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 OVERVIEW:
Through the years, France's stamp on western civilization has left an indelible mark in many domains and French savoir-faire remains a reference in the arts, politics, gastronomy, fashion and science.
Like all the world's greatest capitals, Paris lives at a fast pace, by day, by night and especially at rush hours. It is divided into 20 arrondissements that spiral out like a snail shell from the first, centered around the Louvre, of which certain quarters like the Montmartre, Montparnasse, and the Marais are real villages within the city. Paris is the world capital of art and culture because it has some of the most famous museums and monuments in the world like the Eiffel Tower, the Notre-Dame cathedral, and many more. With its history and architectural patrimony, Paris is living, moving, and evolving every day.
Provence, the Midi, these are magic names in a luminous landscape that inspired Van Gogh and Cézanne, and changed the course of modern painting. They have also created a new current in contemporary travel.
The region of Aquitaine, located in the southwestern corner of France, is a land of grand vineyards near luxurious seaside resorts, fishing ports and spas. Nearby, too, are prehistoric grottoes and castles perched on craggy summits, plus some of the great restaurants of France.
Intriguing Auvergne, in the very center of France between Vichy and Le Puy, has a broad history from the 13th century's King Philippe Augustus to the Marquis de la Fayette. Today's first citizen from Auvergne is President Georeges Pompidou. Celabrated Frenchmen from this region also include Vercingétorix, the first Gaulois king, and one of the great thinkers of modern times, Blaise Pascal.
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