France
France boasts dozens of major tourist attractions, like Paris (the "City of Light", romance and the Eiffel Tower )
Bordeaux — city of wine, traditional stone mansions and smart terraces
Bourges — gardens, canals and a cathedral listed as a UNESCO heritage site
Lille — a dynamic northern city known for its handsome center and active cultural life
Lyon — France's second city with a history from Roman times to the Resistance
Marseille — big harbor and the heart of the Provence
Nantes — the "Greenest City" and according to some the best place to live in Europe
Strasbourg — famous for its historical center, and home to many European institutions
Toulouse — the "Pink City", for its distinctive brick architecture, main city of Occitania
France Côte d'Azur (the French Riviera)
France Atlantic beaches
the winter sport resorts of the Alps
Castles of Loire Valley
Castles of Brittany
Mont Saint Michel.
History France has been populated since the Neolithic period. The Dordogne region is especially rich in prehistoric caves with remarkable paintings of animals and hunters, like those found at Lascaux.
Lascaux is the setting of a complex of caves in southwestern France famous for its prehistoric cave paintings. These paintings are estimated to be 16, 000 years old. They primarily consist of realistic images of large animals, most of which are known to have lived in the area at the time. In 1979, Lascaux was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list along with other prehistoric sites in the Vézère valley
History Written History began in France with the invasion of the territory by the Romans, between 118 and 50 BC. Starting then, the territory which is today called France was part of the Roman Empire, and the Gauls (name given to local Celts by the Romans), who lived there before Roman invasions, became accultured "Gallo-romans".
History The legacy of the Roman presence is still visible, particularly in the southern part of the country where Roman circuses are still used for bullfights and rock and roll shows. Some of the main roads still follow the routes originally traced 2, 000 years ago.
History Clovis, who died in 511, is considered as the first French king.
History Charlemagne, who was crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 800, was the first strong ruler. He united under his rule territories which extend today in Belgium, Germany and Italy
History Starting with Charlemange, a new society starts to settle, based on the personal links of feudalism. This era is named middle age. Although generally seen as an era of stagnation, it can more be described as a very complex mix of periods of economic and cultural developments (Music and poems of the Troubadours and Trouveres, building of the Romanantic, then Gothic cathedrals), and recessions due to pandemic disease and wars.
History The beginning of the XVIth century saw the end of the feudal system and the emergence of France as a "modern" state with its border relatively close to the present ones.
History Louis XIV who was king from 1643 to 1715 (72 years) was probably the most powerful monarch of his time. French influence extended deep in western Europe, its language was used in the European courts and its culture was exported all over Europe.
History That era and the following century also saw the expansion of France on the other continents. The French Revolution started in 1789, leading to the creation of the Republic
Napoléon reunited the country but his militaristic ambition which, at first, made him the ruler of most of western Europe were finally his downfall. He is still revered in some Eastern European countries as its armies and its government brought with them the thinkings of the French philosophers.
France went back to . monarchy and another revolution in 1848 which allowed a nephew of Napoleon to be elected president and then become emperor under the name of Napoléon III.
History The end of the XIX century was the start of the industrialization of the country, the development of the railways but also the start of the bitter wars with Prussia and later Germany
National character Proud of their country, culture and history Proud of being a French Likely to be gallant than polite Good at communicating and expressing their ideas Never run out of the topics to discuss Reserved in their day by day expenditures
They live in their own world called France Have a special attitude to their language (while speaking to a foreigner prefer a bad French than a fluent English) The art of living ( the art of getting the maximum gratification from the life) is a typical French feature The art of living is closely connected to the table etiquette The invasion in their privacy is observed offensive
Table manners Table talk is an integral part of any meal Never start the meal until the host or a hostess starts it Bread is not cut but is snapped off with small pieces If you would like a second helping put a knife and a fork crossed on your plate
Table manners If you don’t want a helping of wine keep your glass full
Food, its assessment, its aesthetic qualities, surroundings where it is served are very important Restaurant lovers, wine-lovers, gourmet are qualities described by the French people about their identity Cookery is believed to be an art French attributes are cuisine and wine The country keeps the position of the world leader in fashion, cuisine, wine, art and architecture The French accept all novelties if they consider them beautiful.
Cuisine There are many places to try French food in France, from three-star Michelin restaurants to French "brasseries" or "bistros" that you can find at almost every corner, especially in big cities. Maxim’s is the most famous restaurant.
Restaurants In France, taxes (19. 6 per cent of the total) and service (usually 15 per cent) are always included in the bill ; so anything patrons add to the bill amount is an "extra-tip". French people usually leave one or two coins if they were happy with the service
Cuisine Every French region has dishes all its own. These dishes follow the resources (game, fish, agriculture, etc) of the region, the vegetables (cabbage, turnip, endives, etc) which they grow there. Here is a small list of regional dishes which you can find easily in France.
Cuisine Cassoulet (in south west) : Beans, duck, pork & sausages
Cuisine Choucroute(in Alsace) : stripped fermented cabbage + pork
Cuisine Fondue Savoyarde (central Alps) : Melted/hot cheese with alcohol
Fondue Bourguignonne : Pieces of beef (in boiled oil), usually served with a selection of various sauces.
Pot-au-feu boiled beef with vegetables
Bouillabaisse (fish + saffron) (Marseille and French Riviera). A real bouillabaisse is a really expensive dish due to the amount of fresh fish it requires. Be prepared to pay at least € 30/persons.
Foie Gras The liver of a duck or goose. Although usually quite expensive, foie gras can be found in supermarkets for a lower price (because of their purchasing power) around the holiday season. It is the time of year when most of foie gras is consumed in France. It goes very well with Champagne.
Contrary to stereotype, snails and frog legs are quite infrequent foods in France Frogs' legs have a very fine and delicate taste with flesh that is not unlike chicken. They are often served in a garlic dressing
Bourgogne snails =escargots (escargots de bourgogne) comes from the generous amount of butter, garlic and parsley in which they are cooked. They have a very particular spongy-leathery texture that is what is liked by people who like snails
Cheese France is certainly THE country of cheese, with nearly 400 different kinds. Indeed, former president General Charles De Gaulle was quoted as saying "How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?
Wine Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, the Loire Valley. . . France is the home of wine. It can be found cheaply just about anywhere
Wine There a couple of mixed drinks which seem to be more or less unique to France, and nearby francophone countries.
Wine Panaché is a mix of beer and lemonade, basically a beer shandy
Wine Kir is a pleasant aperitif of white wine or of champagne (then named kir royal and about twice the price of regular kir) and cassis (blackcurrant liqueur), or peche (peach), or mûre (blackberry).
Body language Status is very important in the society, so while taking a seat one should take it according to one’s status Never seat spreading out your legs Never clap your hand over your mitt (it’s rude) An American gesture OK means zero
