France Overview
Capital - Paris
Major cities - Paris, Marseille, Nice, Cannes, Toulouse, Lyon, Strasbourg
Top attractions - Cha^teau de Versailles, Palais de Fontainebleau, Notre-Dame Paris, Disneyland Paris, Muse'e d'Orsay, Eiffel Tower, Muse'e du Louvre, Loire Valley
Wherever you go in France, you won’t be disappointed, because every region of the country has something attractive for the tourists. See Paris and die – this saying it true to life. The capital of the country is a real treasury of sights and the object of desire of many travelers. Bridges and canals, luxurious hotels, ancient churches, fountains – all these you can see in Paris. Such places as Place des VosgesLe Marais, Musee Picasso, Centre Pompidou will be interesting for those who love art and beauty. The masterpiece of architecture is Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral, built in the 12-14th centuries. The cathedral remains the visiting card of Paris for centuries. The outstanding works of prominent French artists like Monet, Cezanne Renoir and Leonardo da Vinci are displayed in one of the largest art museums in the world, the Louvre, located in Paris. French Disneyland is situated 30 km from Paris in Marne la Vallee. Fairy-tales surround the tourists, making them coming back to the childhood. This is the exact place to visit if you come to the country with children. Don’t loose the opportunity to walk around Sleeping Beauty Castle and Castle of Peter Pan.
Want to go back to Roman times and to see the ruins of the Gallo-Roman theaters, consisting of an amphitheater and an odium, welcome to Lyon. The atmosphere of these theaters has a strong positive effect on the visitors, inspires them, and fills them with energy. Lyon also offers vast snowfields. The surrounding mountains attract both experienced skiers, professional snowboarders, amateur hikers and alpinists. Courchevel and Chamonix-Mont Blanc, les Deux-Alpes, la Plagne, Megeve, Val d’Isere are popular among the skiing-fans.
A great deal of historic buildings is concentrated in Avignon – one of the most ancient cities of France. Two main squares (Avignon Place de l'Horloge and Place du Palais) lead to the landmark of the city and the whole country - Palace of the Popes, which is really worth your attention. It is doubtless that the most expensive cars, the most luxurious buildings and numerous yachts along the sea shore taking together symbolize Cannes – one of the popular rest places of millionaires, film-stars and pop-singers. But the city is well-known not only due to the annual movie-festival, but also famous as an excellent place for shopping. Shops and boutiques on the Rue d'Antibes or Bvd de la Croisette attract shoppers from all over the world. The center of the city is Zone Pietonne – a walking street. Here you can find the most prestigious hotels, as the Carlton and the Martinez, where the Hollywood stars and very rich people prefer to stay.
It should be said that the most popular area of France, without any exaggeration, is Bordeaux. It is the exact place where the most expensive white and red wines are produced. All the wines are distinguished according to the territory where they are made. So, in Bordeaux there are five such main areas: Chateau Haut-Brion, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Latour, Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, and Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. If you prefer the walking tour the majestic beauty of the chateaus will take your breath away and don’t forget to try the world-famous wines.