France is the number one tourist destination worldwide, and it is not difficult to see why. Quite apart from the diversity of its national monuments – many but by no means all of which are to be found in the capital city of Paris – it offers culture, tradition, fascinating history, romance and charm as well as fantastic cooking and first-rate wines.

It is interesting to note, when you are visiting France, that the French are extraordinarily nonchalant about the beauties and treasures in their wonderful country, almost as if they took them for granted. They live, eat and sleep with them in a completely different way to the rest of the world. For that reason, it is often difficult to find information about the lesser-known gems of antiquity or beauty hidden away in the remoter regions of France. This list of the best things to do in France will shed light, not only on the attractions and monuments with which everyone is acquainted, but on other equally beautiful or significant attractions which are all but unknown.

22. Paris Catacombs

Fascinating and and macabre, the Paris Catacombs represent a typically French way of solving two problems simultaneously. Firstly, owing to the somewhat haphazard mining techniques in extracting the limestone from which many of the cities buildings are built, parts of the city had actually begun to cave in (1774). At the same time, the cities graveyards, notably “Saints Innocents”, were beginning to overflow. From about 1785 onwards, the remains of centuries’ worth of dead Parisians were exhumed and transported by night to the old mines. It is estimated that the catacombs contain the remains of nearly 7 million people.

The Catacombs are located on the Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, around 30 minutes from the Gare du Nord or Orly airport. Nearest metro stop is Denfert-Rochereau.

23.Lascaux II (Montignac)

On 12th September near Montignac in the Dordogne, four teenagers who had followed their dog down a narrow tunnel into a cavern made a monumental discovery: 600 paintings, mainly of animals, and over 1,500 engravings dating from the Upper Palaeolithic period, 15.000 to 17.000 years old.

The original Lascaux grotto, opened to the public in 1948, was closed again in 1963 because artificial light was causing the colors of the paintings to fade; however, in 1983 an exact replica of the cave and its paintings – in itself a unique technological achievement taking 11 years and the skills of over 120 artists – was opened nearby, which today draws tens of thousands of visitors annually. Original cave art can still be seen at the nearby Rouffignac cave. Montignac is situated in the Département Dordogne-Périgord in southwestern France. It is very remote and only accessible by taxi from Les Eyzies (around 19 km – buses DO run, but are infrequent), where there is also a great Prehistory museum. The closest large airport is Limoges (89 km)

24. Disneyland (Paris)

Disneyland Paris, formerly known as Euro Disney Resort, is not actually located in Paris itself, but in the new town of Marne-la-Vallée, 32 kilometres east of Paris. A great deal of controversy surrounded its opening in 1992 and its first three years can only be described as a flop; however, 1995 was to begin a new cycle of success – in 2014 it was the top tourist attraction in Europe, boasting 14.2 million visitors.

For Disney lovers of all ages, this is a great diversion from the bustle of Paris and very easily accessible by train from Gare du Nord to Chessy/Disneyland Paris (1 hour).

Source: https://www.jenreviews.com/best-things-to-do-in-france/