Cities of France
Oh, the cities of France!!! Not even 900 pages would suffice to describe these incredible, fantastic cities. Every city differs from the other. If you see something in one city, you won"t see the same thing anywhere else.
In the beginning it is important to describe the capital of France –Paris. Everybody can say with much certainty that they know the Eiffel Tower, that they heard about Louvre; everybody can say a few words about French cuisine. But in most cases the enumeration stops here. So, if you ever decide to visit France the first place to see is definitely Paris. It is no coincidence that Paris is the most famous and posh capital in the world and a city with a rich history and diverse cultural heritage. Your eyes will catch the crooked streets, majestic squares, numerous boulevards, avenues, comfortable restaurants, heath center, green garden and parks, theaters and opera houses, jazz music and this is not all. There are a lot of historical sites, interesting architecture and magnificent view everywhere in Paris. Here you will see Louvre, which once served as the residence of the royal families. Today Louvre is the safe house for numerous exhibits and artwork treasures. The famous Leonard Da Vinci's “La Jaconda”, better known as Mona Lisa and “Venus of Milo” are on display at the popular museum called Louvre, as well as the Winged Victory of Samothrace. At the Museum d"Orsay you can witness the works of modern sculptors, painters, architects, and photographers. The Pompidou Center represents a national museum, named in honor of Georges Pompidou. Numerous sculptures, paintings, designs, architecture, photographs, various video archives, audio archives and cinematography archives are maintained here. On the Cite island you will find the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral, which is also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris. You can also see Conciergerie here, which once served as a prison, Saint Chapelle – a gothic chapel, a flea market and a flower market as well. It is truly majestic here. You will never be able to see such beauty anywhere else. There is also a theater here with a small museum, Montmartre is the most fabulous quarter in all of Paris. Probably everybody has heard at least once about the famous Tomb Pantheon built in neo-classical style. Besides all the interesting place listed above Paris has a lot more sites in store for all those who get a chance to visit, all of which are well worth seeing.
The next equally renowned French city is Nice. This city has the largest airport and additionally Nice is the most important French city, since it is the capital of the Cote d"Azur. The city itself is located on the coast of a Bay, which has a rather heavenly name – it is called the Bay of Angels and is surrounded by the most beautiful hills. The city was founded in the 5th century and today Nice is one of the most popular tourist destination and sea resort. The city is especially attractive during winter, and many people believe that a winter vacation in Nice is something very fashionable. In a awesome city everything is awesome. And the same is true of the weather in Nice. Long stretching sand beaches, a gentle sun, warm sea waters and a delightful soft breeze are miraculous around here. What else would one need in order to rest from daily hustles and forget all problems. You need attractions? There are plenty around here. The Old City is here for you with 17th and 18th century building just about everywhere, olive groves, gardens and museums. The most popular museum are probably the museum of Marc Chagall, Matisse, d"Art Contemporain and d"Art Modern. The latter two are attributed to the modern age. In case you desire fun and entertainments then there are plenty of festivals with dances and songs every year. The most famous being the Big carnival.
The next city in our list is Cannes. This city is known for its high class hotels and luxurious villas, white sandy beaches and historical sites. Probably all of you know that the International Film Festival in Cannes, called the Cannes Lions takes place here every year. But this is not the main feature of this city. Here you will have a chance to visit the museum of Fernand Leger, the Sea museum, see the defensive constructions and buildings of the Baroque epoch. Not too far from Cannes is the Saint Margaret island, which is famous for its castle Fort Foyal. This fort used to be a prison and a museum in the same time. At one point it was the place of imprisonment of the Iron Mask, from the movie with the same title. Cannes is French refinements combined with the traditions of the Mediterranean, but also an atmosphere of charm. Cannes is the most attractive city of France.
At the very heart of France lies the tourist city Vichy, on the banks of the Allier River. This city has a virtually endless number of restaurants, parks, tennis courts; there"s also a casino here, an opera, an airport, and a horse race track. The city is famous for its thermal springs which posses healing qualities. So, if you happen to suffer from some sort of digestion related illness, or some irregularity of the musculoskeletal system or you suffer from some other metabolism related illness you should definitely visit Vichy.
At the top of French prosperity stand Bordeaux – the architectural capital of Aquitaine and Gironde. The territory of this city and its proximity is filled with vineyards. And specifically for these vineyards Bordeaux is the most famous wine making region of the world. Wines from these vineyards are of very good quality and are considered prestigious and generally taste pretty good. You will also be able to see many historical sites here: the city council, the Roganov Palace, the Goya Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the sanctuary of St. Soren, the church of Notre-Dame, St. Andrew Cathedral, Galen Palace, and the 3rd Millennium amphitheater.
Avignon is the capital of the Vaucluse department, and was once the capital of the Catholic world. The Palace of the Popes is located in this city, which is in fact a magnificent building, as well as the Saint-Benezet Pont bridge dating back to the 12th century. The most magnificent view can be witnessed near this bridge at sunset. There is a yearly festival taking place here, with music, dances, and even movies.
The largest port in France is also the second biggest French city, namely the city of Marseille. The history of this city began 600 B.C. which is why it is customary to consider Marseille the oldest city of France. By the way, Marseille is one of the leading industrial centers of France, having a great amount of attraction. There are many rocky coves around here, the pride of Marseille. It was no accident when the poet and musician Rouget de Lisle wrote the hymn that later became the national song of the French revolution. The main attraction of Marseilles is probably the street La Canebiere, which starts in the port; it was built in 1864. Here you can also visit the Notre Dame de la Garde basilica. A magnificent view of the city opens up from this street. Another interesting attraction is Centre de la Vieille Charite dating back to the 17th Century. The most popular museum is Historical Museum of Marseille. From Marseille you can take a boat ride and visit the famous Chateau d"If, which is castle from the Conte of Monte Cristo novel written by Alexander Dumas. Not too far from the La Canebiere street, going south, you can find a beautiful place called Cours Julien. Cours Julien is a big city square with a huge fountain with spring water. And if you are hungry, don"t worry, there are plenty of restaurants, cafes and shops.
