Abroad, everyone knows Paris, that’s obvious. Many also know Lyon, for the food, or the Mont Saint-Michel, because it’s magnificent, and it’s rather normal. But there are French cities that have a small reputation in some countries for more amazing reasons. We did not even suspect that they were known outside our borders, and yet this is the case. Get ready for unprecedented geographic amazement.
1. Concarneau
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The Germans are going to visit Concarneau because one of their series is filmed there. It is called Commissioner Dupin, and it is centered on a Parisian policeman who is transferred to Concarneau, in Brittany therefore. Frankly, even if the city is pretty, we French people never set foot there, so we never imagined that our foreign friends would be interested in it. It still makes us happy for the Concarnois.
2. Bayeux
Ask a Frenchman to place Bayeux on a map, there is a 9 out of 10 chance that he will fail (and again, we are nice). However, the English go to Bayeux, and they know where it is.
Their first motivation is to go and admire the tapestry representing the capture of England by William the Conqueror, which is exhibited in the town located a little to the west of Caen. Their second motivation is to go and see the landing beaches in the area. Ok, now you know a little more about Bayeux.
3. Valensole (and Provence in general)
So yes, Provence is magnificent, but why does a city like Valensole and its surroundings specifically attract tens of thousands of Chinese each year? Well because a Chinese series broadcast every evening on the country’s second channel takes place in the area and features Provence with its lavender fields. It’s a bit like the Chinese version of Flames of lovebut with the song of the cicadas in addition, and it is followed by 200 million people every day, so it’s no joke.
4. Dunkirk
Ah, Dunkirk is already a little easier to situate. You know it’s all up there. And then those of you who don’t know have at least heard of the Christopher Nolan movie. Well for the English, it’s the same thing: since Dunkirk came out, they go a lot more to Dunkirk. They like things that talk about war, the English.
5. Saint Malo
As with Dunkirk, we know roughly where Saint-Malo is located, but we never imagined that the port city would be popular abroad. However, Quebecers often stop in the city which is the starting point of the journey of Jacques Cartier, the explorer who “discovered” Canada. Saint-Malo is also his birthplace, even if several local towns compete for this title. Be that as it may, Saint-Malo has its small reputation across the Atlantic.
6. Deshaies
The Guadeloupe town is the filming location of the series Murders in Paradise (if you don’t know, ask your parents, they know). The specificity of this series is that it is Franco-British. And if it works quite well in France, it is a hit in England, with more than 9 million viewers per episode. As a result, even if the name of the city is changed in the series, there are still English people who travel to visit Deshaies, and there was even a “Death in Paradise Tour” to take guided tours of the filming locations.
7. Colmar
In the city of the Great East, one can regularly see Chinese tourists for more than a year. The reason: a Chinese reality show was filmed in this city, more precisely at the Bistrot des Lavandières. The program, chinese restaurantwhich is a kind of Top chef, has been seen by more than 2.5 billion viewers in China and around the world. It is rather substantial, we grant you.