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France
Let's explore one of the world's most fascinating countries — packed with surprises, stories, and pen pal potential.
The Basics
3 Things That Will Blow Your Mind
Genuinely. You'll want to tell someone immediately.
More tourists visit France than people live there
Around 100 million tourists visit France every year — that's more than the entire population of the country. France is the most visited country on Earth, every single year.
The Eiffel Tower grows in summer
Metal expands when it heats up. On a hot summer's day, the Eiffel Tower grows by up to 15 centimetres taller. It shrinks back in winter. The tower is literally breathing.
France has more time zones than any country in the world
France spans 12 different time zones — more than Russia or the USA — because of its territories scattered across the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Paris is just one small part of the picture.
Famous For
Bread & Pastries
The French take bread so seriously there's a law protecting what can be called a real baguette. Bakeries are everywhere — most French people buy fresh bread every single day.
The Eiffel Tower
Built in 1889 as a temporary structure for a world fair, it was nearly demolished in 1909. Now it's the most-visited paid monument on Earth.
Art & the Louvre
The Louvre in Paris is the world's most visited museum. It holds over 380,000 objects — including the Mona Lisa — and would take weeks to see everything.
Cheese
France produces over 1,000 different types of cheese. French president Charles de Gaulle once asked: "How can you govern a country that has 246 varieties of cheese?"
Did You Know?
A French law requires that at least 40% of songs played on French radio must be in the French language. The government literally protects French music from being drowned out by too many English-language songs.
Pen Pal Connection
A child in France might write to you about their long summer holidays in the south, what they had for a three-course school lunch (the French take school lunches very seriously), their football team, or why there is absolutely only one correct way to make a proper baguette.