France

Overview

The French themselves are the greatest promoters of this diverse country. The food and wine are justly celebrated, and culture, literature, art, cinema and architecture can be both provocative and profound.

The French capital Paris awaits
The French capital, Paris is rich in museums, art galleries and monuments. The Louvre, Eiffel Tower and Pompidou Centre are among the most popular sights. Surrounding Paris, Ile de France offers busy suburbs and commuter towns punctuated by châteaux, the most celebrated being Versailles. Greater Paris has over 9 million inhabitants.

 Find gothic cathedrals and a rural heartland
In contrast, the Vosges Mountains and the forests of the Ardennes border the flat open plains of northeast France. This area is best known for the fine wines of Champagne and Alsace, and some of France's finest gothic cathedrals. Lille is the most important city in northern France. Set to play a pivotal role in the new barrier-free Europe, Lille is served by its own rail station. The regions of western France have played very different historical roles, from the rural heartland of the Loire Valley, the D-Day landings of Normandy, to separatist Celtic Brittany. Visitors come here for the wonderful beaches, quiet rural byways and the sumptuous Loire chàteaux. The geological contrasts of Central France and the Alps reflect its enormous variety, from the industrial and gastronomic metropolis of Lyon to the largely agricultural landscape of Burgundy. The mountains attract visitors for winter sports, walking and other outdoor activities.

A green and peaceful land
The green and peaceful land of southwest France nurtures crops from sunflowers to foie gras. Other products include Bordeaux wine and Cognac. Major modern industries, including aerospace are focused on the two main cities, Toulouse and Bordeaux. Visitors come for wide Atlantic beaches, the ski slopes of the Pyrenées and the rural calm of the Dordogne. Sights include some of France's most celebrated Romanesque buildings. By far France's most popular holiday region is the South of France, drawing millions of visitors each year to the Riviera resorts of Nice, Cannes and Monte Carlo, and the more modern beach cities to the west. Not forgetting beautiful Corsica, which still preserves much of its natural beauty.