| Synopsis: |
France is the most visited country of Europe - with around 75 million tourists, the World Tourism Organization puts it well in the lead of Spain (on 53 million) and the United States (around 50 million). With everything a tourist could possibly require in an area not quite the size of the state of Texas, France is noted for the beauty of its countryside, the antiquity of its cities, the richness of its culture, the diversity of its cuisine, and the style of its fashionable people. The visitor to France is always struck by the complexity of this many-layered country - a cosmopolitan mixture of urban chic and agrarian conservatism.France relishes both the fierce individuality of its regions and the centralization of its political and cultural establishment. Nowhere is this more obvious than in French cuisine, a glorious mixture of classical haute cuisine and the gastronomic tradition of the regions - from the apples and cream of the northwest to the Mediterranean flavors of the southeast; the African spices of the couscous house to the Germanic influences in Alsace-Lorraine. France's turbulent political life has left its mark on the landscape.Wonderful historic buildings give its towns and cities, villages and communes, a great range of architectural interest and beauty. "France: History and Landscape" provides a splendid visual survey of this history from Roman times - as exemplified by graceful amphitheaters and aqueducts.The Middle Ages and Renaissance are well illustrated by such photogenic sites as the walled cities of Carcassonne and le Puy, or the myriad castles all over the country, many of them dating from the Hundred Years War against the English. The apogee of French royal power was the glorious reign of the Sun King - Louis XIV - whose legacy is the beautiful palace of Versailles. But it would be wrong to think that all France's beauty is in its older buildings. France has always been a country of innovation as shown by Paris' signature Eiffel Tower or the great arch of La Defense.Outside the cities, the French countryside is inspirational, as beautiful as anywhere in the world, from its mountains - the Pyrenees, Alps, and Vosges - to the great river valleys of Rhone, Loire or Seine; from the sun-drenched Mediterranean beaches of the south to the granite Atlantic coast of Brittany; from the plain of Picardy to the great river delta the Camargue.Today, France is one of the world's great powers, but for all its political standing, it is France's history and its landscape that provide the background to the country's unique character, and the reasons for its enduring magic. Both are well illustrated in "France: History and Landscape". |