- Cultural Capital - There is only one Paris and France has it. For many visitors, the City of Light simply has no equal.
- Great Cuisine - Dining in France - in either a humble bistro or a three-star restaurant - is an experience not to be miseed. Especially delightful is the chance to try the many specialities of the various regions. Whether it is fresh oysters or orchard fruits, the French prize local ingredients in season and make magic with them.
- Fine Wine - The world's more renowned producer of wine, France offers many opportunities to sample varities that may not even be available in the United States. Region such as Bourgogne (Burgundy), Champagne-Ardenne, Centre Val de Loire (Loire Valley), and the Bordeaux area of Aquitaine are wonderful places to learn about and enjoy the fruits of the vine.
- Art - France not only spawned many of the great artists of the past several centuries, but it offers a wealth of superb museums in which to admire their work. Fine museums are not confined to Paris; they also abound in provincial cities and towns throughout the country. Visitors can also enjoy some of the actual sites, including Monet's gardens at Giverny, which inspired many famous artistic works.
- Architecture - France is a paradise for architecture enthusiasts, with everything from majestic Gothic cathedrals to the ultramodern structures designed by Le Corbusier. There is a period and style to intrigue just about everyone.
- Heavenly Treasures - The many great cathedrals, churches, abbeys, and basilicas of France are not only noteworthy for their external beauty, but they house some of the country's greatest works of art. Medieval sculpture, magnificent wall paintings, carved screens, and brilliant stained-glass windows make them veritable museums.
- Grand Palaces - The aristocracy of France spared no expense to create the elegant chateaux, which grace the countryside in such regions as the Ile-de-France and the Centre Val de Loire.
- Perched Villages - Capping some of the steepest hillsides in the nation are numerous tiny villages built of stone and protected by ancient ramparts, each one a fascinating, timeless world to explore.
- Alpine Sports - The French Alps offer some of the largest and most renowned ski areas in the world, along with opportunities for lake cruising, hiking, mountain biking, and other active pursuits.
- Mediterranean Idyll - Southeast France, with its balmy climate, glorious light, ultrachic resorts and quaint vaillages, has an aura all its own.
- Prehistoric Legacy - The fascinating cave paintings and prehistoric shelters, especially prevalent in Southwest France, are vivid illustrations of human habitation dating back many thousands of years.
- Something to Celebrate - Whether celebrating local traditions or international art and music, festivals in France are some of the best in the world. Almost any time of year is festival time in some corner of the country.
- Fashion Statement - Paris is the fashion capital of the world. This is the place to see what the rest of the world will be wearing in six months.
- Exquisite Craftsmanship - Some of the world's finest porcelain is manufactured in Limoges. The town of Baccarat in Lorraine is equally synonymous with fine crystal. Also highly sought after by collectors are crystal pieces manufactured by Lalique and the charming earthenware pottery known as Quimper.
- Sensational Scents - France makes many of the world's finest perfumes, with some of the most famous perfume manufacturers headquartered in Paris. The town of Grasse in southern France, which boast 40 or so perfumeries, offers visitors a rare chance to see how perfume is made.
What's Special About France?
Video: Robert V. Camuto
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Radio
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Serving English speakers across the Riviera. - Radio France
Listen to the news of France's number 1 radio station - France Inter
Great radio station with news and interesting features - France Culture
Learn about French culture while listening to talk radio
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Julia Child: My Life in France
If, like me until recently, you had never knowingly heard of Julia Child, it will help to understand that she was, so to speak, America’s answer to Elizabeth David. It was she who, after the second world war, introduced the dishes and techniques of French cooking to, principally, her countrywomen. I had been aware of, but never read, her encyclopaedic work Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but could not have told you who had written it (or even that it was an American book). In fact, Julia Child later parted company from Elizabeth David: while David went on to explore the cuisines of Italy and other Mediterranean countries, Child stuck to that of France but developed her teaching skills into pioneering television cookery programmes decades before they came to clog up our TV channels on a daily basis.