Discover France
Nov 21st, 2008 by admin
If you would like to discover France you may consider taking the easy route with your own vehicle or a rental car. You can pack as much luggage as you like in the car, with no supplements, and with plenty of restaurants, shops and entertainment onboard, you can just sit back and enjoy the journey, maybe to one of the following regions in France.
French Riviera
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.
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 superb, refined, 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 to welcome guests.
Rhone-Alps
A region flagged by the peaks of it mountains where hiking and winter sports are king. Springing from a glacier, the Rhône River flows south through France toward the sunshine of the Mediterranean. Its broad valley embraces thriving cities, Roman ruins, medieval castles, fabled vineyards and the snowy peaks of the French Alps.
Pas de Calais
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. Pas de Calais is a region of festivities and human warmth where joie de vivre is a communal affair.
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 equaled 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.
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.
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.