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Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
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This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
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This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
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All France

The Atlas Obscura Guide To France

694 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in France

Updated April 21, 2025

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Cities

Top Cities
Paris
Traboule de Lyon
Lyon
Château d’If
Marseille
Saint Ouen
The boat cemetery.
Saint Malo
Strasbourg Astronomical Clock
Strasbourg
All Cities
  1. Aix En Provence
  2. Amiens
  3. Angles Sur L'anglin
  4. Angoulême
  5. Arles
  6. Arras
  7. Aubagne
  8. Auvers Sur Oise
  9. Bailleau Armenonville
  10. Bayeux
  11. Beaucaire
  12. Blois
  13. Bonifacio
  14. Bordeaux
  15. Boulogne Billancourt
  16. Chamonix
  17. Chartres
  18. Colmar
  19. Cricqueville En Bessin
  20. Dijon
  21. Douai
  22. Fleury Devant Douaumont
  23. Fréjus
  24. Grenoble
  25. Honfleur
  26. La Boulaye
  27. La Rochelle
  28. Lille
  29. Lyon
  30. Marseille
  31. Montpellier
  32. Nantes
  33. Nice
  34. Paris
  35. Reims
  36. Rennes Le Château
  37. Rouen
  38. Saint Bernard
  39. Saint Denis
  40. Sainte Geneviève Des Bois
  41. Sainte Mère église
  42. Saint Germain En Laye
  43. Saint Jean Cap Ferrat
  44. Saint Malo
  45. Saint Ouen
  46. Strasbourg
  47. Théoule Sur Mer
  48. Toulouse
  49. Villefranche Sur Mer
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
Lists

Unusual Attractions in France

Catacombes des Paris Autumn 2018

Paris, France

Catacombes de Paris

The vast, legendary catacombs hold secrets much stranger than stacked bones.

Paris, France

Père Lachaise Cemetery

France's most famous cemetery, with some of its most curious tombs.
The oval reading room at the Bibliothèque nationale.

Paris, France

Bibliothèque nationale de France (National Library of France)

This massive library holds what was once the largest book collection in the world.
59 Rivoli in 2005.

Paris, France

59 Rivoli

Notorious artist squat renovated into legal studios.

Paris, France

Petite Ceinture

Abandoned railway line circling the city of Paris.
Shakespeare And Company bookshop situated at 37 rue de la Bûcherie, in the 5th arrondissement.

Paris, France

Shakespeare and Company

This iconic Parisian bookstore doubles as the "Tumbleweed Hotel" for traveling writers.

Paris, France

Montmartre Cemetery

A horde of stray cats rule in this secluded Parisian cemetery under a bridge.

Paris, France

House of Nicolas Flamel

The oldest stone house in Paris was built by its most famous alchemist.
See All 694 Things To Do in France

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in France

Paris, France

Au Roi de la Bière

Once a 19th-century brasserie, this McDonald's exterior celebrates Alsatian design and the "King of Beer."

Paris, France

Roger La Grenouille

This frog-themed restaurant was frequented by Picasso, Saint-Exupéry, and more.

Chevilly-Larue, France

Rungis International Market

Walk through spectacular aisles of hanging meat and wagon wheel–sized cheese at the world's largest wholesale food market.
Potatoes on the tomb.

Paris, France

Grave of Antoine-Augustin Parmentier

The tomb of history's greatest potato promoter is surrounded by tubers.
See all 35 Places to Eat in France
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore France

683
9
Map marker
Architecture 101
Art 66
Architectural Oddities 66
Sacred Spaces 65
Museums 63
Churches 51
Military 44
Statues 42
History 40
Ruins 39
Collections 35
Homes 34
Places To Stay 12
Unique Restaurants & Bars 7

France Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. serflac
    28
  2. Laetitia Barbier
    26
  3. Fred Cherrygarden
    21
  4. Monsieur Mictlan
    21
  5. Christine Williamson
    16

Places Edited

  1. Martin
    80
  2. Rachel
    65
  3. philoursmars
    63
  4. SEANETTA
    41
  5. Monsieur Mictlan
    40

Places Visited

  1. driessouvereyns
    248
  2. marcut
    191
  3. Grumy
    177
  4. Cedric
    169
  5. Traveling Maven
    157

Recent France Activity

  • bronwenoconnor4

    wants to go to Au Pied de Cochon

    about 7 hours ago
  • bronwenoconnor4

    wants to go to Le Timgad

    about 7 hours ago
  • jrpatzke

    wants to go to Secret Passages of Mont Sainte-Odile

    about 7 hours ago
  • marinaargentin

    wants to go to Palais de l’Île

    about 7 hours ago
  • ythelastman

    wants to go to Musée des Arts et Métiers

    about 6 hours ago

Stories About France

A raseteur makes an acrobatic leap to dodge a bull at the arena in Aigues-Vives.

A Friendlier Form of Bullfighting in the 'Wild West' of France

Straddling sport and spectacle, the <em>course camarguaise</em> puts humans and animals on equal footing.
by Alexis Steinman
March 28, 2025
Jeannette Beranger with a Poitou donkey, her favorite heritage breed.

What Makes Heritage Livestock So Important? AO Wants to Know.

Jeannette Beranger is on a mission to save America’s rarest farm animals from extinction.
by Andrew Coletti
March 6, 2025
Winds from the surrounding plateaus create an ideal environment for curing ham.

The Controversial Hams That Helped a French Cathedral Save Its Organ

A bell tower in the Saint-Pierre cathedral hides a meaty secret.
by Emily Monaco
December 26, 2024
Swaths of toxic land the size of Paris still cover much of France.

You Can Still Die From World War I Dangers in France's Red Zones

The Great War never ended in some old battlegrounds.
by Frank Jacobs
April 26, 2024
“Allow me to address to you / With my deepest tenderness / This beautiful fish, fresh and discreet / To which I have confided my secret,” says this April Fish card in French.

Why April Fools Day in France Involves Fish Pranks

It's a long and fishy history.
by Amelia Parenteau
March 31, 2024
Véronique and Anaëlle Fontanel hold their Hello Kitty set of fèves.

The Weird, Wonderful World of Collecting French Cake Figurines

Porcelain or plastic, Harry Potter or copulating couple, fèves come in all shapes and sizes.
by Emily Monaco
December 8, 2023
There’s a gruesome twist to these St. Nicholas Day celebrations.

Beware the Christmas Cannibal of France

How a whip-wielding butcher became St. Nick's sidekick.
by Anna Richards
December 6, 2023
All Illustrations by Molly Magnell

The Extremely Enchanting, Totally Perplexing, Possibly Never-Ending Quest for the Golden Owl

For 30 years, this labyrinthine treasure hunt has had thousands of players cracking codes and digging up the French countryside. After a sudden death and bitter disputes, will the prize ever be found?
by Phil Hoad
October 4, 2024

Lists Featuring France

Gustave Eiffel&#8217;s Secret Apartment
Exterior of the museum.
Diving suit by the Carmagnolle brothers from 1882

The 11 Best Places to Visit Near the Eiffel Tower for Curious Travelers

11

Including Gustave Eiffel's Secret Apartment , Musée du quai Branly (Quai Branly Museum), and Jules Lavirotte's 29 Avenue Rapp

Madaba Mosaic Map
The gallery of maps, showing the ceiling
Great Polish Map of Scotland

13 Marvelous Maps That Go Way Beyond Paper

Charting the world's most intriguing out-of-the-box cartography.

13

Including Madaba Mosaic Map, Gallery of Maps - Galleria delle Carte Geografiche, and Mapparium Globe

(Flickr/andreakw)
The bathroom
Some of the decorations include broken crockery that have been priced back together

11 Homes Transformed Into Amazing Mosaics

If you own your property, why not bedazzle it?

11

Including Wyckoff Street Mosaic, La Maison Picassiette, and House of Mirrors

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