Situated in the Caribbean Sea, to the North of Trinidad and Tobago, Martinique is one of the overseas regions of France and is a part of the European Union. The island has been a region of France ever since the 18th century and locally spoken languages include French and Antillean Creole. The island has a tropical Caribbean climate and the island is mountainous for most of the part. There are four extinct volcanoes covered with lush tropical vegetation and the tallest of these mountains is the famous volcano of Mount Pelee.
Martinique like any other Caribbean island is known for its beautiful beaches; however, the specialty of the beaches in the Northern side of the island is that they have black sand! Martinique is noted for its culture which is a mix of the French and the Creole cultures. Macouba is a beautiful Tobacco town that offers some of the best views of the island and the neighbouring island of Dominic. The Creole cuisine is something that any traveler should checkout when on the beautiful island of Martinique.
(Image courtesy of Antoine Hubert)
Dijon is one of the very few French cities which were unaffected by the Second World War and remains as one of the most beautiful cities of France. Dijon is famous for the Mustard produced there and the city itself is named after that mustard. When Dukes controlled the Northern France and some other parts of the Europe, Dijon was their capital and because of their liking towards the arts, Dijon was the seat of Renaissance painters and sculptures and music. If that is the case in early period, now Dijon is a well developed city with all facilities and also many industrial plants in the outskirts.
Getting into Dijon is not a much difficult task. As far as air travel is considered, Dijon has an airport but commercial flights are not available to this destination. Some notable visiting spots in this city include the Ducal palace which was once the dukes palace. And it has within inside the Beaux –arts museum which has the most precious treasures with splendid art on the walls and the ceilings. Other places of interest include the Well of Moses and St. Michel church.
(Image courtesy of ComputerHotline)
Nevers is a town in Nièvre, central France. You can reach there easily by train from Paris. It just takes two hours from Paris-Bercy and the train fare costs around 65 Euros. You can also reach there by car from Paris in just two hours through the A6 highway.
Nevers is a very small town on the banks of the Loire River and all the areas of interest lies within an area of one square kilometer. Hence it can easily be covered by walking. Some important places of visit include the Church of St Gildard which has within it the incorrupt body of Saint Bernadette since 1925 and it is located at the Espace Bernadette. There is Place Carnot which is at 500 meters from this church and it is the centre of the town which has the Sainte-Marie chapel and ducal palace of 15th century. Some important things that can be bought here include potteries done with great art work and the nougat with crunchy almond and sugar centre and not to forget the Pouilly Fumé, wine available here.
(Image courtesy of cloudsoup)
Located in the Eastern Caribbean is the archipelago of Guadeloupe, one of the overseas region of France. The archipelago consists of several smaller islands and the largest one is the Marie Galante (excepting the mainland). The archipelago was first discovered by Christopher Columbus on his expedition to find America. He also happened to accidentally discover the pineapple in these islands and named it the “pine of the Indians”. Since it is a region of France, the rules of getting there and a Visa is pretty much the same you would do for entering France. It is well connected by air with the Greater Antilles an other Caribbean islands and ferries operate from several Caribbean islands.
Guadeloupe has a subtropical climate and most of the islands are volcanic in origin. The island of Basse Terre as a matter of fact still has an active sulphuric volcano that is the tallest one in the lesser Antilles. Basse Terre also has slush vegetation with tropical forests and hiking through the jungles, you can come up to some spectacular waterfalls. The lovely white sanded beaches in Grande Terre and the beautiful bays in Les Saintes are someplace that shouldn’t be missed by any tourist. The island has a predominant African and Indian population and the confluence of the Indian, French and the African cultures is evident from the cuisine, dance styles and music.
(Image courtesy of rayced)
The fourth largest island in the Mediterranean sea and located to the Southwest of the French mainland and to the west of Italy, Corsica is one of the territories of France. Corsica has always been called the Island of beauty and has been inhabited from the Mesolithic age. Corsica has a pleasant Mediterranean climate and tourists mostly flock the island mostly in the month of August.It is well connected by air, but the most popular and the fastest way to reach the island is to take the Navire à Grande Vitesse – a high speed boat from the French mainland.
Corsica is the ideal destination for a person who loves the sea and hiking. There are a number of beautiful hiking trails including the GR20 which is a 15 day trail that traverses through Corsica’s mountains. However, tourists have to be careful when going on this trail as the region is known for strong summer storms. Corsica also has a number of lovely beaches that offers a number of activities like scuba diving and wind surfing among others.
(Image courtesy of Fabrice Terrasson)
Located in the Normandy regions is the picturesque port town of Honfleur. Honfleur has been noted as a port from the 11th century and has served as the important route for transporting goods from Rouen to England. The old port is still active as a fishing port and attracts a number of tourists. The town with all its beautifully built 17th century houses and other buildings is a real feast to the eyes of the tourist.
The old port and the beautiful buildings around it is perhaps the most important visited by tourists for its beauty. The Sainte-Catherine church which stands elegantly with a bell tower is a 16th century church built completely of wood. It is considered to be the largest church built of wood in France. The Musée Eugène Boudin and the Maisons Satie are museums that have some beautiful works by the Impressionist movement painter Eugène Boudin and that of the composer Erik Satie. The Notre Dame chapel and the Marine museum are other places of interest that you might want to check out!
(Image courtesy of LoboStudio Hamburg)
Lyon is a city in the Rhône-Alpes region of France and is located in central France more to the Eastern side. it is the second largest city in France and is known as a historic city. It was historic known as the silk capital of the world and has the headquarters of the Interpol. Lyon was founded by the Romans and hence the city has a lot of Roman influence in the architecture.
Old Lyon has a number of buildings that dates back to the 15th and 17th century and is said to have had the highest buildings in France at that period of time. The St Jean Cathedral, The St Jean archeological garden are the most important places of interest in Old Lyon. The Amphithéâtre des Trois Gaules is a Roman theatre in Croix-Rousee and is said to have been the largest theatre in Gaul. If you’re looking for some shopping or clubbing, then Presqu’ile is just the place for you. Lyon also has a number of museums and galleries that showcase the history of the historic city.
(Image courtesy of edwin.11)
Situated in the mouth of the River Seine, Le Havre is a city in the Northwestern region of France. It is a port city and is the most most populous city in the Haute-Normandy region. It is the second busiest port in France and has been called the Gateway to the Ocean. The city was bombed and heavily damaged in the Battle of Normandy and the new city that was built entirely on reinforced concrete is now a UNESCO Heritage site. The city is well connected with Paris and Rouen and also with Portsmouth.
The St Joseph’s church is perhaps the most impressive work by the architect August Perret and stands tall with its exteriors lined with glass. The Maison de l’Armateuris a group of houses that were not destroyed in the World war bombings and reminiscent of the construction in the 18th century. The Cathedral de Notre Dame is another beautiful place that showcases the beauty of the Gothic architecture in the 15th century. The Museum d’histoire naturelle and Malraux Museum are some interesting museums and kids will definitely love it!
(Image courtesy of alainf1)
Menton is a commune located in the the Côte d’Azur province in the southeastern region of France. It lies pretty close to the Italian border and has a lot of Italian influence too. The region is called the pearl of France and has been inhabited from the neolithic times, however the earliest settlement found here dates back to the eleventh century.
Being called the Pearl of France, the town is located on the Mediterranean coast and has a warm climate favorable for the growth of lemons, oranges etc. Menton is also considered to be the “Lemon capital of France” and the Fête du Citron, an annual lemon festival is organized in the month of February. The old town in Menton is charming with cobbled streets and large pedestrian walks. The region is also dotted with a number of magnificent gardens and olive groves.
(Image courtesy of CHRIS230 DE NICE)
