5 famous monuments of France

5 famous monuments of France (excluding Paris) in French

In this article accompanied by a video, we present 5 very famous French monuments located in the provinces (in France but not in Paris): the Château de Versailles, the Mont-Saint-Michel, the Château of Chambord, the Palais des Papes and the medieval city of Carcassonne.

To facilitate understanding, the video below presenting these 5 famous monuments of France, includes French subtitles. It is also possible to turn on English subtitles.

You may find the transcript of the video in French on this page. Below, you will find some information for each of these 5 famous monuments of France. This is the English translation of the transcript of the video.

The Château de Versailles

The Château de Versailles is a French castle and historic monument located in the Yvelines. It is a symbol of the glory of France and it was the residence of the most important kings of France, including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI. The castle houses the Great Hall of Mirrors (la Grande Galerie des Glaces), the King's and Queen's Grand Apartments, and has over 2,000 rooms. The park of the Palace of Versailles extends over 800 ha, including 90 ha of gardens, and includes great works of art.

The Mont-Saint-Michel

The town of Mont-Saint-Michel is located in the middle of a bay of 500 km² in Normandy. This bay is famous for its high tides. It is home to a medieval city and the Mont-Saint-Michel abbey, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Château de Chambord

Chambord is a Renaissance-type castle which is one of the Loire castles. It is located 164 km south of Paris, in the Loir-et-Cher department. It was François 1er who decided to build it and use it as a hunting lodge. It is a huge keep with four towers and two white buildings, adorned with magnificent sculptures. It is made up of 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces and 13 main staircases.

The Palais des Papes

The Palais des Papes is located in Avignon, in the Vaucluse department. It brings together a large fortress and a sumptuous palace. It is a symbol of the might and power of the popes at this time. It is made up of large ceremonial rooms, chapels with painted decorations, the Pope's private apartments and terraces which offer a magnificent panorama over the city of Avignon and the Rhône.

The medieval city of Carcassonne

The medieval city of Carcassonne is an impressive fortified city, marked by more than 2,000 years of conquest and by the imprint of Catharism. It is made up of a basilica, a count's castle and its ramparts, masterpieces of Gallo-Roman and medieval military architecture. Since 1997, it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In addition, we invite you to consult our article with video on 5 very famous Parisian monuments:

5 famous monuments of Paris

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