Midi-Pyrénées

It is the largest south-western French administrative region, near the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pyrénées and Spain. Toulouse is the county-town of this region composed by  8 départements: Ariège, Aveyron, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Lot, Hautes-Pyrénées, Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne.
In Midi-Pyrénées there is a rich fauna and flora. The wild nature, authentic cities, landscapes sometimes flat and sometimes hilly, the mountains and the proximity to the sea are the particularities of this region.
Several parks are located in Midi-Pyrénées amongst which one National Park and three Regional Parks.The region has numerous picturesque towns and villages. Taking into account the infrastructures in the mountain, onecan do rock climbing, hike or make a tour aboard of a hot air balloon.The hikes will allow you to discover beautiful landscapes, river valleys and prehistorical caves. The great cirques of the Pyrénées exist due to immense vanished glaciers. "Spectacular!" How else could one describe the Gavarnie cirque? It is the most famous one and is pervaded by the great waterfall (423m) which is the highest in continental France and one of the most impressive ones in Europe. The cirque is in Hautes-Pyrénées and has always astonished. Its reputation has been made along the 16th Century when it has been explored and Gavarnie became the birthplace of "pyrénéisme" (similar to alpinism).

Lourdes, located in Hautes-Pyrénées, is France's most popular sanctuary. Every year, six million pilgrims go there to pray.

Rocamadour, a medieval city of the 11th Century is build on the slope of a hill on three floors. Each social class had its floor: the knights, the clergy and finally the working class.
The Bétharram caves are classified amongst the most beautiful and astonishing caves in France. Discovered in 1801, they were open to the public only a hundred years later. Now the public may see five lakes from different ice ages and interesting concretions.

Cordes-sur-ciel is one the most beautiful villages of France from the 12th Century be it because of its Gothic houses, its protecting walls, the market place or its narrow streets.
Belcastel is a charming village with a castle from the 11th Century with stone houses on both sides of the river. The stone bridge over the Aveyron has been built in the 15th Century.Beside all these wonders, the region has 66 museums.Be it for its alcohols, its meats, its deli meats, its typical meals, its cheeses or cakes...Midi-Pyrénées offer an excellent gastronomy with classified or "appellation of origin" labelled products. Treat your taste buds!
For all these reasons the region attracts more and more tourists every year who are eager to discover these wonders.

Normandie

Normandie (Normandy) spreads from Picardie to Bretagne and borders the Western part of the Parisian Basin. Its name comes from the Men from the North (Normans or Vikings) who invaded the region in the 10th Century. Normandie is composed of the regions: Haute Normandie (High Normandy) in the North and Basse Normandie (Low Normandy) in the South. It borders the Channel on 600km. The landscape is shaped by a vast plain covered by pines and prairies with green grass, apple trees and herds of dairy cows. The region produces milk, butter, cream and excellent Camembert. It is a abundant land with a great history, fertile lands, a beautiful coast and magnificent cities. The well-known Omaha Beach, where the Allied forces landed on June 6th 1944 and lost 3000 soldiers is located between Cherbourg and Caen.
Amongst the interesting cities are Caen and its castle from the 10th Century, Le Havre and its 2,8km long Normandy Bridge, but the most beautiful is Rouen. Joan of Arc, who is the Holy Patron of France, was burned is this city in 1431 accused of witchcraft. Rouen ca be proud of its old town with half-timbered houses admired by everyone. Do not miss the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the highest in France (its tower is 151m high) built in the 14th Century. One should take its time visiting this city because the most narrow street his hiding some surprises.

Plus, one should not forget the famous Mont Saint Michel classified World Heritage. It is a small island near the Bretagne which is only reachable by feet when the tide is out. The only link to the mainland is a 2km long dike.
According to legend, the archangel Gabriel has told Aubert, Bishop of Avranches to build a church on this rock. The church and monastery rise supremely on the rock which later welcomed an authentic village.
When the tide is in, the Mont Saint Michel is nearly cut off from the world. The tides are the greatest of Europe with an amplitude of 14m.

White and yellowish limestone cliffs fall like cascades on narrow beaches. They have been sculpted by the sea and the wind in a hundred million years. Some beaches are sandy, others rocky as to please everyone.
The Normandy coast is extraordinary in every moment. The sun plays with the colours. Thus, the 70m high cliffs are turquoise or bright white, the prairies are intense green or bright yellow like mature wheat. But when the wind brings dark clouds this idyllic landscape turns from a minute to another into a mystery and horror scene.
The villages along the coast are quiet fishing ports or marinas, normally asleep and silent.

Let's enjoy Normandie as long as it has not been invaded by tourists!

Auvergne

Auvergne is a historical land and administrative region in the centre of France. It is composed of 4 “départements”: Allier, Cantal, Haute-Loire, Puy-de-Dôme and its county town is Clermont-Ferrand.
This city has very beautiful historical monuments such as the Notre-Dame Cathedral built in 1248 out of black volcanic rocks - you will see this characteristic monument from far away. It dominates the city with its 96 meters high twin towers. Clermont-Ferrand is an excellent starting point to explore the region and its paths.

For history and architecture lovers Auvergne will be as heaven. One will discover medieval castles, churches and palaces from the Renaissance.

From the bird's eye perspective it’s hard to believe that it one is at the heart of Europe. The volcanoes are thrilling: spread on 4000km² and at least on 120km there seem endless. From the largest to the smallest, with their round craters, some are covered with trees and shrubs, others are completely naked. Some rise in the middle of villages others are grouping in Auvergne’s prairies.

The Puy-de-Dôme (the legend says it was the place where the witches met) is the highest volcano with 1465m. He is covered by trees with deciduous leaves gleaming in red, orange and brown at sunrise. Here and there appears golden or bright yellow taints. The pale rose clouds flowing over the peaks look like smoke. The volcanoes seem to breathe as when there were in eruption ten thousand years ago.

From the top of the Puy-de-Dôme one can see 80 volcanic cones on 30km. Between them one can see fields and pastures in green and yellow, fruit trees, coniferous and hardwood forests. The less high volcanoes are covered by grass. In spring and summer they are green and red in autumn.

One may admire the landscape from the main roads but it is better to take secondary roads where on will discover the volcanic landscape in its full beauty and the picturesque villages build in volcanic rock.

The Auvergne is beautiful throughout the whole year but one will see the widest range of colours in autumn. Especially at sunrise when sky, clouds, rocks, grass and leaves have the most interesting nuances.

The Auvergne awaits its visitors with his dormant volcanoes, its enchanting peaks, smelling forests, its peaceful villages and its castles rising among colourful trees.

Those who want to experience unusual impressions should absolutely visit this magnificent region. There is no other place with this majesty be it in Europe or in the world.

Languedoc-Roussillon

Languedoc-Roussillon is a region in the South of France. It borders the Mediterranean Sea and has five départements: Aude, Gard, Hérault, Lozère and Pyrénées Orientales. Its county-town Montpellier is about ten kilometres away from the sea.

This region spreads in a curve along the Mediterranean coast from the Spanish boarder to the Rhone estuary offering diverse landscapes. Its excellent white and red wines are contributing to its fame. Worldwide, Languedoc-Roussillon is particularly known for the city of Carcassonne, the greatest fortress in Europe:  two surrounding protecting walls which are more than 3 km long. Every year, more than 3 thousand tourists come to visit the medieval city classified as World Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. This historical monument is one of the most known in France.

This region is has a rich culture, real treasures are right in front of you, one there. These lands where already known during the Roman Empire, e.g. the Galia Narbonensis and are still nowadays some of their impressing constructions are visible. Without naming them all, the most interesting are: the fragments of the Via Domitia, the first Romain road, built in 118 BC.
In front of the Narbonne's City Hall, one can find a paved part of this road (at 1,5m beyond the current road level). Another monument one should not miss out on is the Gard Bridge built in 50 AD. 48m high, 360m long, it has 3 levels of arcades and is the highest Roman aqueduct in Europe. In Nîmes and Arles, the perfectly conserved Roman arenas are still used for corridas (bull-fights) or different kind of spectacles.

One of the symbols of Languedoc, especially of Roussillon, is "the little yellow train of Cerdagne". It is a touristic train in yellow and red (the Catalan colours). For more than 100 years, it travels a 60km long way through the Catalan Pyrénées from Villefranche de Conflent to Latour-de-Carol. From its waggons with a platform, the tourists may admire the breathtaking landscape. On its trip to Latour-de-Carol, it takes 19 tunnels and 2 bridges (the Séjourné viaduct which is 236.70m long and the Gisclard bridge which is the last French railway suspension bridge which is 253m long. Both are classified historical monuments).

The Cévennes National Park is a remarkable place of conservation of numerous species. Its peak, the Mount Lozère, culminates the chestnut Cévennes Valley with its 1699m.

In the Pyrénées, the landscape is shaped by treacherous mountain peaks separated by steep valleys. One will discover sumptuous caves with stalactites, stalagmites and colourful rocks. 

Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

A region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) is located between the Rhodan River and the French border with Italy. The capital city of this region is Marseille. The most famous here are French Riviera with Saint Tropez, Cannes, Antibes or Nice. However, as the name itself suggests, it is also a wellknown because of its lavender fields Provence and amazing Alpes. The region is gifted by the nature : one may find here both Mediterranean flora and beaches or picturesque fields.

Provence’s climate is typical for Mediterranean countries, where summers are hot and winters mild and warm. One may here reach the see straight from the mountains. There are many villages and small towns as well as numerous nature reserves spread along the sea shore. For those who love nature there are such places as the biggest in Europe Big Canyon du Verdon on Camargue National Parc and, of course, Valensole plain, especially to be visited in

July or August because of its characteristic lavender fields. This incredible region in southern France has attracted tourists from all over the world for years. Worth seeing are also Saint Tropez, Toulon, Cannes, Marseile, Gordes or a beautiful village where artists from many countries arrive – Saint Paul de Vence.

French Riviera is a beautifully shaped part of the Med. It’s the most important touristic region in France, visited by ca. 10 mln tourists each year. The whole shore is covered with hotels and marinas as well as public beaches and the biggest casinos. Despite of the fact that this place is heavily exploited, it hasn’t lost any of its charm and beauty at all.

Furthermore, as the name itself indicates, there are also the Alpes, where one may admire the breathtaking views of the mountains. Although they are mostly visited during winter, the Alpes attract people willing to walk or ride a bike also in summer. It is worth walking on the tourist routes and downhill routes around Mount Blanc. During summer it is possible to sail, walk or glide in Annecy, Thonon-Les-Bains or Chambery. One may enjoy the eyes with fairy tale-like views or take a walk on narrow roads in the mountains and the nearby villages.

The regien is shrouded with multiple tastes, smells and colours and it enchants any season of the year. Whoever visits this place once, they will be inclined to come back at any occassion.

Aquitaine

 Aquitaine is located in the South-West of France and is one of the greatest regions of the country: be it because of its five départements (Gironde, Dordogne, Landes, Lot et Garonne and Pyrénés-Atlantiques) or its various landscapes. 

The endless beaches of the Atlantic Ocean, the hills of the Périgord, the Pyrénées mountains, the vineyards of Bordeaux: the landscapes are diverse and characterful.

Seaside, mountains, a mild and sunny climate with just enough rain to preserve the greenery. Aquitaine will surprise you by its diversity, its cities and towns, its castles, a magnificent coastline, rich rural regions and untouched natural spaces as well as by its traditions and gastronomy.

Gironde, Landes and Pyrénées-Atlantiques have altogether more than 250km of white sand along the Atlantic Ocean were prestigious sea resort are vying with each other (Arcachon, Cap-Ferret or Capbreton). 

Another specificity of the region is the Arcachon Bassin, an inland sea of almost 1500 ha dominated by Europe's biggest dune: the Dune du Pilat.

For those preferring the mountains to the seaside, the Pyrenées will offer their ski resort to skiers of every level in the winter and beautiful hiking possibilities in the summer. The National Parc and its protected fauna and flora will welcome you for unforgettable tours. The Landes de Gascogne have Europe's largest maritime pine forest. The immense forest covers a triangle with a base of 150km and a side of 200km. Isn't that a beautiful place for nature lovers? 

At the very heart of the lands, the villages are some of the most beautiful villages of the country and are listed as Unesco World Heritage sites as well as the famous Lascaux caves, the Santiago de Compostela path or the Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion.

Alsace

Alsace is the smallest French region, located between the Rhine and the Vosges mountains. It seduces by the beauty of its picturesque towns and their colourful and flowered houses. Alsace's savoury cuisine, its storks and its vinyards explain its celebrity. The county town Strasbourg houses the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Human Rights Court. The inner-city has been listed as an Unesco World Heritage site.

Alsace produces well-known white wines and foie gras. The people is considered honest and harsh. This region is at a strategic point causing numerous conflicts between French and Germans. That is why both cultures impregnate the region. Its inhabitants have theur own indivuality: they consider themselves first as Alsatians, then European and lastly as French.

By taking its reputed "Wine Route" (Route des Vins) one discovers the rich vineyards. The wine comes from seven different, mainly white, grapes. Among them: Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Muscat.

The Wine route is 160km long between the Vosges and the Rhine Valley. Colourful and picturesque, one discovers vineyards, little castles, ruins and a few solitary turrets. One will come along charming cities and towns (Colmar, Eguisheim, Kaysersberg, Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr) where paved streets, colourful places and small house with arranged flowers on balconies, window and door sills please the eye. 

Alsace is a fascinating and magical world. While walking through the street of small Alsatian towns one has the feeling of living something unreal. Everything is colourful: the facades, the roofing tiles, the chimneys, doors and balustrades.  

It is a region with of an extraordinary beauty, a great history and a remarkable architectural heritage. Even the most exigent tourist will find something satisfying.

This little enchanted land is worth the trip!