From Paris to Brittany & Normandy: Where France is Frenchest

For centuries, the Louvre served as the palace of the French kings and was the largest construc­tion site in France. Almost every king made changes to it. In the 12th century it was still a proud castle but was expanded over the course of the next two centuries to become a symbolic resi­dence. The four wings around the square court­yard are what remain of the orig­inal palace. When Louis XIV moved his resi­dence to Versailles, the building was left to dete­r­i­o­rate. The Louvre did not become a museum until after the French Revo­lu­tion when the National Assembly decided to use it to collect and exhibit the artistic treasures seized from the nobility. Today, the Louvre receives around ten million visitors every year and is the largest museum in the world. Its collec­tions include over 380,000 pieces, and only about a tenth of them are on display. Its most famous painting is prob­ably the Mona Lisa, which Leon­ardo da Vinci painted around the year 1503.

The tradi­tional student district in Paris is located near Sorbonne Univer­sity and is known as the Quartier Latin, because Latin had been the language of scho­l­ar­ship for many centuries. Numerous writers lived in the area, including Honoré de Balzac, Gabriel García Márquez and Klaus Mann. During the student riots in 1968, the quarter became the scene of heavy fighting in the streets. Thou­sands of students were arrested and hundreds were seri­ously injured by the police during the “Night of the Barricades.” When the trade unions called for a national strike in support of the students, Pres­i­dent de Gaulle stepped down. Not many students live here today since the rent is unafford­able and they have given way to popular restau­rants and boutiques.

This church for the archbishop of Paris took nearly 200 years to build. Yet when it was completed in 1345, it had become a marvel the likes of which the world had never seen. Although it is one of the earliest Gothic cathedrals, it remained the crowning achieve­ment of Gothic archi­tec­ture. Notre Dame rises over the Seine like a jewel. Its two towers are 69 meters high and its ridge turrets reach 96 meters in height. The nave, which provides room for up to 10,000 people, is 130 meters long, 48 meters wide, and 35 meters high. The cathedral was unprece­dented in its day, and this was inten­tional. It was supposed to outshine the Louvre, which was the royal palace. Notre Dame is a testi­mony to the fact that Paris has not only been the center of France, but also the most important city in the Chris­tian West from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century and has had a deci­sive impact on its history.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Chartres, about 80 kilome­ters southwest of Paris. 876 Charles the Bald gave the bishop of the city a relic from the posses­sions of Charle­magne: a robe of the Virgin Mary. This trig­gered a pilgrimage stream neces­si­tating the cathedral's expan­sion. In 1195, finally a building was begun, which today is consid­ered the archetype of Gothic architc­ture: the Notre-Dame-de-Chartres. From a distance it seems to hover in mid-air above waving fields of wheat, and it is only when the visitor draws closer that the city comes into view, clus­tering around the hill on which the cathedral stands. There are two contrasting spires. One is a 105 meter (349 ft.) plain pyramid dating from the 1140s, and the other is a 113 meter (377 ft.) tall early 16th century Flamboyant spire on top of an older tower. Both soar upwards over the pale green roof, while all around the outside are complex flying buttresses.

The historic town is idyllically situ­ated off the beaten track on a northern trib­utary of the Loire. The old town, surrounding the Church of la Trinité, is criss­crossed by narrow canals. Two relics, a tear of Christ and an arm of St. George, gave it wealth and importance as a pilgrimage station on the St. Jakobs-Way during the Middle Ages. Pano­ramic views of the French picture book landscape open up from the castle ruins. Many castles, wine cellars and old mills hide in the Loir Valley. Bike paths follow the river banks, which are the best way to explore the valley.

The small Loir (not to be confused with the Loire) is a northern trib­utary to the better known Loire. North of Angers the river flows into the Sarthe. Before that, it winds leisurely through graceful vine­yards such as Coteaux du Loir, Jasnières and Coteaux du Vendômois. There are many things to discover along its shores: stately homes, ancient chapels with frescoes and sleepy villages that only come to life when farmers' markets are held. One of them is Lavardin. With its medieval townscape, a castle ruin and the early Roma­nesque church, it is consid­ered one of the plus beaux villages de France (the most beau­tiful villages in France).

This moated castle is consid­ered the most stately, elegant and orig­inal of the Loire châteaus. It was called the Château des Dames because its history and fate were largely in the hands of women. For a time, it belonged to Diane, the mistress of Henry II. Upon his death, Catherine de' Medici, who would hold raucous parties in the palace, some­times for days on end, drove Diane away. From 1940 to 1942, the border between German-occu­pied France and Vichy France ran right through the château. Today, many visitors come in the morning for Breakfast, which is served in the orangery. The palace gardens are lighted in the evening and there are often concerts here.

The Château de Villandry is the youngest of the châteaus in the Loire Valley, which may be the reason why its gardens surpass all the others. At any rate, most visitors come on account of the gardens, which were restored during the 19th century and are unpar­al­leled in Europe. There are flower beds for themes such as love, water and music. There are also artis­tically arranged vegetable and herbal gardens and a labyrinth. The colors and motifs of the various garden beds are varie­gated and imag­ina­tive. Combined with the archi­tec­ture of the château, they form a magnif­i­cent ensemble.

The Regional Natural Park is located between the former capitals, Angers and Tours. It stretches on either side of the Loire, but the greater part is in the south, where trib­utaries flow into the Loire. In the area of the Natural Park, the Loire is still a free flowing water without dams or locks. By preserving the natural envi­ron­ment, the biodi­ver­sity of the region has devel­oped enor­mously. Away from the protected core zones, wine with the designa­tion of origin Anjou or Saumur is grown. From the tuff, stones were obtained for the many castles of the Loire. The Regional Park is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The foun­da­tion stone for the monu­mental complex was laid by a wandering preacher in the 12th century. Over the centuries, the monastery has been steadily expanded, creating a whole monastic city, combining Roma­nesque, Gothic and Renais­sance styles. In the abbey church several kings are buried, including Richard the Lion­heart and Johann Ohne­land. UNESCO has declared Fontevraud a World Heritage Site by stating that it is Europe's largest monastic complex. Some­thing special is the 1000 year old kitchen, of which there are very few left. It is like the baptis­tery octag­onal and designed neatly.In the niches you find various fire pits.

The medieval town on the lower Loire has an impres­sive cityscape espe­cially looking from the river side. Above the quaint houses there is a mighty castle, which is supposed to be an of the most beau­tiful build­ings on the Loire. In the 16th century Saumur flour­ished as the intel­lectual center of the protestant Huguenots. After being driven out, the city fell into a deep sleep. The academy closed and the educated inhab­i­tants emigrated as the economy stag­nated. Today, Saumur is a town of 30,000 inhab­i­tants and the center of the Anjou-Saumur wine region. On the outskirts there a,many cellars with wine and sparkling wine.

The new art project on the former docks displayw large mechan­ical objects from the imag­inary worlds of Jules Verne, Leon­ardo da Vinci and from the indus­trial history of Nantes. At a height of twelve meters, Le Grand Eléphant is the largest object. The 40-ton sculp­ture can move and  accommo­d­ates up to 35 people. All objects can be seen in the ware­house like in a museum. The 13-meter-long and 37-ton mechan­ical spider La Princesse was first presented in Liver­pool, England. During the 2008 Euro­pean Capital of Culture cele­bra­tions it walked through the city from 3 to 7 September. Made of steel and poplar wood, the machine was controlled by 12 people.

Brière is a vast territory of marshes at the mouth of the Loire estuary. The area was declared a national park in 1970 – the first national park in France. The wetlands are home to numerous species of endan­gered animals. The resi­dents of Brière have retained many of their tradi­tions, as evidenced by the thatched-roof cottages that dot the landscape. Whoever is prepared to climb the 135 steps to the top of the church tower in St. Lyphard will be rewarded with a spectac­ular, pano­ramic view of the moors.

The city on the Golfe de Morbihan has a delightful old town. Colorful half-timbered houses with upscale boutiques and gourmet restau­rants line narrow cobble­stone streets that run towards the semicircular Place Gambetta at the marina. The medieval town is surrounded by the ramparts, a fortress wall that today is partially integrated into parks. Worth seeing are also the Gothic cathedral, which is one of the largest in Brittany with a length of 110 meters, and the Château de l'Hermine, where the Institut culturel de Bretagne now resides.

More than 3,000 stone standing upright in loose rows at Carnac have been fascinating archae­ol­o­gists for centuries. Some of the stones have already been set up 7,000 years ago, before the pyra­mids or stone build­ings in India and China have been built. So the stones have not been erected by the Druids, as it was supposed in the 19th century. They are the master­piece of an unknown, pre-Celtic, Western Euro­pean Stone Age people, which left nothing but enor­mous stone sett­ings. Menhirs are found everywhere on the west coast of Europe from Spain to Scot­land, but nowhere as many as in Carnac. Legends and myths entwine around the stones. Chris­tian mission­aries took them for a devil's work and carved crosses in them. Healers and witches tried to cure infer­tility with their help. Even today you can see women who rub their bellies on the stones at full moon. Despite count­less theo­ries, nobody will be able to fathom the orig­inal meaning. Only Flau­bert's sentence is certain: “The stones of Carnac are big stones.”

Like a floating fortress, the old town of Concar­neau is built in the big harbor basin. On three sides, the Ville Close is surrounded by sea and massive walls. It is acces­sible only via a single bridge and a ferry connec­tion. While tuna trawlers and screeching seag­ulls circle the city, you can stroll through narrow streets within the old town and admire medieval pitch noses and the granite houses of the bour­geoisie. There is a large farmers' market worth on Mondays and Fridays. Adja­cent there is a market hall with all its delica­cies.

The Breton provin­cial town has about 9,000 inhab­i­tants. It is best known for its sparkling ciders, produced here since the 1950s and suppos­edly among the best in France. The apple tree is cele­brated in the Fête des Pommiers, which takes place on the third of July. In addi­tion, the city is proud of its beau­tiful Roma­nesque church. St-Pierre dates from the 12th century. Around Fouesnant there are some nice beaches, the longest being on the head­land of Mousterlin.

At the conflu­ence (“kemper”) of Steir and Odet – about 15 kilome­ters north of its mouth in the Atlantic – there was a river port already in the 6th century. The legendary King Gradlon moved the head­quar­ters of his empire to the town. From 1066 the dukes of the Cournaille ruled in Quimper. The splendid past of the city is revealed by the Gothic Cathédrale St-Corentin, which took three centuries to construct. Art histo­rians are overwhelmed by its perfect beauty. In the shadow of the cathedral. stone-old half-timbered houses nestle along cobble­stone streets.

Asterix fans will remember that in the hinter­land of the Brittany coast there was the village of the indomitable Gauls, where Asterix and Obelix beat up Romans and hunted wild boars. The “Village Gaulois” is an open-air museum oppo­site Isle d'Aval with an adven­ture park for chil­dren.

The customs offi­cers' route leads along the Brittany coast, where smuggling once flour­ished. It is today one of the French long distance hiking trails, the GR34. Espe­cially beau­tiful is the section from Perros-Guirec to Ploumanac'h. A path that connects the sea and clouds.

Le Gouffre – “The Maw” – is a deep notch in a cliff. When the sea water pene­trates Le Gouffre, there is a high spray. Several hiking trails lead to the striking landmark, among others the custom offe­icers trail along the coast on the long-distance hiking trail GR 34. You can park you car at the parking lot at the “Maison du Littoral” and from there walk past the granite house on a sandy track towards Le Gouffre..

The unusual Bene­dic­tine Abbey jutting out of the waters of the English Channel is consid­ered the most important monastic struc­ture of the Euro­pean Middle Ages. Built between the 11th and 16th centuries, it occu­pies most of a one-kilometer-diam­eter clump of rocks which was orig­inally connected to the main­land by a thin natural bridge. According to legend, it was the Archangel Michael himself who ordered the Bishop of Avranches to found the monastery in 708. The building is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and guided tours are offered. Visitors should be prepared for large crowds of tourists. This is also where the greatest tides in Europe occur. The ocean recedes by around 14 km at low tide, then rushes back at a speed of 15 km per hour at high tide.

This nature reserve is a haven for Normandy's plant and animal life and covers an area of 1,450 square kilome­ters. In the middle of the park is a large bog that is espe­cially inviting for birds. The best ways to explore the moor, which is often flooded in winter, is by boat on the Douve or the Taute, on foot or by bike. The best place to start is the old epis­copal city of Carentan.

The 128 meters high towering rock cliffs belong to the highest in Europe. From the top you have a magnif­i­cent view of all the Channel Islands, namely on Jersey, Guernsey and Sark. At the foot of the cliffs there are several caves, such as the fairy groote or the lion grotto formed both by the sea. Between the grotto of the small church and the grotto of the big church smug­glers are said to have dug a canal.

1,000 years ago, the Normans built a fortress on an island between the rivers Orne and Odon. Under William the Conqueror two abbeys were added. In the Hundred Years' War between England and France, the city was constantly besieged. However the greatest destruc­tion of Caen began in the early summer of 1944. On D-Day, June 6, 1944 a servere battle between the Allies and the German occu­piers started. On July 9, 1944, the Germans gave up Caen and thus the city was liber­ated. Around the restored historic build­ings, the new Caen was built, a green city, whose student flair attracts numerous visitors with cafes and boutiques.

The medieval town lies about 9 km south of the Normandy beach where the allied forces landed in 1944. Bayeux was liber­ated during the Battle of Normandy on 14 June 1944. The city's main attrac­tion is the gothic cathedral, which is deco­rated with a 70 m long tapestry made in 1077 to commem­o­rate the Norman conquest of England by William the Conqueror. The coast­line is a mixture of sandy beaches, pebble beaches and cliffs. The nearby town of Arromanches les Bains, where the inva­sion of Normandy began in 1944, is now a seaside resort.

Omaha Beach, a ten kilometer section of coast­line between the mouth of the Vire near Vierville-sur-Mer and the small fishing town of Port-en-Bessin, forms the longest beach to see fighting during the inva­sion in 1944. The beaches to the east had the code names Gold, Juno and Sword Beach.

This city, located between Caen, Rouen and Le Havre, was merely a farming village until the mid 19th century. This is when Charles de Morny, a half brother of Napoleon III, turned the “swamps and sand into a kingdom of elegance,” which was to become a magnet for fash­ion­able Parisian society. Neo-Roma­nesque luxury hotels, a casino and a horse race track contributed to the expan­sion of the city. Kings, Hollywood stars, artists and composers soon came to visit. The attrac­tions are topped off by a yacht harbor and an attrac­tive board­walk.

The city in the Calvados was for centuries rela­tively insig­nif­icant compared to Harfleur on the other bank of the Seine estuary. Due to a lack of money to modernize the site, the narrow six-storey houses and fortifica­tions of the 17th-century at the Vieux Bassin have not been modern­ized or disman­tled which is the only reason why every­thing is still very much the same. Already in the 19th century, the picturesque harbor town attracted famous painters, including Courbet, Renoir and Cézanne. Even today, the painters stand by the wharf and in the Greniers à Sel, the salt ware­houses at the fortress.

Once the abbey was one of the richest in France; today it is in ruins. However, they suggest the former signif­icance of the monastery. Completely preserved are the 47-meter-high twin towers, which are well visible from far away. The roof­less nave is of huge dimen­sions. It has a length of over 120 meters. The cloister built in late gothic style is partially destroyed. Lord Stuart de Roth­esay had bought a wing and had it installed in his High­cliffe Castle near Bournemouth. In the middle of the rest of the cloister grows a powerful yew tree for more than 500 years. In St-Peters-Church next to the main church remains of Carolin­gian murals are preserved. An arch in the west­work shows the typical meander pattern. On the south wall a portrait can be seen, but of whom is not known.