79 Fascinating Facts about France [Free Fact Cards]
Get your berets ready because we’re going on a trip to France, a country famous for yummy pastries, beautiful art, and lots of history. France is not just a place; it’s like a big museum where every corner tells a story. So let’s say “oui” (that means “yes” in French!) to some fun facts about France!
France is home to one of the most famous towers in the whole wide world—the Eiffel Tower! It’s made of iron, and it’s so tall, it’s like touching the sky. People from all over the planet come to see it and take pictures. And when it lights up at night, it’s like a billion stars shining right there in the city!
France has a very special city called Paris. It’s known as the “City of Light,” not just because it sparkles at night, but because it has been a place full of ideas and art for a very long time. Artists like to sit by the river and draw beautiful buildings and bridges. Maybe you’ve heard of some famous French artists like Monet or Picasso!
France isn’t just cities, though. It’s got quiet countryside with farms and vineyards where grapes are grown to make wine, fields of lavender that smell wonderful, and even castles that look like they’re out of fairy tales. Imagine knights and dragons from stories living in those castles long ago!
Are you excited to learn more facts about France? There’s so much to explore, from the delicious food, like crepes and cheese, to learning cool words in French. Let’s go on this adventure together and find out all the “Magnifique” (that means “wonderful”!) things about France!
Don’t forget to grab your free France fact cards below!
Wearing a white dress to a wedding is a tradition that started in France in 1499.
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to 17 different French writers, more than any other country.
The first university in Europe is located in France. The University of Paris, or “La Sorbonne,” is 763 years old.
In France, it is against the law to kiss on a train platform once the train has arrived. The conductor doesn’t want the train to be delayed by long goodbyes!
License plates on cars were first introduced in France in 1893. Other countries soon followed suit.
Louis XIX was the king of France for only 20 minutes in 1830.
In France, you can get married to someone who has died as long as you can prove that the person intended to marry you.
A French book by Marcel Proust titled Remembrance of Things in the Past is the longest book in the world at over 3,000 pages.
Before World War II, France was in the same time zone as the UK, but when the Germans invaded, they changed to be the same as Germany. They always stayed the same.
From 1748 to 1772, potatoes were against the law in France because the people believed they caused leprosy.
The national animal of France is the rooster.
More people visit France yearly than any other country – over 80 million!
France is sometimes called “the hexagon.”
A Frenchman named Jean-Baptiste Lamarck invented the metric system.
The most famous products from France are wine and cheese
France produces more varieties of cheese than anywhere else in the world.
The legal drinking age in France is 18.
France is about the same size as the state of Texas (Texas is just a little bigger).
The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor was a gift from France.
France is home to Europe’s highest mountain, Monte Blanc. It is 4,810 meters tall.
It is acceptable to drink alcohol at your place of employment in France.
France is a democratic republic
School lunches are 2 hours long in France.
The Eiffel Tower was originally going to be taken down after 20 years, but it became so popular that the government decided to leave it up.
You must be 18 in order to drive a car in France.
French fries are not actually French, they are probably from Belgium instead.
The national currency of France used to be the franc, but in 2002 they switched to the euro.
The Eiffel Tower was the world’s tallest building until the Chrysler Tower in New York City was built in 1930.
The Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended World War I, was signed in Versailles, France.
The German army was ordered to destroy the Eiffel Tower during World War II. They were unsuccessful.
France was the first country to use camouflage for their military. This took place during World War I.
France controls 12 overseas territories, including French Guiana and French Polynesia
Grocery stores and restaurants in France cannot throw away unused food. They must donate it!
Paris was the first city in Europe to use gas to light street lamps.
There is a 31-mile tunnel beneath the English Channel that connects France and England.
Hot air balloons were invented in France in 1783
A French inventor named Philippe Kahn invented the camera phone in 1997
The main country of France is divided into 18 regions, similar to US states.
When the Eiffel Tower was completed in 1887, most French people thought it was ugly.
In France, lunch is the biggest meal of the day.
The original portrait of the Mona Lisa hangs in an art museum in France
If you take snails on a train in France, you have to buy them their own ticket.
The main religion in France is Catholic
The capital city of France is Paris
France is the largest country in the European Union
Snails are a common food in France.
The current French flag was first used during the French Revolution in 1794
Sometimes the French flag is called the Tricolor
Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but he died before it was finished.
The last king of France was Louis XVI. He was executed after the French Revolution.
During World War II, a French mosque protected French Jews by giving them ID cards that said they were Muslim.
You can get a gold medal in France for doing a good job raising your children.
Workers in France are guaranteed five weeks of vacation time each year.
The artist Pablo Picasso was a French
The Rosetta stone was found by French soldiers in Egypt.
There are no stop signs in France. Instead, they use roundabouts.
After the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte became the Emperor of France.
French woman Jeanne Calment holds the record for the world’s longest-living person. She was 122 years and 164 days old when she died.
The Tour de France is a 21-day bike race that has been taking place in France since 1903.
Until 2013, there was a law that women could not wear pants in Paris.
There are no vending machines in French schools
The world’s first face transplant happened in France in 2005
In France, it is considered very rude if you do not say hello to the shopkeeper when you walk into a store.
There are no “kids menus” at restaurants in France. Kids are expected to eat like grown-ups
D-Day, or the Battle of Normandy took place in France and was the battle that liberated Western Europe from the Nazis during World War II.
School lunches are 2 hours long in France.
The Eiffel Tower was originally going to be taken down after 20 years, but it became so popular that the government decided to leave it up.
You must be 18 to drive a car in France.
French fries are not actually French; they are probably from Belgium instead.
The Louvre, France’s famous art museum, is the largest art museum in the world.
One of the largest holidays in France is July 14th, or Bastille Day, which celebrates the storming of the Bastille which started the French Revolution.
The Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended World War I, was signed in Versailles, France.
The oldest recording of a human voice was taken in France in 1860. The recording is 10 seconds long.
The French flag is blue, white, and red in three vertical stripes.
Half of France is countryside or farmland
The average French person will eat 500 snails per year.
French preschool begins at age 3 and is free.
In 2016, Paris was given the distinction of having the best transportation system in the world.
Tipping waiters in France is not expected. Your tip is automatically factored into the price of your meal!
Do you have even more interesting facts about France? Share them with us in the comments! Also, don’t forget to grab your free France fact cards to add to your collection!
Michele is a mom of 5 with her degree in marriage and family studies. She believes that one of the best ways you can spend time with your family is doing fun things together.
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