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French rivers (fleuves)
This sheet helps you know the 5 French rivers (fleuves) and get your bearings geographically. Metropolitan France has five rivers.
Key points of the sheet
- The Seine has its source in Burgundy, near Dijon. It flows into the English Channel (Manche). It is 776 kilometres long and flows through Paris.
- The Loire starts in the Massif central and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. At 1,020 kilometres, it is the longest river in France.
- The Garonne has its source in Spain and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. At 650 kilometres, it is the shortest French river.
- The Garonne flows through Toulouse, Agen and Bordeaux.
- The Rhône starts in Switzerland, in the Alps, and flows into the Mediterranean. It is 812 kilometres long, 522 km of them in France, and flows through Lyon.
- The Rhine comes from Switzerland and goes to the North Sea. In France, it runs along part of the French-German border and flows through Strasbourg.
- The Rhine is 1,320 kilometres long, 180 kilometres of them in France. It is one of the largest rivers in Europe.
Words to know
- rivers (fleuves)
- Metropolitan France has five rivers (fleuves).
- main tributaries (Affluents majeurs)
- Each river has main tributaries. For example, the Marne for the Seine and the Allier for the Loire.
- Massif central
- The Loire starts in the Massif central, at an altitude of 1,400 metres.
- English Channel (Manche)
- The Seine flows into the English Channel (Manche).
- French-German border (frontière franco-allemande)
- In France, the Rhine runs along part of the French-German border.
Test yourself: 3 questions
What is the longest river in France?
In French, the language of the exam: Quel est le plus long fleuve de France ?
The Loire is 1,020 kilometres long. It is the longest river in France.
Where does the Rhône flow into?
In French, the language of the exam: Où se jette le Rhône ?
The Rhône starts in Switzerland, in the Alps, and flows into the Mediterranean.
Which large city does the Rhine flow through?
In French, the language of the exam: Quelle grande ville le Rhin traverse-t-il ?
The large city the Rhine flows through is Strasbourg.
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Source
Sheet “Les fleuves français” 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.