City of Vienna Saint-Malo is a historic French port in Brittany. Once the feared base of pirates (corsairs), heavily fortified against Norman (or English) attack, today's Saint-Malo is one of the top tourist draws in Brittany. The star of the show is the atmospheric walled city (intramuros), larg [.....]

City of Nimes Dubbed the most Roman city outside Italy, Nîmes has a rich history dating back to the Roman Empire when the city was a regional capital. Several famous monuments are in Nîmes, such as the Arena of Nîmes and the Maison Carrée. Because of this, Nîmes is often referred to as the French [.....]

City of La Rochelle La Rochelle is a city on the south west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay. With the opening of the English market following the second marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152, the presence of the Knights Templar and the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem quic [.....]

City of Dijon The surroundings is also an important wine production region, and Dijon has historically been the centre for regulatory bodies for wine production (some wine classification systems were invented here) and therefore the historical centre of Dijon forms part of the UNESCO World Herita [.....]

City of Besançon Besançon is the one of the main cities of the eastern French region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Thanks to its rich historical and cultural heritage and its unique architecture, Besançon has been labeled a "Town of Art and History" since 1986. Its fortifications, designed by Vauba [.....]

City of Arles Arles is a coastal city and commune in the South of France, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Remote, uneventful, but definitely no waste of time, Arles is absolutely steeped in Provençal culture. Unfortunately there are no Van Goghs to be found in the city, despite the fact [.....]

City of Annecy The medieval town centre built around a 14th-century chateau is dissected by small canals and streams running out of Lac Annecy, which is clean, fresh and a wonderful azure colour. Nicknamed the "Pearl of French Alps" in Raoul Blanchard's monograph describing its location between l [.....]

City of Albi Albi is probably best-known as the birthplace of the painter and illustrator, *Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. But at least equally relevant to travellers is the Cité épiscopale, an intact set of Mediaeval buildings surrounding the cathedral (*Basilica of Saint Cecilia) that was recognize [.....]

Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence is a city in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in the south of France, about 30 km (20 mi) north of Marseille. The city center is mostly pedestrian and, though it is quite small (you can cross the center in 15 minutes by foot). As in all Provencal towns, the city c [.....]

City of Lille Historically, it has also been the capital of Flanders, and later an industrial powerhouse, thanks to which it now boasts a large and handsome historic centre. The night life, thanks to the city's large student population, is cutting edge and lively. It is a diverse, dynamic, and be [.....]