Things to Do in France

The Provencal village of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, 20 km south of Avignon, is most famous for its impressively preserved Roman ruins, but behind its ancient façade lies a lively town full of character. The magnificent Triumphant Arch of Glanum is the town’s most dramatic attraction - the oldest Roman arch of the narbonensis region - and the ruins of its 14th century defensive walls still encircle the ancient Gallo-Roman center, with the original portes still used as gateways to the center. The Nostradamus fountain, in honor of its namesake who was born in the town, is another popular sight, as is the elegant 16th century Mairie (Town Hall). The town also possesses a more unusual claim to fame – the town’s Monastery de Mausole housed Van Gogh during his period of psychiatric treatment prior to his untimely death and was where he painted his late masterpieces Starry Night and Self-Portrait.

Travelers looking to escape the bustle of Aix-de-Provence, Avignon and Arles, will find Saint-Rémy-de-Provence a tranquil base for exploring the region and despite its diminutive size, the strategically located town has plenty to offer visitors. A cluster of hotels, restaurants and shops line the town center, which is easily traversed on foot, and the Wednesday markets transform the sleepy village into a hive of activity.

Notre-Dame de Reims is known as the seat of the region’s archdiocese and also the location of coronations for kings of France. Built on the former site of a church that was destroyed by fire in 1211, the impressive portals, statues and spires of Notre Dame have become one of the most popular attractions in Reims.

After taking in the chevet’s ornate exterior and Notre Dame’s famous rose window, travelers can venture indoors where colorful stained glass dating back to the 13th and 20th centuries decorates the nave and altar. A vast collection of tapestries, including a series representing the life of the Virgin Mary, is also on display, and the church’s treasury, dating back some 800 years, showcases rare artifacts like a holy flask broken during the French Revolution.

Paris’ most famous independent bookstore, dating back to 1919, Shakespeare and Company Bookstore is renowned as the one-time haunt of literary icons like Ezra Pound, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce and Ford Madox Ford.

The legendary Shakespeare and Company store was opened by American ingénue Sylvia Beach, who fashioned the shop into a creative haven where penniless writers congregated to share ideas, borrow books and even crash down on the shop floors. Sylvia even made history by publishing James Joyce's 1922 Ulysses when every other publisher refused.  Situated in the art district of Paris' Left Bank, the original bookstore was located on Rue Dupuytren, before moving to larger premises on Rue de l’Odeon in 1922, then finally shutting its doors in 1941 during WWII German occupation.

The legacy of the bookstore now lives on in George Whitman's Shakespeare and Company bookstore on Rue de La Bucherie, which opened up in 1951 under the name of Le Mistral but soon changed its name in tribute to the historic bookstore. In the heart of Paris, just a short stroll from Notre Dame, the bookstore soon regained its popularity, hosting an incredible roster of famous literary figures over the years -- beatnik poets Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso; writer and painter Henry Miller and celebrated French author Anaïs Nin, have all passed through.

Now run by George’s daughter Sylvia (named after the original proprietor), the iconic bookstore is a literary paradise for book lovers, with two floors crammed with classic volumes, second hand novels and modern titles, and the small library space hosting weekly readings, workshops and regular gatherings of fledgling writers.

The Science Forum (commonly known as Forum départemental des sciences de Villeneuve-d'Ascq by locals) is a museum dedicated to broadcasting the scientific and technical culture located in eastern Lille. It has a very specific, hands-on approach that strongly encourages visitors to make their own scientific experiments in order to fully grasp the power and extent of science in the most whimsical ways possible. The newest exhibition, which will be hosted until March 2016, focuses on nighttime; what happens after nightfall, as far as biology, astronomy, neurology and anthropology are concerned? What does a naturally dark sky looks like, away from the city’s bright lights? How does sleep actually work? On the other side of the museum is Enigma, a vast room where visitors get to become a detective for a couple of hours, questioning the scientific aspect of various situations, and ultimately coming up with several plausible answers. How does a magician escape jail? How could we live in a world without fuel? And although the museum’s exhibitions are clearly directed at children, they will also be very interesting for parents eager to learn about the world’s greatest scientific discoveries.

What was an otherwise little-known village of the Cotentin Peninsula suddenly became infamous after it was visited by American troops on June 6th 1944 as part of Operation Overlord – making Sainte-Mere-Eglise one of the first villages to be liberated of the Nazis after four long years of occupation. Sainte-Mere-Eglise, along with Utah Beach, was one of the two airborne landings on D-Day, because of its strategic position between Cherbourg and Paris. Sainte-Mere-Eglise is also where the Airborne Museum is located (14 rue Eisenhower), entirely dedicated to the D-Day paratroopers. It includes authentic artifacts like a DC3 aircraft, insightful information and an entire section devoted to the movie The Longest Day, which depicts a well-known incident involving paratrooper John Steele of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. His parachute caught on the spire of the town church, from which he observed the fighting going on below, hanging limply for two hours and pretending to be dead before the Germans took him prisoner.

The lands on either side of the Rhone River in western Provence have some of the most fertile terroir in France, giving rise to the prestige of the Rhone Valley Region of over 1,000 vineyards. If you're visiting France and want to explore a wine region that also has plenty of history and beautiful villages to boot, then you want to come to the Rhone Valley.

Because the long region runs north to south along the river's path, there are two separate sub-regions. The northern of the two are greatly affected by the Massif Central mountain range, and this the soil is tougher and the temperature swings are greater from season to season. The southern sub-region, on the other hand, is generally more mild throughout the year, but daily temperature swings are a factor in the terroir; its pebbly soil helps to retain the heat of the day to protect the vines at night.

The Cotes du Rhone classification is popular worldwide; surely you've seen this on your own wine store shelves, and there are great deals to be had with these labels, particularly the Cote du Rhone AOC. If you see “ Cotes du Rhone” on the label along with the words “Villages AOC” and a village name – for example, Saint-Gervais or Laudun – then you're in for a real treat, as these are a cut above your average Rhone wines. But the highest level also known as the “crus,” will simply be a village name and the acronym AOC, which stands for appellation d'origine contrôlée. A good example of this is the Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC; it is a  Rhone Valley wine, but its name is enough as to not need further explanation on its label.

One of the oldest streets in Paris, running from Maubert place to the Saint Medard Square in Paris' Latin Quarter, Rue Mouffetard is built along the route of an ancient Roman Road. Today, the pedestrianized street is the lifeline of one of Paris' most atmospheric areas, with tourists flocking to visit its lively street market (open every day except Monday) and soak up the quaint Parisian feel.

The Rue Mouffetard market, close by the apartment where Ernest Hemingway once resided, has roots stretching back to as early as 1350AD and remains one of Paris’ most famous street markets. Stretching along the southern half of the street, the colorful market is characteristic of a medieval marketplace with a medley of stalls lining the cobblestones and cabaret singers often busking on the sidewalks to earn a few extra euros. Food is the main produce on offer and there’s an excellent array of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood. Don’t miss the fragrant cheese stalls, of which there are many, where you’ll be treated to a passionate rundown of France’s most beloved cheeses and might even wrangle a few free tasters.

It’s not only the market itself that holds appeal for visitors. The surrounding buildings, some dating back to the 12th century, house an array of typically Parisian cafés, bistros and boulangeries (bakeries), renowned for their culinary flair. Stick around for a post-shopping lunch and you’ll find plenty of opportunities to sample traditional French delicacies and can satisfy your sweet tooth at some of the finest patisseries and crêperies (pancake houses) in the capital.