All travelers dream of visiting this country, because France is diverse and amazing. Absolutely everything is attractive in it: world fashion shows and gourmet restaurants, fashionable resorts and the seas of France, historical masterpieces and architectural sights. Geographically, the country is similar to a pentagon, each corner of which is especially beautiful. When asked which sea washes France, geography experts will answer that four water spaces fall under this category at once: the Atlantic, the English Channel, as well as the Mediterranean and North Seas.
beach holiday
When asked which seas in France are suitable for summer holidays, the answer is obvious - the Mediterranean. It is here that the famous resorts worthy of millionaires and movie stars are located: Nice and Antibes, Cannes and Saint-Tropez. However, mere mortals can also afford a week or two of entertainment on the Cote d'Azur, because French resorts offer hotels and restaurants for every taste and income.
For those who prefer the ocean wave and enjoying the measured rumble of the Atlantic, it is best to book a hotel room in the Biarritz resort. The beauty of the ocean coast, combined with the healing air and the charm of mountain landscapes, make this French city a favorite resort for romantics. Biarritz is also famous for its thalassotherapy centers and spas. The optimal time for comfortable swimming in the local ocean waves is July and August, when the water temperature approaches +23 degrees. The season lasts at the French ocean resort until early October.
Strait-sleeve
It is the “sleeve” that means, translated from French, the name of the English Channel between France and Great Britain. It connects the Atlantic with the North Sea, stretching for 578 kilometers. Its minimum width is 32 kilometers, and under its part, called the Pas de Calais, a tunnel was laid between British Dover and French Calais. Many interesting facts are connected with the English Channel:
- The tunnel under the strait has a total length of 52 kilometers.
- The Englishman Matthew Webb first swam across the English Channel in 1875. It took him not so much time to do this - 21 hours 45 minutes.
- The water temperature in the strait, even in summer, does not exceed +18 degrees, usually +15.
- The record time to swim across the water barrier between France and Great Britain is just under seven hours.
France is, without a doubt, one of the most interesting countries not only in Europe but throughout the world. Therefore, it is not surprising that about 80 million tourists visit France every year, who are interested in local attractions, beach resorts on the Cote d'Azur, as well as upscale ski resorts. For each of these tourists, France is not only an “eternally cute image”, as the Russian poet Nikolai Gumilyov thought about this country, but also an amazing vacation.
Geography of France
France is located in Western Europe. To the north, the English Channel ("English Channel") separates France from Great Britain. France borders Spain and Andorra in the southwest, Switzerland and Italy in the southeast, and Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium in the northeast. In the West, the coast of France is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and in the south by the Mediterranean Sea.
France also includes 5 overseas territories (the islands of Guadeloupe, Mayotte, Martinique, Reunion, and Guiana in South America), as well as overseas communities (St. Barthelemy, St. Maarten, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia ), and overseas territories with special status (Clipperton, New Caledonia and the French Southern and Antarctic Territories).
The total area of France in Europe is 547,030 sq. km., including the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea. If we take into account the French overseas territories, then the area of France is 674,843 square kilometers.
France's landscape is very diverse, ranging from the coastal plains in the north and west, to the Alps in the southeast, the Massif Central, and the Pyrenees in the southwest. The highest peak in France is Mont Blanc in the Alps (4810 m).
Several large (Seine, Loire, Garron and Rhone) and hundreds of small rivers flow through France.
Approximately 27% of the territory of France is occupied by forests.
Capital
The capital of France is Paris, which is now home to more than 2.3 million people. According to archaeological finds, on the site of modern Paris, a settlement of people (Celts) existed already in the 3rd century BC.
Official language
The official language in France is French, which belongs to the Romance group of the Indo-European language family.
Religion
About 65% of the population of France are Catholics, adherents of the Roman Catholic Church. However, only about 4.5% of French Catholics go to church every week (or more often).
In addition, about 4% of the French population are Muslims, and 3% are Protestants.
State structure of France
According to the Constitution of 1958, France is a parliamentary republic in which the head of state is the President.
The source of legislative power is the bicameral Parliament, consisting of the National Assembly and the Senate. The legislative powers of the Senate are limited, and the National Assembly has the final vote.
The main political parties in France are the Socialist Party and the Union for a Popular Movement.
Climate and weather
In general, the climate of France can be divided into three main climatic zones:
- Oceanic climate in the west;
- Mediterranean climate in the south and southeast (Provence, Languedoc-Roussillon and the island of Corsica);
- Continental climate in the central regions of the country and in the east.
In the southeast of France, in the Alps, the climate is alpine. Winter in the mountains of France, including the Massif Central and the Pyrenees, is cold, often with heavy snowfalls.
Average air temperature in Paris:
- January - +3С
- February - +5С
- March - +9С
- April - +10C
- May - +15С
- June - +18C
- July - +19C
- August - +19C
- september - +17C
- october - +13C
- November - +7C
- December - +5С
Seas and oceans
The coast of France is washed by the Mediterranean Sea in the south, and the Atlantic Ocean in the west.
The average temperature of the Mediterranean Sea near Nice ("Cote d'Azur"):
- January - +13C
- February - +12С
- March - +13С
- April - +14C
- May - +17C
- June - +20С
- July - +22С
- August - +22С
- september - +21C
- october - +18C
- November - +15С
- december - +14C
Rivers and lakes
On the European territory of France, there are 119 rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The largest rivers in France are the Seine, Loire, Garron and Rhone.
Lakes in France are not very large, but very beautiful. The largest of them are Bourget, Egblett and Annecy.
History of France
People on the territory of modern France appeared 10 thousand years ago. Around the VI century BC. on the Mediterranean coast of France, colonies of the Phoenicians and ancient Greeks were formed. Later, the territory of modern France was settled by Celtic tribes. In the era of Ancient Rome, France was called Gaul. In the middle of the 1st century BC. Most of Gaul was conquered by Gaius Julius Caesar.
In the 5th century AD the Frankish tribes invaded France, which formed their empire in the 8th century (this was done by Charlemagne, who took the title of Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire).
In the X century, the Vikings began to raid the coast of France, gradually colonizing Normandy. From 987, the kings of France were from the Capetian family, and from 1328 - Valois.
During the Middle Ages, France waged constant wars with its neighbors, gradually expanding its territory. So, in 1337, the so-called. The "Hundred Years War" between France and England, as a result of which the British were expelled from French lands (only the port of Calais remained behind them). During the Hundred Years War, Joan of Arc became famous.
In the middle of the 16th century, under the influence of the Protestant Reformation, the teachings of John Calvin began to spread in France, which led to a long-term civil war. The Edict of Nantes in 1598 granted French Protestants (Huguenots) equal rights with Catholics.
As a result of the French Revolution (1789-94), the monarchy was abolished in France and a republic was proclaimed. However, after some time, the dictatorship of Napoleon Bonaparte was established in France. Under Napoleon Bonaparte, France extended its power over almost all European countries. In 1815, after the defeat at Waterloo, the empire of Napoleon Bonaparte was liquidated.
In the 20th century, France took an active part in all two world wars, suffering millions of human losses in them. After the Second World War in 1946-1958 in France there was a so-called. "Fourth Republic", and in 1958, after the adoption of the Constitution, the "Fifth Republic" was established.
Now France is part of the NATO military bloc and is a member of the EU.
culture
The history of France has many hundreds of years, and therefore the French, of course, have a very rich culture, which had a great influence on the cultures of other peoples.
Thanks to France, the world received a large number of brilliant writers, artists, philosophers and scientists:
- Literature (Pierre Beaumarchais, Alexandre Dumas père, Anatole France, Victor Hugo, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Anne Golon, Jules Verne, and Georges Simenon);
- Art (Jean-Antoine Watteau, Delacroix, Degas, and Jean Paul Cezanne);
- Philosophy (Rene Descartes, Blaise Pascal, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Comte, Henri Bergson, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre).
Every year, France celebrates a wide variety of folk festivals and carnivals. The most popular carnival takes place every year in March, welcoming spring.
French Cuisine
The French have always been proud of their art of cooking. Now French cuisine is considered the most diverse and sophisticated in the world.
Each region of France has its own special culinary tradition. So, in the north-west of the country in Brittany pancakes with cider are popular, in Alsace (near the border with Germany) they often make “la choucroute” (stewed cabbage with pieces of sausage), in the Loire Valley they eat a special dish of fish Lotte (monk fish) , which is found only in the Loire River. Seafood dishes (mussels, clams, oysters, shrimp, squid) are very popular on the coast of France.
In some regions of France, exotic dishes are prepared for you and me - snails in garlic and oil, as well as frog legs in sauce.
France is famous for its wines. Winemaking in France dates back to around the 6th century BC. In the Middle Ages, French wines from Burgundy, Champagne and Bordeaux became known throughout Europe. Now wine is produced in almost every region of France.
Sights of France
A person who has been to France can probably talk for hours about its sights, because this country has a very rich history. The top ten attractions in France, in our opinion, include the following:
Cities and resorts
The largest French cities are Paris, Marseille, Toulouse, Lyon, Bordeaux, and Lille.
France is washed by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The total coastline of mainland France is 3,427 kilometers. On the southeastern coast of France (this is the Mediterranean Sea) is the famous "Côte d'Azur" (French Riviera), where tourists can relax in popular beach resorts. The most famous of them are Nice, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Hyères, Ile-du-Levent, and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
In winter, hundreds of thousands of tourists come to France to ski in the local ski resorts.
Top 10 best French ski resorts:
- Brides-les-Bains (Bride Le Bains)
- Argentière (Argentière)
- Les Arcs (Les Arcs)
- Meribel
- Tignes (Tignes)
- Saint Martin de Belleville
- Paradiski (Paradiski)
- Courchevel (Courchevel)
- Alpe d "Huez (Alpe d'Huez)
- Val d "Isère (Val d" Isère)
Souvenirs/Shopping
Tourists from France usually bring various souvenirs with the image of the Eiffel Tower. However, we advise you to buy scarves and ties, chocolate, coffee cups, lavender tea (made in Provence), Dijon mustard (there are 50 types of this mustard), French perfumes, French wine in France.
Office Hours
It's probably no secret that all travelers associate a beach holiday in France with fabulously expensive resorts, available only to the cream of society. In part, there is some truth in this, but still there is also a place for budget tourists on the shores of France. Then we must not forget that as many as 270 beaches of the French Riviera have prestigious Blue Flags, and this undoubtedly indicates their environmental friendliness and well-groomed.
If we talk about the Cote d'Azur in France, then this refers to the southeastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, which stretches for almost three hundred kilometers from the city of Toulon to the Italian Riviera. The most famous resorts here are Juan-les-Pins and nearby Côte d'Azur-Antibes. Of course, a huge number of tourists come here every year, but the beach here is a narrow strip on which restaurants are also located.
The complete opposite of these resorts is Cannes, which is not only considered the European capital of cinema, but also a beautiful resort with wide sandy beaches, which is not typical of the French Riviera. Then, of course, Nice is very popular here - a city with a well-developed infrastructure and a lot of all kinds of entertainment. But only the beaches here are pebbly, but the sea is very clean.
Next, it is worth mentioning the resorts of Normandy, which are located in the northwestern part of the country. They are literally a few hours away from Paris. Right on the coast of the famous English Channel is the well-kept small town of Deauville, which is rightfully considered the most popular and respectable resort in Normandy. But not every traveler can afford to rest here, because here are the most luxurious hotels, the most luxurious beaches and the most respectable restaurants.
Also, do not forget about the resorts of Corsica. A typical local landscape is cozy bays and wide picturesque bays framed by mighty rocks. Connoisseurs of beautiful nature certainly adore the Sangin (Bloody) Islands here. This truly magical place is located in the vicinity of the city where Napoleon was born - Ajaccio.
With its unusual name, the Sangin Islands should be grateful for the surprisingly crimson color in which they are painted at sunset. The most popular resort here is Porticcio, where there are beautiful beaches, sapphire sea and a typically French atmosphere of elegant sophistication and luxury.
Well, do not forget about the resorts of Brittany, which is good for its many cozy coves that are hidden from prying eyes between the rocks. They are recognized as the most beautiful in France and lovers of solitude may not find the best places to relax. Brittany is also considered a real paradise for fans of water sports.
We can say that in almost every even the smallest coastal town you can find a boat station, and there you can already rent a motor boat or a sailboat. In addition, there are a lot of yacht clubs, diving schools and surfing centers. The endless beaches of Brittany and ancient towns are perfect for a romantic getaway, because it is not for nothing that the Loire River Delta, where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, is called the Coast of Love.
The sea coast of France stretches for more than 3 thousand kilometers and at the moment remains one of the most popular summer tourist destinations in the world.
Beach resorts in France are very popular with travelers and tourists due to their prestige and unforgettable charm.
In addition to their fame, French seaside resorts are also famous for their wonderful scenery and mild subtropical climate.
The gloomy cliffs of Brittany, the long ridges of the dunes of the Atlantic, the amazing beaches and bays of the Mediterranean, the wonderful coast of Corsica and the southeastern Cote d'Azur (French Riviera), annually attract millions of tourists from all over the world.
The status of the "Blue Flag" (beach environmental symbol) has been assigned to 300 beaches on all coasts of France.
Coasts and main beach resorts in France:
mediterranean coast – Cote d'Azur (Nice , Cannes , Antibes , Juan-les-Pins , Saint Tropez);
Atlantic coast – region of Aquitaine (Biarritz), Brittany region (Saint Malo , Dinar , Quiberon , La Baule), Normandy region (Deauville, Trouville-sur-Mer, Honfleur);
Atlantic coast of France
The Atlantic coast of France is known all over the world due to the presence of luxurious sandy beaches, but at the same time, the main disadvantage of this area is the problem of ebbs and flows: in certain areas the sea can go up to 1 kilometer from the coast.
Biarritz is one of the most popular resorts on the entire Atlantic coast. The beautiful sandy beaches of Biarritz stretch from two rocky ledges - Cape Saint-Martin and the Atalay plateau to the prestigious northern beach of Chambre d'Amour (rooms of love).
The sea beaches of Brittany are especially charming in small coves hidden from view among the numerous rocks. But the level of the sea (water) changes here quite often and quite noticeably.
It is for this reason that tourists try to swim at high tide, and at low tide to collect shells and crabs, which the sea, retreating, leaves on the shore. As a rule, the most powerful tides are in the northern part of Brittany. The sand on the beaches of Brittany has an amazing ability to "tighten".
French Riviera (Cote d "Azur in France)
Sandy beaches are located to the west of Nice (Cannes, Antibes, Juan-les-Pins, Saint-Tropez), while in Nice itself and further towards Italy they are pebbly. The beaches of the Cote d'Azur differ significantly from the Atlantic coast, for the most part they are small, the maximum width of which is 30-40 meters.
On the Cote d'Azur, all beaches have the status of municipal recreation areas. However, about once every 5 years, some beaches are raffled off at auctions. Hotels or just rich citizens (that is, those who are engaged in this business) who won the auction receive part of the beach area for temporary use (rent) and, as a result, entrance to it becomes paid (about 20 euros per day).
However, it is worth noting that paid beaches have a number of advantages, namely: the cost of a day visit to the beach includes the use of a sunbed, umbrella, mattress and shower. For example, nearby free beaches do not have such equipment, plus there is always a huge number of people. In Nice, all luxury hotels provide their guests with a 50% discount on the use of a paid beach.
The Côte d'Azur also includes the world famous resort city of Monte Carlo, which is definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in these places.
The Cote d "Azur" or the French Riviera is perhaps the most famous region of France, stretching along the entire western part of the Mediterranean coast from Toulon to the Italian border.
This territory, which does not have a clear administrative division, protected from the northern winds by the foot of the Alps and the Mercantour mountain range, is considered the best resort in France.
The resort town of Cannes
The world-famous resort town of Cannes, which is still more correctly called Cannes, is located in the western part of French Riviera, on the shore of Napul Bay.
This city is full of various festivals and architectural monuments, as well as luxurious coastal hotels, magnificent sandy beaches, churches, chapels and old houses.
France is a great country for tourism. Its cultural heritage is simply huge, the nature is beautiful, perhaps that is why the rest in those places has acquired colossal proportions. Seaside holidays are especially popular in France, as its shores stretch for more than three thousand kilometers. The most famous area is the famous Côte d'Azur, which embodies all the perfection of the coast. A trip to these places, in order to get acquainted with the main treasure of the country, is the dream of every tourist from any country in the world. There are a lot of resorts marked with a blue flag - a symbol of the exceptional quality of beaches and water. An important factor is a pleasant climatic picture, where the temperature in winter is about ten degrees above zero, and in summer - 25. The length of local beaches is 40 kilometers, and the coastline is extremely beautiful. Maybe that's why different people of art were drawn there so much, who wanted to create real masterpieces. Local colorful landscapes pushed them to search for new forms and themes. By the way, the local resort area has an excellently developed infrastructure. You can fly here in a very short time by plane from the capital, or come by train. The Cote d'Azur of France is a very beautiful, albeit expensive, vacation.
Just think what kind of sea in France - beauty and tranquility
Then you can go to the rocky beaches of Brittany. The granite shores of these places are indented with bays, you can see a lot of rocks and islands rising straight from the water. Maritime humid climate, often overcast days, during which a strong west wind blows ... But it is cooler here - in July the average temperature is only 17 degrees. The climate is very mild, so various herbs and trees constantly grow here. A large number of different attractions in nearby cities attract history buffs to these places.
Corsica is very pleasant in terms of sea holidays - a beautiful island on which Napoleon was born at one time. Corsica enchants with its fabulous landscapes. Mass of bays and bays, amazing mountains, lush chestnut groves and beautiful beaches.
This is a wonderful place where umbrella pines, red rocks and purest soft sand await you. This evergreen emerald island has a very mild climate. And there are no sharp temperature changes at all. It is advisable to sail there by ship, then it will be possible to consider in detail the beauties of the coast. Picturesque shores, bizarre rocks and exotic plants will surely appeal to all fans of a good beautiful holiday. Local cuisine can offer various, sometimes quite peculiar dishes, a large number of seafood and wines of different varieties.
Coasts of France
French beach holidays are wonderful. Of course, most go to the Mediterranean coast first, because the Cote d'Azur is famous. Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Juan-les-Pins - now resorts are everywhere, where the climate is very mild, the water is clean, the nature is beautiful. Infrastructure everywhere is at the highest level.
Cannes has one peculiarity - since most of the hotels located there are located on the first coastline, a fair amount of local beaches are categorized as paid ones. Antibes and Juan les Pens have a lot of sandy beaches that are surrounded by pine forests. As for Nice, the beaches next to it are pebbly, although their strip is quite wide. But the water in this area is truly clear and blue.
It is noteworthy that the Mediterranean beaches are not so interesting to the French, as they are already overloaded with tourists of all stripes. In addition, a large number of pebbles and the small width of the beaches make them cramped. In the seaside resorts of France, you can actually improve your health, as various healing procedures are offered here.
It is France that is the birthplace of thalassotherapy, and now, of course, there are dozens of such centers that help solve a variety of problems with rheumatism and pain in the spine. The cool maritime climate on the Atlantic coast will certainly appeal to those who do not like the heat. True, the swimming season here is not so long - it goes here for only three summer months. Holidays at sea in France are very pleasant and healthy, its beaches can be considered the best place for wellness treatments.
