Versailles is one of the most visited sites in France, with several million visitors each year. Both tourists and locals come to the gardens to experience the serenity and beauty it offers. The gardens and the Château were inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list in 1979 and are today seen as one of the…
Versailles is much more than Château and Gardens. A film shot from a drone gives a bird’s-eye view of the organisation of the royal city as composed by Louis XIV and André Le Nôtre. From above, the ties between the town and the château become clear.
Located in the heart of the Haute-Savoie, the Plateau des Glières was an important place for the Resistance during the Second World War. It is the site of the Monument National à la Résistance des Glières, a modern work of art by Emile Gilioli symbolising Resistance and Hope.
On the banks of the Loire and midway between Orleans and Tours, the Royal City of Blois is well-placed in the very heart of the Loire valley. Seven kings and ten queens have occupied the famous chateau overlooking the city of Blois, an obvious appeal for the nobility to build their famous residences.
We visited Chambord (the castle) in the off season on a cold and rainy day. The largest crowd-occupying space was the usual queue outside the ladies toilets, a common sight at most French tourist attractions. I wondered how long the queue would be in Summer.
Château du Clos Lucé was home to Leonardo da Vinci for the last three years of his life, and it is here that he died in 1519. The current owners aim to make le Clos Lucé the top European site for the knowledge of Leonardo da Vinci and the interpretation of his work.