InFocus | France
Discover France
France is as fascinating as can get ... Plan your trip with this guide to the different regions of France, what you can dicover there and what they are famous for.
- Courtesy: www.franceguide.com
- Published: 00:00 November 25, 2006
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France is as fascinating as can get ...
Alsace: A region situated at the crossroads of Europe, Alsace is a frontier land both open to the world and attached to its own traditions. Alsace is renowned for its geranium-filled villages, its medieval capital of Strasbourg, its tasty "choucroute garni" dishes and its crispy dry white wines. Nestled between the mighty Rhine and the Vosges mountains, picturesque Alsace is fiercely French in its social and political attitudes, but ever so slightly German in its tastes and appetites.
Aquitaine: An immense line of golden sandy beaches, bastides and châteaux, an abundance of vineyards, mountains and countryside - that's Aquitaine.
Bountiful Aquitaine - what landscapes, culture and heritage! A generosity that is also hinted at in the diversity of its countryside: the sloping Bordeaux vineyards, the sandy heathland along the coasts of the Basque country, the plateaux of the Périgord.
Auvergne: Shaped by the volcanic activity that took place 30 million years ago, the Auvergne landscape is all green mountains and wild gorges. Its nature in the raw. Intriguing Auvergne, in the very center of France between Vichy and Le Puy, has a broad history from the 13th century's King Philippe Augustus to the Marquis de la Fayette. Celebrated Frenchmen from this region include Vercingétorix, the first Gaulois king, one of the great thinkers of modern times, Blaise Pascal, and former president Georges Pompidou.
Burgundy: Norman abbeys, châteaux with glazed roofs, ducal towns and charming villages make Burgundy a historic region with a glorious heritage.
Here, every day is a celebration of world-famous wines and fond memories often recorded on bottles labeled Gevrey-Chambertin, Pommard, Romanee-Conti or Montrachet.
Brittany: A region that values its idiosyncrasies, Brittany is a world of its own at the edge of the country.
At the westernmost tip of France, Brittany extends out to the sea where the Atlantic Ocean and English Channel meet. Rooted in its Celtic past, Brittany presents visitors with a special personality: an ancient countryside with quiet beaches, rugged capes, melancholic moors, small fishing villages, walled cities and prehistoric megaliths.
Loire Valley: Crossed by the Loire, the valley is lit up by the light of the river - the source of inspiration for the great artists who were summoned throughout history to work on some of the gems of French architecture. The Loire is the longest river (635 miles) in France - flowing north from its source in central France, then west to the Atlantic. But it is the 150-mile stretch from Angers to Orléans that for centuries was the favourite abode of pleasure-loving nobility who built feudal fortresses to protect them in an age of constant war.
Champagne Ardenne: The home of champagne could only be welcoming. Accept its invitation and feast your eyes and taste buds!
Champagne country, birthplace of le champagne, the world's most festive wine. La Champagne holds so many treasures: a rolling countryside, dotted medieval churches, timeless castles and villages along winding waterways, historic fortifications in the forested Ardennes, and vineyards as far as the eye can see between Reims and Epernay.
Corsica: Corsica is the "the island of beauty", with its contrasting colours: blue like the vast sea, dark green like its laricio pines, ochre like its Genoese towers and red like its creeks. Once described as "That mountain in the sea," the isle of Corsica, with over 600 miles of sandy beaches, and crested by 9,000-foot peaks, lies in the heart of the Western Mediterranean. Easily accessible by air and sea, Corsica is just 110 miles off the Southeastern coast of France and 50 miles from the shores of Italy.
Franche-Comté: Between the Vosges and the Jura, Franche-Comté is one of those regions where the natural surroundings are second to none.
Verdant and friendly, Franche-Comté occupies France's mid-east, located between the old Duchy of Burgundy and Switzerland, and embraces the western part of the dramatic Jura Mountains.
Languedoc-Roussillon: Miles of fine sandy beaches, a hinterland rising up the foothills of the Massif Central and the Pyrénées - Languedoc-Roussillon is a land of sun-filled charm.
The Languedoc-Roussillon region, where the Pyrénées Mountains plunge into the Mediterranean, has come into its own with a sparkling group of new yacht-port resorts.
Limousin: Make a getaway to Limousin and plunge into the most lush vacation destination you could imagine - a land of trees, water and pure, clean air.
The Limousin region, on the western slopes of the Massif Central, attracts visitors in search of unspoiled countryside. Almost entirely covered by a thick carpet of vegetation, lit up by a large number of rivers and lakes, Limousin is a haven of profoundly harmonious landscapes.
Lorraine: Lorraine is proud of its strategic position at the border of Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.
A strategic position at the crossroads of Europe explains Lorraine's long, colorful and often turbulent history, which has endowed two major cities with diverse artistic wealth: Metz, once a Gallo-Roman stronghold; and Nancy, whose elegant 18th-century buildings make artwork out of urban architecture.
Midi-Pyrénées: The Midi-Pyrénées is made up of eight departments set in the heart of southwestern France. It has an incredibly wide range of natural sites: from the Pyrenees to the valley of the Dordogne and from Gascony to the Gorges du Tarn; the diversity of its landscapes is equalled only by the wealth of its heritage.
One of France's most enticing and enchanting regions, the Midi-Pyrénées boasts a rich cultural, historical and natural heritage.
Normandy: During the American assault of Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, the Second Ranger Battalion scaled the 100-foot cliff of the Pointe-du-Hoc and seized the German artillery pieces.
Normandy echoes the history of past struggles: the Norman Conquest woven into the tapestry at Bayeux; the perils of Jeanne d'Arc recorded in Rouen; and the drama of the D-Day landings recorded along the Normandy beaches.
Western Loire: The Western Loire stretches along the Atlantic Ocean, just below Brittany. It is a very scenic region, with some 30 miles of the Jade Coast, plenty of green countryside, and 250 miles of waterways.
Starting roughly where the huge châteaux of the Loire Valley end and winding west with the river to fine beaches and islands on the Atlantic coast, lies the Western Loire. Its attractions make up the best of two worlds: inland and aquatic.
Picardy: France itself was born in this northern province located between the Marne and the Somme, for it was here that the Franks - ancestors of the French - settled down.
Picardy is the first region and the historical beginning of France; it is a veritable treasure-trove of art and natural beauty.
Pas-de-Calais: A region of festivities and human warmth where joie de vivre is a communal affair.
Just over the border from Belgium and a tunnel ride across the Channel from England lies the Nord/Pas-de-Calais region. Its major city is Lille, the captivating crossroads of TGV Paris - Brussels and London.
Poitou-Charente: The Poitou-Charentes region has a magnificent coastline - and is one of the finest destinations for countryside holidays.
The region's reputation is closely linked to cognac, the locally-produced spirit. Poitou-Charentes is a land of tradition, where skills are passed on from generation to generation: its inhabitants know how to wait for a good product to mature and they also know how to take the time to enjoy life and welcome guests.
Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur
With its feet in the Mediterranean and its head in the Alps, the region has an extensive palette of colourful landscapes.
Provence, the Midi, these are magical names in a luminous landscape that inspired Van Gogh and Cézanne, and changed the course of modern painting. They have also created a new current in contemporary travel.
Riviera Côte d'Azur
In 19th-century European high society, people would often talk of a magical land where winter never came - that land of unending sunshine and azur waters.
A few miles back from the shore is a less publicized side of the Riviera - a world of romantic hill towns and perched villages balanced on craggy peaks. Worn-down stone stairs and cobbled byways lead through modest hamlets crowding around ancient châteaux.
- Courtesy: http://www.franceguide.com
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