List of World Heritage Sites in France

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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. 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.

Currently, 49 properties in France are inscribed on the World Heritage List. 42 of these are cultural properties, 6 are natural properties, and 1 is mixed. Four properties are transboundary properties. The first was added to the list in 1979 and the latest in 2019. Five properties were submitted in 1979. The tentative list of France contains 37 properties.

The names in the tables below are the names of the properties as used on the website of UNESCO. There are three different types of properties possible: cultural, natural, and mixed. Selection criteria i, ii, iii, iv, v, and vi are the cultural criteria, and selection criteria vii, viii, ix, and x are the natural criteria. The dates for the properties on the World Heritage List are the dates of inscription, the dates for the tentative list are those of submission. The numbers are the reference numbers as used by UNESCO, and they link directly to the description pages of the properties on the UNESCO website.

Properties on the World Heritage List

Ref # Site Image Region Era Type Year listed Extension Description
230 Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe Nouvelle-Aquitaine 9th century cultural 1983 2007

165 Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 12th century cultural 1981 2007

164 Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur from 1st century BC to 4th century; 12th century cultural 1981 -

84 Vézelay, Church and Hill Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 12th century cultural 1979 2007

943 Belfries of Belgium and France Hauts-de-France 13th century-20th century cultural 1999 2005 Transboundary property, shared with Belgium; extension of the former Belfries of Flanders and Wallonia

1256 Bordeaux, Port of the Moon Nouvelle-Aquitaine 18th century cultural 2007 -

770 Canal du Midi Occitania 17th century cultural 1996 -

162 Amiens Cathedral Hauts-de-France 13th century cultural 1981 -

635 Bourges Cathedral Centre-Val de Loire 13th century cultural 1992 -

81 Chartres Cathedral Centre-Val de Loire 13th century cultural 1979 -

601 Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Remi, and Palace of Tau, Reims Grand Est 13th–16th century cultural 1991 -

1153 The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape Occitania cultural 2011 -

228 Historical centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 12th–16th century cultural 1995 - Palais des Papes, Episcopal Ensemble and Pont Saint-Bénezet

868 Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France Diverse sites (right-of-way and route) cultural 1998 -

1337 Episcopal City of Albi Occitania cultural 2010 -

203 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 18th century cultural 1982 2009

1283 Fortifications of Vauban Diverse 17th century cultural 2008 -

932 Jurisdiction of Saint-Émilion Nouvelle-Aquitaine cultural 1999 -

1181 Le Havre, the City Rebuilt by Auguste Perret Normandy 20th century cultural 2005 - Built from 1945–1964 by the Atelier de Reconstruction du Havre d'Auguste Perret

80 Mont Saint-Michel and its Bay Normandy cultural 1979 2007

160 Palace and Park of Fontainebleau Île-de-France cultural 1981 -

83 Palace and Park of Versailles Île-de-France cultural 1979 2007

600 Paris, Banks of the Seine Île-de-France cultural 1991 -

229 Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière, and Place d'Alliance in Nancy Grand Est 18th century cultural 1983 -

334 Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct) Occitanie 1st century AD cultural 1985 2007

873 Provins, Town of Medieval Fairs Île-de-France cultural 2001 -

872 Historic site of Lyon Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes cultural 1998 -

1363 Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 5000–500 BCE cultural 2011 - 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.

85 Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley Nouvelle-Aquitaine cultural 1979 -

495 Strasbourg – From the Grande Île to the Neustadt Grand Est cultural 1988 2017

163 Roman Theatre and its Surroundings and the "Triumphal Arch" of Orange Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur cultural 1981 2007

933 The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes Centre-Val de Loire, Pays de la Loire cultural 2000 - 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.

345 Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne Occitanie cultural 1997 -

258 Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve Corsica N/A natural 1983 -

1115 Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems New Caledonia N/A natural 2008 - Diversity of ecosystems in New Caledonia Barrier Reef

1317 The Pitons, Cirques and Remparts of Réunion Island Réunion N/A natural 2010 -

773 Pyrénées – Mont Perdu Occitanie N/A mixed 1997 1999 Transboundary property, shared with Spain

1360 Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin Hauts-de-France 18th to 20th centuries cultural 2012 - Remarkable landscape shaped by three centuries of coal extraction.

1426 Decorated Cave of Pont d’Arc, known as Grotte Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, Ardèche Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 30,000–28,000 BCE cultural 2014 - Earliest-known and best-preserved figurative drawings in the world.

1425 The Climats, terroirs of Burgundy Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Middle Ages–present cultural 2015 - An outstanding example of grape cultivation and wine production developed since the High Middle Ages.

1465 Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars Grand Est 17th century–present cultural 2015 - Sites where the method of producing sparkling wines was developed.

1321 The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Île-de-France, Grand Est, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 20th century cultural 2016 - Testimonial to the invention of a new architectural language. A transnational serial property shared with Argentina, Belgium, Germany, India, Japan and Switzerland.

1528 Taputapuātea French Polynesia 10th century cultural 2017 A Polynesian political, ceremonial and funerary centre.

1434 Chaine des PuysLimagne fault tectonic arena Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes natural 2018 A geologically important site illustrating the process of continental rifting.

1603 French Austral Lands and Seas French Southern and Antarctic Lands natural 2019 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.

1613 Great Spa Towns of Europe Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes cultural 2021 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.

1625 Cordouan Lighthouse Nouvelle-Aquitaine cultural 2021 Cordouan Lighthouse embodies the great stages of the architectural and technological history of lighthouses.

1635 Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur cultural 2021 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.

1133 Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe Diverse sites natural 2021 (extension to sites in France) 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.

1567rev Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front) Hauts-de-France, Grand Est, Île-de-France 20th century cultural 2023

Transnational serial site shared with Belgium incorporates 139 cemeteries and memorials on the Western Front of the First World War.

1569 The Maison Carrée of Nîmes Occitania 1st century cultural 2023

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.

1657 Volcanoes and Forests of Mount Pelée and the Pitons of Northern Martinique Martinique natural 2023

Volcanic area of global significance to vulcanology, and home to a number of endemic species.

Properties submitted on the Tentative List

Property names as submitted by France and year of inscription on Tentative List. Translation of site names provided in italics for reference purposes; official translation of site name proposed only once site is put forward for consideration on World Heritage List.

Location of inscribed sites

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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; and the Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement is shared with Argentina, Belgium, Germany, India, Japan and Switzerland.
  4. ^ Tentative Lists, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Retrieved on 2014-06-23
  5. ^ France's mixed property, Pyrénées – Mont Perdu, is shared with Spain.
  6. ^ The Criteria, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Retrieved on 2011-07-21
  7. ^ "Abbaye de Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe". UNESCO.
  8. ^ "Abbaye cistercienne de Fontenay". UNESCO.
  9. ^ "Arles, monuments romains et romans". UNESCO.
  10. ^ "Basilique et colline de Vézelay". UNESCO.
  11. ^ "Beffries of Belgium and France". UNESCO.
  12. ^ "Bordeaux, Port de la Lune". UNESCO.
  13. ^ "Canal du Midi". UNESCO.
  14. ^ "Cathédrale d'Amiens". UNESCO.
  15. ^ "Cathédrale de Bourges". UNESCO.
  16. ^ "Cathédrale de Chartres". UNESCO.
  17. ^ "Cathédrale Notre-Dame, ancienne abbaye Saint-Rémi et palais de Tau, Reims". UNESCO.
  18. ^ "The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape". UNESCO.
  19. ^ "Centre historique d'Avignon". UNESCO.
  20. ^ "Chemins de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle en France". UNESCO.
  21. ^ "Cité épiscopale d'Albi". UNESCO.
  22. ^ "De la grande saline de Salins-les-Bains à la saline royale d'Arc-et-Senans, la production du sel ignigène". UNESCO.
  23. ^ "Fortifications de Vauban". UNESCO.
  24. ^ "Juridiction de Saint-Émilion". UNESCO.
  25. ^ "Le Havre, la ville reconstruite par Auguste Perret". UNESCO.
  26. ^ "Mont-Saint-Michel et sa baie". UNESCO.
  27. ^ "Palais et parc de Fontainebleau". UNESCO.
  28. ^ "Palais et parc de Versailles". UNESCO.
  29. ^ "Paris, rives de la Seine". UNESCO.
  30. ^ "Places Stanislas, de la Carrière et d'Alliance à Nancy". UNESCO.
  31. ^ "Pont du Gard". UNESCO.
  32. ^ "Provins, ville de foire médiévale". UNESCO.
  33. ^ "Site historique de Lyon". UNESCO.
  34. ^ "Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps". UNESCO.
  35. ^ "Sites préhistoriques et grottes ornées de la vallée de la Vézère". UNESCO.
  36. ^ "Strasbourg – Grande île". UNESCO.
  37. ^ "Théâtre antique et ses abords et " Arc de Triomphe " d'Orange". UNESCO.
  38. ^ "Val de Loire entre Sully-sur-Loire et Chalonnes". UNESCO.
  39. ^ "Ville fortifiée historique de Carcassonne". UNESCO.
  40. ^ "Golfe de Porto". UNESCO.
  41. ^ "Lagons de Nouvelle-Calédonie". UNESCO.
  42. ^ "Pitons, cirques et remparts de l'ile de la Réunion". UNESCO.
  43. ^ "Pyrénées–Mont Perdu". UNESCO.
  44. ^ "Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin". UNESCO.
  45. ^ "Decorated Cave of Pont d'Arc, known as Grotte Chauvet-Pont d'Arc, Ardèche". UNESCO.
  46. ^ a b World Heritage Committee. "Sites in Denmark, France and Turkey inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List". United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
  47. ^ 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
  48. ^ "The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement". UNESCO.
  49. ^ "Taputapuātea". UNESCO.
  50. ^ "Chaine des Puys – Limagne fault tectonic arena". UNESCO.
  51. ^ "French Austral Lands and Seas". UNESCO.
  52. ^ "Great Spa Towns of Europe". UNESCO.
  53. ^ "Cordouan Lighthouse". UNESCO.
  54. ^ "Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera". UNESCO.
  55. ^ "Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe". UNESCO.
  56. ^ "Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front)". UNESCO.
  57. ^ "The Maison Carrée of Nîmes". UNESCO.
  58. ^ "Volcanoes and Forests of Mount Pelée and the Pitons of Northern Martinique". UNESCO.
  59. ^ "Official Metz's UNESCO application" (PDF) (in French). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-01. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  60. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Cité de Carcassonne et ses châteaux sentinelles de montagne – UNESCO World Heritage Centre". whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2018-01-08.