France is a country with a long, rich history and culture. From its world-famous gastronomy to its iconic landmarks, France has no shortage of fascinating facts and stories to uncover. Let’s solve 47 riddles to learn more about this captivating nation!
Geography Riddles
Riddle 1
I’m a famous French landmark that stands 324 meters (1063 feet) tall. Over 7 million people visit me every year to admire my city views. What am I?
Answer: The Eiffel Tower
Riddle 2
I’m an island located off the Atlantic coast of France. My rugged shoreline and historic towns like Saint-Malo attract visitors. What island am I?
Answer: Brittany
Riddle 3
We are an extensive cave system in southwestern France with prehistoric cave paintings dating back over 27,000 years. What are we?
Answer: Lascaux Caves
Riddle 4
I’m a bustling Mediterranean port city located in southeastern France near the Italian border. My historic Old Port, beaches and art museums are popular with visitors. What city am I?
Answer: Marseille
Riddle 5
I’m a famous French palace located outside Paris. My opulent Hall of Mirrors and picturesque gardens attract millions of visitors every year. What palace am I?
Answer: Palace of Versailles
History & Culture Riddles
Riddle 6
We are a group of volcanic islands located off the northwest coast of France. Napoleon was exiled here after his defeat at Waterloo. What islands are we?
Answer: The Channel Islands
Riddle 7
I’m a 15th century French heroine who helped lead France to victory over English forces in the Hundred Years War. What is my name?
Answer: Joan of Arc
Riddle 8
We are a series of conflicts that took place between France and England from 1337 to 1453 over control of the French throne. What long conflict are we referring to?
Answer: The Hundred Years’ War
Riddle 9
I’m an important French holiday that culminates with military parades and fireworks on July 14th. I commemorate the anniversary of the 1789 Storming of the Bastille. What holiday am I?
Answer: Bastille Day
Riddle 10
We are a school of French Impressionist artists who painted outdoors, experimenting with light and color. Famous members included Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir and Camille Pissarro. What art movement are we?
Answer: Impressionism
Riddle 11
I’m a famous 1966 French film starring Anouk Aimée that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. I tell the bittersweet story of a capsized relationship. What film am I?
Answer: A Man and a Woman (Un Homme et Une Femme)
Riddle 12
I’m a type of lyrical verse and song tradition from southern France. My name means “language of Oc” referring to the Occitan language I’m performed in. Troubadours performed me in the Middle Ages. What am I?
Answer: Occitan poetry
Riddle 13
We are a religious group that split from the Catholic Church in France during the 12th century. Many of us were persecuted as heretics. What group are we?
Answer: Cathars or Albigensians
Riddle 14
I’m a monument located in the center of Paris commemorating French military victories. My Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806. What am I?
Answer: The Champs-Élysées
Riddle 15
I was a French Protestant religious reformer and theologian who challenged many doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church during the 16th century. What is my name?
Answer: John Calvin
Literature Riddles
Riddle 16
We are an anthology of French medieval lyrical poems and songs about courtly romance written in Old French. Troubadours and trouvères wrote us during the 12th to 14th centuries. What famous poetic work are we?
Answer: The Songs of Roland
Riddle 17
I’m an 18th century French writer and philosopher whose work espoused liberty, equality and fraternity. My influential writings inspired many leaders of the French Revolution. Who am I?
Answer: Voltaire
Riddle 18
I’m a 19th century French novelist and playwright who wrote the novels Madame Bovary and Sentimental Education. My work is known for its precise descriptions of everyday bourgeois life. Who am I?
Answer: Gustave Flaubert
Riddle 19
We are a 20th century French literary movement whose works experimented with narrative and challenged traditional prose. Representative authors included Philippe Sollers and Alain Robbe-Grillet. What avant-garde movement are we?
Answer: Nouveau Roman (New Novel)
Riddle 20
I’m a 16th century French essayist and philosopher known for my witty, skeptical and humanistic writings. My famous quote “cogito ergo sum” means “I think therefore I am.” Who am I?
Answer: René Descartes
Riddle 21
I’m a classic 18th century French novel by the Marquis de Sade recounting the erotic and violent exploits of its main character. My controversial content led to the term “sadism” being derived from the author’s name. What novel am I?
Answer: The 120 Days of Sodom
Riddle 22
I’m an early 19th century French author considered the founder of the historical novel and pioneer of modern French literary realism. My works include The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. Who am I?
Answer: Alexandre Dumas
Food & Dining Riddles
Riddle 23
I’m a rich dessert made by baking layers of flaky pastry dough with a sweet filling, often custard or cream. My name comes from the French word for “lightning.” What dessert am I?
Answer: Mille-feuille or Napoleon
Riddle 24
We are a type of rich, buttery puff pastry used to make delicate French pastries like croissants. Our flaky layers are created by repeatedly folding butter into the dough through a labor-intensive process. What are we called?
Answer: Pâte feuilletée
Riddle 25
I’m a classic French omelet made very slowly over low heat to create a soft, smooth, creamy texture. My name means “rolled in butter.” What type of omelet am I?
Answer: Omelette au baveuse
Riddle 26
I’m a traditional French stew from the Dordogne region made with duck or goose fat, beans and preserved duck or goose. My name literally means “jar.” What stew am I?
Answer: Confit de canard
Riddle 27
We are a French term referring to the founding sauces of classical French cuisine described by influential chef Auguste Escoffier. Name three of the five “mother sauces.”
Answer: Bechamel, veloute, espagnole, tomato, and hollandaise
Riddle 28
I’m a type of rich almond cake or tartlet from southwest France filled with a sweet almond cream. Traditional stories say I got my name when a famished baker hastily substituted almonds when he ran out of flour. What am I called?
Answer: Galette des Rois or king cake
Riddle 29
We are a French term referring to small, elegant bites of rich, buttery puff pastry stuffed with savory fillings like cheese or meat. Name a popular example of this type of hors d’oeuvre.
Answer: Vol-au-vents
Riddle 30
I’m a classic French fish dish made by poaching filets of whitefish like sole in an aromatic white wine broth with butter. My name means “live in the courtly style” referring to my refined flavors. What dish am I?
Answer: Poached fish à la Parisienne or Parisian-style
Art & Architecture Riddles
Riddle 31
We are a famous Paris cathedral known for its Gothic architecture featuring stained glass rose windows and flying buttresses. Construction began on us in 1163 under King Louis VII. What landmark cathedral are we?
Answer: Notre Dame de Paris
Riddle 32
I’m an ornate Paris railway station opened in 1900 known for my Beaux-Arts style façade and opulent interior decor. Famous landmarks around me include the Louvre and the Tuileries Garden. What station am I?
Answer: Gare de Lyon
Riddle 33
We are a French term meaning the “fine arts” referring to visual art forms like sculpture, painting and printmaking. Name three disciplines considered one of the “Beaux Arts.”
Answer: Sculpture, painting, architecture, printmaking, drawing, musical composition, and photography
Riddle 34
I’m an iconic Cubist painting by Picasso depicting five nude female prostitutes in a disconcertingly fragmented style. My provocative subject matter created a scandal when I was first exhibited in 1916. What painting am I?
Answer: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (The Young Ladies of Avignon)
Riddle 35
We are a style of French Baroque architecture originating in Paris in the early 18th century known for or delicate, eclectic designs featuring curving forms and ornamentation. What architectural style beginning with R are we referring to?
Answer: Rococo
Science & Technology Riddles
Riddle 36
I was an 18th-19th century French chemist who established modern quantitative chemistry through careful experimentation and mathematical analyses. I helped disprove the phlogiston theory of combustion and discovered oxygen’s role in rusting and respiration. Who am I?
Answer: Antoine Lavoisier
Riddle 37
We are a series of more than 200 underground tunnels located in Paris lined with bones exhumed from the city’s overflowing cemeteries in the late 18th century. Where would you find us?
Answer: The Paris Catacombs
Riddle 38
I was a French microbiologist who developed the first effective treatment against diphtheria and, more famously, pioneered vaccination for rabies. My innovative cell cultivation techniques earned me distinction as “the father of cell biology.” Who am I?
Answer: Louis Pasteur
Riddle 39
I was a French philosopher and mathematician called the “father of modern philosophy.” My famous philosophical statement “I think therefore I am” remains influential today. I also made key contributions to fields like optics, physics and anatomy. Who am I?
Answer: René Descartes
Riddle 40
We are a set of ethical principles outlined in a 1804 report requested by Napoleon regarding medical research and patient treatment. Our guidelines form the basis for modern bioethics. What famous ethical standards beginning with B are we referring to?
Answer: The Belmont Report
Politics & Government Riddles
Riddle 41
I’m an elaborate 18th century royal retreat commissioned by Louis XV located about 20 km west of Versailles. My famous centerpiece is the Hall of Mirrors gallery bordered by arched windows overlooking elegant gardens. What palace am I?
Answer: Palace of Fontainebleau
Riddle 42
We are a legislative body formed during the French Revolution that approved the Declaration of the Rights of Man in 1789 before Napolean dissolved us in 1799. What assembly are we?
Answer: The National Assembly
Riddle 43
I was an influential 18th century writer and philosopher whose ideas espoused individual liberty and challenged religious conventions and absolutism. My writings inspired leaders during the French Enlightenment and Revolution. Who am I?
Answer: Voltaire
Riddle 44
I was a French military officer who ruled as First Consul of France from 1799 until 1804, when I crowned myself emperor. I established the Napoleonic Code and attempted to build a vast European empire. Who am I?
Answer: Napoleon Bonaparte
Riddle 45
I’m the supreme constitutional authority and seat of judicial power in France. Established in 1958 under the Fifth Republic constitution, I’m comprised of nine appointed members serving nine-year terms. What French high council am I?
Answer: The Constitutional Council
Miscellaneous Riddles
Riddle 46
I’m a style of dotted swiss fabric often used to trim children’s clothes and blankets. My pattern resembles honeycomb or fish scales. I get my name from the French word for “honeycomb.” What fabric am I?
Answer: Piqué
Riddle 47
We are the members of an elite French special police unit renowned for our high-risk tactical operations including hostage rescue and counterterrorism. We typically operate in black hoods and full tactical gear to conceal identities. What elite unit are we?
Answer: RAID or Research, Assistance, Intervention, Deterrence
Conclusion
How many of these French riddles could you solve correctly? France’s rich culture, history and innovation offered no shortage of fascinating facts to uncover through these brainteasers. Let us know if you have any other fun riddles to stump fellow Francophiles!
