La Rochelle was a fishing village established in the tenth century on a rocky plateau in the middle of swamps. It became the most important port from the beginning of the twelfth century. Power of La Rochelle for many long years was based on salt and wine trading. Its independence allowed La Rochelle to absorb new ideas of reformations naturally. In the beginning of the seventeenth century the city falls into decay after devastating hunger and a siege of Louis XIII, its trade economy was destroyed, strong fort walls were destroyed too. Only in the eighteenth century it finds its former glory of the centre of sea commerce, architecture and an intellectual life again.
Part of a rich historical heritage of a city are medieval houses the architecture, rich stone facades with sculptural carving XVI-XVII of centuries, strict and noble private residences of ship-owners of the eighteenth century.
To understand that La Rochelle is a truly sea city, is enough to walk on quays. In La Rochelle four ports: Old port and its medieval towers protecting once sea trade; the deep-water trading port constructed in the end of the last century: tourist port of Minim, the biggest at the Atlantic coast with three thousand walking yachts and the fishing port equipped with the advanced technologies.
Among numerous museums of a city are most remarkable: an aquarium with thousand versions of representatives of sea fauna of the world, “Neptune” a sea museum open-air with a rich collection of the ships which can be examined during entertaining walk. The Tower-beacon, or “the Tower of 4 sergeants” in height 70 m which during all existence served as a beacon and prison.
Nice is the 5th of the largest French cities located in southern France on the Mediterranean coast. It is really situated between Marseille and Genoa. Nice is well-known as a center of the famous Côte d’Azur. Its population is about 1200 000 people.
Nice is very old: it was founded around 350 BC by the Greeks from Massilia, now ? Marseille. The city has a rich history. First, it was a large Ligurian trading port compared with the Roman Cemenelum. By the way, the ruins of Cemenelum you can see in Cimiez, one of the Nice districts. Then in the seventh century the city became a part of the Genoese League and successfully fought with Saracens. Nevertheless, in the eighth century Saracens pillaged and burned the city and ruled it till the tenth century. Nice played a large role in the Italian and Savoy history during the Middle Ages, then in the wars between Francis I and Charles V. Nice suffered very hard in 1543 from the united forces of Francis I Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha. After 1600 Nice was under duke of Guise, then became a part of France, again belonged to Savoy? Louis XIV ruled it from 1691 till 1731, Napoleon I ? from 1792 till 1814. After 1814 it became the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont, and again became a part of F rance after 1860 (Napoleon III). Nice is a native city of Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Nice became a famous resort after Napoleon wars because of its clement climate and warm winters. The Russian empress dowager Alexandra Feodorovna came here in 1856, and soon a large Russian colony (about 400 Families) was in Nice. The beautiful Saint Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral was finished in 1912.
Formula One started in Nice in 1932 (to be exact, Formula Libre that later transformed to Formula One).
Places of interest:
- Monument Aux Morts
- Promenade des Anglais
- Hotel Negresco
- Saint Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral
- Place Masséna
- Place du Palais
- The port
- Cours Saleya
- The botanical garden: Jardin botanique de la Ville de Nice
Antibes is inseparable from the name of Pablo Picasso who said that Antibes was a town that knew “joie de vivre” (”joy of life”). Indeed, this resort town of Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France, on Cote d?Azur on the Mediterian Sea, is full of life and quiet, fashionable and democratic at the same time.
Anyway, its marvelous beaches surpass all expectations and are better than ones in Cannes and Nice. By the way, Antibes is situated between Cannes and Nice (20 km from Nice, 12 km from Cannes, 48 km from Italy). It is separated from Nice by bay, therefore, Greeks, its founders, called it Antipolis (Antibes) in 43 BC.
Population of Antibes is about 80000 people.
The best beaches are located in Juan-les-Pins, other resort near Antibes, which is actually its part now, and their names are integrated together in Antibes Juan-les-Pins.
Antibes is a well-known port. Nature itself protected the town from the sea. Therefore, Antibes always was very attractive town to a lot of countries: first ? Greece, then (during 500 years) ?Roman Empire, Goths, West-Goths, the Grimaldi kings, and finally ? France (since Louis XI, the king of France).
Now a lot of beautiful luxury yachts and local fishing boats are tied up at this harbour and among them two or three large yachts owned by Abramovich, Russian multi-millionaire and the owner of the “Chelsi” soccer club. Port Vauban is the largest yachting harbour in Europe with more than 2,000 moorings, Port Galice - 542 moorings, Port de la Salis -233 moorings, Port du Crouton - 390 moorings.
Wealthy people from around Europe live in Antibes or visit this resort. There are a lot of fashionable villas around Antibes.
The old Grimaldi castle (XIII century) was bought by the local municipality in 1926 and then became an art museum. Pablo Picasso visited Antibes in 1946, lived there for 6 months, and was invited to live and work in the castle of Antibes. He presented all his works made in the castle to the museum.
You can walk along old beautiful streets in the centre of Antibes, visit the Picasso museum, famous hotel “Du Cap Eden-Roc”, “Fort de Carre”, and see the Alps in the distance.
Other places of interest:
-Â Archaeology Museum in the old Bastion St Andre, a 17th century fortress
-Â Museum of Napoleon in a 17th century stone fort and tower
-Â ”La Tour Museum” in the centre of town
-Â The Exflora Park a five hectare garden open to the public
-Â The Eilenroc Gardens
-Â Thuret Park
-Â Church of the Immaculate Conception (first built in the 11th century, reconstructed in 18th century, the Baroque altarpiece)
- Villa “Hôtel du Cap-Eden Roc”?
To get to Antibes you can from the Nice airport and then by train.
Marseilles is firstly associated with Monte Cristo.
All events discribed by Alexander Duma in his famous novel happened in Marseilles or in the fearful If Castle (Chateau d’If).
In spite of that terrible drama, You feels free and happy in this white, cozy, and light city, where everything is like from fairy tale: see, sky,
wind, hills, broad sea front.
Marseilles is actually a very nice and enchanting city of southern France.
Marseilles is the second-largest city of France, but a chief seaport of France and of the Mediterranean.
Its population is about 900000 (to be exact, 820900 in accordance with the population census of 2005), area - 240,62 square kilometers.
Among that, Marseilles forms the third-largest metropolitan area, after those of Paris and Lyon with a population estimated as about 1,6010,000
people.
Ii is situated in 219 m. S. by E. of Lyons and 534 m. S.S.E. of Paris, by the Paris-Lyon-Mediterranee railway, and is also connected by railway with Cannes, Nice, Monte Carlo.
Marseilles is maybe not such pompous as Monte Carlo, but it is more natural and hearty.
Marseilles is a very old city: it was founded in 600 B.C. by Greeks from Asia Minor. At that time, its name was Massilia.
Sea can be seen almost from every point, because Marseilles is situated on the Golfe du Lion on the eastern shore of a bay with Cape Croisette to the south and open sea to the west. The bay is surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills, and Marseilles actually lies on this amphitheatre, which makes this city especially picturesque.
In summer the temperature is always a little lower than in the centre of the town because of mistral.
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Places of interest:
- the famous old see port and the harbour
- the church of Notre-Dame de la Garde
- the fort
- the famous Rue Cannebiere
- the Rue Noailles
- the Rue Paradis
- the Prado avenues
- the Borely Park
- the Rhone valley
- the Boulevard de la Madeleine
There are more than 60 hotels in Marseilles and a lot of comfortable cafes.
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Since the middle of the XIX century Cannes are considered as a winter resort. At the same time the most prestigious hotel trademarks like Carlton, Majestic, Martinez started to build their luxurious apartments in Cannes. Today Cannes is not only very famous resort but it is also a capital of a world cinema, with the most prestigious festival.
But besides of those ‘dream’ hotels, Cannes have also a number of classic and affordable hotels with a good service and quality.
There are more then hundred different hotels in Cannes with more then 10 000 rooms, 3000 seasonal accommodations and more than 2500 apartments in touristic places.
Cannes is also very famous with its restaurants. There are more then twenty restaurants with a very high star rating from the most prestigious journals. These restaurants are located on quays, on small streets of the Old City. Many cosy restaurants will offer you a menu with the cuisine of Provence. You will also be offered an international cuisine in more than 300 restaurants.
Paris is the capital of France. This is the most beautiful city in the world. It has a lot of different faces. It is a paradise for enamoured, it is fashion capital of the world, it is active, modern and developing city - the mirror of France… All this is Paris. And not only this, but it is much more!
How to define Paris in a few words? It is simply impossible! How to describe all its attractiveness and do not seem pretentious? How to be kept from excessive excitement? It is impossible to name all its unique historical places (Tour d’Eiffel, the Arch d’Triumph, the Pantheon etc.), its charming areas (Montmartre, Mare, Sen Zermen etc.), typical French cafes and restaurants where people can find kitchens of any country in the world, its famous museums (Louvre, museum of Orse, Pompidou’s centre, Institute of the Arabian world etc.) and museums not well-known to general public (museum of advertising, fashion museum etc.), its cultural and bright atmosphere… Several pages will not be able to describe everything. Each peace of Paris is like a creation of a magician, consisting of a set of imperceptible elements where all visitors can find their place and enjoy this unique environment.
Paris is a chain of feelings. A sunset show over the bridge of the Arts, which can be seen from the area in front of Louvre, white wine on a rack in a bistro of 18 districts, sounds of saxophone, reaching you late at night from jazz club of Latin district. You will feel all of this here. Paris lives its own life, and those who come here, constantly enrich it, introducing something new in this unusual atmosphere. Paris is waiting for you to become Your Paris and for you to become a part of it.
It is so pleasant to wander on quays and sit on numerous benches, placed on them. From there you can open famous places of interests in Paris from a new point of view.
You can also open Paris from the bird’s eye height. You can see Paris from Tour d’Eiffel, towers of Montparnasse, Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris and the Arc de Triomphe. Panoramic views and joy of excitement are guaranteed! Do you feel to giddiness? Go down under the earth. Visit the biggest in Europe an archaeological crypt on a church-porch of Notre Dame de Paris , track water drain history in 1500 metre gallery of a museum of water drains of Paris or visit a museum of Catacombs.
If underground jorney does not inspire you then you can take a boat trip on river Siene and different channels, you can also join a guided tour to walk around ancient arias of Paris, visit cultural and historical places, take a city bus tour, or you can take a ride on a bicycle or even on roller blades. In Paris you have really many choices for all different tastes!
France Destinations