By European standards France is fairly large and if your time is limited as is your money, you should focus your attention on one or two specific regions. Each one of the seven French regions is very different from its neighbor and each possesses its own distinct beauty. They are, however, all equally deserving of your visit.
Before you put on your metaphorical thinking cap you should be equipped with a few facts about each of the following magnificent French regions.
The Western Region is further divided into five sub-regions:
Normandy is where the Anglo-Saxon heritage was formed and it offers visitors many miles of diverse coastline and an abundantly flourishing countryside.
Brittany exhibits a wide assortment of megaliths, castles, manors, chapels, old villages and giant boulders extending from the coast to the countryside. Brittany is purported to sum up the entire French way of life.
Poitou Charente enjoys a mild climate, three hundred miles of soft sandy beaches and sweet-smelling pine forests. With an average of 2,250 hours of sunshine per year, Poitou Charente is the sunniest part of Western France .
Loire Valley awes its visitors with matchless innate beauty of countless streams, regal oak trees and an abundant green countryside.
Western Loire Valley has always been favored by royalty who constructed splendid castles, glorious chateaux, impressive abbeys and marvelous mansions through the entire area. Many of these breathtaking structures are open to the public. Western Loire Valley also includes nearly two hundred miles of sandy beaches along the Atlantic coastline, many bays and small islands as well as the Loire River that flows through its rich countryside.
The Northern Region is comprised of two sub-regions:
Nord/Pas-de-Calais has 150 miles of coastline featuring prominent cliffs and sandy beaches. Nord/Pas-de-Calais also offers visitors vistas of gentle meadows and rolling hills dotted with countless windmills.
Picardy is mostly rural with forests, green pastures and ponds. Picardy is also where France had its historical beginnings.
The Easter Region consists of five sub-regions:
Champagne is the original home of the world's best champagnes and it is known for its genteel sophistication.
Lorraine offers an abundance of historical accounts reflecting Europe 's struggle for peace among gently sloping green hills.
Alsace offers the perfect setting for hiking and biking through storybook-like villages, humbling forests and tranquil lakes.
Franche-Comté has 1,300 miles of officially marked hiking and cross-country skiing trails through a high valley, rugged mountains, dense forests, steep cliffs, cavernous gorges and surging waterfalls.
Burgundy is the world renowned French center for wine making and it presents scenes of Flemish polychrome roofs and multi-colored vistas.
The Southern Region has five distinct sub-regions:
Corsica was known by the Ancient Greeks as Kallisto, the “island most beautiful.” Half of Corsica is covered with high wooded mountains and is surrounded by six hundred miles of coastline.
French Riviera is nested along the Mediterranean coast and offers visitors chic international elegance.
Languedoc-Roussillon allows visitors to experience rich histories of Roman monuments, Greek ruins, medieval castles and age-old villages all of which are deeply set in vineyards and farmlands.
Rhone-Alps is spread out at the base Europe's highest peak, Mont Blanc which is 15,771 feet high.
Provence is located between the blue Mediterranean Sea and the French Alps. Due to its location, Provence features a wide assortment of geographical wonders.
The Southwestern Region is divided into two sub-regions:
Aquitaine has a history dating back to the Cro-Magnon pre-historic man who lived in the caves of this region and left amazing paintings for visitors to view.
Midi-Pyrénées offers a diverse mixture of history, landscape, culture and cuisine like no other region of France can.
The Central Region is made up of two sub-regions:
Auvergne offers awe-inspiring inactive volcanoes, crystal clear lakes, snaking rivers and deep forests.
Limousin presents the perfect setting to visitors who prefer untouched surroundings and immaculate countryside.
Paris
Last but certainly not least, Paris as the national capital of France has been designated its very own region. Paris is know as the city of lights, the city of romance, the city of fine cuisine, the city of world renown wines, the city that never rests and the city that is everyone's dream come true. ‘La belle France,' or the beautiful France. Sleek, chic, modern and forward thinking but also old fashioned with an eye on the past. More than 60 million tourists visit France every year. It's one of the world's top travel destinations and it's easy to understand why. There's beautiful scenery, glorious unspoilt countryside, cultural activities, attractive wines and of course the food.
France lies between the Mediterranean Sea on the southeast, and the Bay of Biscay and English Channel to the north and west. Its land borders Andorra, Monaco, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain.
Paris is the centre of France's tourist trade, with attractions such as the Louvre (its famous art museum), the Eiffel Tower, and the stunning works of architecture along the River Seine. For outdoor types the Loire valley is a region of exquisite countryside and majestic castles. Have a tipple in the famous wine region of Bordeaux, or revel in the sumptuous past at Versailles. This is where King Louis XIV transformed the place into an impressive castle with wonderful gardens. The pope's palace in Avignon is a popular pit-stop as the city was the capital of the Christian world during the 14 th Century.
If it's a beach holiday you're after, the south of France and the French Riviera beckons. Situated on the Mediterranean Sea, the area is famous for the glamour of St Tropez and the Cannes Film Festival.
The country's gastronomic marvels are famous the world over and the French pride themselves on their cuisine. Whether dining out in a fine restaurant or somewhere more humble, you're sure to find an enormous variety of well-cooked, well-presented food.
France is easy to get to. The airports at Paris are linked to many parts of the planet and other French cities with international air links include Bordeaux, Lyon and Marseille. Travel by ferry is also an option from the UK, Italy and North Africa. Inside France, the SNCF is the most extensive rail network in Europe and the roads are fast and well-maintained. Though this can be expensive if you use the toll roads.
Climate
The country has a varied climate. Generally there are warm summers and mild winters though inland areas are more extreme, with hotter summers and colder winters.
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