Because of this, older French cities often don't have a lot of greenery in them. You will see a lot of cobblestone and paved streets and large courtyards created for parades and events.
That said, the French still adapted to the natural hills and mountains of an area. They chose to build castles on hills because it gave them the ability to look out and see approaching enemies from very far. The city of Carcassonne was built on a hill and so was the original castle of Nice.
They also chose to build churches at the top of hills to allow peace, privacy, and protection from flooding, while also thinking, "the higher the ground, the closer to the heavens".
