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Lourdes

At the very foothills of the Pyrenees, sits Our Lady of Lourdes, one of France’s most popular destinations. Luckily for visitors, this year the town celebrates the 150^th Jubilee of the Marian apparitions.

Lourdes is the second most popular destination in France, after Paris – with a capacity for playing host to about 5000000 tourists each season. This however - year book your hotel in time, as more pilgrims than usual are expected to attend the Jubilee. Your visit will also be made even more interesting if it coincides with the visit of the Pope, who will attend the Jubilee from Saturday 13 to Monday 15 of September.

Although it is considered mainly a place of Christian pilgrimage, Lourdes has other attractions that should not be disregarded – here are just a few.

The château fort de Lourdes has a very interesting history: an official historic monument, built sometime during the Roman occupation, the castle was besieged in 778 by Charlemagne and during its tumultuous history the castle was even a royal and state prison. Today the château is the largest museum of popular arts and traditions in the Pyrenees.

If nature and its beauty are what you long for, you will not be disappointed in Lourdes. Only 15 km away you can see some of the most beautiful natural caves in the world: the Bétharram Grottoes with their five superimposed levels boasting huge limestone deposits and waterfalls.

Aix en Provence

Aix-en-Provence is known as the city of water and fountains, the city of art and the city of light and activity, and yes, it deserves all these metaphors. The city was founded in 122 BV by Sextius Calvinus, who first had to destroy the Ligurian oppidum at Entremont. Later César declared Aix a colony, and in 15 BC the thermal baths were developed using the local mineral hot springs.

Today the “Thermes Sextius” are the main tourist attraction in the city, although they are not the original Roman baths. Of course in the “city of water and fountains” you can expect to see many fountains, some of them of exquisite beauty. The oldest of these is the Espéluque fountain, built in the 15^th century. On the Cours Mirabeau you’ll also find other beautiful fountains, including Moussue – the very fountain from which flow the hot waters of the Bagniers.

In mid-September Aix hosts the fête Mistralienne, which celebrates the modernity and universality of Frédéric Mistral‘s work. Don’t be deceived however into believing that a fiesta dedicated to a local poet only attracts local enthusiasts. On the 13^th of September each year tourists from all over the world gather in the Parc Jourdan to experience a real taste of Provencal cuisine and the richness of culture resident at Aix.

Marseille

Marseille is France’s second largest city and France’s largest commercial port. Its history originates from the dawn of time: the Paleolithic cave paintings in its underwater caves are the relics of the first inhabitants of the area. This is the oldest city in France, and naturally the traveler will encounter traces of old civilizations everywhere. Over 26 centuries of history and tradition define this amazing city!

Despite its numerous attractions, Marseille was not a popular destination before the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Now the city offers a new face to the world, a mixture of old and new from historic monuments to breathtaking new architectural edifices. Vieux Port is one of the main attractions of the city, along with the Canebière, the Quartier du Panier, the fifth century Abbaye de Saint Victor and a multitude of museums, including Musée de la Mode (The Fashion Museum) and Musée de Beaux Arts, all accentuating a deeply rich visitor experience.

There’s something special for ever member of a family in this city: history, tradition, exquisite cuisine, fishing and water sports, natural attractions and even a rich nightlife. This is the city that never sleeps, with festivals all year around: a Carnival, a Garlic fair and even a Kite-flying fair! For centuries Marseille was known for its soaps made of pure olive oil, alkali from sea plants and sea water – these soaps are still famous all over the world.

Toulouse

The “Pink City” is France’s fifth-largest metropolitan areas and one of the fastest growing in Europe.

The city’s main attraction is La Cité de l’espace (The City of Space) situated in Parc de la Plaine. The park has a large number of facilities for children, over 250 interactive exhibitions that will help the young learn more about space and the stars, life-size spacecrafts, including an exact replica of the Russian space station Mir, a 53 meter high rocket (Ariane 5), a Planetarium with 360° circular screen and an astronomic simulator and much more. The placement of La Cité de l’espace in Toulouse is not accidental: the city hosts the largest space center in Europe and Europe’s largest satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space is also located here.

In September lovers of the visual arts will find Toulouse a perfect destination: Le Printemps de Septembre. This is a free festival dedicated to the visual arts that takes place between 26 September and 19 October. The festival can be enjoyed day and night, as Toulouse is one of the French metropolises that never sleep. The city lights are some of the most beautiful in France too – the latest lighting technology enhances the night-time face of Toulouse, transforming it into a veritable “city of light.”

Bordeaux

The city of wine, Bordeaux’s center is also the largest urban entity listed by UNESCO in the World Heritage List as an “outstanding urban and architectural ensemble.” This 18^th century architectural patrimony covers half of the city, from the outer boulevards to the banks of the river Garonne. There are over 350 historic monuments to quench your thirst for history and culture and the thirst of wine… well, that’s something else…

Daily wine tours from Bordeaux attract large numbers of tourists and enthusiasts each year. One of the most important events is the free wine exhibition “Wine Keys”, which takes place between 28^th June and 31^st August – book your stay to enjoy the real flavors of the oldest wine producing region in the world! Your time is worth spending: you’ll even get the chance to attend free wine tasting courses and guided tours of wine chateaux in the main Bordeaux appellations. The choice is extreme: over 57 appellations that produce over 800 million bottles of wine each year!

The scenery in Bordeaux and its surrounding countryside is spectacular: the nearby forest opens into vineyards that host about 4000 châteaux! A detour through Périgord will reward you with outstanding prehistoric sites like the Grottes de Lascaux and hair-raising stories like that of the man-eating wolves of Périgord.

Last, but not least, only a one hour drive from Bordeaux - the Atlantic Ocean awaits with its white sands and Pyla, the highest sand dune in Europe.

As you can see, even a short list of French destinations conveys the sense of the place. France is a place steeped in history and tradition, where the old is seamlessly blended with the modern – always leaving the visitor enthralled.