UNESCO in France: how and where to visit the best sites by bike
France is home to 53 UNESCO world heritage sites in total, the fourth highest number in the world. Seven of the sites are naturally formed, and 44 are cultural sites, with two classed as 'mixed'.
On our cycle tour routes, we visit several of the major UNESCO sites, which our riders always mention among their tour highlights!
About UNESCO in France
UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) adopted an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1972, to encourage the "identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity".
When you join one of our cycle tours which showcases France's most beautiful and culturally interesting regions, route highlights include UNESCO listed world heritage sites.
The first five French sites to be included on the list were in 1979: Vézelay Abbey is a Benedictine and Cluniac monastery in Burgundy, magnificent Chartres cathedral, the bewitching Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy, the Palace and Park of Versailles, and the prehistoric caves of the Vézère Valley.
Since then, a huge variety of French cultural sites have been included, from saltworks, mines and ports, to stunning medieval abbeys and cathedrals and even whole areas of towns such as Nice, Strasbourg and Lyon. All have been selected to recognise and protect France's national heritage.
Of the natural world heritage sites, the seven classified areas in mainland France are the volcanic Auvergne area (including Mont Ventoux) and the Mont Perdu area shared with Spain in the Pyrenees. A huge swathe of UNESCO recognised ancient beech forest spans 18 countries in Europe, of which France is one. Other French UNESCO sites are the cliffs around the island of Corsica, lagoons of New Caledonia, Reunion Island and parts of Antarctica.
Where to see UNESCO sites in France
There are some absolutely stunning examples of UNESCO listed sites on our cycle tours. If you would like to know which cycling holiday to pick to see some of these famous sites, read on...
Good to know: if there's a UNESCO or other historical/cultural site you would like to include on a cycle tour, feel free to contact us to enquire - we can run a private tour or you might even inspire a new itinerary!
Arles Roman theatre, in the Provence region. Image by Lucas Miguel
Roman architecture in Orange, Arles, St Rémy and the Pont du Gard
During our Provence Roman Heritage and Wine cycling tour, we make the most of the immaculately preserved Roman architecture on the UNESCO world heritage list.
On the first full day's cycling your guide will lead you to the Theatre Antique, built around 10AD. Staying in Orange for the night makes a wonderful opportunity to absorb the atmosphere in this stunning town, and the tour includes a guided trip around the theatre, which is still used for concerts, seating over 10,000!
On Day Four of the vacation we leave Uzès to see the awe-inspiring, UNESCO-listed Pont du Gard, an aqueduct built by the Romans to carry water between Uzès and Nîmes. The best way to see it is from the river below, so we swap our bikes for canoes and admire the Roman feat of engineering with a duck's eye view!
We reach Arles on the afternoon of Day Five of the Roman Heritage tour, giving plenty of time to admire the wondrous Amphitheatre and next door's equally-impressive Roman Theatre. You could also take a short walk to the Alyscamps Roman cemetery.
Finally, on Day Six we arrive in St Rémy, the birthplace of Nostradamus, where (after a delicious Provencal lunch) we can stroll round the Roman arch and monuments known as les Antiques.
The amazing Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct
UNESCO in the Dordogne
The prehistoric caves of Lascaux are on the bucket list for France for most visitors. Included in the very first round of UNESCO heritage listed sites in France in 1979, they are internationally recognised for the incredible parietal wall paintings which are generally accepted to be around 17,000-22,000 years old. Discovered in 1940 by a group of teenagers (and a dog called Robot), the walls are decorated with animals, human figures and abstract signs, in reds, yellows and blacks made from a variety of pigments. We head to the visitor centre on Day One of our Dordogne Castles and Caves trip.
The Dordogne basin was recognised by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve in 2012, and the charming village of Carrenac is a stunning pitstop on the Dordogne river on the last cycling day of our Dordogne Castles and Caves cycling holiday, after a trip to the Gouffre de Padirac - a 75m chasm leading to an underground part of the river. We visit this beautiful area during the Dordogne Castles and Caves cycle holiday.
The river Dordogne also features in our Bordeaux and Bergerac cycle tour. On Day Four, we begin on the riverbank, then climb to the UNESCO recognised ramparts of St-Emilion, where we spend an atmospheric evening dining and enjoying the wonderful local wines. The town and surrounding vineyards were included in the world heritage list in 1999 for its legacy and contribution to wine-making.
St Emilion rooftops, in Bordeaux, France . Image: Tanja Cotoaga
The astonishing fortress of Carcassonne
Did you know that this utterly enchanting and well-preserved walled city was set to be demolished? Thankfully architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc realised its importance and persuaded the government to restore its crumbling medieval buildings between 1853 and 1879. Added to the UNESCO list in 1997, this is another site which frequents the must-see list for French sight-seeing.
Our cycle tour guides will show you the best spots among the maze of cobbled alleys and quaint squares, on Day Six of the Mediterranean Coast and Canal du Midi cycle tour. Our hotel is at the gates of Carcassonne, and so you will experience the truly magical atmosphere in the evening, when your imagination is let loose as you wander around the beautifully-lit fortress.
The medieval fortress of Carcassone. Image: Alain Bonnardeaux
The Loire: "an exceptional cultural landscape"
In December 2000, the area between Chalonnes-sur-Loire and Sully-sur-Loire in the central Loire valley was included in UNESCO's world heritage list. The châteaux, historic cities, villages and monuments were noted, and indeed the river itself, were decided by the committee to be worthy of the listing. Perhaps the committee members had enjoyed a cycling holiday in this beautiful region? Certainly our riders find the area a delight to visit by bike, with the gentle riding, riverside scenery and cultural visits.
Visiting Chambord castle in the UNESCO Loire Valley. Image French Cycling Holidays
Mont St-Michel: one of France's most picturesque spots
If you are visiting the Normandy coast, perhaps to pay your respects at the WWII D-Day sites, then it would be rather remiss to bypass Mont St-Michel, a UNESCO site since 1979. This unique island was formerly accessed only at low tide, but now our cyclists can easily cross the causeway at any time. Surely one of France's most-photographed sites, our cyclists also take the opportunity to capture this picturesque historical wonder on the Normandy Coast Cycle Tour.
Cyclists approach Mont St Michel island in Normandy, France. Image: Caitlin Smith
Strasbourg's Grand-Ile
If you are already in love with France after visiting southern or western areas, then you'll enjoy seeing a very different aspect of this wonderful country in the eastern Alsace region, with its timbered architecture, orchards and cobbled streets. The Alsatian city of Strasbourg is jam-packed full of history and character, which presumably helped entice the UNESCO decision-makers to approve it as the first entire city centre to be listed, back in 1988. The Grande Île, the gothic cathedral and the Petite France quarter, originally home to millers, tanners and fishermen, make for a fascinating highlight on the Alsace and the Vosges cycling tour.
Strasbourg cathedral in the beautiful Alsace region of France. Image: Greg Willson
How to book your cycling holiday in France and see UNESCO sites
Click on the dates or tour of your choice and complete the booking form, or if you have any questions about itineraries, travel options or ride gradients, don't hesitate to get in touch, we're always very happy to chat!
- fch@frenchcyclingholidays.com
- +44(0) 1923 894305 or +44(0)20 8357 8934
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- Browse our articles for more inspiration on France's regions