The Ile de France
The Ile de France, the 8000 sq mile region cushioning Paris means
'Island of France' is so-called because of its location between
four rivers (the Aube, the Marne, the Oise and the Seine). It was
from this area that the kingdom of France began to grow from around
the 12th century. Painted by the hands of Degas, Monet and Cezanne,
it is adorned with many chateaux, Gothic cathedrals, feudal castles,
restful villages and forests. Indeed, with its excellent transport
options and its wealth of amazing sites it is extremely popular
with Parisian day-trippers and can suffer from overcrowding much
of the year.
Where to stay in the Ile de France
Normandy
The countryside of Normandy, so reminiscent of the landscape of
Southern England, with its verdant fields divided by trees and hedgerows
and winding lanes, is dotted with testaments to its important past.
Rouen and Bayeux reflect the influence of the Dukes of Normandy,
the descendants of the Vikings who spawned William the Conqueror
and led to brief French rule of England; the latter town is also
home to the 11th century Bayeux Tapestry. The D-Day Beaches
are probably its most-visited site as the scene of British and American
heroism during the epic struggle to rid Europe of the Nazi forces
in the Second World War. Not far from here is one of Europe's most
famed sights, the Abbey of Mont St Michel, which dates from
the eighth century. There's plenty of natural beauty on offer here
too, including Giverny, the home and garden of Claude Monet and
some fine beaches at the towns of Honfleur, Deauville and
Trouville.
Where to stay in Normandy
Brittany
The north-western tip of France is distinctly different in culture,
language and pace from the rest of France. It was colonised by the
Celts from across the Channel during the Dark Ages (which gave rise
to its name 'Little Britain') and remained independent from France
until the sixteenth century. Many consider there to be two Brittanys
- the coast, known as Armor (meaning Land of the Sea) where
Neolithic monuments and ruined forts crown rocky coves buffeted
by the rough Atlantic Ocean. This is what most people come to the
province for, its sandy beaches, offshore islands and prehistoric
stone formations like those of Carnac (which rival England's
Stonehenge). Meanwhile the interior, known as Argoat (Land
of the Woods), is far-less visited and many Bretons maintain their
traditions, living in hamlets and stone farmhouses surrounded by
wistful moors of heather and broom and preserving their unique language
which is closely related to Welsh.
Where to stay in Brittany
Loire Valley
This region, bordered by vineyards, is rich with the castles and
chateaux of leaders, princes and kings who sheltered here between
the 9th and 18th centuries. Tourists flock here in their droves
to drink in the chivalry and intrigue of these august abodes. The
early chateaux were built in defence against the pugnacious Vikings
of the North between the ninth and eleventh centuries; closer to
castles than houses they were fitted with walls, battlements and
moats. As the fear of attack subsided in the fifteenth century,
castles gave way to a new architectural style more concerned with
aesthetics. The typical Loire chateau mixes late Gothic excess with
the beauty of the Renaissance to produce some of the world's most
romantic palaces - the Chateau d'Ussé is a case in
point. Other favourites include Chenonceaux, Chaumont, Chambord,
Cheverny and Amboise. The Loire also offers the gardens
of Villandy, outside Tours; the Abbey at St Benoit-sur-Loire;
the amazing tapestries of Angers and the charming city of
Orleans.
Where to stay in Loire Valley
Atlantic Coast
The stretch of sandy coast from the Loire to the Gironde is as
flat as Holland (in fact the marais - marshes - just inland were
drained with the help of Dutch experts) and almost as Mediterranean
as its neighbour Spain. Here you'll find some charming other-worldly
resorts such as Les Sables-d'Olonne and Arachon with
its enormous sand dune, its great ports of La Rochelle and
Rochefort and the brandy-producing town of Cognac.
Inland you can join the medieval pilgrims' trail to Compostela
stopping at its distinctive Romanesque churches including Aulnay
and St Savin.
Where to stay on the Atlantic Coast
The South West
This part of France, set apart by the exceptionally beautiful valleys
and gorges and rivers Dordogne, Lot, Aveyron and Tarn, has steered
clear of the impingements of history since the Wars of the Religion.
As a result, it has a fabulous legacy of medieval chateaux, villages,
thirteenth century new towns (bastides) and Gothic and Romanesque
churches. Dordogne is a vast area of 3,500 sq miles in Southwest
France. Its former name is Perigord, and the French often refer
to it as this still. It is heavily forested with oak and chestnut
trees and home to the famous "black diamond" truffles,
a gastronomic delicacy. Highlights include water sports on the Dordogne,
an exceptionally clean river, or a visit to Baynec Chateau.
It's also got the world's greatest concentration of Palaeolithic
art discovered in the Grotte de Lascaux which has been dubbed
the 'Sistine Chapel of Prehistoric Art' but is closed to the public
due to deterioration.
Where to stay in South West France
The Pyrenées
The Pyrenées is a culturally and geographically diverse region
that offers a fabulous range of hiking and waking activities across
its wet and green west, snow-capped craggy central region and Mediterranean
east. There are several alpine resorts and skiing opportunities
in winter. Pilgrims make their way tot he sleep village of Lourdes,
site of a Christian miracle. In 1858 Bernadette Soubirous, a fourteen
year old peasant girl who saw visions of the Virgin Mary on eighteen
occasions. These sightings were investigated by the Vatican which
confirmed them. Now people flock to Lourdes in their millions for
miracle cures, spiritual help and guidance. The spring water is
thought to have healing powers. Bernadette Soubirous later became
a nun and was later canonised St Bernadette. Lourdes is as sacred
a place as the Wailing Wall is to Jews Mecca to Muslims and the
Ganges to the Hingus.
Where to stay in the Pyrénées
Basque Region
Sandwiched between France and Spain, the Basque region remains
its own little country in many ways. It was one of the last English
held towns to give in to the French, and with it's own language
that is unrelated to any other in the world, there are still calls
today for it's independence. The Basques were the first Europeans
to cultivate their own tobacco, to embrace hot peppers from the
Americas, break the Dutch monopoly on chocolate and the first to
popularise the beret as a fashion piece.
Where to stay in the Basque region
The North
Northern France, encapsulating Nord Pas-de-Calais and
Picardy (which include the historical French Flanders and
Hainaut along its border with Belgium), is one of the least
romanticised areas of France. Its heavy industrialisation besmirched
its reputation in the nineteenth century when writers like Zola
exposed the hardships of the lives of coal miners; with the decline
of heavy industries its name has only blackened further. Its northern
position has also made it the entrance point for several marauding
armies over the centuries and events in Flanders, Artois and Picardy have influenced the path of French history. The
Somme will forever be linked to the terrible battles of World War
Two.
In light of this pivotal historical role, the north actually has
much to offer. Picardy has two of France's best cathedrals in Amiens
and Laon, Lille is the region's lively capital,
the city of Arras is a gem with its gabled squares and the
sobering war cemeteries of the Somme Valley are a testament
to the futility of war. You will undoubtedly pass through Calais when travelling to or from Great Britain by ferry or Eurostar.
Where to stay in Northern France
The North East
East of Paris the landscapes open up in a flush of contrasts. The
agricultural Champagne region is famous for its sparkling
wines; according to French law only wine from certain areas here
- produced to strict guidelines - can be labelled champagne. Apart
from the vineyards and wine-production centre Epernay, you'll
find the attractive ancient city of Troyes and the Roman
city of Reims, somewhat denuded by its suburban sprawl but
still offering upmarket restaurants, wide tree-lined avenues and
large squares.
Further east, the provinces of Lorraine and Alsace have been historically disputed by Germany and France. Though very
different, they were solidified together in the French mind since
they were annexed by Germany in 1871 and did return to French rule
until after World War One in 1918. Lorraine is associated with Joan
of Arc, Verdun and Charles de Gaulle and is one of France's major
industrial areas with much of the population concentrated in urban
towns. Despite this, a third of the land is forest and its capital Nancy is awash with history, summed up by its opulent Central
Square and creamy buildings. Over the red sandstone Vosges range, Alsace is a gorgeous region of timbered cottages and pretty
window boxes that are distinctly Germanic in flavour. Its capital Strasbourg is crowned with a fabulous Gothic cathedral.
Where to stay in North East France
Burgundy
Beautiful, rural Burgundy is synonymous with superb wine and gastronomy
and attracts connoisseurs from all over the world to Beaune,
the capital of its wine trade and great vineyards. In bygone times,
however, the region was known for its power and wealth; in the fourteenth
and fifteenth centuries the dukedom of Burgundy was larger and more
powerful than the Kingdom of France, taking in the territories of
Holland, Flanders, Luxembourg, and much of what's now Belgium and
northern France. Burgundy even sided with the English during the
Hundred Years War, selling them Joan of Arc. The legacy of that
period is everywhere to be seen: in the dukes' capital and home
of mustard Dijon, the great abbeys of Vézelay and Fontenay, in the ruins of the monastery of Cluny and in the chateaux of Tanlay and Ancy. There are
plenty of activities to work off that over-indulgence too, there's
a wide range of hikes in the Parc Régional du Morvan and the Cote d'Or, barge trips along the Canal de Bourgogne
and the Canal du Nivernais and a number of companies
offer hot air balloon rides over Burgundy.
Where to stay in Burgundy
The Rhône Valley and the Auvergne
The Rhone Valley was the north-south route used by ancient armies
and medieval traders and has become very industrialised. The valley's
concentration of industry, exemplified by the Marcoule and Tricastin nuclear power station on the banks of the Rhone
River, means that people pass through it as quickly as possible.
However there are certainly attractions off the main routes. France's
second major city alongside Marseilles, Lyon, is a gastronomic
delight with hundreds of restaurants and bars among its Renaissance
buildings. The area east of the Rhone, Ardeche, has lovely
villages like Vogue, Rochecolombe and Balazuac. The Grotte Chauvet has exceptional prehistoric cave paintings.
The Auvergne region is a dreamy place of dramatic extinct
volcanoes. The Monts Domes range of volcanic craters range
up behind the capital, Clermont-Ferrand. Here you can see
an example of the distinctive architecture that reflects the geology
of the area, the splendid coal-black cathedral. Old worldly spa
towns give the area a tumbledown charm.
Where to stay in the Rhône Valley & Auvergne
The Alps and the Jura
The French Alps, famous for their lustrous green valleys snuggled
under soaring, snow-tipped mountains, stretch for over 200 miles
from Lake Geneva in the north virtually all the way to Provence
in the south. This awesome mountain range, long regarded terrifyingly
beautiful but dangerous, has become Europe's playground for the
elite. In winter, people come from across the globe to the fine
ski resorts; in summer people take advantage of the miles of hiking
trails as well as engaging in warm weather activities like paragliding
and swimming. Grenoble, capital of Dauphine, provides
the region with big-city amenities.
The Jura mountain range is one of France's last great unexplored
areas. Part of the Franche-Comté area, it's a great
destination for people looking to get away from the tourist crowds.
The range of dark, almost menacing wooded hills and plateaux provide
France's premier cross-country skiing area as well as being a great
place for hiking and nature trails. For a spot of architectural
wonder, Le Corbusier's chapel near Ronchamp is a must-see.
Where to stay in the Alps & Jura
Provence and the Côte d'Azur
Provence and the Côte d'Azur are France's two most visited regions
and if you choose your time carefully, arriving at the turn of the
season, you'll discover just why they're as popular as they've become. Provence has been captivating people for millennia with its
glorious sunshine and intense colours. It was the Romans' beloved
Provincia and many cities and towns date from this period and offer
a stunning array of cultural treasures from Roman theatres (still
used for festivals) to medieval forts and big public spaces in which
locals spend a vast amount of time enjoying the good life.
The Cote d'Azur, aka the French Riviera, is synonymous with
the rich, beautiful and tanned. While it's suffered from its popularity
somewhat there's still a lot to recommend itself, sun, sand, warm
seas and a cultural melange plus international events like the annual
Film Festival in Cannes. West of St Tropez is the
region's most unspoiled coastline where beaches nestle between capes
and cliffs.
Monaco is the hotspot for glamour, style and jet setting.
The Principality of Monaco and been under the rule of the Grimaldi
family since 1297 and has been ruled since 1949 by Prince Rainer
who married Hollywood icon Grace Kelly. Princess Kelly sadly died
in 1982 in a car crash in the hills above Monaco. Monaco is famous
for its Hotel de Paris full of famous and infamous celebrities,
and the notorious Monaco Casino, known as the Cathedral of
Hell. It's good luck at the casino to rub the knee of the bronze
horse at the door bearing Louis XIV. The casino was created in 1848
as Monaco was the poorest state in Europe, and the Prince created
the new casino to raise its fortunes. It is now the most famous
building in the Cote D'Azur.
Deep in the heart of France's natural floral hothouse, flowers
are not just for picking and smelling. For thousands of years France
has been known as the centre of the perfume industry and Grasse is the perfume capital of the world. In the 16th Century, Grasse
was known for perfumed gloves. When these fell from fashion, the
perfume industry was born. It began with the jasmine flower, the
most delicate flower for perfume. Grasse contains over 200 fields
of perfume flowers. The flowers are washed in alcohol and drained
of their fragrance, distilled, and chilled to make a pure flower
oil. A highly skilled person known as a Nez (nose) will mix the
perfumes. The Nez is like a composer creating a symphony of smells
from over 2000 different scents. His bench is known as a perfume
organ for creating masterpieces, and in this magical town you can
have your own bespoke perfume created.
Where to stay in Provence & Côte d'Azur
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is fast developing a reputation as a preferable
alternative to Provence as a Mediterranean destination. It's blessed
with rugged scenery, lengthy sandy beaches and the most vineyards
in France. The region was created recently and its heartland is
the Bas Languedoc where the Occitan (the 'langue d'oc'
- the language of Oc) movement, demanding recognition of its cultural
and linguistic distinctiveness) has its power base. The area has
many places of interest; the city Montpellier is one of France's
most dynamic and progressive, Nimes has impressive Roman
ruins and Cordes and Carcassonne are lovely medieval
towns.
Where to stay in Languedoc-Roussillon
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