Why France

Why France

 


 

France is best known for its romantic capital, Paris. But France is above all a country of diversity and history : various people, various traditions, various landscapes... And France has a very rich history going back 450 000 years : from Prehistory to the present day, while passing by Middle Ages, the Renaissance, etc.

That's why there is always something interesting to do in France !

 

Landscapes :

France is a small country with an incredible variety of landscapes :

  • more than 3100 miles of coastline (Atlantic ocean, Mediterranean sea)
  • 3 major ranges of mountains (the Alpes, the Pyrenees and the « Massif Central »)
  • 6 millions miles² of forests (the mythical Broceliande forest, the « Grande Chartreuse », Iraty forest, etc.)
  • more than 7000 miles of rivers (canal du Midi, Celey valley along the Way of St James)

 

France has 7 National Parks and more than 50 local natural santuaries where wildlife is preserved. (see National Parks listing)

The Calanques of Marseille, Bordeaux vineyards, Britanny wild coast, Gavarnie circus in the Pyrenees, Provence lavender fields, Canal du Midi, ...

 

History :

French landscapes and traditions have been shaped by History. And you will find everywhere traces, monuments and even entire villages as a testimony to the History of France :

  • Prehistory (prehistorical caves as the famous cave of Lascaux in Perigord and Sare caves in Basque Country)
  • Antiquity (more than 6000 miles of ancient Roman roads, Roman remains as the « Pont du Gard », the arena theater of Arles)
  • Middle Ages (numerous medieval villages, castles, perched villages, the Way of St James)
  • the Renaissance (« Châteaux de la Loire »)

 

There are also a lot of religious monuments closely linked to the History of France : Mont St-Michel, Ste-Foy-la-Grande Abbey Church on the Way of St James, St-André Cathedrale in Bordeaux, ...

 

El Camino de Santiago, Mont St Michel, Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne, the castles of the Cathar country, prehistorical caves in Perigord, Provence perched villages, the bastides, the « Pont du Gard », the arena theater of Arles, ...

 

Gastronomy and « art de vivre » (art of living) :

France goes hand-in-hand with an unrivalled gastronomy, renowned restaurants and world-class wines. By visiting France, you need to enjoy local specialties with a fine wine !
Every French region has their own local specialties. The best way to discover them is to take a walk through the local markets or to taste some traditional dishes in a charming restaurant.

 

Since 2010, French cuisine has been declared a “World Intangible Heritage” by UNESCO.

 

Bordeaux vineyards, the «  magret de canard » and the « foie gras » of Perigord, the real « bouillabaisse » of Marseille, the international award-winning sheep's cheese of Ossau, the goat's cheese of Rocamadour, ...

 

Traditions :

Before having a single language, French regions had their own « patois » (local languages), culture and traditions.

Nowadays, some traditions still exist and are a genuine part of the local identities. In Basque Country, the « Force basque » is a competition which is a testimony to the farm works. In Britanny, the « Fest-noz » (which means « night party » in Breton) is a folk celebration with traditional dances and was created to bring together farmers. This celebration is now a “World Intangible Heritage” of UNESCO.

 

So if you have the opportunity, enjoy a real moment of local traditions !

Feria of Nîmes, the « Félibrée »  in Périgord, Festival of Avignonlocal fishing traditions in Britanny, provencal markets, basque dances, ...

 

Culture :

France has a great literary, artistic and scientific culture. A lot of museums pay tribute to famous writers, painters... :

  • writers : Victor Hugo, Molière, Jules Vernes, Albert Camus, Alexandre Dumas, Honoré de Balzac...
  • painters : Gaugin, Cézanne, Matisse, Degat, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, Delacroix, Manet...
  • scientists : Louis Pasteur, Pierre et Marie Curie, Descartes, les frères Lumière...

 

We offer you a wide range of  beautiful walking holidays and bike tours through 7 regions of France.

So, feel free to contact us for more information ! 

 

 

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