Women’s World Cup: a Guide to the Host Cities

The Women’s World Cup takes place this summer in France and comes at a time when interest in the sport is growing at an incredible pace. Fans from around the world will be traveling to France to enjoy the games but also the attractions of each of the nine host cities. So, if you’re going to the World Cup, here’s what each of them has for you to see and do:

Paris

The venue for the opening game will be the famous Parc des Princes in Paris. It may have come close to losing one of its most famous landmarks this year, but Paris still has so much to offer, from the Eiffel Tower to Montmartre and river cruises down the Seine.

Lyon

The final and semi-finals will be held at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais. The historic city of Lyon has many fabulous sights including the Roman ruins of Fourvière, Renaissance churches like the Cathedral of St John and museums like the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, which has works by Rubens, Rembrandt, Monet, Van Gogh and more.

Nice

No one needs telling that the French Riviera is a great place to visit and with its nickname being Nice la Belle (Nice the Beautiful), this is one city football fans will be sad to leave. Certainly, England fans will enjoy visiting the Promenade des Anglais alongside the bay before their first game against Scotland in the city.

Montpellier

Football fans visiting Montpellier will almost certainly be congregating in the Place de la Comedie, hoping that the joke won’t be on their teams on the pitch. The local architecture is no joke either, with many stunning historic buildings and gardens to see while visiting the city.

Rennes

Another city with a beautiful historic centre for fans to enjoy, the highlights of Rennes include its Opera House, City Hall and Saint George Palace and gardens. There are also many parks to visit, helping Rennes live up to its reputation as a great place to live.

Le Havre

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this Northern port has a charm all of its own but also has five renowned museums, including the Museum of modern art André Malraux (or MuMa as it’s also known), which has the second biggest collection of impressionist paintings in France.

Valenciennes

Much of Valenciennes was destroyed in the First and Second World Wars, which means that, unlike many other cities on this list, it has little left of historical note. The tourist information office is worth a visit though, as it’s in La Maison Espagnole, one of the few buildings left from the Spanish occupation of the 17th Century.

Reims

This is where the old kings of France used to be crowned at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Reims. The city also has many other places worth a visit including the Palace of Tau, which in part dates back to 1498 and the Saint Remi Basilica. There’s also plenty of champagne tours on offer too as Reims is home to many of the main producing houses in the region.

Grenoble

The self-styled Capital of the Alps, Grenoble offers incredible views from La Bastille, an ancient series of fortifications in the mountains over the city and they’re available via cable car. There are also archeological museums to visit and the famous Musée de Grenoble with works by Picasso, Renoir, Gaugin and more.