It goes without saying that Paris should be at the top of every list outlining things to do in France. With quaint bistros, cafes, and world class gourmet restaurants, food lovers will surely be satisfied. Paris also offers wonderful art museums, such as Musee du Louvre, Musee D’Orsay, Musee National Auguste Rodin and the Musee Picasso among many others. If you plan on visiting more than one museum, you would be wise to purchase a Carte Musee ticket in order to save yourself some money. This offers a discounted purchase price and allows you to visit over 70 landmarks in and around Paris. Even better than the price, this card allows you to use a special entrance at some places such as the Musee du Louvre so that you can avoid the infamous lines.
An absolute must see in Paris is the Cathedrale Notre-Dame. It doesn’t matter what religion you practice, this beautiful church has such a presence that it would be a shame to miss it. Visitors can climb one of the towers and see the large bell that once hung high above. You can also come face to face with the gargoyles that adorn the edges of the tower. Sainte-Chapelle is another beauty, though not as well known as Notre Dame. The stained glass windows here are magnificent.
Another obvious must see in Paris is the Eiffel Tower or as the French call it, Tour Eiffel. This monument stands high above the skyline and dominates in its beauty. You can climb up over 1060 stairs until you reach the highest level that you are allowed to climb. Then you take an elevator the rest of the way to the third level. You can see the famous Trocadero Fountains and just about everything else in Paris. At the top of the tower, there are maps pointing out Parisian landmarks to help you get your bearings.
Outside of Paris, there are different regions and each has its own offerings, both in culture and landscape. Skiers are drawn to the Alps and the Mont-Blanc area while sunbathers prefer the Riviera in the southwestern portion of the country. Besides the coastline on the Riviera, there are several beautiful cities such as Nice, Cannes, St. Tropez and even the tiny country of Monaco that attract all sorts of visitors.
Just next to the Riviera is the region known as Provence. Provence is famous for many things including cliffside gorge towns such as Gordes and Les Baux and the pottery of St-Remy-de-Provence. You can tour the vineyards of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and explore the walled city of Avignon. There is also an area known as the Camargue where visitors can sign up for jeep tours to watch hundreds of white wild horses run. This portion of France is close to Spain and has bullfights with their own twist. In French bullfights, the bull is not killed or even harmed. A little trinket is tied between the horns and the first fighter to capture the trinket, claims the prize. This is really interesting to watch as the bulls are quite skilled due to all the practice they get of keeping the fighters away from them.
The Ardeche Region, known as the French equivalent of the Grand Canyon, has wondrous beauty begging for exploration. You can tour this area with your rental car via the winding roads or you can sign up for several different tours. You can hike down the gorge edges to explore if you like. This area is especially interesting for nature lovers.
The Loire Valley is home to the numerous chateaux which make the French countryside famous. All are beautiful and some of the most enjoyable castles are located in Chambord, Chenonceaux, Tours, Loches, Orleans, and Amboise. There are certainly other chateaux worthy of your visit. You can always research your route and plan around some of the others. Anyone interested in architecture would be most pleased with the Loire Valley.
Bordeaux, famous for the variety of wine produced here, is laced with vineyards and farmhouses dotting the countryside. Normandy has the D-Day beaches that draw visitors and the French alike. Brittany, with its rough coastline, offers visitors an array of interesting sights, shops and cuisine as well. Mont-St Michel is a very beautiful, although steep attraction.
The region known as Champagne offers vineyard tours, cathedrals such as the one in Reims, as well as ruins. There is also plenty of shopping as is true for the other regions of France. The town of Laon is beautiful perched high up above everything else and has an off-the-beaten-path feel.
Burgundy, the region famous for the production of the wine by the same name, offers visitors food from the “heart of the earth” and rolling landscapes. You can explore the capital of the region, Beaune, which is one of the best preserved medieval cities in the area. Dijon, famous for the mustard, also has a wonderful historic core that visitors delight in.
This is only a brief sampling of the many offerings that this wonderful country has. There is such diversity within the borders of France; you really have to experience it to better understand the people and culture. There are culinary delights, treats for wine lovers and definitely sights for those lovers of architecture and history. The most important thing to remember when traveling is to be open and enjoy the experience.
