Bordeaux is the capital of Gironde department with a population of 660,000 people, this is the largest cities in France and one of the largest in Europe, Bordeaux is an economic, comercial and industrial center, but its principal source is the wine trade, all the wine produced in the Bordelais region is known as Bordeaux wine. In the 5th century the city lost its importance but it was increased again when the city became the seat of the dukes of Aquitaine, the commercial activity also increased during this period.
The intellectual reputation of Bordeaux was made by Montaigne and Montesquieu, who were born nearby and who were both magistrates in the city. In the 18th century Bordeaux begun exporting wine to England and the relation between these regions were better. The Third Republic was established in Bordeaux in the National Assembly in 1871. This city was the temporary seat of French Goverment during the World Wars.
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Cannes Travel Guide
The city of Cannes is situated at the south part of France in the Riviera region and its population is approximately of 70.000 inhabitants. Cannes is very famous around the world for its Film Festival and also for its Cannes Lions Festival. This is a very luxurious city and has as a principal source the tourism.
It is 905 km away from Paris, 164 km from Marseille and 26 km away from Nice. The coast is very visited, the Boulevard de la Croisette is one of the most important attractions for tourists who love beach, sun and sand.
La Croisette is a 12 km waterfront avenue with many elegant hotels, cafés, shops and restaurants around and many palm trees along. Visiting the Musée de la Castre is also a good option for seeing impresionant works of art, paintings, sculptures and decorative arts. And if you want to relax visit the Īles de Lérins (Lérins Islands) nice views and beautiful beaches.
If you just take a walk in the streets of Cannes you will find a very friendly atmosphere, the main rues are d’Antibes and Meynardier. You will have a good time at the boutiques and the restaurants are very good, the prices are sometimes expensive depending if the restaurant is located in the waterfront the price'll be a bit more expensive than the other.
It is 905 km away from Paris, 164 km from Marseille and 26 km away from Nice. The coast is very visited, the Boulevard de la Croisette is one of the most important attractions for tourists who love beach, sun and sand.
La Croisette is a 12 km waterfront avenue with many elegant hotels, cafés, shops and restaurants around and many palm trees along. Visiting the Musée de la Castre is also a good option for seeing impresionant works of art, paintings, sculptures and decorative arts. And if you want to relax visit the Īles de Lérins (Lérins Islands) nice views and beautiful beaches.
If you just take a walk in the streets of Cannes you will find a very friendly atmosphere, the main rues are d’Antibes and Meynardier. You will have a good time at the boutiques and the restaurants are very good, the prices are sometimes expensive depending if the restaurant is located in the waterfront the price'll be a bit more expensive than the other.
Lyon Travel Guide
Lyon is the third largest city in France, is located 431km (268 miles) southeast of Paris and 311km (193 miles) north of Marseille, is the capital of the Rhōne-Alpes region and the second largest contributor to the French economy after Paris, has a population of 413 000 inhabitants.
Lyon is between two hills: the Fourvičre and Croix-Rousse and between two rivers: the turbulent Rhōne and the tranquil Saōne. Lyon is a very industrial city, textile manufacturing is one of the most important here, but not only that, this city is known as the capital of gastronomy, like Paris, this city has the largest number of Michelin-starred restaurants, the most famous chef Paul Bocuse has his restaurant in Lyon and this city can be called the cuisine's paradise.
Lyon is considered an UNESCO World Heritage List since December 1998, specifically the Saint-Jean and the Croix-Rousse areas. A very beautiful city with its architectural renaissance buildings and monuments.
Lyon is also called the 'city of light' because of its history which began on Fourvičre Hill, when the city was under the Romans, and the city was proclaimed capital of the three Gauls, while during this period Lyon obtained a big development in economic, politic, religious and military aspects. The tradition od the city of Lights or 'Lugdunum' (as called by the Romans) is still present, every evening more than 100 sites across the city are lit up to show the splendor of Lyon’s architecture.
Lyon is between two hills: the Fourvičre and Croix-Rousse and between two rivers: the turbulent Rhōne and the tranquil Saōne. Lyon is a very industrial city, textile manufacturing is one of the most important here, but not only that, this city is known as the capital of gastronomy, like Paris, this city has the largest number of Michelin-starred restaurants, the most famous chef Paul Bocuse has his restaurant in Lyon and this city can be called the cuisine's paradise.
Lyon is considered an UNESCO World Heritage List since December 1998, specifically the Saint-Jean and the Croix-Rousse areas. A very beautiful city with its architectural renaissance buildings and monuments.
Lyon is also called the 'city of light' because of its history which began on Fourvičre Hill, when the city was under the Romans, and the city was proclaimed capital of the three Gauls, while during this period Lyon obtained a big development in economic, politic, religious and military aspects. The tradition od the city of Lights or 'Lugdunum' (as called by the Romans) is still present, every evening more than 100 sites across the city are lit up to show the splendor of Lyon’s architecture.
Paris Travel Guide
Paris is the capital city of France and is located in Īle-de-France region, on the Seine river, with an estimated population of 2,153,600 inhabitants. The Paris region is the France's center of economic activity and also in paris are located the main offices of important organizations such as: UNESCO, NATO, the OECD, the ICC. Paris is not only an economic center but also a learning and cultural city, the fashion of Paris is well known around the world, many famous fashion designers make their events in this city.
During the first to fifth century Paris was called Lutetia but after this period it adopted its actual name. Paris is sometimes called 'The City of Light' because its cultural life and intellectual preeminance and also for its beautiful appearance. The French capital is one of the most wonderful cities around the world, a metropolis that satisfied all tourist's expectation and more, Paris has a seductive atmosphere.
Paris territory was firstly habitated by a sub-tribe of celtic Senones, the Parisii, settled the area near the Seine River from around 250 B.C. In 1190 was constructed a wall for enclosing Paris, this wall had the Louver as its western fortress. During the late 17th and the 18th cent. Paris acquired further glory as the scene of many of France's greatest cultural achievements: the plays of Moličre, Racine, and Corneille; the music of Lully, Rameau, and Gluck; the paintings of Watteau, Fragonard, and Boucher; and the salons where many of the philosophes of the Enlightenment gathered.
At the beginning of 1968, Paris was the scene of serius disorders such as a student strike, in 1971 the Paris's famous central market was dismantled, but there is now located the Paris new metro hub. In 1977 was constructed the Georges Pompidou National Center for Art and Culture, which includes the National Museum of Modern Art. In 1992 it was built Eurodisney in the Parisian suburbs, and the Louver was renovated this year too.
Modern Paris is the result of many remodeling and ordering process, at the middle of 19th century occured an urbanisation, new wide roads, neo classical stone buildings, and no more narrow streets, part of this Paris is what we see nowadays, also were constructed higher buildings but there are laws that try to preserve the city historic making difficult the construction of modern edifications within city limits.
During the first to fifth century Paris was called Lutetia but after this period it adopted its actual name. Paris is sometimes called 'The City of Light' because its cultural life and intellectual preeminance and also for its beautiful appearance. The French capital is one of the most wonderful cities around the world, a metropolis that satisfied all tourist's expectation and more, Paris has a seductive atmosphere.
Paris territory was firstly habitated by a sub-tribe of celtic Senones, the Parisii, settled the area near the Seine River from around 250 B.C. In 1190 was constructed a wall for enclosing Paris, this wall had the Louver as its western fortress. During the late 17th and the 18th cent. Paris acquired further glory as the scene of many of France's greatest cultural achievements: the plays of Moličre, Racine, and Corneille; the music of Lully, Rameau, and Gluck; the paintings of Watteau, Fragonard, and Boucher; and the salons where many of the philosophes of the Enlightenment gathered.
At the beginning of 1968, Paris was the scene of serius disorders such as a student strike, in 1971 the Paris's famous central market was dismantled, but there is now located the Paris new metro hub. In 1977 was constructed the Georges Pompidou National Center for Art and Culture, which includes the National Museum of Modern Art. In 1992 it was built Eurodisney in the Parisian suburbs, and the Louver was renovated this year too.
Modern Paris is the result of many remodeling and ordering process, at the middle of 19th century occured an urbanisation, new wide roads, neo classical stone buildings, and no more narrow streets, part of this Paris is what we see nowadays, also were constructed higher buildings but there are laws that try to preserve the city historic making difficult the construction of modern edifications within city limits.
French Architecture
French is an architectural city, you can spend all your days walking through the streets of Paris, or any other region, visiting the museums, and taking pictures next to one of the many impressive monuments. France has many old monuments and they are in well condition as an example are the Maison Carrée and the Pont du Gard near Nīmes.
The Carolingian dinasty of Charlemagne was a period of innovative buildings, using the Romanesque architecture, and gave rise to the architecture of the Romanesque period, many works of art were constructed in France in this period as the Gothic style cathedrals, an example of this is the Chartres Cathedral (begun 1194), St. Sernin, Toulouse (1080–1120) and Ste-Madeleine Church at Vézelay (1089-1206).
The term Romanesque comes from the buildings of the Roman Empire. The Romanesque style incorporates elements of Byzantine and Eastern origin and can be thought it was a response to the needs of monasteries and churches, the stone vault was one of the most successful Romanesque innovations. Each region has its own romanesque style which reflect the regional traditions and costumes. The Benedictine monastery church at Cluny in Burgundy is the largest and most important romanesque building, Cluny was the center of the Bebedictine order in France.
The Carolingian dinasty of Charlemagne was a period of innovative buildings, using the Romanesque architecture, and gave rise to the architecture of the Romanesque period, many works of art were constructed in France in this period as the Gothic style cathedrals, an example of this is the Chartres Cathedral (begun 1194), St. Sernin, Toulouse (1080–1120) and Ste-Madeleine Church at Vézelay (1089-1206).
The term Romanesque comes from the buildings of the Roman Empire. The Romanesque style incorporates elements of Byzantine and Eastern origin and can be thought it was a response to the needs of monasteries and churches, the stone vault was one of the most successful Romanesque innovations. Each region has its own romanesque style which reflect the regional traditions and costumes. The Benedictine monastery church at Cluny in Burgundy is the largest and most important romanesque building, Cluny was the center of the Bebedictine order in France.
Best of France
La Rochelle
The city of La Rochelle was the first city in the world to provide free bikes - "city bikes", back in the 70's. Free to use for the day. La Rochelle also has beautiful beaches all around where you can enjoy and relax, La Rochelle is also famous for its towers some of them are: La Tour de la Lanterne, Tour Saint-Nicolas and la Tour de la Chaine.
The French Alps
If you like skying this is a good option, the French Alps are imponent and majestic, the perfect place to sky, the Mount Blanc is the highest mountain in Western Europe with an altitude of 4808 meters. There are also shop markets and valleys with trees and lakes, the landscape is simply fascinating.
The Eiffel Tower
This is probably the most known monument in France, but at the beginning it was a not very well accepted construction, french citizens did not like it and thought it was a waste of money. This iron tower was built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris, the tower replaced the Washington Monument and was called the Tower Eiffel in honor of its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel.
Champagne
Champagne is a province located at the northeast of France, and is well known for its famous white wine. Champagne is mostly fermented in two sizes bottles, standard bottle (750 mL), and Magnum (1.5 L). In general, magnums are thought to be higher quality, as there is less oxygen in the bottle, and the volume to surface area favors the creation of appropriately-sized bubbles.
Chartres Cathedral
Chartres is truly one of the greatest of all French Gothic cathedrals. Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres is located less than 100 km (about 50 miles) south of Paris and is considered to be one of the finest examples of the "high Gothic" style of architecture.
The city of La Rochelle was the first city in the world to provide free bikes - "city bikes", back in the 70's. Free to use for the day. La Rochelle also has beautiful beaches all around where you can enjoy and relax, La Rochelle is also famous for its towers some of them are: La Tour de la Lanterne, Tour Saint-Nicolas and la Tour de la Chaine.
The French Alps
If you like skying this is a good option, the French Alps are imponent and majestic, the perfect place to sky, the Mount Blanc is the highest mountain in Western Europe with an altitude of 4808 meters. There are also shop markets and valleys with trees and lakes, the landscape is simply fascinating.
The Eiffel Tower
This is probably the most known monument in France, but at the beginning it was a not very well accepted construction, french citizens did not like it and thought it was a waste of money. This iron tower was built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris, the tower replaced the Washington Monument and was called the Tower Eiffel in honor of its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel.
Champagne
Champagne is a province located at the northeast of France, and is well known for its famous white wine. Champagne is mostly fermented in two sizes bottles, standard bottle (750 mL), and Magnum (1.5 L). In general, magnums are thought to be higher quality, as there is less oxygen in the bottle, and the volume to surface area favors the creation of appropriately-sized bubbles.
Chartres Cathedral
Chartres is truly one of the greatest of all French Gothic cathedrals. Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres is located less than 100 km (about 50 miles) south of Paris and is considered to be one of the finest examples of the "high Gothic" style of architecture.
French History
Europe begun to be occupied from about 200,000 BC by the Homo sapiens, but have died 30,000 years ago supposedly during a period of cold weather. Around 2500 B.C the Celts came from Central Europe and settled in Gaul. The Celts were iron workers and dominated Gaul until 125 B.C., when the Roman Empire began its reign in southern France. Greeks and Phoenicians established settlements along the Mediterranean, most notably at Marseille. Julius Caesar conquered part of Gaul in 57–52 B.C., and it remained Roman until Franks invaded in the 5th century A.D.
Gaul was divided in seven provinces. The Romans were afraid about populations become in local identities and begun to displace them so they avoided a threat to the Roman integrity. That's why many Celts were moved and enslaved out of Gaul. Many changes have occured during a cultural evolution under the Roman Empire, one of them was the change of the Gaulish language by Vulgar Latin, the similarities between one language and the other favoured the transition. Gaul was under the Romans control for centuries.
In 486, Clovis I, leader of the Salian Franks, defeated Syagrius at Soissons and then united most of northern and central Gaul under his rule. Christianity in France received a boost when in 496, Clovis adopted the Roman Catholic form of Christianity. In some ways Clovis' reign brought stability and unity to France, but in some other ways it contributed to fragmentation, because Clovis divided up the territory as gifts and rewards.
Charles Martel was the first leader of the Carolingian dynasty and is the responsible of the expansion of the Frankish kingdom and also stopped the Muslim advance. Charlemagne not only was an able military leader, but he was also a great supporter of education and the arts. During Charlemagne's period there was a Carolingian renaissance but shortly after his death the kingdom was divided. Hugh Capet was elected to the throne of France, this way the Carolingian dynasty ended and the Capetian Dynasty begun. In 1066, William, Duke of Normandy invaded England and was crowned as the English king on Christmas Day, 1066. With the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was married before with king Louis VII of France and the get married with Henry II of England, there was yielded most of the western part of France to the British Wreath. After the death of the last Capetian king Charles IV, Edward III of England claimed the French Throne and started the Hundred Years' War in 1337. With the help of a French peasant girl, Joan of Arc, Charles VIII emerged victorious in the war and drove the English back to Calais.
France become a centralized state where was established an absolute monarchy having the doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings and the explicit support of the established Church. The long Italian Wars (1494-1559) marked the beginning of early modern France. Once Francis I was captured at Pavia the French monarchy had to look for allies and founded one in the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Admiral Barbarossa captured Nice on 5 August 1543 and handed it down to Francis I. During the 16th century, the Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs were the dominant power in Europe, they controlled some other duchies and kingdoms across Europe. Despite all of this, French became the preferred language of Europe's aristocracy.
Gaul was divided in seven provinces. The Romans were afraid about populations become in local identities and begun to displace them so they avoided a threat to the Roman integrity. That's why many Celts were moved and enslaved out of Gaul. Many changes have occured during a cultural evolution under the Roman Empire, one of them was the change of the Gaulish language by Vulgar Latin, the similarities between one language and the other favoured the transition. Gaul was under the Romans control for centuries.
In 486, Clovis I, leader of the Salian Franks, defeated Syagrius at Soissons and then united most of northern and central Gaul under his rule. Christianity in France received a boost when in 496, Clovis adopted the Roman Catholic form of Christianity. In some ways Clovis' reign brought stability and unity to France, but in some other ways it contributed to fragmentation, because Clovis divided up the territory as gifts and rewards.
Charles Martel was the first leader of the Carolingian dynasty and is the responsible of the expansion of the Frankish kingdom and also stopped the Muslim advance. Charlemagne not only was an able military leader, but he was also a great supporter of education and the arts. During Charlemagne's period there was a Carolingian renaissance but shortly after his death the kingdom was divided. Hugh Capet was elected to the throne of France, this way the Carolingian dynasty ended and the Capetian Dynasty begun. In 1066, William, Duke of Normandy invaded England and was crowned as the English king on Christmas Day, 1066. With the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was married before with king Louis VII of France and the get married with Henry II of England, there was yielded most of the western part of France to the British Wreath. After the death of the last Capetian king Charles IV, Edward III of England claimed the French Throne and started the Hundred Years' War in 1337. With the help of a French peasant girl, Joan of Arc, Charles VIII emerged victorious in the war and drove the English back to Calais.
France become a centralized state where was established an absolute monarchy having the doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings and the explicit support of the established Church. The long Italian Wars (1494-1559) marked the beginning of early modern France. Once Francis I was captured at Pavia the French monarchy had to look for allies and founded one in the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Admiral Barbarossa captured Nice on 5 August 1543 and handed it down to Francis I. During the 16th century, the Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs were the dominant power in Europe, they controlled some other duchies and kingdoms across Europe. Despite all of this, French became the preferred language of Europe's aristocracy.
France Travel Guide
France is the most visited country in the world. It has everything that you could ever want to see on your holidays: a great city like Paris, good beaches, more monuments than any other country, lovely nature, incredible mountain scenery; need I go on? France is also a very pleasant place to stay. It has good food, great wines and people enjoy their lives. And the best thing is, maybe apart from Paris, living in France does not have to be expensive. The North of France consists of the flatlands around the town of Lille and the Channel. The area will remind visitors in many ways of Belgium and the Netherlands. The Grand' Place in Lille for example is a lot like that of Brussels.
Paris, the city of light and its surroundings are one of the most visited areas. Paris is without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities on the planet.
West of France is turned towards the Atlantic Coast. In the north Normandy & Brittany have rolling hills, sandy beaches and quiet little harbour towns. Normandy & Brittany have a more rugged coast and many neolithic sites. It has quite a distinct atmosphere from the rest of the country; you can still sense the Celtic origin of the region and its inhabitants.
The eastern part of France consists of the Alsace, Lorraine, Franche Comté and Burgundy regions. The landscape has rolling hills and many beautiful cities, such as Metz, Strasbourg, Nancy and Dijon. This region produces many famous wines, including magnificent pinot noirs and chardonnays valued the world over, as well as the famous "Yellow wine" from the Jura mountain vineyard.
The Center of France is in many ways the most quiet part of France. But the great treasure of this region is the Loire valley , with many great castles and beautiful towns. Chartres with its famous cathedral and Tours rate among the most beautiful French cities.
The Alps are great for skiing in winter and hiking in summer. Albertville, Grenoble and Chamonix have all hosted the Olympic games. But the Alps also have nice towns to visit, such as Chambéry, Annecy or Grenoble .
The South with its lovely nature, good food, roman ruins and of course the Riviera draws a lot of visitors every year. Towns like Orange, and Arles but also big cities like Marseille and Toulon are must sees. The Provence is dotted with pleasant small villages. In the South west of France the Dordogne is one of the most quintessential French regions. The valley is so pretty, the towns are so cute and the food is so good, that it is hard to believe that the people who live here go somewhere else for their holidays. The Languedoc has its own language and culture. In the south of the Languedoc you find the Pyrenees, a great mountain range separating France from Spain, where you can hike and ski. The towns of Toulouse and Montpellier are nice and the medieval town of Carcassone is a top destination.
Paris, the city of light and its surroundings are one of the most visited areas. Paris is without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities on the planet.
West of France is turned towards the Atlantic Coast. In the north Normandy & Brittany have rolling hills, sandy beaches and quiet little harbour towns. Normandy & Brittany have a more rugged coast and many neolithic sites. It has quite a distinct atmosphere from the rest of the country; you can still sense the Celtic origin of the region and its inhabitants.
The eastern part of France consists of the Alsace, Lorraine, Franche Comté and Burgundy regions. The landscape has rolling hills and many beautiful cities, such as Metz, Strasbourg, Nancy and Dijon. This region produces many famous wines, including magnificent pinot noirs and chardonnays valued the world over, as well as the famous "Yellow wine" from the Jura mountain vineyard.
The Center of France is in many ways the most quiet part of France. But the great treasure of this region is the Loire valley , with many great castles and beautiful towns. Chartres with its famous cathedral and Tours rate among the most beautiful French cities.
The Alps are great for skiing in winter and hiking in summer. Albertville, Grenoble and Chamonix have all hosted the Olympic games. But the Alps also have nice towns to visit, such as Chambéry, Annecy or Grenoble .
The South with its lovely nature, good food, roman ruins and of course the Riviera draws a lot of visitors every year. Towns like Orange, and Arles but also big cities like Marseille and Toulon are must sees. The Provence is dotted with pleasant small villages. In the South west of France the Dordogne is one of the most quintessential French regions. The valley is so pretty, the towns are so cute and the food is so good, that it is hard to believe that the people who live here go somewhere else for their holidays. The Languedoc has its own language and culture. In the south of the Languedoc you find the Pyrenees, a great mountain range separating France from Spain, where you can hike and ski. The towns of Toulouse and Montpellier are nice and the medieval town of Carcassone is a top destination.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)