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  • Europe
    • Introduction
    • Belgium
    • Croatia
    • England
    • France
    • Germany
    • Greece
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    • Ireland
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  • France
    Overview
    • Introduction
    • Fact file
    • Where to go
    • When to go
    • Getting there
    • Getting around
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    Inspiration
    • Things not to miss
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    Explore
    • Paris
    • The north
    • Champagne and the Ardennes
    • Alsace and Lorraine
    • Normandy
    • Brittany
    • The Loire
    • Burgundy
    • Poitou-Charentes and the Atlantic coast
      • The Limousin, Dordogne and the Lot
      • The Pyrenees
      • Languedoc
      • The Massif Central
      • The Alps and Franche-Comté
      • The Rhône valley
      • Provence
      • The Côte d’Azur
      • Corsica
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  • Things not to miss
The River Loire is lined with gracious châteaux, of which Azay-le-Rideau is the most staggeringly impressive. Dom Pérignon is the most famous, but there are plenty of other bubblies to try in the cellars of Épernay’s maisons. The mighty gorges are Europe’s answer to the Grand Canyon, and offer stunning views, a range of hikes, and colours and scents that are uniquely, gorgeously Provençal. Some of France’s best beaches are found on Corsica, with its white shell sand and turquoise water. Bordeaux was the principal English stronghold in France for years, and is still known for its refined red wines. Paris’s most beautiful park, in the heart of the laid-back Left Bank, is the ideal spot for relaxing. The largest Gothic building in France, this lofty cathedral has a clever son et lumière show. The palace of the Louvre cuts a grand Classical swathe through the centre of Paris and houses what is nothing less than the gold standard of France’s artistic tradition. Archeologically, Brittany is one of the richest regions in the world and the alignments at Carnac rival Stonehenge. It’s easy to lose track of an entire weekend morning browsing the covetable curios at St-Ouen, the mother of Paris’s flea markets. July 14 sees national celebrations commemorating the beginning of the French Revolution, with fireworks and parties. Cycling is an ideal way to explore France’s scenic back roads, and there are some great long-distance cycle routes, too, such as those that lace the Alps. One of France’s best-loved landmarks, Mont St-Michel is a splendid union of nature and architecture. Famed for its gastronomy, Lyon offers no end of wonderful eating places, not least the old-fashioned bouchons. Cycling, walking or drifting along the Canal du Midi is the most atmospheric way of savouring France’s southwest. Aix is Provence’s regional capital, and with its wonderful market, top-class restaurants and lively bars, it makes a very satisfying stop. One of the prettiest towns in the Alps, Annecy has a picture-postcard quality which even the crowds can’t mar. The cliffs between Marseille and Cassis offer excellent hiking and isolated coves that are perfect for swimming. World Wars I and II left permanent scars on the French countryside. The dead are remembered in solemn, overwhelming cemeteries. These gaunt fortresses are relics of the brutal crusade launched by the Catholic church and northern French nobility against the heretic Cathars. This 70-metre-long tapestry is an astonishingly detailed depiction of the 1066 Norman invasion of England. The most impressive prehistoric art in France is found at Lascaux, Dordogne. Arguably France’s most dramatic – and most demanding – long-distance footpath climbs through and over Corsica’s precipitous mountains. The fantastic gorges begin at the Pont d’Arc and cut their way through limestone cliffs before emptying into the Rhône valley. So atmospheric is this medieval fortress town that it manages to resist relentless commercialization and summer’s visitors. Provence’s hilltop villages attract visitors by the score. Gordes is one of the most famous.