Paris Region

Normandy

Loire Valley

Champagne

Brittany

Alsace

• Montmartre, featuring Place du Tertre with its numerous artists, and the imposing basilica of the Sacre Coeur on top of the highest point in Paris with views over the city
• The busy and fashionable Champs Elysees with the Arc de Triomphe at one end and Place de la Concorde at the other
• Meet the Impressionists at the Orsay, Orangerie and Marmotan museums
• For a spectacular display of modern art, the Pompidou Center with, next to it, “the Stravinski fountain” displaying some of Jean Tinguely and Nikki de St Phalle’s whimsical sculptures
• Musée Grévin wax museum. If you've always wanted to meet Pablo Picasso, Albert Einstein or Louis XIV, go and say hello to their wax twins
• Musée Carnavalet dedicated to the history of Paris
• The Cluny Medieval Museum with the tapestry of the “5 senses” and the lady and the Unicorn
• Musée du Quai Branly showing primitive arts of Asia, Australia, Africa and the Americas (Jean Nouvel, architect)
• Musée Rodin with some of the sculptor’s most famous pieces (the Thinker, Balzac and the Burgers of Calais) scattered around a peaceful French garden, surrounding an elegant villa a stone throw from the Eiffel Tower. His famous “Hands” are also displayed inside the mansion
• Musée Jacquemart-André, a magnificent collection of Italian, French and Dutch classic art in a richly decorated Parisian mansion
• Sainte Chapelle (a short distance from Notre Dame) an absolute gem of Gothic architecture
• A wide choice of beautiful public gardens: Bagatelle, the Tuileries, Parc Citroen, Parc Monceau, Parc des Buttes de Chaumont, Palais du Luxembourg, Botanical Gardens, Albert Kahn gardens, La Promenade Plantee, etc.
• Rue Cler, a neighborhood street away from the main tourist attractions. It is lined with mouth-watering
  bakeries, patisseries, charcuteries, cheese shops, wine shops, fresh fruit, vegetable and fish stands, leisurely cafes and small restaurants. A place where real Parisians actually shop and live. A more personal and intimate encounter with the big city
• St. Germain des Pres, the Latin Quarter, le Marais district, etc.

DAY TRIPS OUTSIDE PARIS (also see "Paris' Immediate Vicinity" next)

Burgundy, Champagne, the Loire Valley, Normandy (see descriptions below) are only a day trip from Paris. Leave the city in the morning and be back at your hotel in Paris the same day in the evening.

PARIS' IMMEDIATE VICINITY

The Palace of Versailles. In the late 17th century, Louis XIV (the Sun King) commissioned the best architects, landscape designers and artists of the day (Le Vau, Le Notre and Le Brun respectively) to renovate a former hunting lodge located 13 miles outside Paris. Their mission was to turn the place into the most amazing palace ever built. They succeeded and the result is a magnificent palace with grandiose French gardens. The best place to start is in the King’s and Queen’s state apartments (Les Grands Appartements) on the ground floor. Then continue on to the Royal Chapel and the famous Hall of Mirrors
(Galerie des Glaces), once the scene of lavish banquets and site of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles at the end of World War I. These opulent living quarters reveal a level of wealth and refinement seldom seen
anywhere else.

The French gardens are equally dazzling: large expanses of geometric flower beds unrolling like colorful carpets adorned with ornate fountains, graceful statues, and placid grand canals waiting for sumptuous boating parties. The grounds are also the site of two smaller palaces: the pastel-pink Grand Trianon (opulent but on a more human scale) and the neoclassical Petit Trianon.

A short distance away is Marie-Antoinette’s Hamlet, a private retreat from her official court duties and the pressures of royalty. The “hameau” is a charming replica of a rustic village of thatch-roofed, half-timbered cottages, streams, ponds and farm buildings set in an idyllic landscape. One would want to live there forever, but Marie-Antoinette had no such luck.

Giverny, Claude Monet's house, the epicenter of the Impressionist world, surrounded by colorful gardens, the famous water lily pond and Japanese bridge covered with fragrant wisterias. Next door to the artist’s residence is the new “Musée des Impressionnismes”.

A few miles from Giverny is another famous art venue, Auvers sur Oise, where Vincent Van Gogh worked on some of his most famous paintings and lived the last hundred days of his tormented life. The desolate bedroom where he so tragically died, upstairs from the Auberge Ravoux, is open to the public.

Fontainebleau, a lavish Renaissance style palace with elaborate gardens and a favorite residence of many French kings as well as Napoleon, and Vaux le Vicomte, a mini Versailles, both located a short distance south of Paris.

Other places of interest:

• Chartres’ magnificent Gothic cathedral
• The Chateau of Chantilly in the Versailles style with French gardens, only smaller

[top]
 

NORMANDY

Lush and bucolic Normandy is a relaxing diversion to Paris’ fast pace. Popular visits to the region include the iconic Mont St Michel, the historical D-Day beaches, Caen with a well-documented WWII memorial, Bayeux and its famous tapestry; Rouen, a medieval town of half-timbered houses; Le Havre with an interesting Fine Art Museum and Honfleur, the “cradle of Impressionism”.

There is no grape-growing in Normandy, but apple trees thrive in this cool climate. A visit to the region would not be complete without tasting the local “cidre” (low alcohol apple wine) and Calvados (apple brandy made from distilled apple cider). And, not to be overlooked are the wonderful local cheeses, the most famous of which are: Camembert, Livarot and Pont l'Eveque (all named after villages in the area).

Located where Normandy meets Brittany, the Mont St Michel is one of the finest examples of medieval architecture (a Romanesque and Gothic mixture) and, as such, is classified as a World Heritage site. This historic monument is a fortified Benedictine abbey perched on top of a rock formation at the edge of the English Channel. At high tide it is an island but it is part of the continent at low tide. Today, a permanent causeway connects the islet to the continent so that visitors have easy access at all times. Legend has it that in 708 A.D. the bishop of Avranches had a vision of the Archangel Michael, who ordered that a place of worship be built on this site. The abbey includes a 13th-century dining hall, a church and a cloister. With some 3 million+ visitors a year, it is a very popular tourist destination.

D-Day Beaches. The end of World War II started when Allied forces (some 175,000 troops in an armada of over 5,000 boats) landed on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. The Battle of Normandy resulted in over 400,000 casualties on both sides during two and a half months of bloody fighting.

The 75-mile stretch of coastline just north of Caen and Bayeux is dotted with many memorials, reminding us of the events that changed the course of history. Arromanches is the start of this journey recounting the horrific events of D-Day. The deadliest fighting took place at Omaha Beach. It is commemorated by the American Cemetery near Colleville-sur-Mer, with 9,387 graves marked by white crosses and Stars of David. Another reminder is the Musee Omaha, where weapons and vehicles left on the beach are on display.

Farther west, Pointe du Hoc is the site where U.S. Army Rangers scaled the cliffs under devastating enemy fire to capture a German stronghold. Continuing west are Utah Beach and the Landing Museum. And inland, a 30-minute drive from the beaches, is Sainte Mere l'Eglise (made famous in the movie "The Longest Day"), where paratroopers landed off target (two of them getting caught on the church steeple). Sainte Mere was the first village to be liberated by the Allies.

Caen's most interesting attraction is The Mémorial de Caen, a Center for the History for Peace. This memorial is a museum commemorating the Second World War and the battle for Caen. The original building deals primarily with World War II, looking at the causes and course of the conflict. It presents the events which led up to the the invasion of Normandy, the D-Day landings and their aftermath. An extension focusing on the Cold War was opened in 2002. So, visitors can get a glimpse of what life was like before and after the Berlin Wall and how Europe was divided into the Eastern and Western bloc. The well-organized exhibits and video displays will help you understand (and for some re-live) these tragic events from our recent history.

Bayeux boasts the fabulous Tapestry of Bayeux, (technically an embroidered cloth 18 inches tall by some 230 feet long) depicting the 1066 battle of Hastings and the conquest of England by the Normans. This is an amazing display and a one-of-a-kind piece of craftsmanship. It is also an educational tool (in a way, the precursor of animated films) that recounts a fascinating piece of European history. The town of Bayeux was spared much of the bombing during the D-Day invasion, so it has retained its quaint old-fashioned charm. Not to be missed on your walk around the city center is its elegant Gothic cathedral.

[top]

LOIRE VALLEY

The Loire Valley, just south of Paris, is also known as the “Chateau Country” of France. It boasts hundreds of historic chateaus ranging from fortified medieval fortresses to neoclassical manors. For centuries the Val de Loire has been the playground of the kings of France, hence the plethora of some of the handsomest architecture in the world. Following is a short list of the most spectacular and most commonly visited.

• Amboise with stunning views over the valley. It is filled with luxurious rooms and furnishings.
• Clos Lucé (a stone’s throw from Amboise), where Leonardo da Vinci lived for the last few years of his life. It contains scale models of some of his inventions.
• Blois, a massive building in the center of town with an elegant mixture of 16th-century Gothic and 17th-century classical
• Chambord, a typical “Renaissance” construction, was originally a royal hunting lodge. It is also famous for its double-spiral staircase.
• Cheverny, a smaller but lavishly decorated country residence
• Chaumont, more medieval in style, including a draw bridge. Its renown is also due to its exquisitely creative International Garden Festival every year.
• Chenonceau, the quintessential Renaissance chateau (and a very popular destination) spanning the River Cher and surrounded by beautiful rose and formal French gardens.
• Villandry, not as imposing as the others, but well known for the sophisticated decorative and vegetable gardens that surround it
• And there are others: Azay-le-Rideau, Langeais, Chinon, Ussé (the setting for Sleeping Beauty) and dozens more.

Wine lovers will not be disappointed when touring the Loire Valley. Around the city of Tours (where most of the castles are located ) are the Vouvray, Bourgueuil, Chinon and Montlouis appellations. There are others (Muscadet, Sancerre, Rose d'Anjou...), but they are a little farther away along the Loire River.

[top]
 

CHAMPAGNE

This region is famous for its bubbly wine, of course, and many champagne houses/wineries are open for visits and wine tastings. Not to be missed while in the area is the magnificent Gothic cathedral in Reims (pronounced like the word "France" without the "F").

Reims - Notre Dame Cathedral. Along with Paris, Amiens, Beauvais and Chartres, this is one of the most famous cathedrals in France. Started in 1211, it is the personification of Gothic architecture in all its glory. Many kings of France were crowned there, as tradition required. In addition to its resplendent and elegant Gothic style it also boasts an unusual, small touch of the modern: a luminous set of three stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall, harmoniously blending delightful tones of blue, green and red.

Some of the most famous champagne houses are located in Reims: Krug, Mumm, Piper-Heidsieck, Pommery, Ruinart, Taittinger and Veuve Clicquot.

Epernay is located 16 miles south of Reims in the rolling hills of the Champagne wine region. Some 250 miles of cellars and tunnels, where millions of bottles of sparkling wine are kept, lie within its chalky foundations. Among the major champagne companies to be found in Epernay are Moet & Chandon, Mercier, Pol Roger, Heidsieck and Castellane (a dozen or so line a one-mile stretch of road fittingly named “Avenue de Champagne”). The major Champagne houses offer wine tastings and tours which take visitors on joy rides in little trains zipping around the cellars, past dusty bottle racks and huge wooden barrels.

[top]

BRITTANY

Brittany is the province of France where I was born. This land of ancient Celtic culture, is one of the most distinctive regions of France. A large peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, it is surrounded by a rugged coast and miles of beautiful sandy beaches. It is known for its 365 islands (one for every day of the year). Celtic legends abound in Brittany, from King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table to Merlin’s spring of eternal youth and the fairy Vivian.

Not surprisingly, seafood, including oysters and all kinds of shellfish, are the primary culinary specialties of the region. Other distinctive delicacies are thin crepes and the thicker galettes made with buckwheat flour, accompanied by locally produced hard, fizzy apple cider.

The rugged coast makes for stunningly scenic drives, especially around Roscoff, Tregastel and Peros-Guirec in the north and also along the whole sunny south coast from Quimper to La Baule.

Rennes, the capital, has a cathedral, an old quarter, the Breton Parliament, a beautifully restored 17th-century building, and a small fine arts museum.

Places of interest on the south coast:

• Quimper, with its half-timbered houses, arguably the quintessential Brittany town, is best known for its charming faience (earthenware pottery), its HB Henriot faience factory and the Musee de la Faience.
  
• Pont Aven. A charming village made famous by the painter Paul Gauguin. He and his followers worked there for some time during the late 19th century.
• Concarneau. One of the biggest fishing ports in France and a medieval walled village with, fittingly, a very lively early morning fish market.
• Carnac. A prehistoric site with more than 3,000 menhirs (standing stones) aligned like a Roman legion petrified by Merlin.
• La Baule (technically in the Pays de Loire region). A chic resort, with miles of pristine beaches, reminiscent of the French Riviera.
• Guerande (also technically in the Pays de Loire region). A fortified city on the edge of La Grande Briere, a marsh area with picturesque salt flats along the coast.
  

Places of interest on the north coast:

• St Malo. This north coast popular beach resort coast was made prosperous in the 17th and 18th centuries, by pirates who brought their booty back to the security of this heavily fortified seaport. Heavily damaged during WWII, the fascinating old town has been beautifully restored. At low tide you can take the causeway to the Ile du Grand Be where the 18th-century writer Chateaubriand is buried.
• The Cote d’Emeraude with its scenic coast and beautiful beaches (Dinard and St Brieuc).
• The dramatic craggy coast between Peros-Guirec and Roscoff.

[top]

BURGUNDY

There are many areas in France for good food and excellent wines, but Burgundy is certainly one of the first ones at the top of the list.

Dijon is the commercial and cultural capital of Burgundy. The “Palais des Ducs” is a splendid reminder of the former empire controlled in medieval times by the Dukes of Burgundy during the Middle Ages. It now houses a fine art museum. The half-timbered houses of the historic center make for a charming stroll around the old city. Another place of interest is the “Musee de la Moutarde” devoted to the history and the production of the world-famous Dijon mustard.

Clos de Vougeot, just south of Dijon, is a 12th-century castle built by monks for their wine production. It is surrounded by lush vineyards, of course, and today is the seat of the famous Brotherhood of the Knights of
Tastevin. It contains four enormous 13th-century wine presses.

Beaune, some 20 miles south of Dijon, is an exquisite medieval town. Its main attraction is the Flemish-Gothic Hospice de Beaune where the famous, lavish Burgundy charity wine auction is held every November. The signature feature of the building is the distinctive brightly-colored tile roof. The original site was a hospital which has been converted to a museum. In Beaune you can also visit the Museum of Burgundy Wine.

Other places of interest:

• Cluny, a stunning medieval abbey in pure Romanesque style
• Abbaye de Fontenay, another 12th-century masterpiece of Cistercian architecture
• Vezelay, a 12th-century basilica with a blend of Romanesque and Gothic architecture
  

Wine making in Burgundy is a tradition going back a thousand years. Unlike Bordeaux, where classifications are awarded to individual chateaus (Margaux, Yquem and Lafite Rothschild, among the most famous), Burgundy classifications are more geographically centered: Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte d'Or, Côte Chalonnaise, Beaujolais and Chablis. As in other regions of France, Burgundy wines have their own classifications: grand crus, premier crus, village and generic Bourgogne. Red Burgundy wines are usually made from Pinot Noir grapes, and white Burgundies from Chardonnay. Beaujolais primarily uses Gamay grapes.

[top]

PROVENCE

This region is alluring for many reasons: Roman architecture, Medieval history, scenic tours around the countryside, art and of course wine.

Avignon, universally known for the nursery rhyme “sur le pont d’Avignon...” (the famous Benezet Bridge, stretching halfway across the Rhone River) is an ancient town defended by mighty crenellated ramparts.
It was a major religious center in the Middle Ages, hence the massive Palais de Papes, which served as a fortress, a church and a residence for 7 successive popes during the 14th century. This quaint city is better
appreciated for the ambiance of its narrow streets, ubiquitous cafes and trendy shops. Located in the heart of Provence, Avignon is a perfect base for the exploration of the surrounding countryside.

Arles, a sleepy town on the Rhone River, has significant Roman architecture: an arena and an amphitheater still in use today. But it is mostly famous as the place where post-Impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh spent a couple of years. Paul Gauguin joined him there for a short time, but their friendship didn’t last. The famous “yellow house” where Van Gogh lived was unfortunately destroyed during WWII. But, strolling along the narrow streets, you can visualize what inspired him: the sites for Starry Night and Terrace de Café le Soir among others. Walking past Constantine's Baths and the Romanesque St Trophime cathedral throws you back centuries.

Situated in the heart of the Alpilles, Saint Rémy is one of the "must-sees" in Provence. Its ancient streets are lined with beautifully restored houses, elegant boutiques and colorful art galleries. The beauty of the countryside and the luminosity of the region have attracted many artists to St Remy. Without a doubt, the most famous was Vincent Van Gogh, who produced more than 150 paintings while he was being treated for his mental illness in the local asylum. You can actually walk to the places painted by the artist more
than a century ago and observe the very same scenery he used for inspiration. Ceramic copies of his paintings are placed in the spots where the artist set up his easel.

Glanum. There are also some Roman ruins nearby: the temple and the natural spring of a Gallo-Roman city, dating from 30 to 10 years before Christ. Two important monuments are visible next to the site : l'Arc de Triomphe and the Mausolée des Antiques. And farther up the hill, you can visit the impressive excavations at Glanum.

La Cathedrale d’Images. A short drive from St Remy and les Baux de Provence, is this amazing show of images projected on the walls (over 30’ high), ceilings and floors of an abandoned limestone quarry carved deep into a mountain. The shows are changed every few weeks. This is a lot of fun! Very well worth the detour.

Les Baux de Provence. Ruins of an old fortress in the Alpilles mountains, high on top of a rocky outcrop with spectacular views of the plain below. A popular stop for tourists with plenty of shops and cafes. Worth a visit while in the neighborhood.

The Luberon regional park and its pretty perched villages is an exquisitely scenic excursion among ancient abbeys, medieval castles, dry stone walls and - when in bloom - fragrant lavender fields (best seen the last week of June and during the month of July). Discover some of the "most beautiful villages of France" : Gordes, Roussillon with its brightly ocher-colored rock formations, Lacoste, Ménerbes and the Romanesque Abbey of Sénanque.

The wild Rhone delta of Camargue (Parc Naturel Regional de Camargue). This region is the marshy region where the Rhone River splits into two branches and meets the Mediterranean. This vast area of pastures and wetlands is home to hundreds of bird species the biggest of which are colorful flocks of pink flamingos. It is also home to small, white, wild horses, native to the region as well as herds of black bulls raised for local bullfighting events popular in the area (the bulls are not killed, however, they spend their “happy” life running after bullfighters, year in year out, until they finally grow too old for the type of activity). The large farms/ranches called “manades” are run by a local version of cowboys called “guardians” giving a little Wild West feel to the region. Salt marshes with evaporation beds and rice fields are other typical parts of this landscape.

Roman architecture is abundant in the region. The best known site is at the world-famous and massive aqueduct of Pont du Gard, built over 2,000 years ago. To this add Orange, Vaison la Romaine, Nimes (see below) and Arles (see above): Orange boasts an authentic Roman Arch, complete with friezes depicting the conquest of Gaul by Julius Cesar and a Roman theater still used today as it was in the 1rst century during the reign of Augustus Cesar. Vaison la Romaine is another very impressive set of Roman ruins comparable to Pompeii in some ways with remnants of walls decorated with frescoes and mosaics.

Nimes, one of finest Roman cities of Gaul, boasts an amphitheatre still used today for local "corridas" (the French version of Pamplona’s “running of the bulls”) and the Maison Carrée, a Roman temple to Apollo built in 19 BC, one of the best-preserved Roman temples.

Last but not least are the vineyards of Provence. Discover some of the greatest wine regions of the Côtes-du-Rhône just north of Avignon: Beaumes de Venise, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and the world-renowned Châteauneuf du Pape. If you like rosé wine, Tavel is in the neighborhood.

[top]

FRENCH RIVIERA (COTE D’AZUR)

With its glitzy film festivals, luxury yachts and beach lifestyle, the French Riviera (known to the locals as “la Cote d’Azur” - named after the striking deep blue color of the Mediterranean) is one of the poshest seaside playgrounds in Europe - a favorite place for queens, czars, princes and the rich and famous. But common folks go there, too. The region’s mild weather makes it a favorite spot for vacationers from colder climes to the north. And, for decades, the sunshine and unique ambient luminosity has also motivated hordes of artists to move there (Picasso being the most well-known example). With all the region has to offer, it should come as no surprise that this is a very busy place. Nice, at the epicenter of it all, is an ideal base of operations for fun and exciting discoveries.

One of the biggest reasons for visiting the French Riviera is modern art, and there is lots of it everywhere: museums, galleries, outdoor sculptures, you name it... Another reason is the Mediterranean ambiance and “joie de vivre” - a sweet mixture of scenery, architecture, ancient villages, food, beach life, music, etc. Here’s a list of things to see when you get there:

• Nice - Musée des Beaux Arts. Art from the 17th to 20th century with works by Jules Cheret, Raoul Dufy, Kees van Dongen, Eugene Boudin, Auguste Rodin among others and ceramics by Picasso,
  displayed in a sumptuous neo-classical villa.
• Nice - Musée d'Art Moderne. Avant-garde works by Andy Warhol, Nikki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, Yves Klein, Christo and other modern artists in an ultra modern setting.
• Nice - Matisse Museum. The world’s largest collection of the master’s works housed in a beautiful 17th-century Mediterranean villa.
• Nice - Chagall's Biblical Museum. The museum was built specifically for this copious collection of Chagall’s brightly colored paintings inspired by scenes from the Old Testament.
• Nice - The tramway stations, a dozen or so of them decorated with whimsical modern murals and sculptures from living artists (some of these works are best seen at night).
• St Paul-de-Vence - Maeght Foundation (Jose Luis Sert, architect). Modern art by nearly every major artist of the 20th century: Sculptures by Miro, Giacometti, Calder and others are scattered all around the shaded lawns and gardens. Equally impressive collection on the inside: Chagall, Braque, Fernand Leger, etc.
• Antibes - Picasso Museum, located in the Chateau Grimaldi where the artist worked in 1946. Over 200 of his works are shown there: ceramics, tiles, vases, plates, etc.
• Biot - Fernand Leger Museum featuring a works by the early 20thcentury artist, including a sizeable collection of paintings, mosaics, stained-glass windows and more.
• Menton - Jean Cocteau Museum, just before the Italian border. This seaside museum located in a 17th-century fortress highlights Cocteau’s many talents: artist, dramatist, poet, and filmmaker.
• La Napoule/Cannes - Henry Clews Museum. Unusual art by a lesser-known turn-of-the-century American artist (Rodin was an acquaintance of his). Beautiful gardens with fountains and topiary surrounding an austere seaside fortress.
• Cagnes-sur-Mer - Renoir's House/Museum. The artist lived there from 1907 to 1919. The villa displays a handful of his works and his studio can be visited (no abstract art here but well worth the visit)

Chapels decorated by famous artists:

• Vence - Matisse's Chapel of the Rosary (Le Corbusier, architect). Quintessential late Matisse. A modest chapel with some of his most simplified designs.
• Vallauris - Picasso's War and Peace Chapel and Museum. Murals depicting war on one side and peace on the other. The subject and style are reminiscent of his famous Guernica painting.
• Villefranche - Jean Cocteau's Chapelle St Pierre. A 17th-century chapel decorated with elegant frescoes.
• Le Cannet/Cannes - Tobiasse's Chapelle St Sauveur. Brightly colorful murals using a different kind of modern-day bas-reliefs painted with absolutely stunning results.
• Menton - Jean Cocteau’s Wedding Room. More elegant frescoes by the French artist.
  

Other places of interest not related to art:

• Nice - Russian Orthodox Cathedral. Built in early 20th century by Czar Nicholas II, complete with onion domes, gilded icons and colorful frescoes. Unusual for the area but an amazing building.
• Nice - Promenade des Anglais. A four-mile beach-side boulevard lined with grand hotels and other fine buildings.
• Old Nice with colorful Belle Epoque buildings, ornate baroque churches, narrow streets, a flower market and alluring shops.
• Cap Ferrat - The villa of Baroness Ephrussi de Rothschild. An extravagant pastel-pink palazzo with opulent interiors and nine gorgeous gardens (French, Spanish, Florentine, roses, rare trees, exotic...) all decorated with fountains (musical), ponds, statuary and shaded paths.
• Cap Ferrat - Villa Kerilos. A perfect replica of an Ancient Greek Villa from the island of Delos.
• Grasse - Perfumeries (Fragonard, Gallimar and Molinard). These functioning production facilities are open for visits (and smell tests), as is the nearby International Perfume Museum owned by the city of Grasse.
• Monaco - The Exotic Gardens with thousands of cacti and succulents growing on a steep cliff-side garden with magnificent views of the Mediterranean. Watch the changing of the guard at the Prince’s Palace (every day at 11:55 am). Other visits in Monaco: the Monte-Carlo Casino designed by Charles Grnier, the architect of the Neo-Baroque Opera Garnier in Paris; and the Musee Oceanographique et Aquarium.
• La Turbie, high above Monaco. Ancient village and monument to Augustus Caesar with great mviews of the Mediterranean.
• Eze. A touristy but very pretty village with exotic gardens and a castle on top of a promontory overlooking the Mediterranean (on a clear day you can see Corsica).
• Vallauris. Pottery shops and artists at work.
• Biot. Glass works and glass blowers at work.
• Cannes. The old town and the film festival hall.
  
• La Mortola, Italy - The Hanbury Gardens (only a few miles over the border). Tranquil and luscious gardens with views of the Mediterranean and over 5,800 species of ornamental plants.
  

St Tropez, farther down the coast is a charming port town with elegant shops, fine dining and luxury boats. Visit the Annonciade Museum with a long list of post-Impressionist and Fauvist names: Bonnard, Braque, Derain, Dufy, Maillol, Marquet, Matisse, Rouault, Seurat, Signac, Utrillo, Von Dongen, Vlaminck, Vuillard... Some of them are lesser-known but they’re all good! Art lovers should also visit the 10th century Chateau Suffren, one of the town’s oldest buildings (a museum in its own right) and host to various temporary international art exhibits year-round.

[top]

BORDEAUX

The Bordeaux region has 300,000 acres of vineyards and more than 500 “chateaus” or “domaines”. The city is known for its well-preserved 18th-century architecture, including the Grand Théâtre. The sweeping double stairway in the lobby of the theater is said to have inspired the Paris opera house.

A drive north through the vineyards of Médoc is a delightful panoramic tour, a never-ending succession of beautiful chateaus pop up at every bend in the road: here you see Chateau Pichon Baron and there Chateau Mouton Rothschild. Over there is Chateau Lynch Bages and so on. Those are just a few of the many famous names in this region.

In another direction you reach St. Emilion. There again, famous French wine appellations abound. But as a World Heritage Site, this is special area. Wine production was introduced by the Romans and intensified in the Middle Ages. The area benefited from its location on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, and many churches, monasteries and hospices were built there from the 11th century onwards. Most notable is the monolithic cathedral - a church carved out of a hillside - in the town of St. Emilion.

[top]
 

DORDOGNE

Dordogne is the world capital of foie gras. Rustic, pastoral and bucolic are words that come to mind when describing this region. The following is a sampling of what there is to discover in the area.

Beautifully restored Sarlat, at its center, is a medieval time capsule. Tucked among hills adorned with corn and wheat, Sarlat is a quintessential medieval town (many “period movies” have be shot on-location there).

La Roque-Gageac is a magnificent “picture postcard” village, hanging from a cliff and looking down on the picturesque Dordogne River.

Rocamadour is one of France's most visited sites. This quaint village is known for cheese making and religious pilgrimages. According to legend, St. Amadour, a witness to the martyrdom of St. Paul and St. Peter, traveled to the location and became a hermit. Visit St. Amadour's crypt, our Lady's Chapel which contains a Black Madonna and the 233-step Great Staircase (modern-day pilgrims can take an escalator to the top.)

And, as in most places in France, the countryside is dotted with dozens of beautiful castles: Castelnaud, Marqueyssac and Les Milandes among others. The latter was made famous by its famous owner, Josephine Baker, a pre-WWII, Follies Bergeres, African American dancer and singer.

Dordogne is also the area our ancestor Cro Magnon used to call home. His presence can still be felt at...

Lascaux (most often the primary reason for a trip to Dordogne) is the setting of a complex of caves famous for its prehistoric cave paintings. They contain some of the best-known Upper Paleolithic art estimated to be 16,000 years old. They primarily consist of realistic images of large animals. The complex was opened to the public in 1948. By 1955, the carbon dioxide produced by 1,200 visitors per day had visibly damaged the paintings. So the cave was closed to the public in 1963. Reproductions of some original cave artworks are now open to the public in Lascaux II, a replica of two of the cave halls, a few hundred feet from the original.

Other caves in the area include: Font de Gaume with multicolored paintings of some 200 animals, Cap Blanc with magnificent three dimensional sculptures representing horses, Rouffignac with beautifully etched woolly mammoths, horses, goats, etc., Pech Merle, and Combarelle with its engravings.

Les Eyzies de Tayac. South of Lascaux, features the National Museum of Prehistory. This interesting museum offers displays of artifacts, skeletons, and full-size models of Cro Magnon people and animals.

[top]

CARCASSONNE (picture above - right)

Carcassonne, the high point of a trip to the region of Languedoc in the south of France, is the largest fortified city in Europe. With 53 towers and enormous ramparts defending the entire city, it is an impressive sight. It completely dominates the horizon as you approach, and its massiveness does not disappoint when you enter the draw-bridge gate. It is huge, it is medieval and it also attracts lots of tourists. As a World Heritage Site, it is a "must-see" and well worth the detour. Dating from the time of Charlemagne, it has been extensively restored and looks magnificent. You can walk along the ramparts, visit the Chateau Comptal, shop in the boutiques lining the cobbled streets, visit galleries and museums and get a feel for life in the Middle Ages.

[top]
 

ALSACE

Located between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River and ruled at various times over the centuries by both France and Germany, Alsace is a delightful blend of European cultures. The local cuisine reflects these influences very well: choucroute (sauerkraut), muenster cheese and Riesling wine (among many other delicacies).

Strasbourg, the capital of the region, is a very important political center. It houses the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights. It is also home to a beautiful Gothic cathedral built from sandstone of a unique pinkish color (hence its nickname: "the pink cathedral"). Near the cathedral is the Petite France quarter, with its network of canals and narrow cobbled streets and its beautiful timber-framed houses adorned by the iconic geranium-bedecked windows. In addition to strolling around the old section you can enjoy two fun activities in this beatiful city: A leisurely boat ride along the canals, past the European Parliament and, since wine is usually the primary reason for visiting Alsace, a visit (including wine tasting) to the Cave Historique des Hospices de Strasbourg, located in the city center.

South of Strasbourg is the famous 90-mile-long "Route des Vins" (Wine Road) that winds its way through the foothills of the Vosges Mountains down to Colmar. Not to be missed between wine tastings are the many charming villages such as Kaysersberg, Ribeauville, Riquewihr and many more.

Another must-see on this route is the massive medieval fortress of Haut Koenigsbourg with its stunning panoramic views of the the Rhine valley.

Colmar, with its cobbled streets and pitched-roof houses, is the quintessential Alsatian town. The Musee d'Unterlinden (with Grunevald's gripping Issenheim Alterpiece) by itself makes the visit to this destination worthwhile.

A small piece of trivia... La Marseillaise, the French national anthem, was written in Strasbourg in 1792 by by a young army engineer by the name of Rouget de Lisle.

[top]
 

There you have it - my personal take on where to go in France for fun and exciting travel experiences! Obviously, it would take more than a few pages to paint a complete picture of France’s heritage and culture. I haven’t touched on the subject of food, for example. As we all know, France is known for its cuisine. Case in point, the hundreds of Michelin-starred restaurants scattered all over the countryside. There is hardly a place in the whole country where you are not within “striking” distance of one of them. Paris alone has close to a dozen 3-star establishments, over a dozen 2-stars and over forty 1-stars. France is “par excellence” the place for divine culinary experiences!

My goal in this document is simply to give a summary of the most popular destinations in France (not to write a travel book - there are plenty of those). So, I hope these brief musings will encourage you to start planning your next Gallic expedition.

Please take a look at our travel articles and make sure you read the comments from some of our happy clients!

[top]