Located at the heart of France’s hexagonal territory, Auvergne is a sparsely populated land of volcanic plateaus and large valleys. Unlike the Alps to the east or the Pyrénées to the southwest, its highest peaks reach only 6,000 feet above sea level and are free of snow in summer. The local authorities? efforts to safeguard the environment have made Auvergne one of the last protected zones in Europe.
Before going to Auvergne, familiarize yourself with its history and its gastronomy.
Spring may have sprung but the chilly days and nights are far from banished, so what better way of keeping the cool weather at bay, than a deliciously velvety mug of thick hot chocolate? In the early seventeenth century, we French, being the sophisticated types that […]
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You’ve no doubt heard of the Côte d’Azur but did you know that many of the resorts you’ll find along France’s lengthy coastline are named after precious and semi-precious stones? On the north-west coast, bordering the North Sea and the English Channel, you’ll find mother-of-pearl, opal, […]
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France, with its beautiful rolling hills, majestic mountains, golden coastline, and picturesque vineyards is a wonderful country in which to have a driving vacation. For visitors who are used to driving on the right, driving in France should not present any problems; however, you should be […]
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Not every visitor to the City of Light can afford to stay in a swanky hotel, so it’s really good to know that there is no shortage of affordable accommodation for the budget-conscious traveler. Hostels have come a long way since the bad old days of […]
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In his book, The Discovery of France, author, Graham Robb, states that until the 19th century, France comprised hundreds of small, autonomous republics. Most were in fact, simply isolated hamlets, which while technically part of France, did not pay any taxes to the government. Few people […]
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Sixty feet below the streets of Arras, the capital of the Artois province, lie ‘les Boves’ – the medieval limestone quarries which were first excavated during the 10th century to provide building materials for the city. Since then, they have been used as cellars, silos, and […]
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Back in 1836, Georges Hoffherr, a brewer from Strasbourg, Alsace, opened Brasserie Georges in Lyon, and it soon became a favorite haunt of Lyon’s literati for almost two centuries, and now the oldest brasserie in the city. Situated on the stagecoach route between Paris and Marseille, la Georges […]
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They both sound pretty swanky, don’t they? If you see the words, Grand Cru or Premier Cru on a bottle of Champagne, I’m sure that like most of us, you automatically see this as an indication of a superior quality wine. However, all is not what […]
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Immigrants account for just over 8% of France’s population, with Paris being home to around 40% of its 4.9 foreign-born citizens. The City of Light is also home to 60% of all sub-Saharan Africans living in the country. By nationality, the number of foreigners living in […]
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Ever protective of their terroir, in October 1954, a municipal decree was passed, forbidding UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) from landing on, taking off from, or flying over any of the vineyards in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The decree also stated that should any extra-terrestrials disobey this law, their spacecraft […]
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