page_title: Old town
section_title: France
hierarchical_section_title: Old town / Europe / France
context_page_description: In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are many places throughout the world referred to as the old town. This is a list of some famous old towns:
context_section_description: The equivalent of "Old Town" in French is vieille ville, although the more formal centre historique ("historical center") is usually written on road signs.
  UNESCO World Heritage old towns in France:
  Albi (Tarn)
  Avignon (Vaucluse)
  Bordeaux (Gironde)
  Carcassonne (Aude)
  Lyon (Rhône)
  Provins (Seine-et-Marne)
  Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin)
  Other notable/famous old towns include:
  Auxerre (Yonne)
  Besançon (Doubs)
  Lille (Nord)
  Nice (Alpes-Maritimes)
  Paris (Ile de France)
  Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine)
  Rouen (Seine-Maritime)
  Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine)
  Toulouse (Haute-Garonne)
caption: The old city of Besançon and the meander of the Doubs River.
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