UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Preserving France’s Cultural and Natural Legacy
France is a country known for its rich history, diversity and natural beauty, and is home to many UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These areas have been carefully selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and recognized worldwide for their outstanding results.
France has 45 UNESCO World Heritage sites, 6 of which are cross-border sites. 39 of France’s world heritage sites are located on the French mainland (or on the coast, one in Corsica), while the rest are in New Caledonia and Réunion.
Below is a list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in France, including 42 sites of cultural significance, one natural area, and one mixed cultural and natural area.
| Name | Date Inscribed | Category | Country | Visited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay | 1979 | Cultural | France | |
| Chartres Cathedral | 1979 | Cultural | France | |
| Palace and Park of Versailles | 1979 | Cultural | France | |
| Vézelay, Church and Hill | 1979 | Cultural | France | |
| Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley | 1979 | Cultural | France | |
| Palace and Park of Fontainebleau | 1981 | Cultural | France | |
| Amiens Cathedral | 1981 | Cultural | France | |
| Roman Theatre and its Surroundings and the | 1981 | Cultural | France | |
| Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments | 1981 | Cultural | France | |
| Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay | 1981 | Cultural | France | |
| From the Great Saltworks of Salins-les-Bains to the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, the Production of Open-pan Salt | 1982 | Cultural | France | |
| Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge | 1995 | Cultural | France | |
| Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d'Alliance in Nancy | 1983 | Cultural | France | |
| Abbey Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe | 1983 | Cultural | France | |
| Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve | 1983 | Natural | France | |
| Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct) | 1985 | Cultural | France | |
| Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne | 1997 | Cultural | France | |
| Strasbourg, Grande-Île and Neustadt | 1988 | Cultural | France | Strasbourg (2018) |
| Paris, Banks of the Seine | 1991 | Cultural | France | |
| Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Rémi and Palace of Tau, Reims | 1991 | Cultural | France | |
| Bourges Cathedral | 1992 | Cultural | France | |
| Canal du Midi | 1996 | Cultural | France | |
| Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France | 1998 | Cultural | France | |
| Historic Site of Lyon | 1998 | Cultural | France | |
| Provins, Town of Medieval Fairs | 2001 | Cultural | France | |
| Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion | 1999 | Cultural | France | |
| The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes | 2000 | Cultural | France | |
| Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems | 2008 | Natural | France | |
| The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape | 2011 | Cultural | France | |
| Le Havre, the City Rebuilt by Auguste Perret | 2005 | Cultural | France | |
| Bordeaux, Port of the Moon | 2007 | Cultural | France | |
| Fortifications of Vauban | 2008 | Cultural | France | |
| Pitons, cirques and remparts of Reunion Island | 2010 | Natural | France | |
| Episcopal City of Albi | 2010 | Cultural | France | |
| Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin | 2012 | Cultural | France | |
| The Climats, terroirs of Burgundy | 2015 | Cultural | France | |
| Decorated Cave of Pont d’Arc, known as Grotte Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, Ardèche | 2014 | Cultural | France | |
| Chaîne des Puys - Limagne fault tectonic arena | 2018 | Natural | France | |
| Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars | 2015 | Cultural | France | |
| Taputapuātea | 2017 | Cultural | France | |
| French Austral Lands and Seas | 2019 | Natural | France | |
| Cordouan Lighthouse | 2021 | Cultural | France | |
| Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera | 2021 | Cultural | France | |
| Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe | 2007 | Natural | Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine | |
| The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement | 2016 | Cultural | Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany, India, Japan, Switzerland | |
| The Great Spa Towns of Europe | 2021 | Cultural | Austria, Belgium, Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom | |
| Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps | 2011 | Cultural | Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland | |
| Belfries of Belgium and France | 1999 | Cultural | Belgium, France | |
| Pyrénées - Mont Perdu | 1997 | Mixed | France, Spain |