(DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

FR ANCE  149
UNITED Harwich
KINGDOM
NORTH Distance chart
SEA
LONDON
M2 Ramsgate Paris Distance by road in kilometers
Canterbury Distance by road in miles
579 Bordeaux
A23 Folkestone Dover 360
Portsmouth Brighton 221 799 Lille
Newhaven Calais Dunkerque Bruges BELGIUM 137 496
Ghent 462 538 682 Lyon
Boulogne Lille Brussels 287 334 424
Englis h Channel A26 Charleroi 773 648 992 313 973
Marseille
616
194
480
403
604
653
385
325
Arras
Abbeville
D643 Brussels 239 202 375 406 604 Nantes
932 808 1152 472 187 1132
Dieppe A28 Frankfurt, 579 502 716 293 116 703 Nice
Cherbourg Amiens St-Quentin Cologne
LUXEMBOURG 490 918 549 478 789 867 948 Strasbourg
Le Havre A26 LUXEMBOURG 304 570 341 297 490 539 589
Rouen A16 D1017 A1 GERMANY 744 244 923 537 407 568 563 1013 Toulouse
N13
Plymouth Plymouth, Bayeux A13 462 152 574 334 254 353 349 629
Weymouth Caen Mannheim
Cork A84 D163 A4 Reims D603 A4
Roscoff N154 Charles de Gaulle Châlons-sur-Marne Metz Karlsruhe
Mont-St-Michel A28 A13 PARIS
Brest N12 St-Malo Versailles N4 Nancy N4 A4 Rhein Stuttgart
N12 Orly A26
D976
N12 Chartres Seine Strasbourg
Quimper N12 Rennes Cathedral Fontainebleau A5 Troyes A31
N24 N157 A81 A11 A5 N59 A35 Sights at a Glance
N165
Lorient N137 Le Mans Orléans D606 1 Paris pp150–71 i Vézelay
Carnac A10 A77 2 Strasbourg o Dijon pp184–5
Château de A6 Mulhouse p Beaune
Blois 3 Reims
A28
A11 Angers Chambord A31
St-Nazaire Basel 4 Rouen a Lyon
Nantes A87 Loire Tours Château de Vézelay 5 Bayeux s Annecy
Abbaye de A85 Chenonceau N151 Dijon A36 6 Mont-St-Michel pp174–5 d Grenoble
Gijón Besançon
Fontevraud Bourges 7 St-Malo f Bordeaux
A83
La Roche- D347 A10 D910 Beaune Bern, Zurich 8 Carnac g Lascaux
sur-Yon F R A N C E 9 Nantes h Toulouse
N137 A83 Poitiers Loire A6 SWITZERLAND 0 Poitiers j Pyrenees
Niort A20 A71 N79 Lausanne q Abbaye Royale de k Carcassonne
La Rochelle A40 Fontevraud l Nîmes
A10 N7 Geneva w Tours z Avignon
D941 x Arles pp192–3
N141 e Château de Chenonceau
Bay Angoulême Limoges Clermont- Annecy pp178–9 c Camargue
of A10 Ferrand A89 Lyon Milan r Blois v Aix-en-Provence
Biscay N21 A89 A43 t Château de Chambord b Marseille
N10 St-Etienne A41 A43 y Orléans n Cannes
D6089 Périgueux Dordogne A7 A48 Grenoble Turin u Chartres Cathedral m Nice
Bordeaux N21 Lascaux A75 A49 pp180–81 , Monaco
N122 Valence
Arcachon A63 D813
D820 D840 N88 Rhône A51 IT AL Y
A20 Rodez A7 0 km 75
A63 Garonne N106
Golfe de A65 A62 Genoa 0 miles 75
Gascogne A9 Avignon N85
A68 Albi A75 Nîmes Ligurian
Bayonne Toulouse Montpellier Arles A7 A51 Nice Monaco Sea
Biarritz Aix-en- Cote d'Azur
Pau A64 D6113 Camargue Provence Provence
Bilbao A64 Carcassonne Marseille A8 Cannes
Lourdes A50 A57 St-Tropez
Golfe du Lion
A61 Toulon
Foix Iles
Pyrenees d'Hyères
SP AIN Zaragoza Perpignan A9 Bastia
ANDORRA MEDITERRANEAN SEA L’Ile Rousse
Calvi Corsica
Barcelona Ajaccio Ajaccio
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150  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES



1 Paris Charles de
Lille
Pontoise N1 Gaulle Airport
Paris is a city of more than two million people, and has been A1
the economic, political, and artistic hub of France since Roman A15 Enghien Le Bourget A104
times. During the medieval and Renaissance periods, Paris St Denis Airport
dominated northern Europe as a religious and cultural center. N184 A14 N3
The city was rejuvenated in the mid-19th century, when its Seine A86 Bobigny Disneyland
slums were replaced with the elegant avenues and boulevards N13 (10 km)
Nanterre
that make modern Paris a delight to stroll around. Today, the St Germain A3 Montreuil
city strives to be at the heart of Notre-Dame, viewed from the tranquil A13
setting of Square Jean XXIII
a unified Europe. Chic cafés, Rouen Boulogne Reims
gourmet restaurants, and N7 A86
fashionable shopping are AV E M A C M A H O N AVENUE DE WAGRAM RUE Versailles N20
the major attractions AVENUE DE LA AV E N U E H O C H E B D H A U S S M A N N A86 Sceaux Créteil
DE
for many visitors. GRANDE ARMEE AVE DE FRIEDLAND Havre Orly N104
AVE CARNOT
Caumartin
Charles de RUE WASHINGTON COURCELLES B O E T I E A10 Airport
F O C H PL CHARLES Gaulle Étoile St Philippe RUE DE MIROMESNIL RUE BOULEVARD HAUSSMANN A6 N6
du Roule
R U E D U F A U B O U R G S T H O N O R E Miromesnil
A V E N U E H U G O DE GAULLE A A V E N U E D E S R U E L A RUE TRONCHET AUBER Opéra C A P U C I N E S Fontainebleau Vaux-le-Vicomte
(20 km)
(40 km)
V I C T O R K L E B E R Kléber I E N George V A V E N U E RUE AVE F D Franklin D AVENUE DE MARIGNY B D D E S L'OPERA Richelieu V I V I E N N E Grands
Madeleine
PL DE
Boulevards
Drouot
Roosevelt
A V E N U E
Victor Hugo
AVENUE BUGEAUD
A V E N U E R A Y M O N D R U E B O I S S I E R E Boissière A V E P I E R R E P R E M D E S E R B I E FRANCOIS ROND POINT RUE ROYALE R U E VENDOME RUE A V E N U E DES Septembre D E R I CH E L I E U Bourse R N-D DE VICTOIRE
D '
RUE COPERNIC
Quatre
DES CHAMPS
ELYSEES
R U E
PLACE
E
AVE
C H A M P S E L Y S E E S
Réaumur
Clemenceau
REAUMUR
CHAILLOT A V E N U G E O R G E V MONTAIGNE PREMIER PLACE ROOSEVELT Champs Elysées Petit Concorde Tuileries S A I N T Pyramides D E PETITS R U E CHAMPS PLACE DES L O U V R E M O N T M A R T R E Sébastopol T U R B I G O Temple RUEBERANGER
FRANCOIS
A V E N U E M A R C E A U
A V E N U E AVE DE PRES. WILSON Alma Grand COURS LA REINE H O N O R E L ' O P E R A Palais Royal RUE Etienne D E Arts et Filles du BOULEVARD VOLTAIRE
PREMIER
Palais
VICTOIRES
Marcel
Musée du
Palais
Louvre
Marceau
ETIENNE
A V E N U E D E N E W Y O R K
P O I N C A R E
Concorde
PLACE Iéna Pont de S e i n e Pont de la QUAI RU E D E R I V O L I RUE CROIX DES PETITS CHAMPS D U R U E R U E DU T E M P L E Calvaire
AVENUE D' EYLAU
BD DU TEMPLE
DU Trocadéro l'Alma Pont de Q U A I Assemblée DES TUILERIES JARDIN DU R U E S A I N T H O N O R E SEBASTOPOL MARCEL Rambuteau R U Oberkampf Richard
R U E
AVENUE G MANDEL TROCADERO
PLACE M
QUENTIN
R U E D E S A R C H I V E S
Nationale
Les Halles
CARROUSEL
RUE B FRAN KLIN JARDINS DU Pont B R A N LY R A P P AVENUE L ’ U N I V E R S I T E MAUBOURG D ’ O R AVE DU MARECHAL GALLIENI S A Y QUAI ANATOLE FRANCE QUA I D U Louvre Châtelet BD DE RUE BEAUBOURG Métiers MARAIS BD Lenoir L E
l'Alma
Musée
Invalides


R U E D E
d'Orsay
TROCADERO
INVALIDES
d'Iéna
Pont
Rivoli
Royal
A V E N U E
Neuf
LOUVRE
Vert
Passy Q U A I D E AV E N U E R U E S A I N T D O M I N I Q U E TOUR R U E S A I N T D O M I N I Q U E L’UNIVERSITE Pont des Pont Pont BEAUMARCHAIS Chemin
RUE DE BRETAGNE E D E T U R E N N E
GRENELLE
Arts
RUE DE LA La Tour Solférino QUAI DE CONTI Neuf R U E D E R I V O L I R U E D E S F R A N C S B O U R G E O I S R I C H A R D
Hôtel de
L A
Ville
AVE VICTORIA
Maubourg
Champ de Mars P ARC DU Varenne RUE DE BELLECHASSE Rue PLACE DE
BOULEVARD
L'HOTEL
Tour Eiffel C H A M P B O U R D O N N A I S MOTTE PICQUET R U E du Bac DE VILLE
BOSQUET
DE MARS DE INVALIDES D E B D RUE DES SAINTS PERES BD DU P ALAIS St Paul Bastille B D
R U E D E G R E N E L L E
BD S A I N T G E R M A I N Odéon R . DE LA CIT E Cité QUAI DE L'HOTEL DE VILLE
AVE DE TOURVILLE St Germain R. D 'A RC O L E R. ST ANTOINE
A V E N U E
AVENUE DE LA
PLACE des Prés Pont
Ecole
JOFFRE Militaire LOWENDAL DES BD R U E VA N E A U V A R E N N E R A S PA I L St Michel ILE ST Marie RUE DU PETIT
D E
Key S E G U R R U E D E B A B Y L O N E Sèvres LOUIS MUSC IV
DE Babylone RUE DE RENNES St Sulpice RUE DE TOURNON Cluny la MICHEL JACQUES HENRI
AVENUE Ségur D E Museé de RUE ST Maubert BD
Sight / Place of interest S U F F R E N Sorbonne QUAI DE LA TOURNELLE
Cluny
A V E R U E DE VA UG I R ARD ST QUARTER RUE MONGE
LATIN
RUE GUYNEMER LUXEMBOURG PANTHEON JARDIN DE Cardinal
Lemoine
JARDIN DU
PLACE DU
R U E
PLACE DE
Sights at a Glance AUGUSTE COMTE VA R D R U E L'ESTRAPADE NAVARRE
RUE
1 Ile de la Cité w Jardin des Tuileries Greater Paris (see inset map) D ' A S S A S Luxembourg
G
2 Notre-Dame pp154–5 e Musée de l’Orangerie d Montmartre B O U L E
3 Sainte-Chapelle r Place de la Concorde f Parc de la Villette RUE ST JACQUES L U S S A C
4 Centre Pompidou t Musée d’Orsay g Cimetière du Père Lachaise CAMILLE
PLACE
5 Musée Picasso y Musée Rodin h La Défense JULLIAN Port RUE C BERNARD
Royal
6 Place des Vosges u Les Invalides j Bois de Boulogne
7 Place de la Bastille i Eiffel Tower k Château de Versailles pp168–9 BD DE PORT ROYAL
8 Panthéon o Musée du Quai Branly l Basilique St-Denis
9 Jardin du Luxembourg p Palais de Chaillot z Disneyland Paris
0 St-Germain-des-Prés a Arc de Triomphe x Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
q Musée du Louvre pp158–60 s Champs-Elysées c Château de Fontainebleau
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P ARIS  151



Lille
Getting Around Greater Paris Charles de
The Parisian subway consists of Pontoise N1 A1 Gaulle Airport
16 metro lines, referred to by A15
their number and terminus Enghien Le Bourget A104
names. In central Paris, these St Denis Airport
lines overlap the routes of the N184 A14
RER commuter trains, which A86 N3
reach outlying areas. Buses are N13 Seine Bobigny Disneyland
(10 km)
often the fastest way to travel Nanterre A3
short distances. The city’s night St Germain Montreuil
buses are called Noctiliens. A13
Taxis are expensive, but handy Rouen Boulogne Reims
after the metro shuts down. A A86
AVENUE DE WAGRAM AV E N U E H O C H E B D H A U S S M A N N self-service bike system, Vélib, Versailles A86 Sceaux N20 N7 Créteil
operates in central Paris.
RUE
DE
AVE DE FRIEDLAND
AVENUE DE LA
AVE CARNOT
AV E M A C M A H O N
RUE WASHINGTON
Caumartin
GRANDE ARMEE
B O E T I E
Charles de R U E D U F A U B O U R G S T H O N O R E Miromesnil Havre 0 km 10 A10 Orly N104
Airport
F O C H PL CHARLES Gaulle Étoile St Philippe RUE DE MIROMESNIL RUE BOULEVARD HAUSSMANN A6 N6
COURCELLES
du Roule
A V E N U E H U G O DE GAULLE A A V E N U E D E S R U E L A RUE TRONCHET AUBER Opéra C A P U C I N E S 0 miles 10 Fontainebleau Vaux-le-Vicomte
(40 km)
(20 km)
V I C T O R K L E B E R Kléber I E N George V A V E N U E RUE AVE F D Franklin D AVENUE DE MARIGNY Madeleine L'OPERA Richelieu V I V I E N N E Grands Key
PL DE
Boulevards
Drouot
B D D E S
Roosevelt
A V E N U E
Victor Hugo
AVENUE BUGEAUD
A V E N U E R A Y M O N D R U E B O I S S I E R E Boissière A V E P I E R R E P R E M D E S E R B I E DES CHAMPS RUE ROYALE R U E VENDOME RUE A V E N U E DES Septembre D E R I CH E L I E U Bourse R N-D DE VICTOIRES R U E RUE Are
D '
RUE COPERNIC
Quatre
ROND POINT
ELYSEES
R U E
FRANCOIS
PLACE
E
AVE
C H A M P S E L Y S E E S
Réaumur
Clemenceau
REAUMUR
CHAILLOT A V E N U G E O R G E V MONTAIGNE PREMIER PLACE ROOSEVELT Champs Elysées Petit Concorde Tuileries S A I N T Pyramides D E PETITS R U E CHAMPS PLACE DES L O U V R E M O N T M A R T R E Sébastopol T U R B I G O RUEBERANGER
FRANCOIS
A V E N U E M A R C E A U
A V E N U E AVE DE PRES. WILSON Alma Grand COURS LA REINE H O N O R E L ' O P E R A Palais Royal RUE Etienne D E Arts et Filles du BOULEVARD VOLTAIRE
PREMIER
Palais
Temple
VICTOIRES
Marcel
Musée du
Palais
Marceau
Louvre
ETIENNE
A V E N U E D E N E W Y O R K
P O I N C A R E
Concorde
PLACE Iéna Pont de S e i n e Pont de la QUAI RU E D E R I V O L I RUE CROIX DES PETITS CHAMPS D U R U E R UE DU TE M PL E Calvaire
AVENUE D' EYLAU
DU Trocadéro l'Alma Pont de Q U A I Assemblée DES TUILERIES JARDIN DU R U E S A I N T H O N O R E SEBASTOPOL MARCEL Rambuteau R U Oberkampf Richard
BD DU TEMPLE
R U E
AVENUE G MANDEL TROCADERO
PLACE M
QUENTIN
R U E D E S A R C H I V E S
Nationale
Les Halles
CARROUSEL
RUE B FRAN KLIN JARDINS DU Pont B R A N LY R A P P AVENUE L ’ U N I V E R S I T E MAUBOURG D ’ O R AVE DU MARECHAL GALLIENI S A Y QUAI ANATOLE FRANCE QUA I D U Louvre Châtelet BD DE RUE BEAUBOURG Métiers MARAIS BD Lenoir L E N O I R
l'Alma
Musée
Invalides


R U E D E
d'Orsay
TROCADERO
INVALIDES
Pont
d'Iéna
Rivoli
Royal
A V E N U E
Neuf
LOUVRE
Vert
Passy Q U A I D E AV E N U E R U E S A I N T D O M I N I Q U E TOUR R U E S A I N T D O M I N I Q U E L’UNIVERSITE Pont des Pont Pont BEAUMARCHAIS Chemin
RUE DE BRETAGNE E D E T U R E N N E
GRENELLE
Arts
Hôtel de
RUE DE LA La Tour Solférino QUAI DE CONTI Neuf R U E D E R I V O L I R U E D E S F R A N C S B O U R G E O I S R I C H A R D
L A
Ville
AVE VICTORIA
Maubourg
BOULEVARD
Champ de Mars P ARC DU Varenne RUE DE BELLECHASSE Rue PLACE DE
L'HOTEL
Tour Eiffel C H A M P B O U R D O N N A I S MOTTE PICQUET R U E du Bac DE VILLE
BOSQUET
DE MARS DE INVALIDES D E B D RUE DES SAINTS PERES BD DU P ALAIS St Paul Bastille B D
R U E D E G R E N E L L E
BD S A I N T G E R M A I N Odéon R . DE LA CIT E Cité QUAI DE L'HOTEL DE VILLE
AVE DE TOURVILLE St Germain R. D 'A RC O L E R. ST ANTOINE
A V E N U E
AVENUE DE LA Militaire LOWENDAL S E G U R BD St Michel ILE ST RUE DU PETIT IV
PLACE DES des Prés Pont
Marie
JOFFRE Ecole R U E VA N E A U V A R E N N E R A S PA I L
MUSC
D E
LOUIS
DE R U E D E B A B Y L O N E Sèvres RUE DE RENNES St Sulpice RUE DE TOURNON Cluny la MICHEL JACQUES HENRI
Babylone
AVENUE Ségur D E Sorbonne Museé de RUE ST Maubert BD
Cluny
S U F F R E N
QUAI DE LA TOURNELLE
A V E R U E DE VA UG I R ARD ST QUARTER RUE MONGE
LATIN
RUE GUYNEMER LUXEMBOURG PANTHEON JARDIN DE Cardinal
Lemoine
JARDIN DU
PLACE DU
R U E
PLACE DE
AUGUSTE COMTE VA R D R U E L'ESTRAPADE NAVARRE
RUE
Luxembourg
B O U L E G L U S S A C
D ' A S S A S
PLACE RUE ST JACQUES
CAMILLE
JULLIAN RUE C BERNARD
Port
Royal 0 kilometres 750
0 miles 750
BD DE PORT ROYAL
For keys to symbols see back flap
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152  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES
























Western end of the Ile de la Cité, where the island is crossed by the Pont Neuf
1 Ile de la Cité bridge in Paris, the Pont Neuf separated by pencil-like columns
(new bridge), which dates back soaring 15 m (50 ft) to the star-
q Châtelet, Cité. Conciergerie: 2 Blvd
du Palais. Tel 01-53 40 60 80. Open to 1578. The colorful Marché aux studded roof. More than 1,100
daily. Closed Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25. & Fleurs et Oiseaux takes place biblical scenes from the Old and
8 (phone to check). ∑ conciergerie. daily in the Place Louis Lépine New Testaments are depicted,
monuments-nationaux.fr and is the city’s most famous as well as the story of how the
flower market. On Sundays, relics were brought to Sainte-
This boat-shaped island on the caged birds are also sold. Chapelle. The 86 panels of the
Seine is the nucleus of Paris. The circular Rose Window, which are
capital’s name derives from the best seen at sunset, tell the
Parisii, one of the Celtic tribes 2 Notre-Dame story of the Apocalypse.
who lived here in the 3rd cent ury See pp154–5. Badly damaged during the
BC. The settlement was later Revolution, and converted into
expanded by the Romans, the a flour warehouse, the church
Franks, and the Capetian kings. 3 Sainte-Chapelle was renovated a century later
Remains of the earliest 4 Boulevard du Palais. Tel 01-53 40 60 by architect Viollet-le-Duc. The
buildings can be seen in the 80. q Cité. Open daily. Closed Jan 1, spire, erected in 1853, rises
Crypte Archéologique, below May 1, Dec 25. & 8 7 75 m (245 ft) into the air.
the square in front of Notre-
Dame cathedral, which stands Hailed as one of the great
at one end of the island. At the architectural masterpieces of
other end is another Gothic the Western world, this church
masterpiece: the Sainte-Chapelle was likened to “a gateway to
church, surrounded by the huge heaven” in the Middle Ages.
complex of buildings forming the Sainte-Chapelle was built in
Palais de Justice. One of these, 1248 to house sacred relics,
the sinister-looking Conciergerie, including Christ’s Crown of
was a prison from 1391 until Thorns, purchased from the
1914. During the French Revol- Byzantine emperor at great
ution, it filled to overflowing, and expense by the devout King
Marie-Antoinette was held in a Louis IX.
tiny cell here until her execution The church consists of two
in 1793. The Conciergerie has a chapels. The lower chapel was
superb Gothic Hall and a 14th- used by servants and minor
century clock tower. To the far officials, while the exquisite
east of the island, tiny Ile St Louis upper chapel, reached by
is a haven of riverside quays and means of a narrow, spiral
quiet streets. There are many fine staircase, was reserved for the
restaurants and chic shops here. royal family and courtiers. This
Crossing the western end of chapel has many glorious
the Ile de la Cité is the oldest stained-glass windows, The Gothic Sainte-Chapelle church
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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P ARIS  153


On his death, the French state houses accommodate antiques
inherited many of his works stores and fashionable cafés.
in lieu of death duties, opening The square has been the
a museum to display them in scene of many historical events
1986. Housed in a 17th-century over the centuries, including a
mansion originally built for a three-day tournament in
salt-tax collector, the collection celebration of the marriage of
comprises more than 200 Louis XIII to Anne of Austria in
paintings, 158 sculptures, 1615. Among the square’s
100 ceramic works, and some famous former residents are
3,000 sketches and engravings. the literary hostess, Madame de
The full extent of Picasso’s Sévigné, born here in 1626,
artistic development is Cardinal Richelieu, pillar of the
Pipes and ducts on the outside of the presented, from the somber monarchy, and Victor Hugo,
Centre Pompidou Blue period Self-Portrait (1901) who lived in one of the
to Cubist collages and houses for 16 years.
4 Centre Pompidou Neoclassical works, such as
Pl G. Pompidou. Tel 01-44 78 12 33. Pipes of Pan. Highlights include
q Rambuteau, Châtelet, Hôtel de The Two Brothers (1906), The 7 Place de la Bastille
Ville. W Châtelet-Les-Halles. @ 21, Kiss (1969), and Two Women q Bastille.
29, 38, 47 & many others. Musée Running on the Beach (1922).
National d’Art Moderne: Open There is also a sculpture garden. Nothing remains of the
11am–10pm Wed–Mon. Closed May infamous prison stormed
1. & 8 7 ∑ centrepompidou.fr by the revolutionary mob on
6 Place des Vosges July 14, 1789, the event that
With its skeleton of struts, ducts, q Bastille, St-Paul. sparked the French Revolution.
and elevators scaling the outside A row of paving stones from
of the building, and offering fine This perfectly symmetrical No. 5 to No. 49 Boulevard Henri
views of the city, this famous square, laid out in 1605 by IV traces the line of former
cultural center has room for a Henri IV, and known as Place fortifications.
vast exhibition area inside. Royale, was once the residence The 52 m (170 ft), hollow
Among the artists featured of the aristocracy. Considered bronze Colonne de Juillet
in the Musée National d’Art among the most beautiful in stands in the middle of the
Moderne are Matisse, Picasso, the world by Parisians and traffic-clogged square to
Miró, and Pollock, representing visitors alike, the square is honor the victims of the July
such schools as Fauvism, Cubism, surrounded by 36 houses, Revolution of 1830. On the
and Surrealism. Star attractions nine on each side. Built of south side of the square (at
are Sorrow of the King (1952) by brick and stone, with dormer 120 Rue de Lyon) is the 2,700-
Matisse, and Georges Braque’s The windows over arcades, they seat Opéra Bastille, completed
Duo (1937). A library is housed on have survived intact for almost in 1989, the bicentennial of
the first, second, and third floors, 400 years. Today, the historic the French Revolution.
while temporary exhibitions are
held on the first and sixth floors.
Outside, the piazza is usually
full of crowds watching the
street performers. On one side
of the square, the Atelier
Brancusi is a reconstruction of
the workshop of Romanian-
born artist Constantin Brancusi
(1876–1957), who left his entire
oeuvre to the nation.

5 Musée Picasso
Hôtel Salé, 5 Rue de Thorigny.
Tel 01-42 71 25 21. q St-Sébastien
Froissart, St-Paul. Open Tue–Sun.
& 8 - 7
∑ museepicassoparis.fr
The Spanish-born artist Pablo
Picasso (1881–1973) spent
most of his life in France. Central fountain and fine Renaissance houses in the Place des Vosges




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154  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

2 Notre-Dame

No other building embodies the history of . West Front
Paris more than Notre-Dame. It stands Three main portals with
majestically on the Ile de la Cité, cradle of the superb statuary, a central
rose window, and an
city. Built on the site of a Roman temple, the openwork gallery are the
cathedral was commissioned by Bishop de outstanding features of
Sully in 1160. The first stone was laid in 1163, the cathedral’s facade.
marking the start of two centuries of toil by
armies of medieval architects and craftsmen.
It has been witness to great events of French
history ever since, including the coronation
of Napoleon Bonaparte (1804) and the state
funeral of Charles de Gaulle (1970).
During the Revolution, the building
was desecrated and rechristened
the Temple of Reason. Extensive
renovations (including the
addition of the spire and
gargoyles) were carried out in
the 19th century by architect
Viollet-le-Duc.










. Galerie des Chimières
The cathedral’s grotesque
gargoyles (chimières) perch
menacingly around ledges
high on the facade.
KEY
1 The west rose window depicts
the Virgin in a medallion of rich reds
and blues.
2 The kings’ gallery features 28
kings of Judah gazing down from
above the main door.
3 The south tower houses
Emmanuel, the cathedral’s most
sonorous bell.
4 The spire, designed by Viollet-
le-Duc, soars to a height of 90 m
(295 ft).
5 The transept was completed
during the reign of Louis IX, in the
13th century.
6 The treasury houses the
cathedral’s religious treasures, . Portal of the Virgin
including ancient manuscripts A statue of the Virgin surrounded
and reliquaries. by kings decorates this massive
13th-century portal.
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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P ARIS  155


VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Practical Information
6 Place du Parvis-Notre-Dame.
Tel 01-42 34 56 10. Open
8am–6:45pm daily, to 7:15pm Sat
& Sun (Treasury: 9:30am–6pm
Mon–Fri, to 6:30pm Sat; from
1:30pm Sun; towers: daily.)
5 8am, 9am, noon, 6:15pm
Mon–Fri; 8am, 9am, noon,
. Flying Buttresses 6:30pm Sat; 8:30am, 10am,
Jean Ravy’s spectacular flying buttresses at the east 11:30am, 12:45pm, 6:30pm Sun.
end of the cathedral have a span of 15 m (50 ft). & for Treasury and towers. 8
Transport
q Cité. @ 21, 38, 47, 85, 96 to
Ile de la Cité.












. South Rose Window
The south facade window, with its
central depiction of Christ, is an
impressive 13 m (43 ft) in diameter.
























Statue of Virgin and Child
Against the southeast pillar of the
crossing stands the 14th-century
statue of the Virgin and Child. It The Cathedral from the Left Bank
. Portal of the Virgin was brought to the cathedral from Notre-Dame’s spectacular island setting is
A statue of the Virgin surrounded the chapel of St. Aignan and is enhanced by the trees of Square Jean XXIII,
by kings decorates this massive known as Notre-Dame de Paris a formal garden laid out at the eastern end
13th-century portal. (Our Lady of Paris). of the Ile de la Cité.




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156  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

Street by Street: Latin Quarter

Since the Middle Ages, this riverside quarter has St-Séverin
been dominated by the Sorbonne – it acquired its Begun in the 13th
name from early Latin-speaking students. The area century, this beautiful
church took three
is generally associated with artists, intellectuals, centuries to build and
and a bohemian way of life, and has a history of is a fine example of
political unrest. In 1871, the Place St-Michel the Flamboyant
became the center of the Paris Commune, and in Gothic style.
May 1968, it was one of the sites of the student
uprisings that briefly engulfed the city.
St-Michel Q U A I S T M I C H E L

P E T I T
E P O N T
P
R
A
H

A
L

E
. Boulevard St-Michel L D
The northern end of the H E R U E
Boul’Mich, as it is affectionately C
known, is a lively mélange of M I R U E D U P E T I T P O N T
cafés, bookstores, and clothes
stores, with nightclubs and S T
experimental film houses D
nearby. V
L
B

S
Cluny- La Sorbonne B L V D S T G E R M A I N U E
Q
C
A R
J U

T E
S
Little Athens D L
takes its name L V G
A
from the many B R
Greek restaurants R D A N
situated in its A G
picturesque E N E
streets. H B L V D S T G E R M A I N
T
E
U
R
R U E D E S E C O L E S
. Musée National du
Moyen Age
The museum holds a fine
collection of medieval art,
with many beautiful tapestries.
This detail is from the late
15th-century series of tapestries
The Lady with the Unicorn. 0 meters 100
0 yards 100
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11

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P ARIS  157

9 Jardin du
La Sorbonne
Luxembourg
Seat of the University of Paris q Odéon. W Luxembourg.
until 1969, the Sorbonne was
established in 1257 by Robert Open daily.
de Sorbon, confessor to Louis This graceful and historic area
IX, to enable poor scholars to offers a peaceful haven in the
study theology. It achieved heart of Paris. The gardens,
fame as a center of learning which cover 25 ha (60 acres),
in the late Middle Ages. The were opened to the public in
first printing house in France the 19th century by their then
was founded here in 1469.
Suppressed during the owner, the Comte de Provence.
Revolution for opposition They are centered on the
to liberal 18th-century Luxembourg Palace, which was
philosophical ideas, and built for Marie de Médicis, the
re-established by Napoleon widow of Henri IV, and is now
P E T I T P O N T in 1806, the Sorbonne split View of the Panthéon from the Jardin the home of the French Senate.
Dominating the gardens is an
into 13 separate universities
du Luxembourg
in 1971. Lectures are still held
on the original site. 8 Panthéon octagonal lake surrounded
by formal terraces, where
Place du Panthéon. Tel 01-44 32 18 00 sunbathers gather on fine
q Place Monge, Cardinal-Lemoine. summer days.
Open daily. Closed Jan 1, May 1, Jul 14, 0 St-Germain-
R U E D U P E T I T P O N T Q P O N T A U Famous as the last resting place des-Prés
Dec 25. & 8
S E I N E
of some of France’s greatest
3 Place St-Germain-des-Prés.
D O U B L E
citizens, this magnificent church
Tel 01-55 42 81 33. q St-Germain-
was built between 1764 and
des-Prés. Open daily. 8 (reserve
U A I D E
patron saint of Paris. During the
1790 to honor Sainte Geneviève, in advance).
Revolution, it was turned into a Originating in 558 as a basilica
M
O
pantheon to house the tombs to house holy relics, this is
N
T
of the illustrious. the oldest church in Paris.
E
B
E Based on Rome’s pantheon, St-Germain had become a
the temple portico has 22 powerful Benedictine abbey
L
Corinthian columns, while the by the Middle Ages, but was
L O
tall dome was inspired by that largely destroyed by fire in 1794.
of St. Paul’s in London (see p66). Major restoration took place in
R
Geneviève’s life is celebrated in the 19th century. A single tower
U
E
a series of 19th-century nave survives from the original three,
murals. Many French notables housing one of the most ancient
L
A
St-Julien- rest in the crypt, including belfries in France. Famous tombs
G
le-Pauvre, one Voltaire, Rousseau, and Victor include that of 17th-century
R
of the oldest Hugo. The ashes of Pierre and philosopher, René Descartes.
A
N
churches in Marie Curie are also held here. After World War II, the area
G
Paris, dates attracted writers
E
back to the and artists,
12th century.
including one
of the leading
B L V D S T G E R M A I N
Maubert-Mutualité figures of the
Existentialist
movement, Jean-
Paul Sartre, and
writer Simone de
Beauvoir. Bars
and cafés, such
Key
as Les Deux
Suggested route Magots and the
Café de Flore,
which were their
daily haunts, are
now popular
De Médicis fountain in the Jardin du Luxembourg with tourists.
For keys to symbols see back flap
156-157_EW_Europe.indd 157 14/07/16 10:14 am

158  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

q Musée du Louvre

The Musée du Louvre, containing one of the world’s most
important art collections, has a history dating back to
medieval times. First built as a fortress in 1190 by King
Philippe-Auguste, it lost its dungeon and keep in the reign
of François I, who commissioned a Renaissance-style building. The Louvre’s east facade, added
Thereafter, four centuries of kings and emperors improved in the 17th century
and enlarged the palace. It was first opened as a museum
in 1793 under the First Republic.


Building the Louvre
Over many centuries, the Louvre
was enlarged by a succession of
French rulers and, latterly, by the
state, shown below with their dates.





Major Alterations
Reign of François I (1515–47)
Catherine de’ Médici (about 1560)
Reign of Henri IV (1589–1610)
Reign of Louis XIII (1610–43)
Reign of Louis XIV (1643–1715)
Reign of Napoleon I (1804–15)
Reign of Napoleon III (1852–70)
François Mitterrand (1981–95)

KEY
1 The Jardin du Carrousel was 6 The Hall Napoléon, where
once the grand approach to the temporary exhibitions are held,
Tuileries Palace, which was set is situated under the pyramid.
ablaze in 1871 by insurgents of 7 The Cour Napoléon dates
the Paris Commune. mostly from the 19th century.
2 The Carrousel du Louvre 8 Sully Wing
underground visitors’ complex
(1993), with galleries, shops, 9 Cour Carrée
restrooms, parking, and an 0 Philippe-Auguste’s old
information desk, lies beneath the fortress, with its distinctive tower
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. and keep, was transformed into a
3 The inverted glass pyramid royal residence by Charles V in
brings light to the subterranean about 1365.
complex, echoing the new main q The Salle des Caryatides
entrance to the museum in the is named after the four
Cour Napoléon. monumental statues created by
4 Cour Marly is a glass-roofed Jean Goujon in 1550 to support
courtyard that houses the famous the upper gallery. Built for Henri II,
Marly Horses, sculpted by Antoine it is the oldest room in the palace.
Coysevox (1706) and Guillaume w Cour Visconti–Islamic Art . Arc de Triomphe
Coustou (1745) for the royal e Denon Wing du Carrousel
château at Marly. This triumphal arch was built
r Mona Lisa
5 Richelieu Wing to celebrate Napoleon’s
military victories in 1806.
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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P ARIS  159


The Glass Pyramid VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Plans for the Practical Information
modernization and Entrance through Pyramid
expansion of the Louvre or directly from metro.
were first conceived in Tel 01 40 20 53 17.
1981. These included the W Châtelet-les-Halles.
transfer of the Ministry of h Carrousel du Louvre
Finance from the (entrance via Ave du Général
Richelieu Wing to offices Lemmonnier); Place du Louvre,
elsewhere and a new Rue St-Honoré.
main entrance. This took Open 9am–6pm Wed–Mon
the form of a metal and (to 9:45pm Wed & Fri, except
glass pyramid designed by architect I.M. Pei. Opened in 1989, the public hols). Closed Jan 1,
pyramid enables the visitor to see the surrounding buildings, May 1, Aug 15, Dec 25.
while allowing light down into the underground visitors’ & 7 partial. 8 phone
reception area. 01 40 20 59 90. ∑ louvre.fr
Transport
q Palais-Royal, Louvre Rivoli,
Musée du Louvre. @ 21, 24, 27,
39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95.
Pyramid
entrance










. Perrault’s Colonnade
The east facade, with its majestic rows
of columns, was built by Claude
Perrault, who worked on the
Louvre with Louis Le Vau in
the mid-17th century.





















. Medieval Moats
The base of the twin towers
and the drawbridge support of
Philippe-Auguste’s fortress can
be seen in the excavated area.




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160  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES


Exploring the Louvre’s Collection Greek, Etruscan, and
Owing to the vast size of the Louvre’s collection, it is useful Roman Antiquities
to set a few viewing priorities before starting. The collection The famous Greek marble
of European paintings (1400–1848) is comprehensive, with statues here, the Winged Victory
more than half the works by French artists. The extensively of Samothrace and the Venus de
Milo, both date from the
renovated departments of Oriental, Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Hellenistic period (late 3rd to
and Roman antiquities are of world renown and feature 2nd century BC). A highlight
numerous new acquisitions and rare treasures. The hugely of the Roman section is a
varied display of objets d’art includes furniture, jewelry, 2nd-century AD bronze head of
scientific instruments, and armor. the Emperor Hadrian. Other fine
pieces include a bust of Agrippa
and a basalt head of Livia. The
star of the Etruscan collection
European Sculpture: is the terra-cotta sarcophagus
1100 to 1848 of a married couple. Among the
The French section opens with vast array of earlier fragments,
a 12th-century figure of Christ a geometric head from the
and a head of St. Peter. Several Cyclades (2700 BC) and a
works by French sculptor Pierre swan-necked bowl hammered
Puget (1620–94) are assembled out of a gold sheet (2500 BC)
in a glass-covered courtyard. are noteworthy.
Other masterpieces of French
sculpture, including Jean-
Antoine Houdon’s busts of Objets d’Art
Diderot and Voltaire, stand in More than 8,000 items feature
the Cour Marly. A notable in this collection, many of
Flemish sculp ture is which came from the Abbey
Adrian de Vries’s long- of St-Denis, where the kings
The famously enigmatic Mona Lisa (c.1504), limbed Mercury and of France were crowned.
by Leonardo da Vinci Psyche (1593). Treasures include a
Michelangelo’s Slaves serpentine plate from the
and Benvenuto Cellini’s 1st century AD and a
European Painting: Fontainebleau Nymph golden scepter made for
1400 to 1848
are among the many King Charles V in about
Notable Flemish paintings splendid Italian works. 1380. The French crown
include Jan van Eyck’s Madonna jewels include the
of the Chancellor Rolin (c.1435). splendid coronation
The fine Dutch collection feat- Oriental and crowns of Louis XV and
Egyptian
ures Self-portrait and Bathsheba Napoleon, scepters, and
(1654), both by Rembrandt. Antiquities swords. The Regent,
Among important German Important works of one of the purest
works are a Venus (1529) by Mesopotamian art diamonds in the
Lucas Cranach and a portrait include one of the world, worn by Louis
of Erasmus by Hans Holbein. world’s oldest docu- XV at his coronation
Italian paintings are arranged ments, a basalt block, in 1722, is also on
chronologically, and include Fra bearing a proclamation Venus de Milo show. An entire room
Angelico’s Coronation of the of laws by Babylonian is taken up with a series
Virgin (1435) and the celebrated King Hammurabi from about of tapestries, the Hunts of
Mona Lisa (1504) by Leonardo 1750 BC. Maximilian, executed for
da Vinci. The warlike Assyrians are Emperor Charles V in 1530.
Outstanding French works represented by delicate The large collection of French
are represented by Enguerrand carvings, and a fine example furniture ranges from the 16th
Quarton’s Villeneuve-lès-Avignon of Persian art is the enameled to the 19th centuries, and
Pietà (1455) and the delightfully brickwork depicting the king’s includes pieces by exceptional
frivolous The Bathers (1770) archers (5th century BC). furniture-maker André Charles
by Fragonard. Egyptian art on display, Boulle. He is particularly
Among English artists dating from between 2500 and noted for his technique
featured are Gainsborough, 1400 BC, and mostly produced of inlaying copper and
Reynolds, and Turner, while for the dead, includes lifelike tortoiseshell. Among more
the Spanish collection has funeral portraits, such as the unusual items is Marie-
portraits by Goya and works Squatting Scribe, and several Antoinette’s inlaid steel
by El Greco and Zurbarán. sculptures of married couples. and bronze writing desk.
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


160-161_EW_Europe.indd 160 14/07/16 10:14 am

P ARIS  161


with lime and chestnut trees and r Place de la
modern sculptures. Also in the Concorde
gardens, two royal tennis courts
built in 1851 and known as the q Concorde.
Jeu de Paume – literally “game
of the palm” – now host One of Europe’s most
exhibitions of contemporary art. magnificent and historic
squares, covering more than
e Musée de 8 ha (20 acres), the Place de la
l’Orangerie Concorde was a swamp until
the mid­18th century. It
Jardin des Tuileries, Place de la became Place Louis XV in
Concorde. Tel 01­44 77 80 07. 1763, when royal architect
q Concorde. @ 24, 42, 52, 72, 73, Jacques­Ange Gabriel was
84, 94. Open 9am–6pm Wed–Mon. asked by the king to design
Closed May 1, Dec 25. & 8 = 7 a suitable setting for an
∑ musee-orangerie.fr equestrian statue of himself.
Neoclassical statues and urns in the He created an open octagon,
Jardin des Tuileries The museum first opened to with only the north side
the public in 1927 with an containing mansions.
w Jardin des Tuileries exhibition of Claude Monet’s The statue, which lasted
crowning work, his celebrated here less than 20 years,
q Tuileries, Concorde. Open Apr,
May, Jun, Aug, Sep: 7am–9pm daily; water­lily series – known as the was replaced by the
Jul: 7am–11pm; Oct–Mar: Nymphéas, and they still take guillotine (the Black
7:30am–7pm daily. pride of place here. Most of the Widow, as it came to
canvases were painted between be known), and the
These gardens once belonged 1899 and 1921 in the garden at square was renamed
to the Palais des Tuileries, a Giverny, Normandy, where Place de la Révolution.
palace which was razed to the Monet lived from 1883 until On January 21, 1793,
ground during the time of the his death at the age of 86. Louis XVI was beheaded
Paris Commune in 1871. This superb work is here, followed by more
The gardens were laid out in complemented by the Walter­ than 1,300 other
the 17th century by André Le Guillaume collection of artists of victims, including Marie
Nôtre, royal gardener to Louis the Ecole de Paris, from the late Antoinette, Madame du
XIV. He created a Neoclassical Impressionist era to the inter­ Barry, Charlotte Corday
garden with a broad central war period. Among a number of (Marat’s assassin), and
avenue, regularly spaced terraces, paintings by Cézanne are still revolutionary leaders
and topiary arranged in geo­ lifes, portraits such as Madame Danton and
metric designs. A project which Cézanne, and landscapes. The Robespierre. The
started in 1998 created a garden collection also features The Red blood­soaked square
Rock. There are 24 was optimistically
canvases by Renoir, renamed Place de
one the most la Concorde after
notable of which is the Reign of Terror
Les Jeunes Filles au finally came to an
Piano. Picasso is end in 1794.
represented by early The grandeur
works, such as The of the square was Obelisk in Place de
Female Bathers. Henri enhanced a few la Concorde
Rousseau has nine decades later when
paintings, including the 3,200­year­old Luxor obelisk
The Wedding and Le was presented to King Louis­
Carriole du Père Junier. Philippe as a gift from the
Among outstanding viceroy of Egypt (who also
portraits is that of by donated Cleopatra’s Needle in
Modigliano. Works London). Two fountains and
by Sisley, Derain, eight statues personifying
and Utrillo are also French cities were also installed.
featured. All the Flanking the Rue Royale on
works are bathed the north side of the square are
in the natural light two of Gabriel’s Neoclassical
that filters through mansions, the Hôtel de la
Entrance to the great collection of Impressionist and other the windows of Marine and the exclusive
paintings at the Musée de l’Orangerie the museum. Hôtel Crillon.




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162  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

u Les Invalides
q La Tour-Maubourg, Varenne.
W Invalides. @ 28, 63, 69 & many
others. Hôtel des Invalides: Tel 08-10
11 33 99. Open daily. Closed Jan 1,
May 1, Nov 1, Dec 25. St-Louis-des-
Invalides, Museums & Dôme Church:
Open daily (see website for times).
Closed Jan 1, May 1, Jun 17, Nov 1,
Dec 25, first Mon of each month
(except Jul & Aug). & 8 7
restricted. ∑ musee–armee.fr

This vast ensemble of
monumental buildings is one of
the most impressive architectural
Interior of the Musée d’Orsay, retaining its original station architecture sights in Paris. The imposing
Hôtel des Invalides, from which
t Musée d’Orsay display of Art Nouveau, the area takes its name, was
including Lalique glassware. commissioned by Louis XIV in
Rue de la Légion d’Honneur. Tel 01-40
49 49 78. q Solférino. W Musée Impressionist works on the 1671 for his wounded and
d’Orsay. @ 24, 68, 69, 84 & many upper level include Renoir’s home less veterans. Designed by
others. Open Tue–Sun. Closed Jan 1, Bal du Moulin de la Galette Libéral Bruand, it was completed
May 1, Dec 25. & 8 7 (1876). Matisse’s Luxe, Calme et in 1676 by Jules Hardouin-
∑ musee-orsay.fr Volupté is a highlight of the Mansart. Nearly 6,000 soldiers
post-1900 collection. once resided here; today, there
Originally built as a railroad are fewer than 100. Behind the
terminus in the heart of Paris, Hôtel’s harmonious Classical
Victor Laloux’s superb building, y Musée Rodin facade – a masterpiece of French
completed in 1900, narrowly 79 Rue de Varenne. Tel 01-44 18 61 10. 17th-century architecture – are
avoided demolition in the q Varenne. W Invalides. @ 69, 82, several museums.
1970s. In 1986, it reopened as 87, 92. Open Tue–Sun. Closed Jan 1, The Musée de l’Armée is one
the Musée d’Orsay, with much May 1, Dec 25. & 7 restricted. of the most comprehensive
of the original architecture ∑ musee-rodin.fr museums of military history in
preserved. The majority of the the world, with exhibits covering
exhibits are paintings and Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), all periods from the Stone Age
sculptures dating from between widely regarded as one of to World War II. Among items on
1848 and 1914, but there are France’s greatest sculptors, lived display are François I’s ivory
also displays of furniture, the and worked here in the hunting horns and a
decorative arts, and cinema. Hôtel Biron, an elegant selection of arms from
The social, political, and 18th-century mansion, China, Japan, and India.
technological context in from 1908 until his The Musée de
which these diverse visual arts death. In return for a l’Ordre de la Libération
were created is explained. state-owned flat and (closed until mid-2015)
Paintings from before 1870 studio, Rodin left his was set up to honor
are on the ground floor, work to the nation, feats of heroism
presided over by Thomas and it is now during World War II,
Couture’s massive Romans in the exhibited here. while the Musée des
Age of Decadence (1847). Some of his most Plans-Reliefs has an
Neoclassical masterpieces, such celebrated extensive collection
as Ingres’ La Source, hang near sculptures are of detailed models
Romantic works like Delacroix’s on display in of French forts and
turbulent Tiger Hunt (1854), and the attractive fortified towns,
canvases by Degas and Manet, garden and Rodin’s The Kiss (1886) at considered top
including the latter’s Le Déjeuner include The the Musée Rodin secret until as late
sur l’Herbe and Olympia (1863). Burghers of as the 1950s.
The museum’s central aisle Calais, The Thinker, St-Louis-des-Invalides, the
overflows with sculpture, from The Gates of Hell, and Balzac. chapel of the Hôtel des Invalides,
Daumier’s satirical busts of The indoor exhibits are is also known as the “soldiers’
members of parliament to arranged in chronological church.” It was built between
Carpeaux’s exuberant The Dance order, span ning the whole 1679 and 1708 by Jules Hardouin-
(1868). Decorative arts and of Rodin’s career. Major works Mansart, to Bruand’s design. The
architecture are on the middle in the collection include stark, Classical interior is designed
level, where there is also a The Kiss and Eve. in the shape of a Greek cross and
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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P ARIS  163


has a fine 17th-century organ
by Alexandre Thierry.
The Dôme Church was begun
in 1676 to complement the
existing buildings of Les
Invalides, and to reflect the
splendor of Louis XIV’s reign.
Reserved for the exclusive use
of the Sun King himself, the
resulting masterpiece is one
of the greatest examples of
grand siècle architecture and a
monument to Bourbon glory.
The crypt houses the tomb of
Napoleon – six coffins with an
enormous red sarcophagus
on a pedestal of green granite.
Marshal Foch, the World War I
hero, is also buried here. The top of the gilded altar of the Dôme Church in the Hôtel des Invalides

i Eiffel Tower VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Built for the Universal Exhibition of 1889, Practical Information
and to commemorate the centennial of the Champ-de-Mars. Tel 08-92 70
12 39. Open daily. & 7 limited.
Revolution, the 324 m (1,063 ft) Eiffel Tower = 0∑ tour-eiffel.fr
(Tour Eiffel) was meant to be a temporary Transport
addition to the Paris skyline. Designed by @ 42, 69, 82, 87.
Gustave Eiffel, it was fiercely decried by q Bir Hakeim. W Champ-
19th-century aesthetes. It was the world’s de-Mars, Trocadéro.
tallest building until 1931, when New York’s
Empire State Building was completed. The third level, 276 m (905 ft)
A number of crazy stunts have been above the ground, offers superb
views. On a clear day, it is
attempted here. In 1912, a local tailor possible to see for 72 km
launched himself from the tower using a (45 miles) – as far as Chartres
cape as wings. He plunged to his death. Cathedral (see pp180–81).
The second level, at 115 m (376 ft),
Double-decker elevators take
visitors to the top level, which can is reached either by elevator or by
hold up to 400 people at a time. 359 steps from the first level.
The Jules Verne Restaurant
is one of the best in Paris,
offering excellent food and
panoramic views.

The Eiffel Tower
in Figures
• There are a total of 1,665
steps from bottom to top
• The tower is held together
by a total of 2.5 million rivets
• It never sways more than The Eiffel Tower at night
7 cm (2.5 in)
• The tower weighs 10,100
tons
• 50 tons of paint are The first level, at 57 m
used on the tower every (187 ft), can be reached
seven years by elevator or by 345
steps. This level has
been entirely renovated.




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164  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES


Paris Exhibition by Azéma, Louis-
Hippolyte Boileau, and Jacques
Carlu. It is adorned with
sculptures and bas-reliefs, and
the pavilion walls are inscribed in
gold with words composed by
the poet Paul Valéry. The square
between the two pavilions is
highly decorated with bronze
sculptures, ornamental pools, and
shooting fountains. Steps lead
down from here to the Théâtre
National de Chaillot, famous for
its avant-garde productions.
The Cité de l’Architecture
et du Patrimoine is a vast
Trocadéro fountains in front of the Palais de Chaillot complex and information
center incorporating Viollet-
o Musée du Quai building, raised on stilts, is a le-Duc’s original Musée des
Branly sight in itself: the ingenious use Monuments Français (1882).
of glass allows the surrounding
The Musée de l’Homme, in
37 Quai Branly. Tel 01-56 61 70 00. greenery to act as a natural the west wing (closed until mid-
q Alma-Marceau. W Pont de l’Alma. backdrop for the collection. 2015), traces human evolution
Open Tue–Sun. & 0 = 7 through a series of anthro-
∑ quaibranly.fr pological, archaeological, and
p Palais de Chaillot
ethnological displays. Next
Built to give the arts of Africa, Place du Trocadéro 17. q Trocadéro. door is the Musée National
Asia, Oceania, and the Americas W Trocadéro. @ 27, 30, 32, 63, 72, 82. de la Marine, devoted to
a platform as shining as that Museums: Open Wed–Mon. & 8 French naval history.
reserved for Western art, this Aquarium: Tel 01-40 69 23 23. The centerpiece of the lovely
museum boasts a collection of Open daily. Closed Jul 14. & Jardins de Trocadéro is a long
more than 3,000 objects. It is ornamental pool, bordered by
particularly strong on Africa, With its curved colonnaded statues. The gardens themselves
with stone, wooden, and ivory wings, each culminating in a vast are perfect for a quiet evening
masks, as well as ceremonial pavilion, this palace was designed stroll. Also here is the Aquarium
tools. The Jean Nouvel-designed in Neoclassical style for the 1937 de Paris – Cinéaqua.
Baron Haussmann Arc de Triomphe 12 avenues
A lawyer by training and civil servant forming a star
by profession, Georges-Eugène U (étoile)
Haussmann (1809–91) was E A
appointed Prefect of the Seine AVE DES CHAMPS ELYSEES R C
in 1853 by Napoleon III. For A V E D E F R I E D L A N D A
17 years Haussmann was M
responsible for the urban V E A V E D ´ i e N A
modernization of Paris. A V E H O C H E A
With a team of the best
architects and engineers,
he demolished the
chaotic, insanitary streets A V E D E W A G R A M E A V E K L E B E R

of the medieval city and P O I L
created a well-ventilated L A C E D E L ´ E T
and ordered capital in a
geometrical grid. He also M A C — m A H O N T
increased the number of O A V E V I C T O R H U G O
streetlights and sidewalks, R N A V
giving rise to the cafés that A V E C A E
enliven modern Parisian E F O
street life. The plan involved A V A V E D E L A G R A N D E A R M E E C H
redesigning the area at one end
of the Champs-Elysées and creating
a star of 12 avenues centered around
the new Arc de Triomphe.

For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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P ARIS  165


The formal gardens that line
the Champs-Elysées from
Place de la Concorde to the
Rond-Point have changed
little since they were laid out
by architect Jacques Hittorff
in 1838, and were used as
the setting for the 1855
World’s Fair. The Grand Palais
and the Petit Palais were also
built here for the Universal
Exhibition of 1900.
The exterior of the massive
Grand Palais combines an
imposing Neoclassical facade
with Art Nouveau ironwork. A
splendid glass roof is decorated
with colossal bronze statues of
flying horses and chariots at its
four corners. Inside is a science
exhibition (Le Palais de la
Découverte) and the Galeries
Nationales du Grand Palais,
which holds frequent
temporary exhibitions.
The east side of the Arc de Triomphe Facing the Grand Palais, the
Petit Palais houses the Musée
a Arc de Triomphe Triomphe is the customary des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de
rallying point for many victory Paris. Arranged around a
Place Charles de Gaulle. Tel 01-55 37
73 77. q W Charles de Gaulle– celebrations and parades. semicircular courtyard and
Etoile. @ 22, 30, 31, 73, 92. Open The viewing platform on top of garden, the palace is similar in
daily. Closed Jan 1, May 1, May 8 (am), the Arc overlooks the length style to the Grand Palais, with
Jul 14 (am), Nov 11 (am), Dec 25. & of the Champs-Elysées. Inside Ionic columns, a grand porch,
8 7 limited. ∑ arc-de-triomphe. the Arc, a museum documents and a dome echoing that of
monuments-nationaux.fr its history and construction. the Invalides across the river.
The exhibits are divided into
After his greatest victory, the medieval and Renaissance
Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, s Champs-Elysées objets d’art, paintings, and
Napoleon promised his men drawings; 18th-century
they would “go home beneath q Franklin D. Roosevelt, George V, furniture and objets d’art; and
Champs-Elysées Clemenceau. Grand
triumphal arches.” The first stone Palais: Porte A, Ave Eisenhower. works by the French artists
of what was to become the Tel 01-44 13 17 17. Open Wed–Mon Gustave Courbet, Jean Ingres,
world’s most famous triumphal (only for exhibitions). & Palais de la and Eugène Delacroix.
arch was laid the following year. Découverte: Tel 01-56 43 20 21.
But disruptions to architect Jean Open Tue–Sun. & Petit Palais: Ave
Chalgrin’s plans – combined Winston Churchill. Tel 01-53 43 40 00.
with the demise of Napoleonic Open Tue–Sun. Closed public hols.
power – delayed completion 7 8 for temporary exhibitions.
until 1836. Standing 50 m
(164 ft) high, the Arc is Paris’s most famous and popular
encrusted with flamboyant thoroughfare had its beginnings
reliefs, shields, and sculptures, in about 1667, when landscape
depicting military scenes such gardener André Le Nôtre exten-
as the Napoleonic battles of ded the royal view from the
Austerlitz and Aboukir. Tuile ries by creating a tree-lined
On Armistice Day, 1921, the avenue. The Champs-Elysées
body of the Unknown Soldier (Elysian Fields) has also been
was placed beneath the arch to known as the “triumphal way”
commemorate the dead of since the homecoming of
World War I. The flame of Napoleon’s body from St. Helena
remembrance which burns in 1840. With the addition of cafés
above the tomb is rekindled by and restaurants in the late 19th
various veterans’ organizations century, it became the most Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris,
each evening. Today, the Arc de fashionable boulevard in Paris. in the Petit Palais




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166  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES


























The deceptively rustic exterior of Au Lapin Agile, one of the best-known nightspots in Paris
d Montmartre literary haunt Au Lapin Agile, promised to finance its
or “Agile Rabbit,” is now a construction should France
q Abbesses, Anvers. @ 30, 54, 80,
85. Sacré-Coeur: 35 Rue du Chevalier club. The celebrated Moulin be spared from the impending
de la Barre. Tel 01-53 41 89 00. Rouge nightclub is also in Prussian onslaught. Despite
Open daily. & for crypt and dome. the vicinity. the war and the Siege of Paris,
7 restricted. ∑ sacre-coeur- The name Montmartre, invasion was averted and work
montmartre.com thought to derive from martyrs began in 1876 to Paul Abadie’s
tortured and killed here in designs. The basilica, completed
The steep hill of Montmartre around AD 250, is also in 1914, is one of France’s most
has been associated with artists associated with the grandiose important Roman Catholic
for 200 years. Théodore Géricault Sacré-Coeur. Dedicated to the shrines. It contains many
and Camille Corot came here at Sacred Heart of Christ, the treasures, including a figure of
the start of the 19th century, basilica was built as a result of a the Virgin Mary and Child (1896)
and in the early 20th century, vow made at the outbreak of by Brunet.
Maurice Utrillo immortalized the the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. Below the forecourt, Square
streets in his works. Today, street Business men Alexandre Legentil Willette is laid out on the side
artists of varying talents exhibit and Hubert Rohault de Fleury of a hill in a series of descending
their work in the terraces. A funicular railway
Place du Tertre, and takes visitors up from the
thrive on the tourist bottom of the gardens to the
trade. Exhibitions at foot of the steps of the basilica.
the Musée de
Montmartre usually
feature works of f Parc de la Villette
artists associated 30 Ave Corentin-Cariou. q Porte de
with the area, while la Villette. @ 75, 139, 150, 152, 250A.
the Musée d’Art Naïf Cité des Sciences: Tel 01-40 05 80 00.
Max Fourny houses Open Tue–Sun. & 7
almost 600 examples
of naive art. The The old slaughterhouses and
Espace Montmartre livestock market of Paris have
Salvador Dalí displays been transformed into this
more than 300 works massive urban park, designed
by the Surrealist by Bernard Tschumi.
painter and sculptor. The major attraction of the
Much of the area still site is the Cité des Sciences et
preserves its rather de l’Industrie, a hugely popular
louche, prewar science and technology
atmosphere. Former Approach to the Romano-Byzantine Sacré-Coeur basilicia museum. Architect Adrien
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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P ARIS  167


Fainsilber has created an and foreign companies. La
imaginative interplay of light, Grande Arche is an enormous
vegetation, and water in the hollow cube, spacious enough
high-tech, five-floor building, to contain Notre-Dame
which soars to a height of 40 m cathedral. Designed by Danish
(133 ft). At the museum’s heart architect Otto von Spreckelsen,
is the Explora exhibit, a the arch houses an exhibition
fascinating guide to the worlds gallery and offers superb views
of science and technology. The over the city, though the
Géode, a giant entertainment rooftop is closed to the public.
sphere, houses a huge
hemispherical cinema screen.
In the auditorium of the j Bois de Boulogne
Planetarium, special-effects q Porte Maillot, Porte Dauphine,
projectors create exciting Porte d’Auteuil, Sablons. Open 24 hrs
images of the stars and planets. daily. & to specialist gardens and
Also in the park, the Grande facilities. 7
Halle was the old cattle hall, and
has been turned into a huge Located between the Seine River
exhibition space. The Cité de la Monument to Oscar Wilde in the Père and the western edges of Paris,
Musique is a quirky but elegant Lachaise Cemetery this 865-ha (2,137-acre) park
complex that holds a music offers a vast belt of greenery for
conservatory – home of the Duncan, among others. The strolling, cycling, riding, boating,
world-famous Paris conservatoire equally charismatic Sarah picnicking, or spending a day at
since 1990 – and a concert hall. Bernhardt, famous for her the races. The Bois de Boulogne
There is also a museum covering portrayal of Racine heroines, was once part of the immense
the history of music from the also reposes at Père Lachaise. Forêt du Rouvre. In the mid-19th
Renaissance to the present day. Striking funerary sculpture and century, Napoleon III had the
Built as a venue for pop concerts, famous graves make this a area redesigned and landscaped
the Zénith theater seats more pleasant place for a leisurely, by Baron Haussmann along the
than 6,000 spectators. nostalgic stroll. lines of Hyde Park in London (see
p62). A number of self-contained
g Cimetière du h La Défense parks include the Pré Catelan,
which has the widest beech
Père Lachaise W La Défense. La Grande Arche tree in Paris, and the Bagatelle
16 Rue du Repos. q Père-Lachaise, Tel 01-47 74 84 24. Open Mon–Sat. gardens, with architectural follies
and an 18th-century villa famous
A Dumas. Tel 01-55 25 82 10. Open 7 8 ∑ ladefense.fr
daily. ∑ pere-lachaise.com for its rose garden. The villa was
This still-expanding skyscraper built in just 64 days as the result
Paris’s most prestigious business city on the western of a bet between the Comte
cemetery is set on a wooded hill edge of Paris is one of the largest d’Artois and Marie-Antoinette.
overlooking the city. The land office developments in Europe By day, the Bois is busy with
was once owned by Père de la and covers 80 ha (198 acres). It families, joggers, and walkers,
Chaise, Louis XIV’s confessor, was launched in 1957 to create but after dark it is notoriously
but it was bought by order of a new home for leading French seedy – and best avoided.
Napoleon in 1803 to create a
completely new cemetery. This
became so popular with the
Parisian bourgeoisie that its
boundaries were extended six
times during the 19th century.
Here are buried celebrities such
as the writer Honoré de Balzac,
the famous playwright Molière,
the composer Frédéric Chopin,
singer Edith Piaf, and actors
Simone Signoret and Yves
Montand. Famous foreigners
interred in the cemetery include
Oscar Wilde and the singer Jim
Morrison. The Columbarium,
built at the end of the 19th
century, houses the ashes of
American dancer Isadora Kiosque de l’Empereur, on an island in the Grand Lac, Bois de Boulogne




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168  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

k Château de Versailles

Visitors passing through the dazzling state rooms of this
colossal palace, or strolling in its vast gardens, will soon
understand why it was the glory of the Sun King’s reign.
Started by Louis XIV in 1668, the palace grew from a modest
hunting lodge built for his father, Louis XIII, to become the
largest palace in Europe, housing some 20,000 people.
Architect Louis Le Vau built the first section, which expanded
into an enlarged courtyard. From 1678, Jules Hardouin-
Mansart added the north and south wings and the superb . Hall of Mirrors
Hall of Mirrors. He also designed the chapel, completed in This magnificent room, 70 m
1710. The interiors were largely the work of Charles Le Brun, (233 ft) long, was the setting for
and the great landscape gardener André Le Nôtre redesigned great state occasions. It was here
that the Treaty of Versailles was
the gardens with their monumental fountains. ratified at the end of World War I.











Marble Courtyard
The courtyard is decorated with
marble paving, urns, and busts.
Above the gilded central balcony,
the figures of Hercules and Mars
flank the clock on the pediment.
















KEY
1 The South Wing originally
housed the apartments of great
nobles. It is closed to the public.
2 Ministers’ Courtyard
. Chapelle Royale The ornate main gate, 3 Royal Courtyard
Mansart’s last great work, this designed by Mansart, is 4 The Opera House, in the North
Baroque chapel was Louis XIV’s crowned by the royal Wing, was completed for the 1770
final addition to Versailles. The coat of arms. marriage of the future Louis XVI and
beautiful interior is decorated Marie-Antoinette.
with Corinthian columns and 5 Parterres (flowerbeds)
superb Baroque murals.
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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P ARIS  169


VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Practical Information
Versailles, Yvelines. Tel 01-30 83
78 00. £ Versailles Chantiers,
Versailles Rive Droite.
W Versailles Rive Gauche.
Open 9am–6:30pm Tue–Sun
(5:30pm in winter). Closed some
public hols. & Grand & Petit
Trianon: Open pm daily.
Closed Jan 1, Dec 25. & 8
7 _ Grands Eaux Nocturnes
(Jul–Aug: Sat eve)
∑ chateauversailles.fr
Transport
@ 171 from Paris.
The 17th-century Fountain of Neptune, by Le Nôtre and Mansart
Exploring the Palace mirrors reflecting the light from
The main rooms of the palace tall arched windows.
are on the first floor. Around Another major attraction is
the Marble Courtyard are the the beautiful Chapelle Royale.
private apartments of the king
and queen. Visitors can see the The Gardens of Versailles
King’s Bedroom, where Louis The gardens are a fitting
XIV died, aged 77, in 1715. The counterpart to the colossal
North Wing room next door, the Cabinet palace. Immediately in front
The chapel, Opera House, du Conseil, was where the of the palace is the Water
and picture galleries occupy monarch would receive Parterre, decorated with superb
this wing, which originally ministers and family members. bronze statues. Paths lead
housed royal apartments. On the garden side, the state through the formal gardens,
apartments are richly decorated with their regularly patterned
with colored marbles, carvings flowerbeds and hedges, to
in stone and wood, murals, groves, lakes, fountains, and
and gilded furniture. Each is architectural features, such as
dedicated to an Olympian the Colonnade (1685), a circle
deity. Louis XIV’s throne room, of marble arches designed by
the Salon d’Apollon, designed Mansart. The largest stretch
by Le Brun, is dedicated to of water is the Grand Canal,
the god Apollo. A copy where Louis XIV held
of the famous portrait of spectacular boating parties.
Louis by Hyacinthe The gardens contain two
Rigaud hangs above smaller palaces. The Grand
the fireplace. The war Trianon, built of stone and
theme of the Salon de pink marble, was designed by
la Guerre is reinforced by Mansart in 1687 as a discreet
a stucco relief of Louis XIV hideaway for Louis XIV and
riding to victory. The high his mistress, Madame de
point of the tour is the Hall Maintenon. The nearby Petit
of Mirrors, with its 17 great Trianon (1762) was built
for Madame de
Pompadour, Louis
XV’s mistress. It later
became a favorite
retreat of Marie-
Antoinette. Behind it
is the Hameau, a mini-
village where the
queen would dress
up as a shepherdess
and play with a flock
of groomed and
Marie-Antoinette’s beloved Petit Trianon perfumed lambs.




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170  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES


l Basilique St-Denis 1589), and Louis XVI and Marie- divided into five themed areas.
Antoinette (died 1793). Although these rely heavily on
1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur.
q St-Denis-Basilique. W St-Denis. Of the medieval effigies, the Hollywood nostalgia,
Tel 01-48 09 83 54. Open daily. most impressive are of Charles V Disneyland Paris has tried to
Closed Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25. & to (1364) and a 12th-century give the park a European touch.
the crypt. 8 7 restricted. likeness of Blanche de France “Frontierland,” inspired by
with her dog. Their mask-like the Wild West of 19th-century
Constructed between 1137 and serenity contrasts with the America, can be explored on
1281, the basilica is on the site of realistic Renaissance portrayal paddlewheel steamboats.
the tomb of St. Denis, the first of agony in the sculptures of A roller coaster trundles
bishop of Paris, who was behe- the mausoleum of Louis XII through mountain scenery.
aded in Montmartre in AD 250. and Anne de Bretagne. In “Adventureland,” visitors
According to legend, his decap- In 2011, the skull of Henry IV encounter characters and
itated figure, clutching his head, was buried here, having been tales from adventure fiction,
was seen here, and an abbey in the possession of a private including Caribbean pirates and
was erected to commemorate collector since the 1950s. the Swiss Family Robinson.
the martyred bishop. The basilica Small-town America at the
was the first church to be built in turn of the century is evoked in
the Gothic style of architecture. z Disneyland Paris “Main Street.” Authentic details
From as early as the 7th Marne-la-Vallée, Seine-et-Marne. include horse-drawn vehicles
century, St-Denis was a burial £ TGV from several major cities to and a traditional barber’s shop.
place for French rulers, and all Marne la Vallée/Chessy; also Eurostar Young children will enjoy
the queens of France were from London St. Pancras, Ebbsfleet & “Fantasyland,” devoted to Disney
crowned here. During the Ashford. W Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy. characters and tales, where they
Revolution, many tombs were @ from CDG & Orly airports. can fly with Peter Pan or search
desecrated and scattered, but Tel 08448 008 898. Open daily. the Alice in Wonderland maze
the best were stored, and now & 7 ∑ disneylandparis.com for the Queen of Hearts’ castle.
represent a fine collection of “Discoveryland” has futuristic
funerary art. Memorials include The theme park, which lies architecture and sophisticated
those of Henri II (died 1559) and 32 km (20 miles) east of Paris, technology. Here, visitors can
Catherine de’ Medici (died covers 60 ha (150 acres). It is choose to be miniaturized by a
hapless inventor or sent on a
thrilling space trip.
x Château de Vaux-
le-Vicomte
Maincy, Seine-et-Marne. £ W Melun,
then taxi or shuttle bus (Apr–mid-Nov:
Sat & Sun). Tel 01-64 14 41 90. Open
mid-Mar–mid-Nov: daily. & 7
∑ vaux-le-vicomte.com
Located 64 km (40 miles)
southeast of Paris, the château
enjoys a peaceful rural setting.
Nicolas Fouquet, a powerful
court financier to Louis XIV,
challenged architect Le Vau and
decorator Le Brun to create the
most sumptuous palace of the
day. The result was one of the
greatest 17th-century French
châteaux. However, it also led
to his downfall. Louis was so
enraged – because its luxury cast
the royal palaces into the shade
– that he had Fouquet arrested
and confiscated all his estates.
As befits Fouquet’s grand tastes,
the interior is a gilded banquet of
frescoes, stucco, caryatids, and
giant busts. The Salon des Muses
The tomb of Louis XII and Anne de Bretagne in the Basilique St-Denis boasts Le Brun’s magnificent
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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P ARIS  171

























Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, designed by Le Nôtre, seen across the formal gardens
frescoed ceiling of dancing periods. During the Revolution, reflected in the parquet floor.
nymphs and poetic sphinxes. the apartments were looted by The apartments of Napoleon I
La Grande Chambre Carrée is a mob, and remained bare until house his grandiose throne, in
decorated in Louis XIII style, with the 1800s, when Napoleon the former Chambre du Roi. The
paneled walls and an impressive refurbished the whole interior. complex of buildings also contains
triumphal frieze, evoking Rome. The Cour du Cheval Blanc, the Musée Napoléon, in which
Much of Vaux-le-Vicomte’s once a simple enclosed eight rooms recreate different
fame is due to landscape courtyard, was transformed scenes from the Emperor’s life.
gardener André Le Nôtre (1613– by Napoleon into the main Nearby is the Chapelle de
1700). At Vaux he perfected approach to the château. At la Sainte Trinité, designed for
the concept of the jardin à la one end is the Escalier du Fer- Henri II in 1550. The chapel
française: avenues framed by à-Cheval (1634), an imposing acquired its vaulted and
statues and box hedges, water horseshoe-shaped staircase. frescoed ceiling under Henri IV,
gardens with ornate pools, The interior suites showcase and was comp leted during the
and geometrical parterres the château’s history as a royal reign of Louis XIII.
“embroidered” with floral motifs. residence. The Galerie François I The gardens are also worth
has a superb collection of exploring. The Jardin Anglais
c Château de Renaissance art. The Salle de is a romantic “English” garden
Fontainebleau Bal, a Renaissance ballroom planted with cypresses and
designed by Primaticcio (1552),
exotic species. The Jardin de
Seine-et-Marne. £ Tel 01-60 71 features emblems of Henri II on Diana features a bronze fountain
50 70. Open Wed–Mon. & 8 7 the walnut-coffered ceiling and of Diana the Huntress.
∑ musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr
Fontainebleau was a favorite
royal residence from the 12th to
the mid-19th century. Its charm
lies in its relative informality and
its spectacular setting in a forest
65 km (40 miles) south of Paris.
The present château dates back
to François I. Drawn to the area
by the local hunting, the
Renaissance king created a
decorative château modeled on
Florentine and Roman styles.
Subsequent rulers enlarged
and embellished the château,
creating a cluster of buildings
in various styles from different The Salle de Bal of Henri II, Château de Fontainebleau




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172  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

Northern France barrel-vaulted ceiling and Arras
tapestries, is a star attraction.
Northern France’s main sights span thousands of years of Among other fine historic
history, from the awesome megaliths of Carnac, through the buildings are the 17th-century
18th-century grandeur of Nancy’s town architecture, to Ancien Collège des Jésuites,
Strasbourg’s futuristic Palais de l’Europe, seat of the European which is now a school, and the
Basilique St-Remi, the oldest
Parliament. Its cities boast some of the country’s greatest church in Reims.
cathedrals, such as those of Reims and Rouen. The region’s most Relics of the town’s Roman
famous religious monument is Mont-St-Michel, whose evocative past include the Crypto-
silhouette has welcomed pilgrims since the 11th century. portique, part of the former
forum, and the Porte Mars,
a triumphal Augustan arch.
Moderne et Contemporain, Le The Musée de la Reddition
Vaisseau, a scientific discovery occupies the building that
center for children aged 3–15, served as Eisenhower’s French
and the Musée Alsacien, which headquarters during World War
overflows with exhibits on local II. It was here, in 1945, that the
traditions, arts, and crafts. general received the Germans’
surrender, which ended the war.
3 Reims R Cathédrale Notre-Dame
Marne. * 210,000. £ @ n 08-21 Place du Cardinal Luçon. Open daily.
61 01 60. ∑ reims-tourisme.com 8 7
Renowned throughout the Environs
world from countless A short drive south of Reims
champagne labels, Reims is Epernay. Here, you can visit
has a rich historical legacy. the cellars of a number of
Strasbourg’s fine Gothic cathedral, The city’s most famous distinguished champagne
surrounded by historic buildings monument is the magnificent “houses,” including those of
Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame, Moët et Chandon.
2 Strasbourg begun in 1211. For several
centuries, the cathedral was the
Bas Rhin. * 450,000. k 15 km 4 Rouen
(8 miles) SW. £ @ n 17 Place de setting for the coronation of
la Cathédrale (03-88 52 28 28). French kings. Highlights are the Seine Maritime. * 138,000. k 11 km
_ Christmas market (Dec). 13th-century Great Rose Window (7 miles) SE. £ @ n 25 Place de la
∑ otstrasbourg.fr and the west facade, decorated Cathédrale (02-32 08 32 40).
with over 2,300 statues. ∑ rouentourisme.com
Located halfway between Paris On the eve of a coronation,
and Prague, this cosmopolitan the future king spent the night Formerly a Celtic trading post,
city is often known as “the in the Palais du Tau (1690), the Roman garrison, and Viking
crossroads of Europe.” It is also archbishops’ palace, adjoining colony, Rouen became the
home to the European Parliament. the cathedral. capital of the Norman Duchy
A boat trip along the water- Its 15th-century banqueting in 911. Today, it is a rich and
ways that encircle Strasbourg’s hall, the Salle du Tau, with its cultured city that boasts a wealth
Old Town takes in the Ponts-
Couverts – bridges with
medieval watchtowers – and the
old tanners’ district, dotted with
attractive half-timbered houses.
Dating from the late 11th
century, the Cathédrale Notre-
Dame dominates the city. There
are wonderful views from the
viewing platform on the rooftop.
The grand Classical Palais
Rohan houses three museums:
the Musée des Beaux Arts, the
Musée Archéologique, and the
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, which
has one of the finest displays of
ceramics in France. Also worth
visiting is the Musée d’Art Statuary on the west facade of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame, in Reims
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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FR ANCE  173


views of St-Malo and its offshore
islands. Within the city walls
is a web of narrow, cobbled
streets with tall 18th-century
buildings housing many
souvenir stores, seafood
restaurants, and creperies.
St-Malo’s castle, the Château
de St-Malo dates from the
14th and 15th centuries. The
Detail from the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry great keep today houses an
interesting museum charting
of splendid historical monuments. from the Norman perspective. It the city’s history. In the three-
Rouen’s Gothic cathedral, the was probably commissioned by towered fortification known as
Cathédrale Notre-Dame, has an Bishop Odo of Bayeux, William’s the Tour Solidor, to the west of
impressive west facade, made half-brother. The 70-m (230-ft) St-Malo, is a museum devoted
famous by the great Impressionist long embroid ered hanging is to the ships and sailors that
painter Claude Monet (1840– displayed in a reno vated rounded Cape Horn.
1926), who made almost 30 seminary, the Centre Guillaume-
paintings of it. A number of le-Conquérant, which also gives 8 Carnac
these can be seen in the city’s a detailed audio visual account of
excellent Musée des Beaux Arts. the events leading up to the Morbihan. * 4,600. @ n 74
From the cathedral, the Rue Norman conquest. Avenue des Druides (02-97 52 13 52).
du Gros Horloge leads west, As well as the tapestry, a ∑ ot-carnac.fr
passing under the city’s Great cluster of 15th–19th-century
Clock, to the Place du Vieux buildings and the Gothic This popular town is probably
Marché, where Joan of Arc was Cathédrale Notre-Dame are most famous as one of the
burnt at the stake in 1431. Bayeux’s principal attractions. world’s great prehistoric sites. As
The Flamboyant Gothic Eglise Bayeux was the first town in long ago as 4000 BC, thousands
St-Maclou and Eglise St-Ouen Nazi-occupied France to be of ancient granite rocks were
are two of Rouen’s finest liberated by the Allies following arranged in mysterious lines
churches. The Eglise St-Ouen is the D-Day landings in 1944. On and patterns in the countryside
noted for its restored 14th- the southwest side of the town’s around Carnac by Megalithic
century stained-glass windows. ring road, the Musée Mémorial tribes. Their original purpose
The Musée de la Céramique de la Bataille de Normandie is uncertain, though they are
displays around 1,000 pieces of traces the events of the Battle of thought to have religious
Rouen faïence – colorful glazed Normandy in World War II. significance or to be related to
earthenware – as well as other an early astronomical calendar.
pieces of French and foreign china. E Centre Guillaume-le- Celts, Romans, and Christians
The former family home of Conquérant have since adapted them to
Gustave Flaubert (1821–80) has Rue de Nesmond. Tel 02-31 51 25 50. their own beliefs.
been converted into a museum Open daily. Closed 3 wks Jan, Dec 25 You can see some of the
containing memo rabilia from & 26. & 7 menhirs at the Kermario site,
this famous French novelist’s life. on the town outskirts, while
6 Mont-St-Michel in the center, the Musée de
E Musée des Beaux Arts Préhistoire gives an insight
Square Verdrel. Tel 02-35 71 28 40. See pp174–5. into the area’s ancient history.
Open Wed–Mon. Closed public hols.
& 7
7 St-Malo
5 Bayeux Ille-et-Vilaine. * 53,000. g £ @
n Esplanade St-Vincent (08-25 13 52
Calvados. * 15,000. £ @ 00). ( Tue, Fri (Old Town).
n Pont-St-Jean (02-31 51 28). ∑ saint-malo-tourisme.com
∑ bayeux-bessin-tourisme.com
Once a fortified island, St-Malo
The main reason to visit this stands in a commanding position
small town in Normandy is to at the mouth of the river Rance.
see the world-renowned Bayeux In the 16th–19th centuries, the
Tapestry. This incredible work port won prosperity and power
of art depicts William the through the exploits of its sea-
Conqueror’s invasion of England faring population. Intra-muros,
and the Battle of Hastings, which the old walled city, is encircled Menhirs (prehistoric standing stones) in a
took place in the 11th century, by ramparts that provide fine field near Carnac




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174  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

6 Mont-St-Michel

Shrouded by mist, the silhouette of Mont-St-Michel is one
of the most enchanting sights in France. Now linked to the
mainland by a causeway, the island of Mont-Tombe (Tomb on
the Hill) stands at the mouth of the Couesnon River, crowned
by a fortified abbey that almost doubles its height. Lying
strategically on the frontier between Normandy and Brittany,
Mont-St-Michel grew from a humble 8th-century oratory
to become a Benedictine monastery that had its greatest
influence in the 12th and 13th centuries. Pilgrims known as
miquelots journeyed from afar to honor the cult of St. Michael,
and the monastery was a renowned center of medieval learning.
After the French Revolution, the abbey became a prison. It is . Abbey Church
now a national monument that draws some 850,000 visitors a Four bays of the Romanesque
nave in the abbey church survive.
year. A footbridge links the island to the mainland year-round Three were pulled down in 1776,
apart from a few hours each year when the tide is too high. creating the West Terrace.

















Gautier’s Leap
Situated at the top of the
Inner Staircase, this terrace is
named after a prisoner who
leaped to his death here.




Entrance

Visiting the Abbey La Merveille is Cloisters Refectory
The abbey is built on three levels, which the name given
reflect the monastic hierarchy. The monks to the buildings
lived on the highest level (shown here), in on the north side
an enclosed world of church, cloister, and of the church.
refectory. The abbot entertained his noble
guests on the middle level. Soldiers and Abbey
pilgrims further down on the social scale Church
were received at the lowest level. Guided
tours begin at the West Terrace at the
church (highest) level and end on the
lowest level in the almonry, where alms
were distributed to the poor. West Terrace Great Inner
Gautier’s Leap Staircase

For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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FR ANCE  175


VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Practical Information
n Boulevard de l’Avancée
(02-33 60 14 30).
∑ ot-montsaintmichel.com
Abbey: Tel 02-33 89 80 00.
Open May–Aug: 9am–7pm; Sep–
Apr: 9:30am– 6pm. Night visits
during summer. Closed Jan 1,
May 1, Dec 25. & 5 12:15pm
Tue–Sat; 11:30am Sun. 8 =
∑ monuments-nationaux.fr
Transport
. Cloisters £ to Pontorson, then bus.
With their elegant English Purbeck marble columns,
the cloisters are a beautiful example of early
13th-century Anglo-Norman style.



. La Merveille
The main three-story monastic
complex, added to the church’s
north side in the early 13th century,
is known as La Merveille (The
Marvel). The Knights’ Room, on the
middle floor, has magnificent Gothic
rib-vaulting and finely
decorated capitals.














KEY
1 The ramparts – a series of
fortified walls with imposing
towers – were built following
attacks by the English during
the Hundred Years’ War.
2 Gabriel Tower
3 St. Aubert’s Chapel, built
on an outcrop of rock, dates from
the 15th-century and is dedicated
to Aubert, the founder of
Mont-St-Michel.
4 Tour du Roy
. Grande Rue 5 The Arcade Tower provided
Now crowded with tourists and lodgings for the abbot’s soldiers.
souvenir shops, the pilgrims’ route,
followed since the 12th century, 6 Eglise St-Pierre
climbs up past the Eglise St-Pierre 7 Liberty Tower
to the abbey gates.




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176  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES


The Loire Valley 0 Poitiers
Vienne. * 85,000. k £ @ n 45
Renowned for its sumptuous châteaux, the relics of royal days Place Charles de Gaulle (05-49 41 21
gone by, the glorious valley of the Loire is rich in both history 24). ( Tue–Sun. ∑ ot-poitiers.fr
and architecture. As the Loire runs through the heart of
France, so the region embodies the essence of the French Three of the greatest battles in
French history were fought
way of life. Its sophisticated cities, luxuriant landscape, and around Poitiers, the most
magnificent food and wine add up to a modern paradise. The famous in 732 when Charles
Loire has long been des cribed as exemplifying la douceur de Martel halted the Arab invasion.
vivre: it combines a leisurely pace of life, a mild climate, and Today, the town is a dynamic
the gentle ways of its inhabitants. The overall impression is regional capital with a rich
architectural heritage.
one of an unostentatious taste for the good things in life.
Behind the Renaissance
facade of the Palais de Justice
is the 12th-century great hall
of the palace of Henry II and
Richard the Lionheart. This is
thought to have been the scene
of Joan of Arc’s examination by
a council of theologians in 1429.
Notre-Dame-la-Grande,
whose west front is covered with
superb 12th-century Poitevin
sculpture, stands out among
the city’s churches, as does the
4th-century Baptistère St-Jean,
one of the oldest Christian
buildings in France. The latter
contains Romanesque frescoes.
The Musée Sainte-Croix has
archaeological exhibits, as well
as paintings and sculpture.
Environs
Just 7 km (4.5 miles) north
Tomb of François II in Cathédrale St-Pierre et St-Paul, Nantes of Poitiers, Futuroscope is
a theme park dedicated to
9 Nantes was the birthplace of Anne of state-of-the-art visual techno-
Brittany, who irrevocably joined logy, including the largest
Loire-Atlantique. * 270,000.
k £ @ n 9 Rue des Etats her fiercely independent duchy cinema screen in Europe.
(08-92 46 40 44). ( Tue–Sun. to France by her successive
∑ nantes-tourisme.com marriages to Charles VIII and E Futuroscope
Louis XII. A smaller royal lodging Jaunay-Clan. Tel 05-49 49 11 12. Open
The ancient port of Nantes was lies to the west of it. It was here, check website. Closed Jan–mid-Feb.
the ducal capital of Brittany for in Brittany’s Catholic bastion, that & 7 ∑ futuroscope.com
600 years, but is now considered Henri IV signed the 1598 Edict
a part of the Pays de la Loire. of Nantes, which granted all
Many of its fine 18th- and 19th- Protestants freedom of worship.
century buildings were built on The Musée des Beaux-Arts
profits from the slave trade. has a splendid array of pain tings
Modern-day Nantes is a lively representing key movements
city, with good museums, chic from the 15th to the 20th century.
bars and stores, and open spaces. Packed with mementos, books,
The Cathédrale St-Pierre et and maps, the Musée Jules
St-Paul was begun in 1434, but Verne is dedica ted to the life and
not completed until 1893. It is works of the writer (1828–1905).
notable for its sculpted Gothic
portals and Renaissance tomb E Musée des Beaux-Arts
of François II (1435–88), the last 10 Rue Georges Clemenceau. Tel 02-
duke of Brittany. 51 17 45 00. Open 10am–6pm Wed–
The Château des Ducs de Mon (to 8pm Thu). Closed Jan 1,
Bretagne, now with a museum Easter Mon, May 1 & 8, Nov 1, Dec 25. The high-tech Kinémax cinema at
documenting the town’s history, & 7 - = Futuroscope, near Poitiers
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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FR ANCE  177

q Abbaye Royale the mid-16th
de Fontevraud century, and the
cathedral provides
Maine-et-Loire. @ Tel 02-41 51 73 52.
Open daily. Closed Jan, Nov–Feb: an illustration of
Mon, Dec 25. & 8 7 restricted. how the Gothic
∑ abbaye-fontevraud.com style developed over
time. The Musée des
Fontevraud Royal Abbey, Beaux Arts, housed
founded in 1101, was the largest in the nearby former
of its kind in France. It now archbishop’s palace,
hosts concerts and exhibitions. overlooks beautiful
The abbey’s nuns lived around gardens. The
the Renaissance Grand Moûtier impressive collection
cloisters, and the leper colony’s features works by the
nurses were housed in the likes of Rembrandt,
St-Lazare priory, now the Rubens, and Degas.
abbey’s hotel. Little remains of The Château Royal
the monastic quarters, but the de Tours, a royal
St-Benoît hospital survives. Most residence between
impressive is the octagonal the 13th and 15th
kitchen in the Tour Evraud, centuries, houses
a rare example of secular modern art François I’s staircase, Château de Blois
Romanesque architecture. exhibitions and
In the nave of the abbey exhibits, which explain François I, and Henri III,
church, the painted effigy of the history of Tours. Château de Blois has the most
Henry Plantagenet (1133–1189), sensational history of all the
Count of Anjou and King of e Château de Loire Châteaux. It was here,
England, lies by those of his Chenonceau in 1588, that the ambitious Duc
wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, who de Guise, leader of the Catholic
died here in 1204, and their son, See pp178–9. Holy League, was murdered on
Richard the Lionheart (1157–1199). the orders of Henri III. The
building itself juxtaposes four
r Blois
w Tours distinct architectural styles,
Loir-et-Cher. * 60,000. £ @ reflecting its varied history.
Indre-et-Loire. * 140,000. k £ n Place du Château (02-54 90 41 41). Among Blois’ most impressive
@ n 78 Rue Bernard Palissy ( Sat. religious monuments are the
(02-47 70 37 37). ( Tue–Sun. beautiful three-spired Eglise
∑ tours-tourisme.fr A powerful feudal stronghold St-Nicolas, formerly part of a
in the 12th century, Blois rose 12th-century Benedictine abbey,
The pleasant cathedral city of to glory under Louis XII, who and the Cathédrale St-Louis,
Tours is built on the site of a established his court here in which dominates the eastern
Roman town, and became an 1498. The town remained at half of the city. The cathedral is a
important center of Christianity the center of French royal and 17th-century reconstruction of a
in the 4th century under St. political life for much of the Gothic church that was almost
Martin. In 1461, Louis XI made next century. Today, Blois is destroyed in 1678.
the city the French capital. the quintessential Loire town.
However, during Henri IV’s The partly pedestrianized old + Château de Blois
reign, the city lost favor with quarter is full of romantic Place du Château. Tel 02-54 90 33 33.
the monarchy and the capital courtyards and fine mansions. Open daily. Closed Jan 1, Dec 25.
left Tours for Paris. Home to kings Louis XII, & 8
The medieval old town, Le
Vieux Tours, is full of narrow
streets lined with beautiful half-
timbered houses. St. Martin’s
tomb lies in the crypt of the
New Basilica, built on the site of
the medieval Old Basilica. Two
towers, the Tour Charlemagne
and the Tour de l’Horloge,
survive from the earlier building.
The foundation stone of the
Cathédrale St-Gatien was laid
in the early 13th century.
Building work continued until The historic town of Blois, viewed from across the Loire




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178  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

e Château de Chenonceau

Chenonceau, stretching romantically across the Cher
River, is considered by many to be the loveliest of the
Loire châteaux. Surrounded by elegant formal gardens
and wooded grounds, this pure Renaissance building
began life as a modest manor and water mill. Over
the centuries, it was transformed by the wives and
mistresses of its successive owners into a palace
designed solely for pleasure. On July and August
evenings, the Promenade Nocturne allows visitors to
stroll about the gardens accompanied by classical music.

Chambre de Catherine de’ Medici
Henri II’s wife, Catherine, made her own
mark on Chenonceau’s design with this
sumptuous bedchamber.






Formal Gardens
The current designs of the formal
gardens, created by Diane de
Poitiers and Catherine de’ Medici,
date from the 19th century.

















KEY
1 The Tour des Marques survives
from the 15th-century castle of the
Marques family.
2 The Cabinet Vert was originally
covered with green velvet.
3 Louise de Lorraine’s room was
painted black and decorated with
monograms, tears, and knots in
white after the assassination of her
Chapel Grande Galerie husband, Henri III.
The chapel has a vaulted The elegant gallery is Florentine in 4 The arched bridge over the Cher
ceiling and sculpted style. It was created by Catherine was designed by Philibert de l’Orme
pilasters. The stained glass, de’ Medici in 1570–76 as an in 1559 for Diane de Poitiers. It was
destroyed by a bomb in addition to the bridge built for built on the site of the old water mill.
1944, was replaced in 1953. Diane de Poitiers.
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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FR ANCE  179


VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Practical Information
Indre-et-Loire. Tel 02-47 23 90 07.
Open daily; times vary – call for
details. & 8 (audio). 7
limited. 0 - =
∑ chenonceau.com
Transport
£ @ from Tours.






Château de Chambord, on the banks of the Closson
t Château de Hundred Years’ War. Later
Chambord captured by the enemy and
accused of witchcraft, she was
Loir-et-Cher. @ to Blois, then taxi or burned at the stake in Rouen
bus. Tel 02-54 50 40 00. Open daily. at the age of 19. Since her
Closed Jan 1, Feb 4, Dec 25. & 8 martyrdom, Joan has become a
pervasive presence in Orléans.
The brainchild of the extravagant A faded grandeur lingers in
François I, the château began as Vieil Orléans, the old quarter,
a hunting lodge in the Forêt de bounded by the imposing
Boulogne. In 1519, the original Cathédrale Sainte-Croix, the
building was razed and Loire, and the Place du Martroi.
Chambord begun, to a design The Maison de Jeanne d’Arc
probably initiated by Leonardo was rebuilt in 1961 on the site
da Vinci. By 1537, the keep, with where Joan lodged in 1429.
its towers and terraces, had been Inside, audiovisual exhibits and
completed by 1,800 men and a short film recreate her life.
three master masons. The A selection of European
following year, François I began art from the 16th to the early
building a private royal pavilion 20th century is on display at the
on the northeast corner, with a Musée des Beaux-Arts.
Diane de Poitiers connecting two-story gallery. His
son, Henri II, continued the west E Maison de Jeanne d’Arc
Diane de Poitiers was Henry II’s 3 Place du Général de Gaulle. Tel
lifelong mistress, holding court wing with the chapel, and Louis 02-38 68 32 63. Open Tue–Sun (Oct–
as queen of France in all but XIV completed the 440-roomed Mar: pm only). Closed public hols. &
name. Her beauty inspired edifice in 1685.
many French artists, who The innovative double-helix
often depicted her in the Grand Staircase was supposedly
role of Diana, the Classical designed by Leonardo da Vinci.
goddess of the hunt. The two flights of stairs ensure
In 1547, Henry offered the that the person going up
Château de Chenonceau to and the person going down
Diane, who improved the cannot meet.
palace by creating stunning
formal gardens and an arched
bridge over the Cher River. y Orléans
After Henry’s accidental
death in 1559, Diane was Loiret. * 113,000. k £ @ n
forced to leave Chenonceau 2 Place de l’Etape (02-38 24 05 05). (
by his widow, Catherine de’ Tue–Sun. _ Fête Jeanne d’Arc (Apr
Medici, in exchange for the 29–May 9). ∑ tourisme-orleans.com
fortress-like Château de
Chaumont. Diane retired to Orléans was the capital of
Anet, and remained there medieval France, and it was
until her death in 1566. here that Joan of Arc battled The lofty interior of the Cathédrale
the English in 1429, during the Sainte-Croix, Orléans




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180  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

u Chartres Cathedral

According to art historian Emile Male, “Chartres is the mind of
the Middle Ages manifest.” Begun in 1020, the Romanesque
cathedral was destroyed by a devastating fire in 1194. Only
the north and south towers, south steeple, west portal, and
crypt remained. Inside, the sacred Veil of the Virgin relic was
the sole treasure to survive. Peasant and lord
alike labored to rebuild the church in just 25
years. Few alterations were made after 1250 Elongated
Statues
and, fortunately, Chartres was left unscathed These statues
by the Wars of Religion and the French on the Royal
Revolution. The result is an authentic Gothic Portal
cathedral. A program of renovation is ongoing represent Old
and may result in partial closures. Testament
figures.














Gothic Nave
As wide as the Romanesque crypt below
it – the largest in France – the Gothic nave
reaches a lofty height of 37 m (121 ft).
KEY
1 The taller of the two spires
dates from the start of the 16th
century. Flamboyant and Gothic in
style, it contrasts sharply with the
solemnity and relative simplicity of
its Romanesque counterpart.
2 The stained-glass windows on
the west front, are 12th-century lancet
windows. They are celebrated for
their rare blue color, and are among
the oldest of their kind in the world.
3 The Royal Portal (1145–55) and
part of the west front survive from
the original Romanesque church. The
central tympanum has a carving of
Christ in Majesty.
4 The Labyrinth is inlaid in the
nave floor. Pilgrims used to follow the
tortuous route by crawling on their
knees, echoing the Way of the Cross.
5 The vaulted ceiling is supported
by a network of ribs.
6 The St. Piat Chapel was built
between 1324 and 1353.

For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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FR ANCE  181


Chartres’ Stained Glass VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
More than 150 stained-glass windows in the Practical Information
cathedral illustrate biblical stories and daily life Place de la Cathédrale, Chartres,
in the 13th century (bring bino culars if you Eure-et-Loir. Tel 02-37 21 75 02.
can). During both World Wars, the windows Open 8:30am– 7:30pm daily.
were dismantled piece by piece and removed 5 11:45am (in the crypt) & 6pm
for safety. Some windows were restored and Mon–Sat (9am Tue, Fri); 9:15
releaded in the 1970s, and in 2006 further (Latin) & 11am Sun. 7 8
restoration work commenced. Each window ∑ cathedrale-chartres.org
is divided into panels, which are usually read Transport
from left to right, bottom to top (earth to £ @ from Paris.
heaven). The number of figures or abstract
shapes used is symbolic: three stands for
the Church; squares and the number four
symbolize the material world or the four
elements; circles represent eternal life.


Our Lady of the Pillar
Carved from dark pear
wood, this 16th-century
replica of a 13th-century
statue is a striking shrine
that is often surrounded
by candles.



























South Rose Window
The cathedral has three massive
rose windows. The one on the
south front (c.1225) illustrates the
Apocalypse, with Christ in Majesty.



. South Porch
Sculpture on the massive South
Porch (1197–1209) reflects a
selection of New Testament teaching.




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182  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

Burgundy and the French Alps P Hôtel-Dieu
Rue de l’Hôtel-Dieu. Tel 03-80 24 45
Burgundy is France’s richest province, historically, culturally, 00. Open daily. Closed Dec–Mar:
and gastronomically. The region’s fine wines have inspired 11:30am–2pm daily. & 8 7
awe for centuries, and every year the historic town of Beaune
hosts one of the most famous wine auctions in the world. a Lyon
Dijon is a splendid city, filled with the great palaces of the
old Burgundian nobility. The majestic French Alps attract Rhône. * 453,000. k 25 km
(16 miles) E. £ @ n Place Belle-
visitors for winter sports, and, in summer, walking and a cour (04-72 77 69 69). ( daily.
host of watersports on the glittering mountain lakes. ∑ lyon-france.com
Dramatically situated on the
after the banks of the Rhône and Saône
Hundred Years’ rivers, Lyon has been a vital
War. Today, it is gateway between the north
considered a and south since ancient times.
medieval jewel, Vieux Lyon, the oldest part of
with its superb the city, is the site of the Roman
multicolored settlement of Lugdunum, the
Burgundian roof commercial and military capital
tiles. It houses of Gau, l founded by Julius
many treasures, Caesar in 44 BC. Vestiges of this
Tympanum sculpture showing Christ and the apostles at including the prosperous city can be seen in
Basilique Ste-Madeleine, Vézelay religious master- the superb Musée de la
piece the Last Civilisation Gallo-Romaine.
i Vézelay Judgement polyptych, by There are also two excavated
Yonne. * 400. @ Basilique Ste- Rogier van der Weyden. Roman amphitheaters: the
Madeleine: Tel 03-86 33 39 50. £ The Hôtel des Ducs de Grand Théâtre, built in 15 BC
Sermizelles, then bus. Open daily. 8 Bourgogne, built in the 14th– to seat 30,000 spectators, and
16th centuries, houses the the smaller Odéon.
Tourists come to Vézelay to visit Musée du Vin de Bourgogne, Other major sights are the
the picturesque Basilique Ste- with displays of traditional 19th-century mock-Byzantine
Madeleine. In the 12th century, winemaking equipment. Basilique Notre-Dame de
at the height of its glory, the Further to the north is the Fourvière, and the Cathédrale
abbey claimed to house the 12th-century Romanesque St-Jean, begun in the 12th
relics of Mary Magdalene, and church the Collégiale Notre- century. Vieux Lyon’s fine
it was a starting point for the Dame, which has a collection Renaissance mansions are the
pilgrimage to Santiago de of fine 15th- century former homes of bankers and
Compostela in Spain (see p292). tapestries. silk merchants.
The star attractions of the
Romanesque church are the The Dukes of Burgundy
tympanum sculpture (1120–35)
above the central doorway, the In the 14th and 15th centuries, the dukes of Burgundy built up one
exquisitely carved capitals in of the most powerful states in Europe, which included Flanders and
the nave and narthex, and the parts of Holland. From the time of Philip the Bold
immense Gothic choir. (1342–1404), the ducal court became a center of art,
chivalry, and immense wealth. The duchy’s demise
o Dijon came with the death of Charles the Bold in 1477.
See pp184–5.

p Beaune
Côte D’Or. * 23,000. £ @ n
Boulevard Pepreuil (03-80 26 21 30).
_ Baroque Music (Jul).
The indisputable highlight of
the old center of Beaune is the
Hôtel-Dieu. The hospice was
founded in 1443 for the town’s
inhabitants, many of whom Tomb of Philip the Bold in Dijon’s Musée des Beaux Arts (see p184)
were left poverty-stricken
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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FR ANCE  183

d Grenoble
Isère. * 165,000. k £ @ n 14
Rue de la République (04-76 42 41 41).
( Tue–Sun.
Ancient capital of Dauphiné,
Grenoble is a busy and
thriving city, attractively located
at the confluence of the Drac
and Isère rivers, in the shadow
of the mighty Vercors and
Chartreuse massifs.
A cable car from the Quai
Stéphane-Jay, on the north bank
of the Isère, takes you up to the
16th-century Fort de la Bastille,
where you are rewarded with
magnificent views of the city
and surrounding mountains.
From here, paths lead down
through pretty gardens to the
excellent Musée Dauphinois
at the foot of the hill. Housed
in a 17th-century convent, the
museum contains displays on
local history, arts, and crafts.
On the other side of the river,
Cathédrale St-Jean, at the foot of the slopes of Vieux Lyon the focus of life is the Place
Grenette, a lively square lined
The excellent Musée des Beaux attractions of a stay here. Look with sidewalk cafés. Nearby, the
Arts showcases the country’s out for the formidable Palais Place St-André is the heart of
largest and most important de l’Isle, a 12th-century prison the medieval city, overlooked
collection of fine arts after the in the middle of the Thiou canal. by Grenoble’s oldest buildings,
Louvre. The modern works, The turreted Château including the 13th-century
dating from after the mid-1900s, d’Annecy, perched high on Eglise St-André and the
have found a new home in the a hill, affords fine panoramic 15th-century Palais de Justice.
Musée d’Art Contemporain in views. The clear waters of the Also worth visiting is the
the north of the city. An lake are perfect for swimming Musée de Grenoble, the city’s
exquisite display of silks and and watersports. Boat trips leave principal art museum. With
tapestries, some dating back to from the Quai Thiou. works by Chagall, Picasso,
early Christian times, can be and Matisse, the modern
seen in the Musée des Tissus. Environs collection is especially good.
One way to enjoy the area’s
E Musée de la Civilisation spectacular scenery is to take a E Musée de Grenoble
Gallo-Romaine boat to Talloires, a tiny lakeside 5 Place de Lavalette. Tel 04-76 63 44
17 Rue Cléberg. Tel 04-72 38 49 30. village noted for its hotels 44. Open Wed–Mon. Closed Jan 1,
Open Tue–Sun. Closed public hols. and restaurants. May 1, Dec 25. & 8 7
& 7
s Annecy
Annecy. * 51,000. £ @ n 1 Rue
Jean Jaurès (04-50 45 00 33). ( Tue,
Fri–Sun. ∑ lac-annecy.com
Annecy is one of the most
beautiful towns in the Alps,
set at the northern tip of Lac
d’Annecy and surrounded by
snowcapped mountains.
A stroll around the town’s small
medieval quarter, with its canals,
flower-covered bridges, and
arcaded streets, is one of the main Annecy’s 12th-century Palais de I’Isle, on the Thiou canal




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184  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES


o Street by Street: Dijon

The center of Dijon is noted for its architectural
splendor – a legacy from the dukes of Burgundy
(see p182). Wealthy parliament members also had
elegant hôtels particuliers (private mansions) built
in the 17th and 18th centuries. The capital of
Burgundy, Dijon today has a rich cultural life
and a renowned university. The city’s great art
treasures are housed in the Palais des Ducs.
Dijon is also famous for its mustard and pain Hôtel de Voguë
d’épice (gingerbread), a reminder of the town’s This elegant 17th-century mansion is
position on the medieval spice route. A major decorated with Burgundian cabbages and
railroad hub during the 19th century, it now has a fruit garlands by Hugues Sambin.
TGV link to Paris.

. Notre-Dame
This magnificent 13th-century
Gothic church is best known for
its many gargoyles, the
Jacquemart clock, E
and, on the north R I
wall, the sculpted E
owl (chouette), said R
to bring good luck R U E D E L A P R E F E C T U R E R
RUE ODEBERT R U E Q U E N T I N U E V
when touched. E




Train and R
bus R U E M U S E T T E
stations

R U E D E S F O R G E S




R U E D E L A L I B E R T E
G P L D E L A
R
U R
O E L I B E R A T I O N
B C I
Musée des Beaux Arts U R
The collection of Flemish masters D M E
here includes this 14th-century E N
triptych by Jacques de Baerze U J A
and Melchior Broederlam. R U E U B
R A
V

Place de la Libération R
was created by Mansart
in the 17th century.
. Palais des Ducs
The dukes of Burgundy held court here, but the
building seen today was mainly built in the 17th
century for the parliament. It now houses the
Musée des Beaux Arts.
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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FR ANCE  185


Rue Verrerie VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
This cobbled street in the
old merchants’ quarter is Practical Information
lined with medieval half- Côte d’Or. * 153,000.
timbered houses. Some, n 11 rue des Forges (08-92 70
such as Nos. 8, 10, and 12, 05 58). ( Tue, Fri, Sat. _ Festival
have fine wood carvings.
de Musique (Jun); Fêtes de la
Vigne (Sep in odd-numbered
years). Musée des Beaux Arts: Tel
03-80 74 52 09. Open Wed–Mon.
Closed main public hols. & 7
Musée Magnin: Tel 03-80 67 11
10. Open Tue–Sun. Closed some
public hols. & 7 limited.
Transport
k 5 km (3 miles) SSE. £
@ Cours de la Gare.

. St-Michel
Begun in the 15th century and
completed in the 17th century,
St-Michel’s facade combines
E Flamboyant Gothic with Renaissance
I R U E P R O U D H O N
R details. On the richly carved porch,
E angels and biblical motifs mingle
R with mythological themes.
R R U E J J R O U S S E A U
E
R CHAUDRONNERIE
V

E
U
R R U E V A N N E R I E
R U E J E A N N I N
R
U
E

L
A
M
O
N
N
O
Y
Musée Magnin
E
R VAILLANT A collection of French and foreign
PL DU
P L S T E C H A P E L L E
THEATRE 16th–19th-century paintings is
P L D E L A displayed among period furniture
PL ST
R
L I B E R A T I O N U MICHEL in this 17th-century mansion.
E
C
R
The Eglise St-Etienne dates
H
U
from the 11th century, but
A
E

B
has been rebuilt many times.
B
O
U
T
F Its characteristic lantern was
added in 1686.
R U E L E G O U Z G E R L A N D O
C
F
H
A
N
R N Y
R U E D U V I E U X C O L L E G E
Key 0 meters 100
Suggested route 0 yards 100
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186  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES


The Wines of France

Winemaking in France dates back to pre-Roman times,
although it was the Romans who dissemin ated the
culture of the vine and the practise of wine-making
throughout the country. The range, quality, and
reputation of the fine wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy,
and Champagne in particular have made them role
models the world over. France’s everyday wines can be Château Cos d’Estournel, in the
highly enjoyable too, with plenty of good-value IGP Bordeaux region, produces a rich
(Indication Géographique Protegée) and vins de France and fruity Cabernet Sauvignon. The Calais
now emerging from the southern regions. Many wine grandeur of its exotic design is • A26 LILLE
typical of château architecture.
producers offer tours and have their own tasting Boulogne •
•
rooms, where visitors can try a selection of wines A2
without feeling pressurized to buy. A28
•
Dieppe
• •
The Wine Regions of France Cherbourg Le Havre • A13 • Amiens
• Reims
A4
Each of the 10 main wine-producing regions • Caen ROUEN A1 • Epernay • Metz
has its own identity, based on grape varieties, A84 N158 PARIS N77
climate, soil, and local culture. Around 40 • Brest N12 A28 Seine NANCY • •
percent of all French wines are included in the RENNES A11 STRASBOURG
AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) • Le Mans •
system, which guarantees their style and N165 Orléans • Loire A6 • Chablis A31 Mulhouse •
geographic origin, though not their quality. A10 A36
• Tours A85 Dijon
Loire Angers • •
•
NANTES Bourges • • Beaune
Bordeaux Wines N137 N149 A71 Meursault • Lyon
Bordeaux is the world’s largest La Rochelle A20 Mâcon A40
fine wine region, and, for its red • A6 •
wines, certainly the most familiar Limoges LYON
•
outside France. The great wine- Gironde • Angoulême A89 • Clermont- •
Charent e
producing areas lie close to the A10 Ferrand • A48 A43
banks of the Gironde, Garonne, Pauillac • • Margaux Dordogne St. Etienne •
and Dordogne rivers. Along with • St. Emilion GRENOBLE
these, the river port of Bordeaux BORDEAUX •
•
itself have been crucial to the Pessac A62 Lot Rhône N85
region’s wine trade; some of the Garonne
prettiest châteaux line the river N10 Nîmes
banks, enabling easy trans- Château Château TOULOUSE • A9 • • NICE
portation. Grape varieties used Pitray Thieuley Bayonne • A64 • Montpellier A8
include Cabernet Sauvignon, • Tarbes A61 •
Merlot, and Petit Verdot (red); Sémillon Perpignan MARSEILLE
and Sauvignon Blanc (white). •
The property or producer Château-bottled,
How to Read a Wine Label rather than a wine
from a grower’s
Even the simplest label will provide a key to cooperative or a
the wine’s flavor and quality. It will bear the merchant
name of the wine and its producer, its vintage
(if there is one), and whether it comes from a
strictly defined area (Appellation d’Origine Capacity of
Protégée) or is a more general IGP or vin de the bottle
France. It may also have a regional grading, as
with the crus classés in Bordeaux. The shape
and color of the bottle is also a guide. Most The vintage, from
good-quality wine is bottled in green glass, the French word The wine’s Appellation
vendange, or harvest
which helps to protect it from light. d’Origine Protégée
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FR ANCE  187



Burgundy Wines Tours of Major
The tiny vineyards in each of Wineries
Burgundy’s wine-producing regions, Winemakers are usually
from Chablis in the north to happy to welcome tourists
Beaujolais in the south, can produce in summer, but try not to
wines that, at their best, are visit at harvest time (Sep–Oct),
unequalled anywhere else. This is and be sure to make an
unmissable territory for the “serious” appointment in advance.
wine-lover, with its time-honored Bordeaux
traditions and dazzling grands crus. Château Figeac
Domaine Domaine Grape varieties used include Pinot Saint Emilion. Tel 05-57 24 72 26.
Calais François Michel Noir, Gamay, and César (red); Pinot
• ∑ chateau-figeac.com
A26 LILLE Raveneau Lafarge Blanc and Chardonnay (white).
• Château Haut-Brion
Boulogne • Pessac. Tel 05-56 00 29 30.
A2
∑ haut-brion.com
A28
• Château Margaux
Dieppe
• • Margaux. Tel 05-57 88 83 83.
Cherbourg Le Havre • Amiens
A13 • ∑ chateau-margaux.com
• Caen ROUEN • Reims A4 •
A1 • Epernay Metz Château Lafite Rothschild
N12 A84 N158 A28 PARIS N77 NANCY • Pauillac. Tel 05-56 73 18 18.
• Brest Seine STRASBOURG • ∑ lafite.com
RENNES A11
Le Mans • A6 Burgundy
•
Orléans • Loire • Chablis A31 Mulhouse • Domaine Brocard
N165
Tours A10 Dijon A36 Champagne is a region that is Préhy, near Chablis. Tel 03-86 41
• A85 synonymous with the finest 49 00. ∑ brocard.fr
Loire Angers • •
• sparkling wines. The skill of
NANTES Bourges • • Beaune the blenders, using reserves Hameau Duboeuf
Meursault • Romanèche-Thorins.
N149
Lyon of older wines, creates
A71
N137
Mâcon consistency and excellence Tel 03-85 35 22 22.
La Rochelle A40 ∑ hameauduvin.com
A20
• A6 • year on year. Champagne
Limoges LYON bubbles are produced by Maison Louis Latour
• A89 • Clermont- • fermenting yeast inside the
Charent e
• Angoulême Ferrand A48 A43 bottle – traditional methods are Beaune. Tel 03-80 24 81 00.
Dordogne
∑ louislatour.com
Gironde
Pauillac • A10 • still used all over the region.
• Margaux St. Etienne • GRENOBLE In a process called remuage,
• St. Emilion bottles are gradually rotated in Champagne
BORDEAUX • Moët & Chandon
• order to loosen the sediment, Epernay. Tel 03-26 51 20 00.
Pessac A62 Lot Rhône N85 which is ultimately ∑ moet.com
N10 Garonne Nîmes removed from the wine. Piper Heidsieck
TOULOUSE A9 • • Reims. Tel 03-26 84 43 00.
• A8 NICE
Bayonne • A64 • Montpellier ∑ piper-heidsieck.com
• Tarbes A61 •
MARSEILLE Tattinger
Perpignan Reims. Tel 03-26 85 84 33.
∑ tattinger.com
•
Key
Alsace and Lorraine
Bordeaux
Burgundy Chardonnay vines
Champagne in the grand cru
vineyard of Corton-
Jura and Savoie Charlemagne produce
Languedoc-Roussillon some of the greatest
white Burgundies of all.
The Loire Valley The Chardonnay grape
Provence is now cultivated not
only in Burgundy and
The Rhône Valley Champagne, but all
Southwest France over the world.
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188  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

Southwest France the caves and their astounding
Palaeolithic paintings in 1940,
The southwest is farming France, a green and peaceful land and the importance of their
where crops from sunflowers to walnuts thrive. Other key discovery was swiftly recognized.
country products include forest timber, Bordeaux wines, Lascaux has been closed to
and wild mushrooms. Major modern industries, including the public since 1963 because
of deterioration due to carbon
aerospace, are focused on the two chief cities, Bordeaux and dioxide caused by breathing. An
Toulouse. Visitors are mainly drawn to the wine chateaux, the exact copy, Lascaux II, has been
ski slopes of the Pyrenees, and the prehistoric caves of the created a few minutes’ walk
Dordogne. The major sights of this favored region include down the hillside, using the
some of France’s most celebrated Romanesque buildings. same materials. The replica is
beautiful and should not be
spurned: high-antlered elk,
(1793–5). Buildings of architectural bison, and plump horses cover
interest include the massive the walls, moving in herds or
Basilique St-Michel, begun in files, surrounded by arrows and
1350, which took 200 years to geometric symbols thought to
complete, and the 18th-century have had ritual significance.
Grand Théâtre, a magnificent
example of the French Neo-
classical style. The Musée des h Toulouse
Beaux Arts holds an excellent Haute-Garonne. * 390,000. k £
collection of paintings, ranging @ n Donjon du Capitole (08-92 18
from the Renaissance to our time. 01 80). ( Tue–Sun. _ Piano (Sep),
Contemporary dance (end Jan–early
E Musée des Beaux Arts Feb). ∑ toulouse-tourisme.com
20 Cours d’Albret. Tel 05-56 10 20 56.
Open Wed–Mon. Closed public hols. Toulouse, the most important
& town in southwest France, is
the country’s fourth-largest
Environs metropolis, and a major
The tourist office in Bordeaux industrial and university city.
organizes tours to various wine The area is also famous for its
châteaux (see pp186–7). aerospace industry; Concorde,
Monument aux Girondins, Place des Airbus, and the Ariane space
Quinconces, Bordeaux rocket all originated here. Airbus
g Lascaux tours can be booked at www.
f Bordeaux taxiway.fr. Cité de l’Espace has
Montignac. Tel 05-53 51 95 03. Open
Gironde. * 220,000. k £ @ mid-Feb–Mar & Nov–Dec: Tue–Sun; a plan etarium and interactive
n 12 Cours du 30 Juillet (05-56 00 Easter–Oct: daily. Closed Jan–mid- exhi bits on space exploration.
66 00). ( daily. _ Fête du Vin Feb, Dec 25. & 8 ∑ semitour.com The church known as Les
(Jun, in even-numbered years). Jacobins was begun in 1229 and
∑ bordeaux-tourisme.com Lascaux is the most famous took more over two centuries to
of the prehistoric sites in the finish. The Gothic masterpiece
Built on a curve of the Garonne Dordogne region. Four young features a soaring, 22-branched
River, Bordeaux has been a boys and their dog came across palm tree vault in the apse. The
major port since pre-Roman
times and a focus and crossroads
of European trade for centuries.
The export of wine has always
been the basis of the city’s pros-
perity, and today the Bordeaux
region produces more than 70
million cases of wine per year.
Along the waterfront, a long
sweep of Classical facades is
broken by the Esplanade des
Quinconces, with its statues and
fountains. At one end, the Monu-
ment aux Girondins (1804–1902)
commemorates the Girondists
sent to the guillotine by
Robespierre during the Terror Palm vaulting in the apse of Les Jacobins, Toulouse
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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FR ANCE  189
























A picturesque village set among the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains
bell tower (1294) is much remote terrain and tenacious times. Biarritz, west of Bayonne,
imitated in southwest France. people have given heretics a has two casinos and three good
Toulouse became a center of hiding place and refugees an beaches, with the best surfing
Romanesque art in Europe due escape route. in Europe. A short distance south,
to its position on the route to The Parc National des St-Jean-de-Luz is a sleepy fish-
Santiago de Compostela (see Pyrénées extends 100 km ing village that explodes into life
p292). The largest Romanesque (62 miles) along the French– in summer. A main attraction is
basilica in Europe, the Basilique Spanish frontier. It boasts some the Eglise St-Jean Baptiste, where
de St-Sernin, was built in the of the most splendid alpine Louis XIV married the Infanta
11th–12th centuries to scenery in Europe, and is rich Maria Teresa of Spain in 1660.
accommo date pilgrims. The in flora and fauna. Within the A lively university town with
Musée des Augustins has park are 350 km (217 miles) elegant architecture, Pau is the
sculptures from the period, of footpaths. most interesting large town in
and incor porates cloisters from The region’s oldest the central Pyrenees. It has
a 14th-century Augustinian inhabitants, the Basque people, long been a favorite resort of
priory. Also featured are French, have maintained their own affluent foreigners.
Italian, and Flemish paintings. language and culture. Bayonne, Other places of interest
The 16th-century palace on the Atlantic coast, is the include the many mountain ski
known as the Hôtel d’Assézat capital of French Basque resorts, the shrine at Lourdes,
now houses the Fondation country, and has been an and the pretty hilltop town of
Bemberg, named after local art- important town since Roman St-Bertrand-de-Comminges.
lover Georges Bemberg, with
Renaissance art and 19th- and The Miracle of Lourdes
20th-century French work.
In 1858, a 14-year-old girl named Bernadette Soubirous experienced
E Musée des Augustins 18 visions of the Virgin at the Grotte Massabielle near the town of
21 Rue de Metz. Tel 05-61 22 21 82. Lourdes. Despite being told to keep away from the cave by her
Open daily. Closed Jan 1, May 1, mother – and the local magistrate – she was guided to a spring with
Dec 25. & 8 7 ∑ augustins.org miraculous healing
powers. The church
endorsed the miracles
j Pyrenees in the 1860s, and since
then many people claim
~ Pau. £ @ Bayonne & Pau. to have been cured
n Place des Basques, Bayonne by the holy water. A
(08-20 42 64 64); Place Royale, huge city of shrines,
Pau (05-59 27 27 08). churches, and hospices
has since grown up
The mountains dominate life in around the spring, with
the French Pyrenees. A region in a dynamic tourist
many ways closer to Spain than Pilgrims at an open-air mass in Lourdes industry to match.
France, over the centuries its




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190  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

The South of France at the end of the 1st century AD,
it is still in use today as a venue
The south is France’s most popular holiday region, drawing for concerts, sporting events,
millions of visitors each year to the resorts of the Riviera and and bullfights.
the Côte d’Azur, and to the vivid landscape and historic The Maison Carrée is an
villages of Provence. Painters such as Cézanne, van Gogh, elegant Roman temple, the
pride of Nîmes. Built by
and Picasso have been inspired by the luminous light and Augustus’ son-in-law Marcus
brilliant colors of the region. Agriculture is still a mainstay Agrippa, it is one of the best
of the economy, but the high-tech industries of Nice also preserved in the world, with
make a significant contribution to the region’s prosperity. finely fluted Corinthian columns
and a sculpted frieze.
Set in the Roman wall is the
Porte d’Auguste, a gateway built
for travelers on the Domitian
Way, which passed through the
center of Nîmes. Nearby is the
Castellum, a tower used for
storing water brought in by
aqueduct. The water was
distributed around the town by a
canal system. A display of Roman
statues and mosaics can be seen
at the Musée Archéologique.
Five floors of Nîmes’ contro-
versial arts complex, the Carré
d’Art, which stands opposite the
Château Comtal, in the restored citadel of Carcassonne Maison Carrée, lie underground.
The complex incorporates a
k Carcassonne portcullises, two iron doors, library, a roof-terrace restaurant
Aude. * 46,000. £ @ k n 28 a moat, and a drawbridge. around a huge glass atrium, and
Rue de Verdun (04-68 10 24 30). A fortress within a fortress, the Musée d’Art Contemporain.
( Tue, Thu & Sat. _ Festival de la the Château Comtal has a
Cité (mid-Jun–Jul), Medieval fête (Oct). surrounding moat and five E Musée Archéologique
∑ tourisme-carcassonne.fr defensive towers. 13 bis Boulevard Amiral Courbet.
Within the Romanesque and Tel 04-66 76 74 80. Open Tue–Sun.
The citadel of Carcassonne is a Gothic Basilique St-Nazaire is Closed Jan 1, May 1, Nov 1, Dec 25.
perfectly restored medieval the famous Siege Stone,
town. It crowns a steep bank inscribed with scenes said to Environs
above the Aude River, a fairy-tale depict the siege of 1209. To the northeast of the city lies
vision of turrets and ram parts the Pont du Gard, a 2,000-year-
overlooking the Basse Ville below. l Nîmes old aqueduct. The Romans
The strategic position of the considered this to be the best
citadel between the Atlantic Gard. * 145,000. k £ @ testimony to the greatness
and the Mediterranean led n 6 Rue Auguste (04-66 58 38 00). of their empire, and at 49 m
to its original settlement, ( daily. ∑ ot-nimes.fr (160 ft) it was the highest
consolidated by the Romans bridge they ever built.
in the 2nd century BC. An important crossroads in the
At its zenith in the 12th ancient world, Nîmes is well
century, the town was ruled by known for its bullfights and
the Trencavels, who built the Roman antiquities. The city has
château and cathedral. The had a turbulent history, and
Cathars, a persecuted Christian suffered particularly in the
sect, were given sanctuary here 16th-century Wars of Religion,
in 1209 but, after a two-week when the Romanesque
siege, the town fell to the Cathédrale Notre-Dame et
Crusaders sent to eradicate St-Castor was badly damaged.
them. The attentions of In the 17th and 18th centuries,
architectural historian Viollet- the town prospered from textile
le-Duc led to Carcassonne’s manufacturing, one of the
restoration in the 19th century. most enduring products being
Flanked by sandstone towers, denim, or serge de Nîmes.
the defenses of the Porte All roads in the city lead to the The Pont du Gard, outside Nîmes, a major
Narbonnaise included two amphitheater, Les Arènes. Built feat of Roman engineering
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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FR ANCE  191

z Avignon l’Horloge is the center of
Avignon’s social life. Under the
Vaucluse. * 100,000. k £ @
n 41 Cours Jean Jaurès town hall’s Gothic clock tower
(04-32 74 32 74). ( Tue–Sun. stands a merry-go-round from
_ Le Festival d’Avignon (Jul). 1900. Until the 19th century,
∑ avignon-tourisme.com brightly patterned calicoes
called indiennes were printed
Massive ramparts enclose nearby. These inspired today’s
this fascinating town. The Provençal patterns.
huge Palais des Papes is From early July for three
the dominant feature, but Open-air performance at the annual weeks, the Avignon Festival
Avignon contains other riches. Avignon Festival takes place at the Palais des
To the north of the Palais is the Papes. France’s largest festival,
13th-century Musée du Petit de Notre-Dame-des-Doms, it includes ballet, drama, and
Palais, once the Archbishop with its Romanesque cupola classical concerts. The “Off”
of Avignon’s residence. It has and papal tombs, and the festival has street theater and
received such notorious guests 14th-century Eglise St-Didier. music from folk to jazz.
as Cesare Borgia and Louis XIV. The Musée Lapidaire The Pont St-Bénézet, built
Now a museum, it displays contains statues, mosaics, and from 1171–1185, once had
Romanesque and Gothic carvings from pre-Roman 22 arches, but most were des-
sculpture and paintings of Provence. The Musée Calvet troyed by floods in 1668. One
the Avignon and Italian features a superb array of of the remaining arches bears
schools, with works by exhibits, including Roman finds. the tiny Chapelle St-Nicolas.
Botticelli and Carpaccio. It also gives an overview of
Avignon boasts some fine French art during the past 500 + Palais des Papes
churches, such as the years, with works by Rodin, Place du Palais-des-Papes. Tel 04-32
12th-century Cathédrale Manet, and Dufy. The Place de 74 32 74. Open daily. & 8
Palais des Papes
Pope Clement V moved the papal court to Avignon in
1309. Here it remained until 1377, during which time his
successors transformed the modest episcopal building
into the present magnificent palace.
The Consistory Hall
Bell tower contains frescoes
(1340) by Simone
Martini.
Grand Tinel
This vast banqueting hall was used for
celebrating religious festivals.
The Stag Room, Clement
VI’s study, is covered in
14th-century hunting
frescoes and ceramic tiles.


Pope’s
Chamber







Benedict XII’s cloister
incorporates the guest
and staff wings, and the
Benedictine chapel.
The Great Chapel was
The Great Audience Hall is once covered in green
divided into two naves by five tapestries ornamented
sculpted columns. with red roses.



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192  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES


x Street by Street: Arles The Musée Réattu houses
18th-century and modern art,
Few other towns in Provence combine the region’s many including Picasso sketches,
charms as well as Arles. Its position on the Rhône makes it a paintings by local artist
natural gateway to the Camargue (see p195). Its Roman Jacques Réattu (1760–1833),
sculptures by Russian-born
remains, such as Constantine’s baths and the amphitheater, Ossip Zadkine (1890–1967),
are complemented by the ocher walls and Roman-tiled roofs and photography.
of later buildings. Van Gogh spent time here in 1888–9, but
Arles is no longer the industrial town he painted. Visitors are
now its main business, and entertainment ranges from the
Arles Festival to bullfights. A bastion of Provençal tradition
and culture, its museums are among the best in the region.
For enthusiasts, an inclusive ticket is available giving access to RUE DU GRAND PRIEURE
all museums and monuments. All the tourist sites in Arles are
within walking distance of the central Place de la République. R RUE DU QUATRE SEPTEMBRE
U
E
The Palais R U E T R U C H E T
D
Constantine was R U E D E S S U I S S E S
E
once a grand imperial L , U
palace. Now only its R U E D U D R FA N TO N H O
vast Roman baths O H
T
remain, dating from E C E
the 4th century AD. P L AC E D U L L
A

B
D

E
E

R U E N I CO L A U
V
F O R U M I R
R U E D I D E R O T
L
Arles, seen from the opposite bank of the Rhône L
E
The Museon Arlaten R U E F R M I S T R A L RUE BAIZE RUE DE LA CALADE
was founded in 1904
by the Provençal poet
Frédéric Mistral with The Hôtel de Ville, E
his Nobel Prize money. the town hall, has R
It is currently closed for an impressive RUEDE LA REPUBLIQUE T I
renovations, and due to vaulted ceiling. PLAZA L O
reopen in 2016. REPUBLIQUE C
DE LA
R U E D U
RUE DE LA ROTONDE RU E J E A N J AU R E S
R U E M O L I E R E
BOULEVARD GEORGES CLEMENCEAU B O U L E V A R D D E S L I C E S
. Eglise St-Trophime
This fine Romanesque church has an
ornate 12th-century portal carved with
saints and apostles.
Key Roman Obelisk
Suggested route This ancient obelisk, with
fountains at its base (one of which
is shown here), came from the
Roman circus across the Rhône.
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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FR ANCE  193



. Les Arènes VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
The amphitheater
is one of the best- Practical Information
preserved Roman Bouches-du-Rhône. * 52,000.
sites in Provence. The n Boulevard des Lices (04-90 18
top tier provides an 41 20). ( Wed, Sat. _ Fête des
excellent panoramic Gardians (May 1); Fêtes d’Arles
view of Arles. (early Jul); Féria des Prémices
du Riz (early Sep).
∑ arlestourisme.com
Transport
k 25 km (15 miles) NW. £ @
RUE DU GRAND PRIEURE R U E D E G R I L L E . Théâtre Antique
Once a Roman theater, its stones
RUE DU QUATRE SEPTEMBRE R U E B A R B E S were later used for other
buildings. These last
remaining columns
are called the
“two widows.”
R U E D E S S U I S S E S RUE ARISTIDE BRIAND
U
O
R U E A TA R D I E U
H
C
E
L
A
B ROND–POINT DES ARENES
BASTILLE RUE DE LA
E
R U E N I CO L A U PLAZA DE
R
R U E D I D E R O T LA MAYOR Notre-Dame-de-la-
Major is dedicated
saint of the Camargue
gardians (cowboys).
RUE DE LA CALADE RU E D E L A MA D E L E I N E to St. George, patron
E RUE GRAND COUVE NT
R
T
I RUE PORTE–DE –LAURE
O
L
C

R U E D U
Cloisters of
St-Trophime
RUE DE LA ROTONDE RU E J E A N J AU R E S This sculpted capital
is a fine example of
the Romanesque
beauty of the cloisters.
M O N T E E V A U B A N
B O U L E V A R D D E S L I C E S
Amphitheater
The most impressive of the
surviving Roman monuments,
the amphitheater was the largest
of the Roman buildings in Gaul.
Slightly oval, it measures 136 m
(446 ft) by 107 m (351 ft) and
could seat 21,000. The floors
of some of the internal rooms
were decorated with mosaics,
the better to wash down after
bloody affrays. Today, bullfights,
0 meters 100 bull races, and other events are
0 yards 100 held regularly in the arena. Les Arènes, a Roman aphitheater

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194  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES


c Camargue paintings to Aix. Work by
Provençal artists, including
Bouches-du-Rhône. £ @ n 5 Ave Cézanne, is also shown.
Van Gogh, Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer
(04-90 97 82 55). _ Pèlerinage des E Musée Granet
Gitans (end May & end Oct).
∑ saintesmaries.com 13 Rue Cardinale. Tel 04-42 52 88 32.
Open Tue–Sun. & 7
This flat, sparsely populated
land is one of Europe’s major
wetland regions and natural- b Marseille
history sites. Extensive areas of Bouches-du-Rhône. * 1,000,000.
salt marshes, lakes, pastures, k 25 km NW. g £ @ n 11 La
and sand dunes cover a vast Canebière (08-26 50 05 00). ( daily.
140,000 ha (346,000 acres). The ∑ marseille-tourisme.com
native white horses and black One of many fountains in Aix-en-Provence,
bulls are tended by the region’s the “city of a thousand fountains” France’s most important port and
cow boys, or gardians. Numerous oldest major city is centered on
seabirds and wildfowl also v Aix-en-Provence the surprisingly attractive Vieux
occupy the region. Bouches-du-Rhône. * 140,000. £ Port. On the north side are the
Bullfights are advertised in @ n 300 Ave Giuseppe Verdi, Les commercial docks and the old
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, the Allées Provençales (04-42 16 11 61). ( town, rebuilt after World War II.
region’s main tourist center, daily. ∑ aixenprovencetourism.com The old town’s finest building
which has a sandy beach with is the Vieille Charité, a large
water sports and boat trips. A Provence’s former capital is an 17th-century hospice that
few kilometers inland, the international students’ town, houses the Musée d’Archéologie
information center at Pont- with a university that dates Méditerranéenne and the
de-Gau offers wonderful back to 1409. The city was Musée d’Arts Africains,
views over the flat transformed in the 17th century, Océaniens, Amérindiens.
lagoon. Photographs when ramparts, first raised by The Neo-Byzantine Notre-
and documents the Romans in their town of Dame-de-la-Garde dominates
chronicle the Aquae Sextiae, were pulled the city, but Marseille’s finest
history of the down, and the mansion-lined piece of religious architecture is
Camargue and its Cours Mirabeau was built. the Abbaye de St-Victor, founded
diverse flora and North of the Cours Mirabeau in the 5th century, with crypts
fauna. Most of the lies the town’s old quarter. conta ining catacombs, sarcophagi,
birds that live in, or Cathédrale St-Sauveur creaks and the martyr St. Victor’s cave.
migrate within, the with history. The jewel of the During postwar rebuilding, the
region, inclu ding church is the triptych of The Roman docks were uncovered.
thousands of Burning Bush (1476) by Nicolas The Musée des Docks Romains
flamingoes which Froment. The modest Atelier mainly displays large storage
come here to Paul Cézanne, a studio designed urns once used for wine, grain,
Camargue breed, can be seen by Cézanne himself, is much as and oil. In the Centre Bourse
gardian at the nearby Parc he left it when he died in 1906. shopping center is the Musée
Ornithologique The main museum is the d’Histoire de Marseille. Recon-
du Pont-de-Gau. Musée Granet. François Granet structions of the city at the height
In the north of the region, a (1775–1849) left his collection of the Greek period make this a
traditional Provençal mas, or of French, Italian, and Flemish good starting point for a tour.
farmhouse, Mas du Pont de
Rousty, has been converted to
accommodate the fascinating
Musée Camarguais. Displays
here provide an introduction to
the customs and traditions of
the Camargue.
O Parc Ornithologique
du Pont-de-Gau
Pont-de-Gau. Tel 04-90 97 82 62.
Open daily. Closed Dec 25. & 7
E Musée Camarguais
Parc Naturel Régional de Camargue,
Mas du Pont de Rousty. Tel 04-90 97
10 82. Open Wed–Mon.
Closed public hols. & 7 Old harbor of Marseille, looking towards the Quai de Rive Neuve
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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Flavors of the South of France

It’s a heady experience just to stand, look, and sniff in a Provençal market. Tables sag
under piles of braided pink garlic, colorful fresh peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini,
and asparagus. In the fall and winter, an earthy scent fills the air, with wild mushrooms,
Swiss chard, walnuts, and quinces crowding the stalls. The waters of coastal Provence
provide a bountiful sea harvest, including plump mussels, oysters, and tellines (tiny
clams). The area is especially famous for its fish dishes, notably bouillabaisse. Lamb is the
most common meat in Provence; the best comes from the Camargue, where lambs graze
on herbs and salt-marsh grass. The South supplies France with the first of the season’s
peaches, cherries, and apricots.


Fish liquor Bouillabaisse, a fish soup originating in Marseille, is a luxury
today. It consists of an assortment of local seafood, including
monkfish, mullet, snapper, scorpion fish, and conger eel,
flavored with tomatoes, saffron, and olive oil. Traditionally,
the fish liquor is served first with croutons
spread with rouille, a spicy mayonnaise.
The fish is eaten afterwards.
Red snapper
Croutons

Rouille (meaning “rust”),
a mayonnaise with chillies
and garlic
Olives and Olive Oil
Most of the olive crop is crushed
Monkfish for oil. Ripe olives are black and
the unripe ones are green; both
can be preserved in brine or oil.
Red mullet At the end of the olive harvest,
Conger eel
tapenade is popular – a paste
of black olives, capers,
anchovies, and olive oil
eaten with bread.


Fougasse is a flattish, lattice-like bread
variously studded with black olives,
anchovies, onions, and spices. The sweet
version is flavored with almonds. Black olives Tapenade Olive oil











Aïoli is a sauce made of egg Ratatouille is a stew of onions, Salade Niçoise comes in many
yolks, garlic, and olive oil. It is eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes, versions, but always includes
served with salt cod, boiled and peppers, cooked in olive oil lettuce, green beans, tomatoes,
eggs, snails, or raw vegetables. and garlic. black olives, eggs, and anchovies.





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The Côte d’Azur
The Côte d’Azur is, without doubt, the most celebrated seaside
in Europe. Almost everybody who has been anybody for the
past 100 years has succumbed to its glittering allure. Today, the
Côte d’Azur is busy all year round; expect heavy traffic around
Cannes and St-Tropez in summer. Between Cannes and Menton,
the coast forms the glamorous French Riviera, playground of
the rich and famous. The bustling city of Nice lies at the area’s
heart, richly deserving the title “capital of the Côte d’Azur.”

Beaches of the Côte d’Azur
The sun-drenched coastline of the Côte d’Azur Uma Thurman arriving at the Cannes
is one of the busiest in Europe. To the east lie Menton Film Festival
the Riviera’s big, traditional resorts while Nice Monaco n Cannes
to the west are smaller towns in Cap Ferrat
coves and bays. Beaches are Alpes-Maritimes. * 70,000. g £
sandy west of Antibes, and Cannes Antibes @ n Palais des Festivals, 1 La
more shingly to the east. Croisette (04-92 99 84 22). ( daily.
Juan-les-Pins
The first thing that most people
associate with Cannes is its
St-Raphaël
many festivals, especially the
International Film Festival. held
0 kilometers 20
each May. The first Cannes Film
St-Tropez 0 miles 20 Festival took place in 1946 and,
for a while, it remained a small
and exclusive affair. The mid-
Exploring the Côte d’Azur Greeks, Antibes is one of the 1950s marked the change from
The Côte d’Azur is the most oldest towns along this stretch artistic event to media circus,
popular destination in France for of coast, and home to a large but Cannes remains the
sun-worshipers, with its seaside museum of Picasso’s work, international marketplace for
vacation towns and long, golden donated by the artist himself. moviemakers and distributors.
beaches. St-Tropez is currently Clifftop walks replace seafront The annual festival is held in the
the trendiest resort; Tahini-Plage promenades around the huge Palais des Festivals.
is the coast’s showcase for fun, wooded peninsula of Cap There is, however, more to the
sun, fashion, and glamor. By Ferrat, where grand villas and city than this glittering event.
contrast, the family resort of private beaches can be The Old Town is centered in the
St-Raphaël is peaceful, with glimpsed between the trees. Le Suquet district, which is
excellent tourist facilities. At the eastern edge of the dominated by the church of
East of Cannes, at the western Riviera, past the glitz of the Notre-Dame de l’Espérance,
edge of the Riviera, Juan-les- casinos and hotels of Monaco, built in the 16th and 17th
Pins is a lively resort. Its all-night the beaches of Menton are the centuries in the Provençal
bars, nightclubs, and cafés make warmest along the coast; Gothic style. The famed
it popular with teenagers and sunbathers enjoy a beach Boulevard de la Crois ette is
young adults. Founded by the climate all year round. lined with palm trees. Luxury
stores and hotels look out over
fine sandy beaches.

m Nice
Alpes-Maritimes. * 346,000. k g
£ @ n 5 Promenade des Anglais
(08-92 70 74 07). ( Tue–Sun. _
Carnival (Feb). ∑ nicetourisme.com
The largest resort on the
Mediterranean coast, Nice has
the second-busiest airport in
France. Its temperate winter
St-Tropez harborside, on the Côte d’Azur climate and verdant subtropical
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11


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FR ANCE  197


vegetation have long attracted
visitors, and today it is also a
center for business conferences
and package travelers.
There are many art museums
in Nice, two of which devote
themselves to the works of
particular artists. The Musée
Matisse displays drawings,
paintings, bronzes, fabrics, and
artifacts. The Musée Chagall
holds the largest collection of
works by Marc Chagall, with
paintings, drawings, sculpture,
stained glass, and mosaics.
A strikingly original complex of
four marble-faced towers linked
by glass passageways houses the
Musée d’Art Contemporain. The
collection is particularly strong in
Neorealism and Pop Art. The
Musée des Beaux Arts displays
works by Dufy, Monet, Renoir,
and Sisley.
A 19th-century palace, the
Palais Masséna is filled with
paintings of the Nice school,
works by the Impressionists,
Provençal ceramics, folk art, Skyscrapers and apartment blocks of modern Monte Carlo in Monaco
and a gold cloak once worn by
Napoleon’s beloved Josephine. , Monaco by 1870, he was able to abolish
The onion domes of the Monaco. * 34,000. k (Nice). £ taxation for his people.
Cathédrale Orthodoxe Russe n 2a Boulevard des Moulins (092-16 Designed in 1878 and set in
St-Nicolas, completed in 1912, 61 16). ( daily. _ International formal gardens, the casino gives
make this building Nice’s most Circus Festival (Jan–Feb). a splendid view over Monaco.
distinctive landmark. ∑ visitmonaco.com Even the most exclusive of the
gaming rooms can be visited.
E Musée Matisse Arriving among the towering Across the harbor lies Monaco-
164 Ave des Arènes de Cimiez. skyscrapers of Monaco today, Ville, the seat of government. The
Tel 04-93 81 08 08. Open Wed–Mon. it is hard to envisage the interior of the 13th-century
Closed some public hols. 7 turbulence of its history. At first Palais Princier, with its priceless
E Musée Chagall a Greek settlement, later taken furniture and magnificent
36 Ave du Docteur Ménard. Tel 04-93 by the Romans, it was bought frescoes, is open to the public
53 87 20. Open Wed–Mon. from the Genoese in 1297 by from April to September.
Closed Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25. & 7 the Grimaldis who, in spite of The aquarium of the Musée
bitter family feuds, still rule as Océanographique holds rare
the world’s oldest monarchy. species of marine plants and
Monaco covers 1.9 sq km animals. Marine explorer
(0.74 sq miles) and, although Jacques Cousteau established
its size has increased by one- his research center here.
third in the form of landfills, it
still occupies an area smaller
than New York’s Central Park.
The best-known section of
Monaco is Monte Carlo. People
flock to the annual car rally held
here in January, but the area
owes its renown mainly to its
Grand Casino. Source of
countless legends, it was
instituted by Charles III to save
himself from bankruptcy in
A quiet stretch along Nice’s 5 km (3 miles) 1856. So successful was this The lavish surroundings of the belle époque
of beachfront money-making venture that, Grand Casino, Monaco




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198  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

Practical Information Opening Hours
Generally, opening hours
France is justifiably proud of its many attractions, for which for tourist sights are from
it has good tourist information facilities. Both in France and 10am–5:40pm, with one late
abroad, French Government Tourist Offices are an invaluable evening per week. Most close
source of reference for practical aspects of your stay, on public holidays.
National museums and
especially for those with special needs. If you are unfortunate sights are normally closed on
enough to need medical or emergency assistance, France Tuesdays, with a few exceptions
has excellent hospitals, ambulance, fire, and police services. which close on Mondays.
The country also has a modern communications network, Municipal museums normally
making it easy to keep in touch by telephone, post, or email. close on Mondays. Churches are
open every day, but sometimes
shut at lunchtime.
Visa Requirements town headings in this guide) or
and Customs the appropriate CRT (Comité Facilities for the Disabled
Currently, there are no visa Régional de Tourisme) – ask the Facilities for the disabled vary in
requirements for EU nationals FGTO for the address. France. Details of services in
or visitors from the United most towns can be obtained
States, Canada, Australia, or from the GIHP (Groupement
New Zealand who plan to Personal Security pour l’Insertion des Personnes
stay in France for under three Violent crime is rare in France – Handicapées Physiques). The
months. Visitors from most even a major city such as Paris Association des Paralysés de
other countries require a tourist is surprisingly safe. However, France provides information
visa. Non-EU visitors can, with muggings and brawls do occur, on wheelchair access.
some exceptions, reclaim the so avoid isolated or poorly lit
French sales tax (TVA) on places, especially at night. Medical Treatment
goods if they spend more than Women should take extra care,
a certain amount in one shop especially when traveling alone. All EU nationals are entitled to
and get a détaxe receipt. Also beware of pickpockets, French social-security coverage.
who are active in large cities. However, treatment must be
paid for at the time, and
Tourist Information hospital rates vary widely.
Police
All major cities and large towns Reimbursements may be
have offices de tourisme. Small There are two types of police obtained if you have the correct
towns and even villages have in France. The Police Nationale documents before you travel,
syndicats d’initiative. Both will look after large towns and but the process is long and
give you town plans, advice cities. If you need to contact complicated.
on accommodations, and them, find the Commissariat All travelers, particularly non-EU
information on regional de Police (police headquarters). nationals, should, therefore,
recreational and cultural activities. Small towns, villages, and consider purchasing travel
You can also get information country areas are policed by insurance before they arrive.
before you leave for France from the Gendarmerie Nationale. In the case of a medical
French Government Tourist If you need to report a crime emergenc,y call SAMU (Service
Offices, or by contacting local in these places, go to the d’Aide Médicale Urgence).
tourist offices (see individual nearest local gendarmerie. However, it is often faster to
The Climate of France
PARIS NICE
Set on Europe’s western edge,
France has a varied, temperate
climate. An Atlantic influence °C/ºF °C/ºF
prevails in the northwest, with 24/75 27/80 21/70
westerly sea winds bringing 14/58 15/59 16/61 19/67
humidity and warm winters. 7/44 9/49 7/44 17/63 13/55 5/41
The east experiences 2/35 10/50 13/55
Contin ental temperature 6 8 4.5 2 7.5 11 6.5 5
extremes with frosty, clear hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs
winters and often stormy 50 58 55 55 62 16 108 83
summers. The south enjoys a mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm
Mediterranean climate, with hot,
dry summers and mild winters. month Apr Jul Oct Jan month Apr Jul Oct Jan






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