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The Route des Vins in Rhône-Alpes
In the Rhône-Alpes there are several “Routes des Vins” winding their way through the different wine areas. Côtes du Rhône, Beaujolais and Savoie wines all have their own itinerary or circuit which will take you through pretty villages, each with their own cellars renowned for a certain vintage. |
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Short Breaks in Champagne
The Champagne Trail trail runs from one Champagne bastion to another, from Reims to Epernay, covering 70 km of Champagne's villages and the vineyards in-between. There is no better place to learn about the golden nectar. |
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Ice-Driving in Rhoné-Alpes
A unique experience awaits you in the region of Rhoné-Alpes. Driving is taken to the extreme with ice circuits carved out of glaciers for you to drive on. Alpe d'Huez is the place to be if you want the challenge of controlling a Porsche on ice. |
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Natural Skating Rinks in Franche-Comté
The regions large lakes become remarkable skating rinks in winter. The principal sites are the lake Saint-Point in Doubs, the lake of Russet-red or that of Combe.
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Devil Kart in Franche-Comté
For those who love nothing more than speeding around a track in a go-kart or for those who have always wanted to give it a go, Franche-Comté has a treat for you.
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Cross Country Skiing in Rhône-Alpes
The region’s range of winter sports is further complemented by other resorts in the south of the Jura, the Vercors, the Chartreuse, the Monts du Forez, the Drôme, the Isère and the Ain, which are more adapted to activities such as cross-country skiing and snow-shoes. |
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Rhône-Alpes – The Largest Ski Area in the World
The Rhone Alpes, with its 180 ski resorts and 18 linked ski areas, boasts the largest ski area in the world. Every winter millions of holidaymakers are drawn to its slopes, and in the summer its mountains become a magnet for enthusiasts of sports such as mountain climbing, rock climbing, glacier hiking and paragliding. |
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Short Breaks in Midi-Pyrénées
Toulouse is France's fourth largest town and the capital of the Midi-Pyrénées, or "pink city" as it is also called It boasts an incredible architectural wealth which bears witness to its long history. During the Renaissance period, Toulouse made its fortune thanks to the woad trade in particular.
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Bobsleigh Run in Rhoné-Alpes
One of the most trilling and unique experiences in France awaits you in Rhoné-Alpes. Known as the most technical piste in the world, the run is really frightening as you reach speeds of 90km/h to over 100km/h. This isn’t just for adults as families can go in four-man bobsleighs. |
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Cycling in Auvergne
The Volcanic nature of Auvergne has shaped the region in a way that seems perfect for cyclists. Nature parks with remarkable scenic views like the Livradois-Forez park are perfect for a family cycling trip. Cyclists, from the most experienced of riders and downhillers to the family outing, will find that Auvergne has endless options. |
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Lake Bourget and Annecy in Rhône-Alpes
Lake Bourget
Considered the largest natural lake in France, it shelters around fifty species of fish. During the summer, Lake Bourget is held in great regard for sailing, water skiing and diving, since the temperature of the water is between 20 and 25oC. |
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Horse Riding Auvergne
Auvergne is a great region for horses and riding and is a wonderful destination for riding holidays. The layout of the fields, the patterns of crops and woodlands, the layout of the towns and villages and the unique building structures create the perfect horse riding experience. |
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Breaks on the Lakes in Rhône-Alpes
There are around one hundred lakes and ponds scattered across the Rhône Alpes, in particular in the Dauphiné, Haute Savoie, Savoie and Ain départements. There are so many cool and fresh havens in the heat of the summer including Lakes Geneva, Bourget and Annecy. These are three of the biggest lakes in France. |
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Lake Aiguebelette in Rhône-Alpes
Lake Aiguebelette, nestling at the gateway to the Chartreuse nature park, the 3rd largest natural lake in France by size, is a private lake that belongs to the Chambost family and EDF (French Utility Company). |
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Reach the Top in Paris / Ile de France
Climb
Whether it is up the famous cliffs at Fontainebleau or the artificial climbing walls in Paris and its surrounding area, defy the laws of gravity and experience the joys of climbing. |
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Things to Do in Paris / Ile de France
Whether it is on a terrace beneath sweet summer skies, at flashy venues, operas, theatres, concerts or the latest discos, Parisian nights are always synonymous with celebrations and gatherings. All you have to do is let your desires lead the way. |
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Short Breaks in Normandy
Alençon
Situated on the crossroads between the routes from Brittany to Paris and from Belgium to the Loire Valley, Alençon is an ideal stopover point for visitors travelling further afield, yet also offers much worth spending time to visit. |
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Health and Wellbeing in Poitou-Charentes
Poitou-Charentes has a splendid oceanic side rich in options to relieve and rest you. It offers through natural means thalassotherapy, using the natural springs and sea water materials to create a system to increase well-being. |
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Le Labyrinthe - Gueret
This giant maze (the largest in the world) covers two hectares and borders a 3000 hectare forest. There are 14 questions in the maze which, if answered correctly, enable you to exit more easily. There are also picnic areas in the park and giant games, including a giant chess board with pieces. |
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Water, Water, Everywhere in Limousin
In this land of tranquil lakes and fast-flowing rivers, water sports and activities are ever-popular, providing fun and adventure for all the family. Sailing and water-skiing, rowing and waterslides can be found at many of Limousin’s lakes. |
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Paintball in Franche-Comté
A flag of true importance! Paintball is a painfully great experience at the best of times but given this location it just gets better. Bookings are essential but well worth it. Take a stroll in a forest full of people with paintball guns, safe in the knowledge that you’re locked and loaded.
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Fishing in Poitou-Charentes
Poitou-Charentes is well known in the fishing world. Pescalis nature and fishing centre is considered the number one fishing centre in Europe. Experienced and beginner fisher men and women are welcomed to join in. Adding to this are all the other places to fish in this water filled region. |
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Boating in Loire (Western)
Boating: an Unforgettable Holiday
Hire a boat for the family, as a couple or between friends, and wander over 375 km of navigable waterways. No need for a licence to drive these boats, which have all the home comforts: spacious cabins, bathrooms with WC and shower, fitted corner kitchen, and a sundeck to make the most of both sunshine and countryside. |
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Family Activities in Corsica
Corsica is an island dedicated to sports. Having been French for only 200 years it is culturally different and has a unique, festive feel to it. |
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Boating Hire in Brittany
Hire companies offer routes departing from Dinan, Hédé, Messac, Redon, Rohan, Pontivy, La Roche-Bernard and Sucé-sur-Erdre. No licence is required to pilot these boats on the Breton canals. |
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Discovery Walks
Leaving the towns, there are 343,000 hectares of forests! Through the forests of Chantilly, Compiègne, Retz, Saint-Gobain, Halatte, Crécy or Ermenonville, with a walkers' map, the official hiking trails are obvious, leading to royal boundary markers, a mysterious cross, menhir or a spinning stone are just some of the legends that please children. |
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Boat Trips in Alsace
Enjoy the Waterways
The boat journey between Mulhouse and Strasbourg is a truly outstanding experience. The total journey covers some 120 km, enabling you to visit the region's three main towns: Mulhouse, Colmar and Strasbourg. |
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A Water Paradise in Rhône-Alpes
A cultural cruise in Lyon, a city classed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Discover Lyon and the famous history of the Capital of Gaul by water. There are many options for walks and day cruises, as well as provision for groups and school outings. |
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Golf in Corsica
Corsica may not have many golf courses at its disposal but the Sperone golf course is rated as one of the best in France. The scenery is stunning and the island’s landscape insures that the courses will be challenging. You will have to avoid the many water obstacles and sand dunes if you hope to do well here. |
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Outside of Paris
Outside of Paris it is worth touring the Ile-de-France, a region of 11 million inhabitants outside of the "périphérique" or Paris ring road. Here you will find a more relaxed pace of life and a friendly welcome. |
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The Order of the Day
Several of Lorraine’s spa towns put the accent fairly and squarely on fitness but also attract visitors for their architecture. One such is Plombières-les-Bains, the “town of a thousand balconies”. |
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A Boat Trip on a Traditional “Gabarre”
These large traditional craft, synonymous with the history of the Dordogne over the centuries, once transported leather from the tanneries in Bort-les-Orgues, wood from the Corrèze, as well as other agricultural products, downstream as far as Bordeaux. |
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The Loire Valley Vineyards
Loire Valley produces an excellent range of red, rosé and white wines, as well as sparkling and sweet wines. Connected by a majestic river, the vineyards stretch from Sancerre to the Touraine. |
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Pornic
This pretty fishing port is built on rock, and has everything going for it: beaches and creeks, quays and boats, a castle, little narrow streets criss-crossed by flights of steps and an indoor market. It's full of life and activity both day and night. |
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Languedoc-Rousillon’s Fishing Villages
Looking for authenticity? You’ll find it in the fishing ports. You can buy fresh fish, shellfish and seafood right off the boat in Grau-du-Roi, Palavas, Sète or Collioure. |
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Golf in Poitou-Charentes
The delightful sound as the club hits the white green-tinted ball that flies away surrounded by amazing scenery awaits you. No doubt about it, you are on one of the numerous greens of Poitou-Charentes: Royan, Angoulême, Niort and Poitiers. |
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Water Sports and Fishing in Normandy
Whether it’s sailing, canoe-kayaking, kite surfing or wind surfing, Normandy has excellent facilities around the coast and inland. For those on holiday who want to take out a boat just for a few hours, there are plenty of sailing centres which hire out equipment. |
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The Perche
Only an hour from Paris, the charming Perche region is the perfect place for botanists and mushroom seekers with over 1,100 species of vascular plants. There are also extensive forests crossed by the GR 35, a marked hikers trail. |
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Boating in Languedoc-Roussillon
This region is lush with boating opportunities. With its 27 marinas and 30,000 moorings, Languedoc-Roussillon makes very good use of its Mediterranean location. |
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Short Breaks in Nord-Pas de Calais
Enticing sandy beaches run for an astonishing 120 kilometres from Dunkerque to Berck-sur-Mer, lined with dunes and majestic cliffs. On the most glorious headlands, Les Deux Caps, in the national regional park of outstanding natural beauty, hikers are excellently catered for. |
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Les Sables-d'Olonne
Les Sables-d'Olonne: The world tour starts here
This is the most famous of Vendée's beaches. Home of the mythical high seas race, the Vendée Globe – Les Sables-d'Olonne marina is also home to over a thousand vessels. |
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Park Activities
Each time you visit you will see a different Picardy depending on the time, light and season. Each place is different and extraordinary, just like each encounter. Picardy’s theme parks will thrill you with shows and rides for the whole family. |
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Wine Tours
Bourges is an ideal point of departure to explore the vineyards. The medieval town of Sancerre, with its stone tower, perched atop its ancient flint hill and cloaked all around with vineyards, will really impress you. |
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Regional Natural Parks in Normandy
With four Regional Natural Parks to choose from in Normandy, you will be spoilt for choice, space and scenery. Natural environments are protected and preserved in these splendid parks, with fabulous views of forests, valleys or maritime wetlands with extensive wildlife. |
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The Caves of Lascaux Aquitaine
The caves of Lascaux were discovered by a group of teenagers out walking their dog in 1940. They are one the world's finest examples of prehistoric cave dwellings and their walls are adorned with colourful artworks painted by early man. |
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The Valgenceuse Chateau Park
The park of Valgenceuse chateau, in Senlis, a few kilometres from Paris, is a haven of peace and tranquillity where it is a pleasure to stroll around in the footsteps of the greats. |
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Water Sports in Loire (Western)
A Whole Range of Sports
All of your nautical desires can be satisfied on our coast: Sea-Kayaking near the rocky creeks of Piriac and Pornic, wave skiing at Sables-d'Olonne, kite surfing at La Baule, diving off the Île d'Yeu, waterskiing at Noirmoutier, jet skiing at Pornichet. With such a wide choice, there's no excuse for inactivity. |
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Tours, Reflecting an Art de Vivre
Tours is the ultimate “hop across the channel” city break with a short flight from London Stansted. As a former Gallo-Roman city, you can still see small vestiges. |
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Cruises in Rhône-Alpes
A Cajun-Themed Cruise around La Sône on the Isère River For an original journey, chose a cruise around La Sône, on board a magnificent Mississipi-style paddle-boat, departing from Saint Nazaire en Royans. On the calm waters of the Isère and in a verdant setting, nature meets history here. Marshes and reed beds are the link between the earth and the water. |
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Hydrotherapy in Auvergne
Auvergne is the most important region for hydrotherapy treatment in France. Every year its 10 resorts welcome nearly 70,000 curists making Auvergne a major European health centre. The spa centres of Vichy, Le Mont-Dore, Saint-Nectaire, Châteauneuf-les-Bains, Châtel-Guyon, La Bourboule, Royat-Chamalières, Chaudes-Aigues, Néris-les-Bains and Bourbon-l’Archambault, together make up a unique group. |
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Saines Saveurs Bourgogne, Naturally Good
In November 2005, Burgundy made an innovative move by launching 'Saines Saveurs, Naturally good in Burgundy'. This new label is a commitment from Burgundy's catering professionals to provide healthy natural foods wherever possible. |
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Water Sports in Burgundy
With 1200km of rivers and 20,000 hectares of lakes, Burgundy has a lot to offer the watersports enthusiast. The region is ideally suited for those who enjoy sailing, fishing, canoeing or kayaking. |
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Cave Paintings in Rhône-Alpes
With 13 painted caves, the Ardèche gorges are the most visited in France. Inside you can admire engraved or painted masterpieces together with various tools. For a better understanding of this exceptional legacy it is worth paying a visit to the Musée Régional de Préhistoire, close to the Aven d’Orgnac. |
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Nature and Leisure Pursuits in Burgundy
Burgundy's green spaces are ideal for a range of leisure pursuits and getting close to nature. The beautiful landscape is ideally suited for hiking, horse riding, golf cycling and even hot air balooning for those looking for a bit of adventure. |
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Not to be missed in Burgundy
There are sites to behold all over Burgundy including three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, five villages listed as the 'prettiest villages of France' and a unique medieval building site. |
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Burgundy Gastronomy
Burgundy is one of the leading gastronomic regions in the world so why not build your holiday in Burgundy around the local food. |
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Wines and Vineyards in Burgundy
You can't think about Burgundy without thinking about its famous wines. Today the vineyards of Burgundy cover an area of some 27,000 hectares divided into 5 main growing areas. |
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Dune du Pyla Aquitaine
The natural phenomenan that is the Dune du Pyla or 'Dune du Pilat' is the largest natural sand dune in the world and sits 60km from Bordeaux in the South of the Arcachon Bay. |
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Bordeux Aquitaine
Bordeux is famous for it's wine production but that's no the only business to have left it's mark on the city. Nicknamed the 'Port de la Lune' (Port of the Moon) due to the enormous curve of the river in the city centre the port of Bordeux has always been very active. |
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Nature Watch in Brittany
Brittany is famous for its coastal marshes. The marshes are formed in depressions, behind a coastal belt of sand or stones, or a manmade dyke. The degree of salinity of the water varies depending on infiltration of the sea and affects the vegetation and the fauna. |
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Climbing in Provence/Cote D'azur
Climbers can devote themselves to their favourite pastime in total safety at several sites with full amenities. They come from all over the world to conquer the steep walls. The ones in Verdon, for example, have no fewer than 933 routes. |
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Flying High in Provence/Cote D'Azur
Make your debut in the air, discover the sensations of flying, learn to master piloting techniques, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur pulls out all the stops for everyone to share in the experience of flying. |
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Caves in Franche-Comté
Journey to the Centre of the Earth 4,500 caves or chasms, which in this region often go by the name of 'baumes' or 'puits' are known to sports lovers, such as the Verneau caves in the Lison valley, for example are considered to form the world's longest post-siphon network (28,000 m). |
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See Alsace from the Air
Discover the Alsatian plain at first hand, get a bird's eye view of the Vosges Forest or glide across the vineyards... There are many excellent reasons to discover Alsace from the air.
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