Valence, a scenic and older city, lies pretty much South on the Eastern part of France. With its 65,000 inhabitants, it’s close to Switzerland and Italy (close enough for day trips) and it is in the crossroads of the North-South and West-East traffic. It was, once upon a time, a major colony for Rome (121 […]

Biarritz, in the South of France along the Atlantic ocean, is a very special place to visit. It has been special for over a century and half, as you can see from the who-is-who of celebrities that have and still do visit. Biarritz is part of the Basque country, so much of its culture is […]

If ever there was a castle that merits a detour to view, it’s this one. The Suscinio castle is a fortress, including a real moat, built for the Duke of Brittany in the 13th century.   The castle was built as a hunting lodge for the Duke who was a passionate hunter. The castle, including […]

In the beach town of Concarneau, alongside the city centre and harbors, you will find this amazing fortress. It was voted as the favorite place in Brittany by the Bretons. On the outskirts of Concarneau are several spas and thalasso hotels, but if you keep driving away from these hotels alongside the coastline, you’ll head […]

Etretat on its own is a place to visit in Upper Normandy. It’s well viewed by the French, and in the summer, even in the spring, you’ll have problems finding parking spaces, that’s how busy it gets. A beautiful, old and very scenic coastal village with several very old buildings, narrow streets, a beach and […]

In a small 800 person village close to Lisieux is a castle that looks like a fairytale castle, the kind kids would draw. The village is called Saint-Germain-de -Livet, and the castle dates back to the 15th century.   The castle was donated to the city of Lisieux in 1957. It is now a museum and a landscaped […]

Pont L’Eveque in the Calvados region of Normandy is mostly know for two things; its epic 2-3 day battle just after D-Day in WWII and its cheese. But both things are no longer there; the WWII battle is over and done and the Pont L’Eveque cheese is no longer made here. But nevertheless, the village […]

Montbard is a small city of some 5500 inhabitants, a river and a big canal flowing through it and an incredible abbey close-by. It also has a castle perched high on the hill overlooking the city.   The small city is dominated by a big hill, and on top of the hill, perched as high […]

The city of Montbard is bigger than what you might think at first glance, but it’s not a big tourist-worthy city. Montbard is a sleeping city, a one-horse town. But it’s still worth a half-day walk-through since it is quite photogenic.   Montbard has a population of 5,500 people and has as most famous person, […]

Lannion in Brittany is one of those places that you can take or leave. When you walk around the city, you do see some nice things but there is something missing. It’s probably what the French call “je ne sais quoi“, a soul to the place. The city is well kept and clean, and the […]

The castle located close to the city of Lannion in Brittany, the Chateau de Kerduel, is in the Pleumeur-Bodou area.   The oldest part of the castle was built in the 12th century. Legend has it that King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table stayed here. In fact, the name of the castle, Kerduel, […]

If the Fort-La-Latte castle looks familiar, it is. This fortress has been used in many historical movies (like The Vikings with Kirk Douglas).   The Fort was built to protect the Brittany (Bretagne) coastline, including St. Malo and Dinard. The fortress is located on a peninsula and therefore the only access to the fort is […]

Hidden away from most big roads in a little village in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region, perched high up a rock is the Chateau de Peufeilhoux.   The construction of the Chateau de Peufeilhoux started towards the end of the 15th century with bits added over the centuries that followed. The Chateau de Peufeilhoux is now a hotel […]

In the village of Villequier, up on the hills overlooking the Seine river valley in Normandy are several castles and manors. One of them, the biggest, is the Chateau de Villequier.   The Chateau de Villequier was built in 1784 and was sold several times over during its lifespan (including to an American woman). The […]

This absolutely beautiful castle is located close to many of the other more famous castles in the Loire valley. It is now a luxury, but affordable, hotel often used for weddings a winery. One of its biggest claims to fame is that the castle once belonged to the Marquis la Fayette, the man who went […]

One of two active castles in the town of Cany-Barville (a rich traders village in Upper Normandy), the Louis XIII style castle of Cany is magnificent.   The main building has 1300 square metres (14,000 square feet) of living space divided over 4 floors. Currently owned by a Count, the castle has a moat (but not for […]

We’ve already shown you the wonderful Basilica, but there are many more churches in Lyon. The Lyon dioceses is one of the oldest in France, so it’s no surprise to see many churches, a cathedral, convents and many chapels. Anywhere you go in Lyon, you’ll stumble upon a church, some of them ruins with no information. […]

The hotel and restaurant “Le Manoir de Retival” is a very special place. First of all, it is located on the hillside between Caudebec-en-Caux and the Pont de Bretonne.   The restaurant is in an old style Manor, the Manoir de Retival and it even has an adjacent chapel. They also have a few rooms […]