Cathédrale de Notre Dame (Alsace) A distinctive spire makes it possible to recognise Strasbourg's enormous cathedral from a long distance. This gothic red church made out of sandstone was build during the years 1015-1439 and has a gigantic astronomical watch that rings each day at 12.30 a.m.
Le Musée dUnterlinden (Alsace) Some of the most interesting Gothic art can be seen in this old Dominican convent from the 13th century situated in the city of Colmar. It also has interesting sculptures from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
The City Brest. (Brest) The port in Brest is one of the most beautiful natural ports in the world. In the city you can find a castle dating from the 13th century, which is definitely worth a visit. You can also hire a boat and enjoy the beautiful landscape from the channel that goes between Brest and Nantes.
The City Rennes (Brittany) The presence of its famous university can be felt everywhere in Rennes especially in its rich cultural life. In Rennes you can find le Musée des Beaux-Artsand and the more local Musée de Bretagne, which offers an excellent guide to Britannys history and culture. In Rennes a lot of beautiful buildings vanished during a large fire in 1720 but Palais de Justice survived and is now a beautiful tourist attraction. The palace has gold inlaid halls and some impressive tapestry.
The City Saint Malo (Brittany) Plagued by pirates this city was once of the most important ports in France. Today its defences are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Brittany. The city's big cathedral Saint Vincent begun in the 12th century also attracts visitors, as it is known among lovers of mosaic for its lovely interior.
Musée de Beaux-Arts (Burgundy) In the main city of Burgundy Dijon you can visit an arts museum that is known for its diversity. In here you find paintings from a lot of different epochs. The artists cover from Rubens to Monet and the Impressionists to religious artefacts from Antiquity. The museum is in an old mansion that used to belong to a French count. The building itself is worth a visit.
The Roman City Autun (Burgundy) Behind the antique walls lies the Roman city built by emperor Augustus around 10 years before Christ. Two of the original four gates can still be seen as well as the remains of the largest Roman theatre in the area.
The Wine Museum in Baeaune (Burgundy) In the centre of Burgundy lies this charming city Beaune that has dedicated a whole museum to the most important feature of the region, the wine. Here you will get to know the history of the wine. After a visit here you are well prepared to go for a taste of wine at the many interesting chateaux in the surrounding area.
Palais du Tau (Champagne-Ardennes) The arch bishops old palace from 1690 today houses a museum that exhibits wall carpets, sculptures and other things from the kings' days of glory in Reims. It is a good idea to see this palace in connection with a visit to the cathedral.
The Cathedral in Reims (Champagne-Ardennes) This church has seen kingdoms come and go. It has been destroyed and rebuilt several times and has seen the mighty kings of France been coronated and celebrated. The cathedral is built in gothic architecture.
The City of Verdun (Champagne-Ardennes) The city is mostly known from its role in First World War where several hundred thousands Frenchmen and Germans lost their lives in the area around the city. They are now celebrated at the city's war museum. It is still easy to recognise the battlefields, which are also a sight worth watching if you want to get an impression of what was the last sight for so many people.
Corsicas National Parc (Corsica) More than a third of Corsica is covered by this more than 350.000 ha large national park. The striking diversity in the nature is nowhere better illustrated than in this park that encompasses high mountains, coast lines, Maki and deep lakes.
The Town Ajaccio (Corsica) The main centre of the island Ajaccio is the home of a very beautiful cathedral but is mostly known famous for its famous son Napoléon Bonaparte. Among the many places you can find tributes to Napoléon Bonaparte is the museum Maison Bonaparte and the town hall in the Salon Napoléonien.
The Town Le vieux Port de Bastia (Corsica) The main town in the northern part of Corsica used to be the island's capital. At the town's old port you will find the largest church in Bastia, Église Saint Jean-Babtiste whose twin towers can be seen from a far distance. Another and smaller church l'Oratoire de l'Immaculée Conception was earlier used for state ceremonies.
Cathedrale de Chartres (France) This Gothic church from the 13th century is one of the most famous in Europe. It is known for its excellent condition and it's interesting mosaics dating from Antiquity. The big building is placed on a hill and can be seen miles away.
La Nouvelle Arche de la Défense (The New Triumphal Arch) (France) In the midst of the hectic business-life in la Defense, which houses the largest concentration of skyscrapers in Europe stands the New Triumphal Arch. The New Triumphal Arch was designed by Axel von Spreckelsen and was ready in 1989 for the 100-year birthday of the 1889 World Show in Paris. The famous exhibition in 1889 is among other things remembered for creation of the Eiffel Tower. From the New Triumphal Arch you can in clear weather see all the way to Place de la Concorde through the Old Arc the Triumph and down Champs Élysees.
Monets Garden in Giverny (France) If you have seen the artist's masterpieces located at Musée d'Orsay or Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris you will find his garden very interesting. Visiting the garden you can see the beautiful surroundings that inspired Monet to make some of the world's most famous paintings. The best time to visit the garden is during spring, where the garden shows itself from its most impressive side. But the garden is blooming all summer, so you can stand at the Japanese Bridge and watch the water lilies. If you are staying in Paris you can visit Claude Monet's garden on a one-day trip.
The Cathedral in Reims (France) This church has seen kingdoms come and go. It has been destroyed and rebuilt several times and has seen the mighty kings of France been coronated and celebrated. The cathedral is built in gothic architecture.
The Cultural House Centre Georges Pompidou. (France) Also known as Beaubourg this cultural house among other things houses one of the most exciting museums for modern art in Paris called Le Musée d'Art Moderne. All the major currents including cubism and surrealism are represented here in pieces by such famous painters as Picasso, Braque, Matisse and Chagall.
The Island île dOuessant (France) The nature in Bretagne is known for being beautiful and wild. This is particularly true at this island, which is situated 20 kilometres from the French Coast. Île d'Ouessant is 8 kilometres long and its lighthouse has made many ships' journey through the Canal a lot safer. The wild nature and a couple of good local museums make a trip to the island more than worthwhile. Ferries to the island go from both Brest and Le Conquet.
The Palace of Fontainebleau (France) One of France most impressive palaces it has housed such prominent Frenchmen as Napoleon, Marie Antoinette and Catharina Medici. The gardens are very beautiful with flower gardens and ponds full of carps. The castle is situated in a gigantic forest with lots of good possibilities for excursions.
The Picasso Museum in Antibes (France) Withdrawn from the wild life between the more fashionable Beach cities Cannes and Nice Antibes still has a share of the designer stores and fancy hotels. In the city's Picasso museum you will find a very good cultural alternative to the beaches. The museum is placed in Château Grimaldi from the 12th century. The city also has several other interesting museums.
The Sea Front La Croîsette in Cannes (France) The world famous sea front invites the rich and famous and those wishing to meet the rich and famous to dip their toes in the azure water. After the swim Cannes offers gold card shopping, good restaurants and fancy cafés designed to cater the jet set with money to spend.
The Versaille Castle (France) At the Sun king's old castle it is now possible to get a feeling of the grandeur of earlier times. Here Louis XVl and Marie Antoinette later lived in luxury until the revolution reached them. You can get the feeling of luxury by strolling in the castle's ballrooms or by going outside in the gigantic park. In spite of a large storm around 1900 destroyed a lot of the garden's beautiful avenues the park is still impressive.
The Architecture in Montpellier (Languedoc-Roussillon) In this city you will find architecture from all the most important architectural epochs in France. Most buildings are Medieval but there are also a lot of majestic buildings from the 19th century. Not long ago the building l'Antigone was build. The building combines old ways of building with a modern look, for instance a triumphal arch has been made with windows of plate glass.

Area and city attractions

Area:

• Alsace
• Brittany
• Burgundy
• Champagne-Ardennes
• Corsica
• Languedoc-Roussillon
• Loire Valley
• Normandy
• Provence
• Rhone Valley

City:

• Brest
• Lyon
• Marseille
• Mulhouse
• Nice
• Paris
• Saint Tropez