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List of World Heritage Sites in France

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Location of World Heritage sites within metropolitan France
Location of French World Heritage Sites overseas

This is a list of World Heritage Sites in France with properties of cultural and natural heritage in France as inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List or as on the country's tentative list.[1] France accepted the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage on 27 June 1975, after which it could nominate properties on their territory to be considered for the World Heritage List.[2]

As of 2025, 54 properties in France are inscribed on the World Heritage List. 45 of these are cultural properties, 7 are natural properties, and 2 are mixed.[1] Six properties are transboundary properties.[3] The first was added to the list in 1979 and the latest in 2025. Five properties were submitted in 1979.[1] The tentative list of France contains 33 properties.[4]

With 54 World Heritage Sites, France ranks fourth worldwide by number of sites, behind Italy (1st), China (2nd), and Germany (3rd).[5][6]

World Heritage Sites

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UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural.[7]

  * Transnational site
World Heritage Sites
Site Image Location (region) Year listed UNESCO data Description
Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe Nouvelle-Aquitaine 1983 230quater; i, iii (cultural) [8]
Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 1981 165bis; iv (cultural) [9]
Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 1981 cultural [10]
Vézelay, Church and Hill Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 1979 cultural [11]
Belfries of Belgium and France Hauts-de-France 1999 cultural Transboundary property, shared with Belgium; extension of the former Belfries of Flanders and Wallonia[12]
Bordeaux, Port of the Moon Nouvelle-Aquitaine 2007 cultural [13]
Canal du Midi Occitania 1996 cultural [14]
Amiens Cathedral Hauts-de-France 1981 cultural [15]
Bourges Cathedral Centre-Val de Loire 1992 cultural [16]
Chartres Cathedral Centre-Val de Loire 1979 cultural [17]
Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Remi, and Palace of Tau, Reims Grand Est 1991 cultural [18]
The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape Occitania 2011 cultural [19]
Historical centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 1995 cultural Palais des Papes, Episcopal Ensemble and Pont Saint-Bénezet[20]
Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France Diverse sites (right-of-way and route) 1998 cultural [21]
Episcopal City of Albi Occitania 2010 cultural [22]
From the Great Saltworks of Salins-les-Bains to the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, the Production of Open-pan Salt Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 1982 cultural [23]
Fortifications of Vauban various 2008 cultural [24]
Jurisdiction of Saint-Émilion Nouvelle-Aquitaine 1999 cultural [25]
Le Havre, the City Rebuilt by Auguste Perret Normandy 2005 cultural Built from 1945 to 1964 by the Atelier de Reconstruction du Havre d'Auguste Perret [26]
Megaliths of Carnac and of the shores of Morbihan Brittany 2025 cultural [27]
Mont Saint-Michel and its Bay Normandy 1979 cultural [28]
Palace and Park of Fontainebleau Île-de-France 1981 cultural [29]
Palace and Park of Versailles Île-de-France 1979 cultural [30]
Paris, Banks of the Seine Île-de-France 1991 cultural [31]
Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière, and Place d'Alliance in Nancy Grand Est 1983 cultural [32]
Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct) Occitanie 1985 cultural [33]
Provins, Town of Medieval Fairs Île-de-France 2001 cultural [34]
Historic site of Lyon Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 1998 cultural [35]
Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2011 cultural A series of prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements in and around the Alps. transboundary property, shared with Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland, 11 of the total 111 sites are in France.[36]
Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley Nouvelle-Aquitaine 1979 cultural [37]
Strasbourg – From the Grande Île to the Neustadt Grand Est 1988 cultural [38]
Roman Theatre and its Surroundings and the "Triumphal Arch" of Orange Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 1981 cultural [39]
The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes Centre-Val de Loire, Pays de la Loire 2000 cultural An outstanding cultural landscape of great beauty, containing historic towns and villages, great architectural monuments (the châteaux), and cultivated lands formed by many centuries of interaction between their population and the physical environment, primarily the river Loire itself.[40]
Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne Occitanie 1997 cultural [41]
Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve Corsica 1983 natural [42]
Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems New Caledonia 2008 natural Diversity of ecosystems in New Caledonia Barrier Reef [43]
The Pitons, Cirques and Remparts of Réunion Island Réunion 2010 natural [44]
Pyrénées – Mont Perdu Occitanie 1997 mixed Transboundary property, shared with Spain [45]
Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin Hauts-de-France 2012 cultural Remarkable landscape shaped by three centuries of coal extraction.[46]
Decorated Cave of Pont d’Arc, known as Grotte Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, Ardèche Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2014 cultural Earliest-known and best-preserved figurative drawings in the world.[47]
The Climats, terroirs of Burgundy Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 2015 cultural An outstanding example of grape cultivation and wine production developed since the High Middle Ages.[48]
Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars Grand Est 2015 cultural Sites where the method of producing sparkling wines was developed. [citation needed]
The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement[49] Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Île-de-France, Grand Est, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2016 cultural Testimonial to the invention of a new architectural language. A transnational serial property shared with Argentina, Belgium, Germany, India, Japan and Switzerland.[50]
Taputapuātea French Polynesia 2017 cultural A Polynesian political, ceremonial and funerary centre.[51]
Chaine des Puys – Limagne fault tectonic arena Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2018 natural A geologically important site illustrating the process of continental rifting.[52]
French Austral Lands and Seas French Southern and Antarctic Lands 2019 natural Remote islands in the Southern Ocean home to unique flora and fauna including a whole slice of Antarctica making this the largest World Heritage Site.[53]
Great Spa Towns of Europe Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2021 cultural A transnational site of 11 towns in seven European countries that developed around natural mineral water springs and bear witness to the international European spa culture. Spa town of Vichy represents this site in France.[54]
Cordouan Lighthouse Nouvelle-Aquitaine 2021 cultural Cordouan Lighthouse embodies the great stages of the architectural and technological history of lighthouses.[55]
Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 2021 cultural Nice bears witness to the evolution of the winter resort due to the city's mild climate and seaside location at the foot of the Alps.[56]
Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe Diverse sites 2021 (extension to sites in France) natural This transnational property represents an outstanding example of relatively undisturbed, complex temperate forests and exhibit a wide spectrum of comprehensive ecological patterns and processes of pure and mixed stands of European beech across a variety of environmental conditions.[57]
Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front) Hauts-de-France, Grand Est, Île-de-France 2023 cultural Transnational serial site shared with Belgium incorporates 139 cemeteries and memorials on the Western Front of the First World War.[58]
The Maison Carrée of Nîmes Occitania 2023 cultural An ancient Roman temple in Nîmes, southern France; one of the best-preserved Roman temples to survive in the territory of the former Roman Empire.[59]
Volcanoes and Forests of Mount Pelée and the Pitons of Northern Martinique Martinique 2023 natural Volcanic area of global significance to vulcanology, and home to a number of endemic species.[60]
Te Henua Enata – The Marquesas Islands French Polynesia 2024 Mixed Biodiversity hotspot home to rare and diverse flora, emblematic marine species, and one of the most diverse seabird assemblages in the South Pacific. The property also includes archaeological sites.[61]

Tentative List

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In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list.[62] As of 2026, France recorded 33 sites on its tentative list. The sites, along with the year they were included on the tentative list are:[1]

Tentative Sites
Site Image Location (region) Year listed UNESCO criteria Description
Saint-Denis Cathedral Seine-Saint Denis 1996 i, ii, iv (cultural) [63]

ensemble urbain à pans de bois, cathédrale, église Saint-Ouen, église Saint Maclou, 1996. Rouen: timber-framed urban area, Rouen Cathedral, Basilica of Saint Ouen, Church of Saint Maclou


See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d France. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved on 2014-06-23.
  2. ^ State Parties, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Retrieved on 2011-07-21
  3. ^ Pyrénées–Mont Perdu is shared with Spain; Belfries of Belgium and France is shared with Belgium; Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps is shared with Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland; the Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement is shared with Argentina, Belgium, Germany, India, Japan and Switzerland; Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front) is shared with Belgium; Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe is shared with 17 other European countries.
  4. ^ Tentative Lists, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Retrieved on 2014-06-23
  5. ^ Hyde, Amanda (25 July 2025). "Mapped: All of the planet's 1,248 World Heritage Sites". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  6. ^ "French prehistoric site makes UNESCO world heritage list". Le Monde. Agence France-Presse. 12 July 2025. Archived from the original on 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  7. ^ "UNESCO World Heritage Centre – The Criteria for Selection". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 12 June 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  8. ^ "Abbaye de Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe". UNESCO.
  9. ^ "Abbaye cistercienne de Fontenay". UNESCO.
  10. ^ "Arles, monuments romains et romans". UNESCO.
  11. ^ "Basilique et colline de Vézelay". UNESCO.
  12. ^ "Beffries of Belgium and France". UNESCO.
  13. ^ "Bordeaux, Port de la Lune". UNESCO.
  14. ^ "Canal du Midi". UNESCO.
  15. ^ "Cathédrale d'Amiens". UNESCO.
  16. ^ "Cathédrale de Bourges". UNESCO.
  17. ^ "Cathédrale de Chartres". UNESCO.
  18. ^ "Cathédrale Notre-Dame, ancienne abbaye Saint-Rémi et palais de Tau, Reims". UNESCO.
  19. ^ "The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape". UNESCO.
  20. ^ "Centre historique d'Avignon". UNESCO.
  21. ^ "Chemins de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle en France". UNESCO.
  22. ^ "Cité épiscopale d'Albi". UNESCO.
  23. ^ "De la grande saline de Salins-les-Bains à la saline royale d'Arc-et-Senans, la production du sel ignigène". UNESCO.
  24. ^ "Fortifications de Vauban". UNESCO.
  25. ^ "Juridiction de Saint-Émilion". UNESCO.
  26. ^ "Le Havre, la ville reconstruite par Auguste Perret". UNESCO.
  27. ^ "Megaliths of Carnac and of the shores of Morbihan". UNESCO.
  28. ^ "Mont-Saint-Michel et sa baie". UNESCO.
  29. ^ "Palais et parc de Fontainebleau". UNESCO.
  30. ^ "Palais et parc de Versailles". UNESCO.
  31. ^ "Paris, rives de la Seine". UNESCO.
  32. ^ "Places Stanislas, de la Carrière et d'Alliance à Nancy". UNESCO.
  33. ^ "Pont du Gard". UNESCO.
  34. ^ "Provins, ville de foire médiévale". UNESCO.
  35. ^ "Site historique de Lyon". UNESCO.
  36. ^ "Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps". UNESCO.
  37. ^ "Sites préhistoriques et grottes ornées de la vallée de la Vézère". UNESCO.
  38. ^ "Strasbourg – Grande île". UNESCO.
  39. ^ "Théâtre antique et ses abords et " Arc de Triomphe " d'Orange". UNESCO.
  40. ^ "Val de Loire entre Sully-sur-Loire et Chalonnes". UNESCO.
  41. ^ "Ville fortifiée historique de Carcassonne". UNESCO.
  42. ^ "Golfe de Porto". UNESCO.
  43. ^ "Lagons de Nouvelle-Calédonie". UNESCO.
  44. ^ "Pitons, cirques et remparts de l'ile de la Réunion". UNESCO.
  45. ^ "Pyrénées–Mont Perdu". UNESCO.
  46. ^ "Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin". UNESCO.
  47. ^ "Decorated Cave of Pont d'Arc, known as Grotte Chauvet-Pont d'Arc, Ardèche". UNESCO.
  48. ^ World Heritage Committee. "Sites in Denmark, France and Turkey inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List". United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  49. ^ The specific listed buildings in France are Cité Frugès de Pessac, Villa Savoye, Notre-Dame du Haut, Unité d'habitation, Cabanon de vacances, Usine Claude et Duval, Immeuble Molitor, Villa La Roche, Villa Jeanneret-Perret, Sainte Marie de La Tourette, and Maison de la Culture de Firminy
  50. ^ "The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement". UNESCO.
  51. ^ "Taputapuātea". UNESCO.
  52. ^ "Chaine des Puys – Limagne fault tectonic arena". UNESCO.
  53. ^ "French Austral Lands and Seas". UNESCO.
  54. ^ "Great Spa Towns of Europe". UNESCO.
  55. ^ "Cordouan Lighthouse". UNESCO.
  56. ^ "Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera". UNESCO.
  57. ^ "Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe". UNESCO.
  58. ^ "Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front)". UNESCO.
  59. ^ "The Maison Carrée of Nîmes". UNESCO.
  60. ^ "Volcanoes and Forests of Mount Pelée and the Pitons of Northern Martinique". UNESCO.
  61. ^ "Te Henua Enata – The Marquesas Islands". UNESCO.
  62. ^ "Tentative Lists". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 24 September 2005. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  63. ^ "Cathédrale de Saint-Denis" (in French). UNESSCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  64. ^ "Official Metz's UNESCO application" (PDF) (in French). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  65. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Cité de Carcassonne et ses châteaux sentinelles de montagne – UNESCO World Heritage Centre". whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
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