France

France is the world’s number one tourist destination; situated in Western Europe it is the continent’s largest country. With Paris as its capital, France offers diverse landscapes, cultural sites, shopping amenities and an excellent cuisine, famous worldwide.

The borders of France touch those of Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Belgium, with its coastline looking over the Atlantic Ocean, English Channel and Mediterranean Sea.

France has a unique landscape with various mountain ranges, from the Alps to the Pyrenees and coastal land offering trendy golden beaches in the south where the sun is always present year round to the north, where the flatter countryside of Normandy boasts miles and miles of wild spectacular beaches.

The Loire and Rhône regions offer picturesque landscapes through which the major rivers flow.

France offers a vast range of activities from skiing and trekking in the Alps, to water sports on the coastal areas and lakes onto castle visiting in the Loire Valley, where the best means of transport is by bicycle.

The choice of cultural and historical sites is so vast and in every region there is plenty of architectural and historical buildings and monuments to visit.

France is also synonymous of fashion boutiques and shopping, not to mention its famous culinary traditions, which vary from region to region. Traveling to France is a complete and unique experience.

The climate varies depending on the region with a Mediterranean climate and plenty of sun in the south and more rainfall on the Atlantic coast. In winter the Alps have plenty of snowfall, while in the south the temperatures are mild.

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    Belfry (Belfry of Bethune), Bethune

    Loyal to the French crown during the Hundred Years War, Bethune was granted the right to erect a belfry in 1346. Forty-two years later, the aldermen built a tower in Béthune sandstone, an extremely hard stone, to replace the wooden tower that had been destroyed by fire.

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    Belfry (Belfry of Cambrai), Cambrai

    The belfry of Cambrai and originally of St. Mary's Church dates from the 15th century and is one of those listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the category "Belfries of France and Belgium".

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    Belfry (the Belfry of Rue), Rue

    Until the 13th century, when the bay of the Somme silted up, the historical capital of Marquenterre was a busy sea port. Its first belfry was built at that time.

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    Citadel (Fortifications of Vauban), Arras

    Built by Vauban between 1667 and 1672, the Citadel has been nicknamed La belle inutile (the beautiful useless one) by residents as it has never been directly involved in heavy fighting and didn't prevent the Germans from occupying the city in either World War.

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    City Hall and Belfry, Armentieres

    In the thick of the fighting from 14-18, Armentières lost its belfry and its adjoining town hall. All that remained were the clock hands from 1724, immobilised by the shell that dealt the fatal blow at 11:30.

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    City Hall and Belfry, Bailleul

    In 2005 the Belfry at the heart of Ballieul was recognised by Unesco as being one of the most important historic monuments in the region. City Hall and Belfry, Bailleul.

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    Fortifications of Vauban, Longwy

    The Fortifications of Vauban are 12 groups of fortified buildings and sites along the borders of France. Fortifications of Vauban, Longwy.

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    Historical centre of Strasbourg

    Strasbourg is the capital of the Alsace region of France and is most widely known for hosting a number of important European institutions. It is also famous for its beautiful historical centre - the Grande Ile - which was the first city centre to be classified entirely as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

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    Longwy

    Longwy is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. The inhabitants are known as Longoviciens.

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    Neuf-Brisach

    Neuf-Brisach is a fortified town and commune of the department of Haut-Rhin in the French region of Alsace. The fortified town was intended to guard the border between France and the Holy Roman Empire and, subsequently, Germany.

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    Place d’Alliance (Alliance Square), Nancy

    The Place d’Alliance is certainly the smallest, however the most intimate square of Nancy. It is located just a stone’s throw from the Place Stanislas. It was listed by the UNESCO as a work of art, of peace and refinement alongside the adjacent Place Stanislas and Place de la Carriere.

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    Place de la Carriere (Carriere Square), Nancy

    The discreet square is part of the architectural ensemble of the 18th century wanted by Stanislas I Leszczynski, former King of Poland and father-in-law to King Louis XV of France. Place de la Carriere, along with Place Stanislas and Place d’Alliance have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.

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    Place Stanislas, Nancy

    The Place Stanislas, known colloquially as the place Stan', is a large pedestrianized square in Nancy, Lorraine, France. Since 1983, the architectural ensemble comprising the Place Stanislas, the extension of its axis, the Place de la Carriere, and the Place d'Alliance, has been on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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    Town Hall and Belfry, Arras

    The Gothic Town Hall and its belfry were constructed between 1463 and 1554 and had to be rebuilt in a slightly less grandiose style after World War I. The belfry is 75 meters (246 feet) high and used to serve as a watchtower. Nowadays tourists can enjoy ascending the belfry.

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    Town Hall and Belfry, Comines

    After a preliminary tower, which suffered many trials and tribulations, the Croy family, lords of Comines, ordered the building of a town hall and a belfry, which was completed in 1623.

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    Town Hall and Belfry, Douai

    Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. Town Hall and Belfry, Douai.

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    Town Hall and Belfry, Lille

    Inaugurated in 1932 and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005, the Belfry of the City Hall dominates Lille from its height of 104 meters.

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    Town Hall and Belfry, Loos

    The town hall of Loos was constructed in the 1880s to the design of architect Louis Marie Cordonnier. Its Flemish-style belfry belongs to the set of 56 "Belfries of Belgium and France" inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.