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.
In 1794, a survey revealed that just 11% of France’s population were native French speakers. By 1880, that number had risen to a mere 20%. Today, 86% of people living in France have French as their first language. Dialects and other languages make up the rest: […]
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The abbey church (or basilica) of Saint Denis, just north of Paris, is considered to be the world’s first example of gothic architecture. According to legend, around 250AD, Denis, the bishop of the Parisii, was decapitated at the top of the hill at Montmartre*. Not being […]
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Europe’s busiest airport for cargo traffic is Charles de Gaulle International in Paris, and is actually the 6th busiest, in terms of cargo, in the world. With an average speed of 263.3km/h (163.6 mph) from station to station, the French TGV is the fastest train in […]
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The first thing that comes to mind when anyone mentions French drinks is wine, so of course, with France being the world’s second largest wine producer (Italy comes first), wine rightly deserves to be at the top of anyone’s list of boissons françaises. It should come […]
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January 28th 1887 was an auspicious day for Gustave Eiffel, and for Paris as a whole, for it was the day that construction began on what was to become one of the most iconic landmarks in the world. However, Eiffel’s great iron pylon was never meant […]
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Since Roman times, wine has been made in France. In the North (e.g. Alsace), wines are usually made from a single variety of grape (e.g. Pinot Noir), whereas further south (e.g. Provence), they are typically blends (e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon + Merlot). With 450 different appellations, there […]
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Are you visiting the City of Light next month, and wondering what to do? Wonder no more, for here’s our round-up of some of the best events in February. Au temps de Klimt. La Sécession à Vienne Although he’s known as one of the Vienna Secession […]
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The world leader in luxury goods, including perfumes, cosmetics, fashion accessories, and haute couture, France is also the top producer of liquors on the planet, and second only to Italy in terms of wine. L’hexagone produces some of the world’s most famous liqueurs; Armagnac, Chambord, Chartreuse, […]
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Mention the French, and the first thing that usually comes to mind is fine wine and equally fine dining. Indeed, marketers know that if you want to make a particular type of food seem really upmarket, just add the word, ‘French’ in front of it, and […]
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There may be a lack of sunshine in some parts of France at the moment, however, there’s no shortage of things to see and do while on a visit between now and March. Please note that while we’ve made every effort to ensure that the information […]
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