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French heritage: iconic sites and gastronomy
Heritage is a set of goods and monuments. They trace the history of our culture.
Key points of the sheet
- Heritage is also intangible: oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals…
- France has a rich and varied cultural and historical past. Some historical monuments have a special legal status to protect them.
- One could paint a portrait of France through the iconic places and historical monuments of its territories.
- French gastronomy is part of France’s intangible heritage. It brings together thousands of local recipes and cooking traditions.
- It is listed as UNESCO world heritage. It is a way to gather for a good meal at important events, with at least 4 dishes.
Words to know
- heritage (patrimoine)
- It is a set of goods and monuments that trace the history of our culture.
- intangible heritage (patrimoine immatériel)
- It includes oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals and French gastronomy.
- historical monuments (monuments historiques)
- Some historical monuments have a special legal status that protects them.
- French gastronomy (gastronomie française)
- It brings together thousands of local recipes and is listed as UNESCO world heritage.
Test yourself: 3 questions
Which example is part of intangible heritage?
In French, the language of the exam: Quel exemple fait partie du patrimoine immatériel ?
The sheet says intangible heritage includes oral traditions, performing arts, social practices and rituals.
How are some historical monuments protected?
In French, the language of the exam: Comment certains monuments historiques sont-ils protégés ?
Some historical monuments have a special legal status meant to protect them.
French gastronomy is listed as world heritage by which organisation?
In French, the language of the exam: La gastronomie française est inscrite au patrimoine mondial de quelle organisation ?
The sheet says French gastronomy is listed as UNESCO world heritage.
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Source
Sheet “Patrimoine français : sites emblématiques et gastronomie” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.