The vast Château de Chambord, one of France's great museums, and also apparently the perfect place to shoot a Brazilian telenovela, as here.
1. Museums —
The vast Château de Chambord, one of France's great museums, and also apparently the perfect place to shoot a Brazilian telenovela, as here.
ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Image
No one's arguing against the existence of great cheeses around the world -- but no French citizen needs to go much further than the corner shop to find one. Mimolette (pictured) is just one of its edible works of art.
2. Cheese —
No one's arguing against the existence of great cheeses around the world -- but no French citizen needs to go much further than the corner shop to find one. Mimolette (pictured) is just one of its edible works of art.
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images
Insouciance, that accent, joie de vivre -- it's an irresistible package. Marion Cotillard has been seen as embodying a certain Frenchness in recent times.
3. Sexiness —
Insouciance, that accent, joie de vivre -- it's an irresistible package. Marion Cotillard has been seen as embodying a certain Frenchness in recent times.
Danny Martindale/Getty Images
France's style of light-touch sophistication and luxury -- whether at spas or in fancy cafés -- has been copied worldwide.
4. Luxury —
France's style of light-touch sophistication and luxury -- whether at spas or in fancy cafés -- has been copied worldwide.
JEAN PIERRE MULLER/AFP/Getty Images
The first French rule of the road: I'm going that way, and you can't stop me. The result: world-beating traffic jams, especially during vacation season.
5. Traffic jams —
The first French rule of the road: I'm going that way, and you can't stop me. The result: world-beating traffic jams, especially during vacation season.
KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images
While in many other countries they've been sacrificed to the chains, France has hung on to its quirky, little boutiques.
6. Shopping —
While in many other countries they've been sacrificed to the chains, France has hung on to its quirky, little boutiques.
Marc Dantan
The French have mastered the art of being impeccably polite and startlingly dismissive at the same time. A bright "bonjour" usually gets you what you want.
7. Politeness (French-style) —
The French have mastered the art of being impeccably polite and startlingly dismissive at the same time. A bright "bonjour" usually gets you what you want.
PATRICK KOVARIK/AFP/GettyImages
The French weren't joking when they called their high-speed rail network train à grande vitesse -- "very fast train."
8. Trains —
The French weren't joking when they called their high-speed rail network train à grande vitesse -- "very fast train."
MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images
In October 2013, British Prime Minister David Cameron's (pictured) government announced that French energy giant EDF -- one of the world's largest suppliers of electricity -- would build Britain's first new nuclear plant in a generation, with Chinese backing.
9. Globalization —
In October 2013, British Prime Minister David Cameron's (pictured) government announced that French energy giant EDF -- one of the world's largest suppliers of electricity -- would build Britain's first new nuclear plant in a generation, with Chinese backing.
Tim Ireland/AFP/Getty Image
French shopkeepers are consummate professionals. Sometimes grumpy consummate professionals.
10. Customer Service —
French shopkeepers are consummate professionals. Sometimes grumpy consummate professionals.
KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images