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NiceWith an international airport and the fast train from Paris, Nice is the first experience of the renowned Côte d'Azur for many tourists. The city was established by the Greeks and named for Nike, goddess of victory, but the Romans started the tourism industry here when they popularized their mineral baths on Cimiez. British and Russian aristocrats favored Nice in the 19th century, but today it is more of a commercial center and is not as fashionable as its smaller neighboring resorts, such as Cannes or St Tropez. Nice still has excellent connections, but these are in the mode
of transport options rather than the pedigree of its visitors.
In spite of modernization, the city retains its medieval heritage in the atmospheric Vieille Ville (old town), with its closely packed red-tiled roofs and narrow winding streets packed with shops, bars and fabulous restaurants. Next door, the famous Cours Saleya flower and food market has scores of stands, from large, professionally displayed wares to folding tables set up by family farmers with their produce directly from the farm.
Separating the Cours Saleya from the sea is a strip of low buildings. Once the repository for the fishermen's' catch, they have given way largely to popular seafood restaurants, while the other side of the Cours Saleya is lined by terrace cafés in lovely old buildings.
Nice's shingle beaches occasionally disappoint visitors anticipating a classic, white sand beach holiday, but this does not mean the beaches stay empty; during summer the bright blue sea, sunshine and beautiful surroundings draw thousands of holidaymakers to this French Riviera city. The Promenade des Anglais lines the shingle beaches for about five miles (8 km) and has been a favorite for leisurely strollers since Victorian times.
Getting Around: Buses form the main form of transport around Nice and cover most of the city until midnight, although the city center is small enough to get around by foot. The Sunbus is a popular tourist service. It runs daily and 14-trip tickets can be purchased allowing visitors to jump on and off at will. Nice by Bus passes are also available for one, five or seven days including a trip to the airport. Taxis are not a popular means of transport, as they are known to overcharge tourists and are difficult to flag down.
ParisIt is impossible not to fall in love with Paris. The city's people are stylish and flirtatious, its architecture seductive, its restaurants and nightlife devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and its streets are scattered with dreams.
There is no 'best time' to visit Paris; in every season the city is always alive. Summer days are spent lazing on the banks of the Seine, sipping coffee at a sidewalk café, or idling in one of the city's many gardens or forests. In autumn afternoons the brisk walk from the Eiffel Tower through the Parc du Champ de Mars and up to the glittering Champs Elysées is accompanied with a carpet of leaves crunching underfoot. Winter nights induce a warm glow ice-skating in the outdoor rink at the Hotel de Ville, and in spring the passions of performers fill the air outside the Pompidou Center and the nose is tickled with the subtle scents of flowering gardens.
There is an otherworldliness to this city, where beauty and elegance are favored over purpose and practicality. Centuries of urban development have the appearance of having being mastered by a single hand with a strong sense of balance, contrast and aesthetics. The views from the Eiffel Tower or Sacré Coeur reveal hundreds of iconic attractions for the snapshot visitor, but the best way to see this city is by tucking your map back in your pocket and allowing yourself to get lost on its streets and avenues, discovering the city for yourself.
However long you spend in Paris, on departure you will know you are sure to return.
Getting Around: Paris has an excellent public transport system. It is divided into five zones radiating out from the center and ticket prices vary according to the number of zones required. Public transport consists of buses, an underground metro and express trains (RER). Taxis are also available. The easiest way to get around is on the metro and the subways are generally safe at all times. It is possible to transfer between the metro and the RER trains at no extra cost. The bus system is also extensive, but is slower, less frequent and often more expensive than the metro. Various passes are available for public transport and can be good value if staying for a longer period. The Paris Visites pass is valid for one, two, three or five days and also allows discounts at certain museums, shops and restaurants, but will not necessarily save money, depending on how much one travels. There is also the cheaper weekly or monthly Carte Orange (passport photo required), but this is technically only available for Ile de France residents. Both allow unlimited travel in the chosen zones on the metro, RER, buses and the funicular to Montmartre. The cheapest option if only in town for a day or two is the Carte Mobilis, which allows unlimited travel for a day in Zones 1 and 2. From May to September a passenger boat, the Batobus, offers sightseeing trips on the Seine stopping at the main attractions, and from April to September a Balabus bus service loops around most of the major sights in Paris every Sunday and on public holidays. A nightbus service, Noctambus, covers the city between 1am and 5.30am. Only think about renting a car if planning excursions from the city as aggressive driving, confusing one-way streets and impossible parking can be testing for visitors. Taxis are readily available and can be hailed or caught at taxi ranks.
NormandyNormandy has a proud and independent history and was one of the major powers of medieval Europe. Colonized by the Vikings from the 9th century, it was home to William the Conqueror who famously defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings and in 1066 established the great Norman aristocratic line that remains prominent in England today. This historic event is commemorated in the region's most popular attraction, the marvelous Bayeux Tapestry. It was here, too, in Rouen that valiant Joan of Arc was burned at the stake, and at the chic seaside resort of Deauville that Coco Chanel started a fashion renaissance opening her first boutique. The province is, however, probably best known for the Normandy landings of 1944 when Britain and America began their liberation of France and Europe from Hitler's Germany.
Today Normandy is overwhelmingly agricultural and is appreciated by the gastronomically fastidious French for its excellent produce, particularly dairy and seafood. Fighting in WWII destroyed many of the great medieval towns, but a few treasures still remain and make a trip to Normandy worthwhile.
Basque CountryFrance's three Basque provinces are in the south-western corner of the country, near the Spanish border, steeped in folklore and ancient customs. Unlike their Spanish counterparts, the French Basque people do not harbor radical separatist views, but they do cling to their identity, their local unique languages and traditional way of life, offering an interesting diversion for tourists who visit the area. Men can still be seen in the traditional costume of a beret and cummerbund, towns and villages all have concrete courts for the playing of the national ball-game,
pelota,and bull fighting is a popular spectator sport. Most visitors head for the Atlantic coast to the popular resort towns of Biarritz and St-Jean-de-Luz, or to explore the Basque capital, Bayonne. Hikers and nature lovers are drawn to the grand Pyrenees mountains to fish for fat trout, wander the trails, dunk in warm mineral pools, marvel at the glaciers or climb challenging peaks. Another great attraction in the Bigorre region, close to Basque country, is the Roman Catholic shrine at Lourdes, where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to a peasant girl in the mid-19th century. Millions of believers have since made a pilgrimage to the Lourdes grotto in the hope of miracle cures for ailments and afflictions.
BordeauxThe world's wine capital is disappointingly shabby, but is currently undergoing some renovation and clean-up projects which, while not adding to its aesthetic value at present, will ultimately make this large, wealthy metropolis with its classical architecture easier on the eye. Bordeaux is sited on the Garonne River, 20 miles (32km) in from the Atlantic, and is France's fifth largest city with a population of 650,000. In days of yore it started out as a Roman trading post, and passed into the hands of the English who owned it for some 300 years, imparting a British frosting on the French flair of the city and surrounds. Many of the grand chateaux in and around the city are still in English hands and many are open to tourists. Visitors can also sample the wares at several wine exporters premises in the city, which chiefly serves tourists simply as a stopover and central transport hub useful for accessing France's famous wine-growing region.
BrittanyMuch of Brittany's history dates back to its Celtic roots. The landscape is littered with ancient and mysterious standing stones and the local language (sadly in danger of dying out) is based on Celtic, more closely resembling Welsh than French. The Celts came from Britain in around the 6th century with their culture, traditions and folklore that still reign supreme in the region today, particularly in the rather arid interior, lending Brittany a touch of mystery and enchantment. Keep your eyes open and you may even imagine you spy a Cornish pixie in the underbrush! The Bretons maintained an independent state until the 16th century in this northwest corner of France, which protrudes into the Atlantic with an irregular coastline featuring inlets, cliffs, offshore islands and stretches of white, sandy beach.
It is the coastline that has made Brittany the most popular summer holiday destination in France, next to the Côte d'Azur, for both French and foreign visitors. The coast is liberally sprinkled with resorts and campsites, always full during the summer season.
Champagne CountryLegend has it that the Champagne region of France should be forever indebted to Dom Pérignon, the blind Benedictine monk who in the 17th century accidentally discovered how to create bubbly, or sparkling wine, in the cellar of an abbey at Hautviliers. Ever since then champagne has been synonymous with celebration and opulence, with corks popping at great occasions all over the world. It is believed that during the Renaissance the only thing Henry VIII of England and François I of France could agree on was a penchant for champagne, and it is recorded that Napoleon, a friend of Jean-Rémy Moët, took a case or two with him to every battle, except Waterloo.
Visitors on the trail to discover the delights and origins of the world's most celebrated sparkling wines should head for Epernay in the center of the Champagne region, where it is possible to visit vineyards and cellars (known as
maisons)of the top producers.
Champagne and the Ardennes have been the scene of many conflicts over the centuries, most recently during both 20th century World Wars in which many towns and villages were destroyed. Still worth visiting, though, are the cities of Amiens, Reims and Laon which retain their magnificent medieval cathedrals, the lovely town of Troyes and the historic village of Jouarre with a beautiful Benedictine abbey. This region of France also sports numerous war memorials and soldiers' cemeteries, which are places of pilgrimage for many foreign visitors whose forefathers died fighting here.
CorsicaThe island of Corsica is France's 'little bit of Italy', it being close to that neighboring country and therefore long influenced by the language, architecture and cuisine of the Italian mainland. The local language, for example, is Tuscan-inspired. Corsica has been under French rule for only 200 years after being sold by Genoa to Paris in 1768. Before that happened, this island that rises majestically out of the Mediterranean, belonged by turns to the Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Moors and Lombards, each conquering nation leaving their mark and influence to be added to the Corsican melting pot. Corsicans today tolerate French rule unwillingly, but radicals are tempered by the realization that the island economy is heavily subsidised and islanders enjoy generous tax concessions.
Today the invaders of this island, which gave birth to Napoleon and Columbus, are thousands of holidaymakers who flock particularly to the east coast with its long sandy beaches and pretty fishing villages. The west coast has awe-inspiring scenery with cliffs and rocky inlets, while the mountainous interior remains largely wild, in between cultivated groves of olives, pine plantations and cork forests.
Côte d'AzurThe French Riviera is renowned the world over for its glamorous nightlife, glorious beaches and gigantic gin-palaces; the chic resorts of Cannes and St Tropez have long attracted Europe's most affluent, from Russian Tsars to the Hollywood stars. Along with neighboring Monaco, the Côte d'Azur retains its reputation as the playground of the rich and remains one of the most desirable Mediterranean destinations.
The beauty of the hills and the lively towns has inspired several great artists and the area has wonderful museums displaying their works. The quaint Provence hill villages abutting the coast, that once attracted Picasso and Matisse, now draw French and international tourists by the planeload.
Center of the Riviera is the pleasant city of Nice; like all the resort towns that run into each other along this over-developed coastal strip it is packed with holidaymakers jamming its restaurants, bars and beaches during July and August. Visitors are drawn just as much by the wish to see and be seen in this desirable location as by the sultry sunshine, bright blue sea and luxurious facilities.
Dordogne and LotThe Dordogne and the neighboring Lot valley is one of the most beautiful regions in France, a magnet for food lovers and nature enthusiasts. The area has remained fairly untouched by 20th-century development and tourism and the rural way of life continues very much as it has for centuries. Local farmers seem happy to live a fairly subsistence lifestyle and village markets continue to flourish long after they have disappeared from the high streets of other European countries. This is due, no doubt, to the local taste for fresh ingredients and their disregard for what are regarded as draconian EU health and safety laws. Although medieval villages and towns such as Conques, Cahors and Montauban are starting to be discovered by tourists looking for a more authentic France, they have managed to retain their old-world charm. Visitors don't come here for a busy nightlife, or indeed for the weather, which can be wet even in summer, but for the stunning countryside, pâté, truffles, succulent Limousin veal and fine wine.
French AlpsThe deep valleys and soaring snow-covered peaks of the Alps border France in dramatic splendor, delighting walkers and climbers in summer and offering a challenge to skiers and snowboarders in the winter months.
Downhill skiing was established here towards the end of the 19th century by the English, since when an increasing number of French and international skiers (and more recently snowboarders) have been attracted to the first-rate resorts. French resorts may not be as picturesque as those in Switzerland and Austria but they are some of the most extensive and best; by European standards they are high, mostly between 6,562ft and 9,843ft (2,000m and 3,000m), and have reliable snow. The ski season runs from late November to April and is busiest during the Christmas and Easter holidays.
Climbers and hikers head for the Alps between July and September when the weather is more predictable and the snow above 6,562ft (2,000m) has melted. There are a number of national parks with round-the-park trails requiring one or two weeks walking, there are also longer trans-alpine routes, which should only be attempted by experienced walkers. Local tourist offices supply detailed maps of their area. The towns of Grenoble, Annecy and Chambéry are good bases for hiking. Climbers tend to head to the Chamonix-Mont Blanc area.
Loire ValleyRenowned for its fine wine, sumptuous châteaux and Renaissance intrigue, the valley of the Loire is rich in both history and architecture. Like the River Loire, this vast region runs through the heart of French life. Its sophisticated cities, luxuriant landscape and magnificent food and wine add up to a bourgeois paradise.
Historic towns and magnificent chateaux line the valley, which, until Henri IV moved his court to Paris, was for a long period the home of Royalty and the intellectual capital of France. The towns of Tours and Angers, both on the river, act as good bases from which to explore the area and its many delights. Although there are train and bus services to most towns they are limiting for tourists and it is best to hire your own transport to fully explore the region. Consider renting a bike; this is wonderful and easy cycling country.
ProvenceNo other region of France stirs the imagination and stimulates the senses as strongly as Provence. The soft light and its vivid landscape of pastel colors have inspired writers and artists from F. Scott Fitzgerald and Pagnol to Van Gogh and Picasso. The fragrant countryside redolent with wild herbs is scattered with historic fortified medieval towns such as Avignon and Aix-en-Provence and the ancient Roman towns like Orange and Arles with their great monuments, arches and coliseums. On the coast is the great port of Marseille, a melting pot of cultures so in contrast to the traditional social landscape of most French provincial towns. Low-cost airlines and a fast TGV train from Paris have made Provence increasingly accessible and this, combined with glorious weather, puts it high on any list of the world's most desirable destinations.
Ski ResortsThe deep valleys and soaring snow-covered peaks of the Alps border France, Switzerland and Italy and offer a challenge to skiers and snowboarders throughout the winter months. Downhill skiing was established here towards the end of the 19th century by the English, and since then an increasing number of skiers and snowboarders have been attracted to the first-rate resorts. French resorts may not be as picturesque as those in Switzerland and Austria but they give access to some of the best and most extensive skiing in the world; by most standards they are high, mostly between 6,562ft and 9,843ft (2,000m and 3,000m), and have reliable snow. The ski season runs from late November to April and is busiest during the Christmas and Easter holidays.
MarseillesMarseilles is France's second largest and most ancient city. It was founded by the Greeks in 600BC and was later conquered by the Romans, after becoming a thriving port and center for trade. Today it is littered with ancient sites and artifacts; mostly Roman additions to the original Greek settlement. Other than its colorful old harbor, the city does not have much appeal in the way of architecture. It is characterized by acres of slumlands and has a reputation for having a very active underground criminal element. Marseilles is, however, very down to earth and lacks the pretension of most other French cities, with plenty of attractions and pedestrianized squares to explore. The city is also divided into
arrondissementsin the style of Paris, which makes it relatively easy to get around on the metro.
The Old Port area is filled with restaurants, bars, hotels, office blocks and a daily fish market at the Belgian Quay, giving it a lively and sophisticated air. There are also a number of museums (including a maritime museum), galleries, theaters and shops dotted about the city that are worth visiting. Marseilles is also famed for its Opéra; an Art Deco opera house situated in the heart of the city that was all but destroyed by fire in 1920. The outgoing, friendly inhabitants of Marseille are a cosmopolitan bunch, although about a quarter of the population are North African by descent, and they eschew the style and image consciousness of the rest of the Cote d'Azur, creating a more African flavor and a vibrant atmosphere. Marseilles also acts as a good base for exploring the nearby natural beauty of the
calanques(or Mediterranean fjords) and some excellent beaches.
Getting Around: An efficent metro system operates in Marseilles, and the city is linked to Paris (a 3 hour trip) by the TGV. An extensive bus system also operates in the city and its outlying suburbs. The central part of the city, particularly the narrow lanes of the old sections of town and the harbor, is easy to negotiate on foot.
LyonLyon is a city synonymous with the silk industry, the French Resistance and a reputation as the 'gastronomic capital of the world' and is located between the Rhone and the Saône rivers in the south west of France. Lyon is home to some of the finest restaurants and chefs in the country and forms the second largest metropolitan area in France after Paris.
This gastronomic wonder's culinary history came about in the first half of the 20th century when many bourgeois families fired their in-house cooks. These women went on to revolutionise Lyon's cuisine by setting up their own restaurants and cooking for some of the finest French dignitaries of their time.
Besides the many restaurants, bistros and cafés that entice people to this endearing city, Lyon boasts three large city parks, some 30 museums and countless monuments symbolising Lyon's development through the ages. It is home to the world famous Lyon Opera House whose orchestra's reputation has traveled far beyond French borders. UNESCO also lists Lyon as a World Heritage site due to its rich and diverse 2,000-year old history, evident in its awe-inspiring Romanesque architecture.
By day Lyon can be viewed by boat on a trip down its rivers and at night dinner cruises add an element of fantasy to the city. Lyon is a city rich in food, history and culture, making it a hidden treasure in the French landscape and living up to its Roman name, Lugdunum, meaning 'the hill of light'.
Getting Around: Lyon takes full advantage of the Rhone Valley's roads and rivers. Air-rail links are made simple with Lyon Saint-Exupéry International Airport's TGV high-speed train station, as well as the highly developed TGV network and freeway system. Urban transport network consists of over 100 bus lines, two funiculars, four metro lines and two tramway lines.
LilleIs it French or is it Flemish? It is hard for the visitor to decide when visiting Lille, which has been officially part of France for 350 years but still (in its center at any rate) retains the ambience of the medieval wool towns of Flanders. The historic core of Vieux Lille is filled with grand architecture and cobble-stoned streets and squares, with a 'Grand Place' reminiscent of both Brussels and Amsterdam.
This confusion of cultures does not detract from this bright and beautiful city, set in the north of France, which was capital of Flanders during the Middle Ages. With the advent of the Eurostar fast train service from London, Lille, a major stop on the route to Paris, has revived as a weekend break destination, and has plenty to offer longer-term tourists who arrive at its international airport as well.
Vigorous shopping takes place along its commercial thoroughfares, and some attractive sights beckon visitors, like the neo-Gothic Notre Damme de la Treille Cathedral, and the Hospice Comtesse, a former hospital housing a museum of Flemish art, furniture and ceramics. Many visitors, though, are here for the beer. The best Belgian beers are on tap and served up in most of the popular bars, to wash down the delicious local cuisine, centered on seafood and rich sauces. If your main aim is to eat, drink and make merry in a historic environment, Lille is the place to be.
Those whose taste runs beyond cuisine to art will also find a feast here, with Monet and Renoir being permanent tenants at the Musée des Beaux-Arts, and works by Picasso, Braques and Derains along with more modernistic marvels are on display at the Musée d'Art Moderne in the suburb of Villeneuve d'Ascq just outside the city.
The best thing about Lille is that its local populace is not only welcoming, but adept at enjoying life, as can be witnessed by visiting any of the many bars and bistros (known as
estaminets) in this fun city, which belies its reputation as the grim northerly cousin of pretty Paris.
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.jpg "A traffic corner in Marseilles near Marina.")
