This is a long tradition to relate the taste and aroma of wine to the place where the grapes were grown and where it was produced. Actually, even within the same wine region such important natural factors as, for example, soil and climate can vary considerably.

It is significant that exactly the French introduced the world the concept of “terroir”, uniting all the conditions having an influence on the quality of grapes and, of course, the wine. Also French gave the majority of other wine terms.

Coteaux Bourguignons will replace in the French wine list of AOC (Appelation d’Origine Contrôlée) Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire. This decision has already been approved by the appropriate organization – the National Institute for origin and quality of goods (Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité).

The new wine region stretches from Auxerois to Beaujolais, and the name «Coteaux Bourguignons», according French winemakers, reflects characteristics of the area where “the wines with quality-price ratio are produced”.

“This new appellation will allow local wineries to correspond with expectations of new consumers category, exploring the universe of Burgundy wines” – the president of the Bureau of professional winemakers of Burgundy (Bureau Interprofessional des Vins de Bourgogne, BIVB) Pierre-Henri Gagey spoke on appearance of Coteaux Bourguignons poetically.

This new appellation will produce monocepage (made from one grape variety) and blended (mixed) white, red and rose wines. Already familiar to lovers of Burgundy wines varieties of grapes Pinot Noir, Gamay, Chardonnay, Aligote, Tresso and Cesar will be used for them.

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Entertaining complex, conceived in honor of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, will locate in a very symbolic place – in the town of Montereau near Paris. Exactly here Napoleon won a symbolic victory over Russian and Austrian armies in the distant 1814.

The author of an idea of this new park is the former French Minister for Overseas Territories and a great lover of history – Yves Jego. According Mr. Jego, Napoleonland «will be perfect for a family recreation”.

Program of the new French amusement park, of course, will be composed of various “military” performances.

One of the shows, which is sure to become a highlight of Napoleonland, – reconstruction of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 – the decisive naval battle of the Napoleonic wars times, when Admiral Nelson had defeated the Franco-Spanish navy.

Also the creators of the park will recreate the events of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Napoleon’s defeat in this battle led to the collapse of his Empire.

Construction of the park will begin in 2014, the cost of the project is 180 million euros. And if the works to be on schedule Napoleonland will open its doors to the first visitors in 2017.

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Cognac – a small town in the department of Charente on the banks of the river Charente with a population of about twenty thousand people. But local cognac manufacturers give the job more than forty thousand – from the grape pickers to coopers and tasters.

During the Great Roman Empire the town was called Conniacum, which only centuries later it got its present name Cognac.

Today Cognac attracts thousands of tourists as from France as from around the world. And this applies not only to fans of the famous drink, but also to people who just come here to enjoy the local attractions. But in any case, whatever we say, the town is associated with the popular alcoholic drink, what had won the world many centuries ago.

Finding yourself in this pleasant town with old houses made of stone, covered with a black patina, which is called “angel’s share”, you will feel the presence of cognac virtually everywhere. There is a feeling that the smell of the drink is just hanging in the air.

It is logical that the town has a lot of cognac shops and museums. Here you can buy drinks of such famous brands as Martell, Remy Martin, Hennessy, Chateau de Montifaud and others. Cognac Houses offer guests unforgettable cellars and vineyards excursions.

Cognac has a large number of souvenir shops where you can buy gifts for your friends and relatives. Walk along Charente on river buses will give an excellent impression.

The local restaurants have the unique flavour. Visiting any of them, be sure to order a delicious local dish – cheese plateau, which will offer a great variety of cheese from cow’s and goat’s milk (naturally, with the addition of cognac). This is not surprising, because cognac is one of the main ingredients of the local cuisine. Despite the fact that Cognac is not on the coast, seafood is very popular here.

However, not only cognac can attract travelers to the town. Cognac is known for its attractive architecture – ancient buildings, palaces. The Central square of the town was even mentioned in the novels of the great French writer Alexandre Dumas. The town has beautiful, very original and well-groomed parks.

Like many small French towns Cognac has its own cultural life. You can become a participant of the International Festival of Police Films in every April.

In any case, if you decide to visit it, remember that the town is the birthplace of cognac in the first place and a great museum of the legendary drink.

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Once La Rochelle was a small fishing village, which there were more thousands in France. However, the village has turned into a developed and quite wealthy town in the course of time. Many of us know its name from the literary works of the great writer Alexandre Dumas. What about the name of La Rochelle, it translates from French as “little rock”.

Some centuries ago La Rochelle was an important defence bastion, situated on the shore of the Bay of Biscay, with a reliable fortress and other fortifications. Many of these military installationss are preserved in the town today. For example, these are the old gun slots guarding the Chain Tower and the St. Nicholas Tower. Today the first of them is an interesting exhibition about the history of the local Protestant community, and its observation deck offers the opportunity to admire enviroments.

The Old Port makes the most vivid impression in La Rochelle, here numerous yachts, sailing catamarans and luxury cruise ships are “parked” on the sea waves. And if you’re a fan of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, you can also see his legendary “Calypso” and even to come on its board.

Beautiful streets of La Rochelle are paved with cobble-stones, which got to the town as ballast of many ships coming to the port from distant Canada. In the holiday season these streets are filled with crowds of tourists from around the world. Someone visits souvenir shops, someone sits at a table in restaurant terrace, and someone just walks along the promenade and admire the evening waters of the Gulf.

Visit a local Museum of mechanical dolls without fail and receive unforgettable impressions. Here revived dolls play musical instruments, dance, ride. Trains on the miniature railway are so realistic that small engines make a real smoke.

When you excite your appetite, visit the wonderful restaurant “Andre” with fantastic dishes of oysters. Restaurant’s interior is decorated with anchors, control sticks and numerous photographs of sailing vessels.

You can also have a good time in La Roshelskom aquarium, gathered more than twenty thousand representatives of fauna and flora.

Speaking on moving through the town, then there are municipal boats departing from the Chain Tower.

La Rochelle offers its guests beautiful sandy beaches, where you can sunbathe and swim in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, the local air is the cleanest in France.

We wish you a pleasant time in this beautiful town, where the past and the present miraculously interweave.

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Avignon is located to the south of Paris in Marseilles direction and you can get there by express train from Gare de Lyon in a little over two hours. Today it is the capital of Vaucluse department in the province of Provence.

This beautiful town was founded in the the beginning of the second millennium by Gali tribe of Covares, and surprisingly, even today there are some distinctive features of that time (particularly, it concerns the Roman era).

However, the most significant milestone in the history of Avignon is related to the Middle Ages and the Catholic Church. For many centuries the city and its environs were the property of the popes, and almost all fourteenth century Avignon was the residence of the Pope. Thanks to this the city’s population was about 100 thousand people, making it one of the biggest cities in France at that time. True, many years later after the revolution Avignon became an ordinary provincial French town.

Despite the fact that the French Revolution brought a lot of troubles to Avignon (many old churches and other buildings were destroyed), even today visitors can enjoy the ancient church architecture – cathedrals, chapels and monasteries. Once it was called “ringing town” because of the frequent bell ringing.

There are lots of sights in Avignon, but the most notable is the rock Roc-des-Domes, which towers above the Rhone River on 58 meters, with its famous Papal Palace, built in the mid-fourteenth century. Today the palace is an important part of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Papal Palace in Avignon consists of the Old and New palaces. The author of the first building was the architect Pierre Poisson Mirepo, and the decision to build the palace was belonged to Pope Benedict XII. During the papal split the residence of the antipope Clement VII and Benedict XII was exactly here.

At the time of the reign of the Emperor Napoleon almost all the rooms of the palace were the usual barracks and prison cells.

In the beginning of the 20th century the Papal Palace got the patronage of the authorities, the restoration works were carried out, and tourists from around the world were able to see this masterpiece of the medieval architecture by their own eyes. Every year the palace takes under its vaults the popular theatrical festival.

Also, speaking on Avignon, we should mention such interesting places for visit, as the cathedral of Notre Dame des Doms, the tomb of Crillon, a botanical garden.

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If someone thinks that you can see the medieval France in Paris, it is a very big mistake, because almost all in the capital has been ruthlessly removed by the legendary Parisian prefect Baron Haussmann in the second half of the nineteenth century. There are only individual churches and buildings. So, the lovers of the history of the Middle Ages have to go far inland, where the hands of the charismatic city planner (Haussmann) did not reach.

The old part of the town of Provins with ancient stone houses and narrow streets are on a low hill. Perhaps the only reminders of the presence are the cars standing on the roadside.

Generally, in Provene the tourists can see quite a lot of architectural objects relating to the 11 – 12 centuries, which makes it very attractive for the fans of the medieval culture. Exactly here one of the oldest types of architectural designs of buildings, distinguished with vaulted ceilings, is represented.

Today Provins has nearly sixty historic monuments, among them are numerous fortifications belonging to different ages and styles, the tower of Caesar, underground galleries, vaults, the ancient church of St. Ayul (11th century), the Museum of Provins.

Also the annual festivals of the medieval culture with falconry, tournaments, theatrical performances.

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Deauville is a “young” French city relatively, founded only in 1859 on-site of a small village. The town was created as a resort for rich people initially, where they could get posh service, not being afraid to show their wealth and to cause envy in others. The founder of this “paradise” for wealthy citizens was the Duke Charles de Morny, who, as it is said, had been a distant relative of Napoleon Bonaparte. And, as it often happened in history, the author of this grandiose ideas was a woman – in this case, the wife of the Duke.

In a very short time Deauville has become very popular holiday destination of French and European nobility, a large number of political, business and cultural elite had a vacation here.

Today the town has an undercover name of the 21st arrondissement of Paris and is still a very popular tourist resort. Of course, not everyone can afford a vacation at such a luxurious and expensive resort, to stay in such hotels like Normandy Deauville Barriere, Hotel Du Golf Barriere or Royal Deauville Barriere. But, why don’t you come here for one day and to admire local splendor by your own eyes, to meet famous people, who had been seen only on television previously?

And you can see here a lot. Respectable villas, made in Modern, Gothic, Renaissance styles, gorgeous beaches, wonderful parks… Maybe you will not spare a little money and try your luck at the casino or just enjoy the famous French cheeses with a glass of apple cider in a restaurant. Lovers of shopping will also find much of interest, because the number of fashion boutiques in Deauville is not less than in Paris.

Every year Deauville offers its guests the festivals of American cinema, jazz, classical music, modern art, horse racing. If you want to improve your health or to undergo health promotion treatments, so visit the famous institute of thalassotherapy Algotherm.

In any case, irrespective of the goals of your trip to Deauville you will remember this visit for a long time and definitely want to return here.

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Of course, Paris is a wonderful city with a unique atmosphere that attracts not only the usual holiday-makers, but many representatives of the art world, what only confirms its unofficial status as one of the most romantic cities of our planet. There are many examples, it’s enough to remember such great persons as Ernest Hemingway, Rudolf Nureyev, Erich Maria Remarque, Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine, Edouard Manet and Claude Monet… They lived and created their masterpieces here.

But in this small article we will not talk about the French capital, as far as you can find a large number of materials dedicated to it on our website. France – not only Paris, there are many wonderful places ideal for couples for romantic vacations or honeymoon. We would like to briefly tell you about some of them.

Saint Paul de Vence. This is a very nice small Provence town, which, in principle, can be compared even with not a town but a village. However, this does not influence to charm and comfort that the town offers its guests. Saint Paul de Vence is an ancient town- fortress, hidden from prying eyes between the beautiful hills. The town is very attractive and its slightly old-fashioned life goes very calmly and evenly, there is nothing that could make even minimal discomfort. However, this does not mean that the town is far from the present civilization (though, perhaps, it would be even better). Along with beautiful ancient winding streets, lovely houses with original grapevine on the walls, fountains there are many fashionable boutiques, art galleries, soul cafes and restaurants. You will get indescribable feelings due to stunning views of mountains and the sea. During the stay in Saint Paul de Vence you can also visit the beautiful church built by the project of famous French painter and sculptor Henri Matisse.

Montsegur. This place is famous for its unique mountain Pogue, so if you decide to go here, you need not only a passion for romance, but also a good sports training to climb up the mountain. The ascent to Pogue takes a lot of physical strength, but, believe, the reward for these deprivations will be very good. At the top of the mountain near the town of Montsegur the Cathars castle ruins are located, and, of course, you wonderful views of the local beauty are waiting for you.

If you and your sweetheart prefer to be naked, then you should visit a unique place – the world capital of nudism – the beach, located in French town of Cap d’Agde. The beach is very nice and quiet, here you will not be disturbed with curious inquisitive looks of bystanders.

Valley of Loire. Gorgeous places with magnificent medieval castles, where French kings, counts and awnings spent their time. And what most importantly, that these castles are ready to receive you and give the same emotions that the monarchs with their favorites have experienced centuries ago. More “spice” of your holiday in the Loire Valley will be given you by delicious local cuisine.

There is no doubt that many people can say that there are other equally romantic towns and villages in France. We fully agree with that, because in France there are thousands of places where everyone can find something romantic and attractive. Therefore, travel to this wonderful country, discover new sights, get new experiences!

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But where does inhabitant of the capital of France go to? Anywhere, to be frank! France – a large and interesting country with different provinces, traditions and its own unique colour.

Of course, everybody chooses a place for the holiday and you decide where to spend it. In our turn we advise you to pay a close attention to the small French village called Barbizon, located in the north of the country of Louis and Napoleon. If to be a pedant, a complete village location should be marked as: region Ile de France, department Seine-et-Marne, district Melen, canton Perth. It’s easy to get lost … Just do not panic, this is only one and a half hour from Paris.

So what is so remarkable in Barbizon?

First, the village is located near Fontainebleau – one of the favorite residences of French kings.

But, if you are interested in the art, so you just have to know what Barbizon gave the name a unique school of painting. It’s called the Barbizon school of art, the brightest representatives of which are painters Monet and Bazille.

In principle, this is not surprising, because in due time Barbizon was very popular among many artists and other assorted personalities involved in the arts. The village attracted creative people, primarily for its beautiful views of the forest Fontainebleau, which has successfully found itself on the paintings of many painters. Fortunately, they organized field sallies with hundreds and created their landscapes in cheerful company. From the perspective of history, the Barbizon painters had an enormous influence on European landscape painting and became the forerunner of Impressionism.

Today Barbizon takes a lot of visitors, but in the nineteenth century the village had only one street – Rue de Barbizon with a few dozen houses. And railroad tracks were close. Though already at that time there was the hotel «Auberge Ganne» – a haven of painters. Today this building is a quite interesting museum. In the village there is and a private museum of painter Millais, where along with his works you can see paintings of Rousseau, Troyon, Corot and other artists.

But the past is the past… Let’s find out what a life in Barbizon today.

Mass of French and tourists from other countries comes to Barbizon for a specific purpose – to buy a refined and original element of the interior in one of many art galleries. The paintings and sculptures of contemporary artists are especially popular.

Barbizon also has beautiful streets with interesting buildings of original architecture. So many tourists come here on weekends just to walk on this wonderful street.

The village currently has four comfortable hotels; the room rates start from 55 euros. In Barbizon there is and plenty of cozy restaurants, offering the excellent dishes of French cuisine.

Summarizing, we can say that Barbizon is the place to be a pleasure to visit. Everyone will find something attractive here. And what about connoisseurs of the art, they are simply obliged to come to this cradle of Pre-Impressionism.

If to address to history it is possible to notice that the French musical culture was substantially affected by the Roman-Italian traditions. So, many researchers assert that in the seventh century in music of Italy and France many common features were observed. First of all it was influenced by the Catholic Church which by that time had huge influence on Apennines peninsula and expanded it in other countries of Europe.

However, the Catholic dogmatism in the French music has given way to musical traditions of the Celtic tribes.

It is remarkable, that exactly monks from the French monasteries became founders of the theoretical base (polyphony, the musical letter) which musicians use today. The tenth century was marked by blossoming of the epic musical genre which has been focused on caroling of medieval ladies and their nice knights, valorously and bravely battling for the beloved France.

The brightest representatives of music of that time were jugglers who in parallel with circus performances sang songs. Besides, as a rule, these musicians performed the music of exclusively own composition.

In the thirteenth century blossoming of the French song genre has been noted. At that time any significant action did not do without performing ballads and rondo. And then in the country stringed, percussion and wind musical instruments began to appear.

The French Revolution has left the significant trace not only in political life of the country, but also in music. The people battling on the Parisian barricades, composed thousands of songs. Part for them is known to musicologists today, and most known of them, such as the Marseillaise and Carmagnole, are popular with the people.

The period after the First World War is noted by a great popularity of the American and South American musical directions. The so-called genre “revue” which has come from across the ocean, was represented, for example, by such performers as Josephine Baker, Mistinguett and Maurice Auguste Chevalier. On musical scene in 1930-40th it was already observed a bigger variety of styles and directions; then the brilliant career of Édith Piaf has begun, who by right is the foundress of modern French song art.

After the Second World War France has received a new direction in music which has received the name “chanson” (do not confuse it to “Russian chanson”) which brightest representatives were Leo Ferre, Jacques Brel, Boris Vian and, naturally, Charles Aznavour.

In the sixties France has not stood aside from gaining popularity all over the world twist and rock-n-roll, and the most significant French representatives of the given genres are Silvie Vartan and Johnny Hollyday.

Since eightieth the French performers have even more often started to mix many musical genres in the songs (jazz, chanson, blues, rock …). Today all over the world such names as Patricia Kaas, Mylene Farmer and Vanessa Paradis which adequately continue to develop nice traditions of the French music are known.

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