Cities of France

French cities present a fascinating blend of old and new.

Paris: The capital is bursting with activity. Openings of new venues follow the re-openings of old ones: the nave of the Grand Palais, Quai Branly, new megastores on the Champs Elysées... Creativity is in a ferment and the face of the city is being transformed.

Paris is also a capital that offers an excellent lifestyle. There is a wide range of accommodation options, lots of restaurants and plenty of different activities:

You can take to the streets on a bicycle or on rollerblades, recharge your batteries in one of the parks and gardens, relax on Paris Plage (when the quays of the Seine are turned into a beach), or follow the revellers in their thousand and one nights out.

Versailles: Famous on all five continents for the château of the Sun King, Versailles is also a town.

Seductive, captivating, rich with a unique historic heritage and old districts that have kept their charm and are crying out for a stroll.

Take an open invitation to explore them. Versailles has plenty in store to charm and surprise you.

Lille: European Capital of Culture in 2004, Lille is proud of its restored heritage and its new cultural venues: The Maisons Folie. Its art of living and its conviviality will continue to seduce you in 2006, for the people of Lille are known for their hospitality and generosity.

To get a sense of their soul, sit down at one of old Lille's little tavern tables, stroll past the beautiful Flemish houses and enjoy an unforgettable human and cultural adventure.

Dijon: Arriving here on the road from Troyes, François I exclaimed at the sight of Dijon:

"What a beautiful town, it is the town of a hundred bell-towers."

Dijon may have lost many of its belfries since then but it has preserved its true magnificence.

Lyon: A city two millennia old on the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône, Lyon backs onto the Fourviere and Croix Rousse hills. It offers you an unusual journey through time and across cultures, with its centre listed as a World Heritage Site, down its narrow streets, its traboules (narrow secret passages), along its bustling quays, on the big squares of the peninsula and with over 200 floodlit sites at night.

Saint-Etienne: Saint-Etienne, city of Design and History, is outstanding for its taste for enterprise, its passion for nature, its love of art, all of which make it an attractive metropolis.

With many parks, myriad gardens and little public gardens, Saint-Etienne breathes easily. A town in the countryside, it abounds in artistic creativity, rare museums and historic treasures, and will be delighted to win you over.

Marseille: Marseille, capital of the Mediterranean region, offers its visitors the authenticity of its 26 centuries of history, the friendliness of its inhabitants and the riches of its heritage. Come and explore its 111 districts, enjoy its mellow lifestyle, discover its museums and its exceptionally beautiful rocky creeks. Marseille has the charm of those towns you can never forget.

Toulouse: Toulouse invites you to discover its many faces: the convivial atmosphere of its sunny terraces, the intimacy of its cloisters, the beauty of the Saint-Sernin Basilica and the Canal du Midi, the modernity of the Cité de l'espace and the Airbus production lines. Let yourself be won over by the pink city, its festive atmosphere and its matchless gastronomic delights.

Bordeaux: Bordeaux, the world capital of wine, boasts one of the most harmonious 18th-century architectural complexes in Europe. It has preserved prestigious historic buildings, many of which are Unesco World Heritage Sites. A party atmosphere, excellent quality of life combine with great wines and fine foods, culture and shopping.

Nantes: Gateway to the Loire Valley and to Brittany, Nantes is recognised as the European capital of good living. Experience winds from the west, the aroma of iodine and salt, lights on the Loire, café atmosphere, tropical trees in the botanical garden, 18th-century seafaring adventure in the times of the three-masters and a crazy cultural modernity.

The anthology of emotions of the city of the Dukes of Brittany is infinite.

- Courtesy: http://www.franceguide.com