
  4. Arles
  5. Aubagne
  6. Auvers Sur Oise
  7. Bailleau Armenonville
  8. Bayeux
  9. Blois
  10. Bordeaux
  11. Boulogne Billancourt
  12. Chamonix
  13. Chartres
  14. Colmar
  15. Cricqueville En Bessin
  16. Douai
  17. Fleury Devant Douaumont
  18. Fréjus
  19. Grenoble
  20. Honfleur
  21. Lille
  22. Lyon
  23. Marseille
  24. Montpellier
  25. Nantes
  26. Nice
  27. Paris
  28. Reims
  29. Rennes Le Château
  30. Rouen
  31. Saint Bernard
  32. Saint Denis
  33. Sainte Geneviève Des Bois
  34. Sainte Mère église
  35. Saint Germain En Laye
  36. Saint Jean Cap Ferrat
  37. Saint Malo
  38. Saint Ouen
  39. Strasbourg
  40. Théoule Sur Mer
  41. Villefranche Sur Mer

Unusual Attractions in France

See All 619 Things To Do in France

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in France

See all 10 Places to Eat in France
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Explore France

Art 65
Sacred Spaces 65
Architectural Oddities 61
Churches 48
Museums And Collections 45
Military 44
Ruins 38
Collections 35

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Stories About France

This ancient dodecahedron found in Avenches, Switzerland, once the Roman city of Aventicum.

The Mysterious Dodecahedrons of the Roman Empire

The first of many of these puzzling objects was unearthed almost three centuries ago, and we still don't know what they were for.
by Frank Jacobs, Big Think
The Saint-Bélec slab in full.

Europe’s Oldest Map Shows Tiny Bronze Age Kingdom

Discovered in 1900, the Saint-Bélec slab languished unrecognized in a castle basement for over a century.
by Frank Jacobs, Big Think
La Confrérie du Brie de Meaux are very proud of their local cheese.

The Passion (and Fantastical Fashion) of France's Food Brotherhoods

Brie-shaped hats and colorful robes help culinary confréries promote regional specialties.
by ANNA MINDESS

The Brewer Updating an Ancient French Beer for Modern Drinkers

Thomas Deck's cervoise-inspired brew is herbal and delicious.
by Emily Monaco
The low angle of the winter sun creates a perfect shadow of the iconic Mont Saint-Michel abbey on the water.

From Space, Mont Saint-Michel Stars in a Wild Impressionist Painting

During the winter months, the iconic French site casts a perfect shadow on a bay full of history—and quicksand.
by Gemma Tarlach
Cheese labels are immensely charming.

The French Art of Cheese-Label Collecting

“It’s more than a hobby, it’s a passion.”
by ANNA MINDESS

The Race to Document Prehistoric Art in a Coastal Cave in France

Scores of ancient paintings and other works will soon succumb to the sea—but a passionate team is determined to preserve this 'bubble of memory.'
by Elizabeth Hewitt
A soigneur performs a successful musette handoff to cyclist Andre Darrigade in 1956.

Inside the Tour de France’s Fast and Furious Feed Zone

Feeding cyclists mid-race involves a century-old method of careful handoffs.
by Megan B. Wells

Lists Featuring France

Madaba Mosaic Map
The gallery of maps, showing the ceiling
Great Polish Map of Scotland

13 Marvelous Maps That Go Way Beyond Paper

Charting the world's most intriguing out-of-the-box cartography.

13

Including Madaba Mosaic Map, Gallery of Maps - Galleria delle Carte Geografiche, and Mapparium Globe

(Flickr/andreakw)
The bathroom
Some of the decorations include broken crockery that have been priced back together

11 Homes Transformed Into Amazing Mosaics

If you own your property, why not bedazzle it?

11

Including Wyckoff Street Mosaic, La Maison Picassiette, and House of Mirrors

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