Year: 2013

Dijon has always been one of the most historic and elegant cities in France. For a couple of centuries it was the capital of the hugely rich and influential Duchy of Burgundy – often outshining France’s royal court. It was not bombed by either side …

The Loire is one of the great river valleys of France and it’s been highly popular from the 16th kings – like Francis the 1st -on down to 21st century tourists. The countryside is agriculturally rich and almost littered with beautiful castles yo…

Nantes is an elegant trading city forty miles inland from the Atlantic and on the wide River Loire. It’s got loads of traditional history and fine shopping but it’s also home to a modern wonder of the world … a forty tonnes mechanical elephant whi…

The Lot Valley is one of the least developed areas of France. This is what they call La France profonde … “Deep France” There are many medieval towns to visit, lively local markets and two great attractions … the Millau Viaduct which is the tall…

Honfleur is one of the prettiest fishing ports in France. The harbour is lined with centuries-old, slate-fronted houses and restaurants. There’s lots of history here, many excellent art galleries and fish restaurants galore. 3.5 million people visit H…

Vienna is one of Europe’s most impressive cities. It’s monumental architecture was mainly built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but there is also an old medieval district around the cathedral – the Stephansdom. We’ll …

St Petersburg is one of the world’s most historically important cities. For decades under the Soviet Union it was called Leningrad – because this is where the Communist Russian Revolution began. It was besieged for nine hundred days by the N…

Guerande is a historic walled town in southern Brittany with lots of fascinating things to see in the town and with old Roman salt pans, still in use, and a brilliant, natural, marshy region close to town.When GPS tour is ended, please, look at the list…

Calais is often seen by tourists as nothing more than an entry or exit point from France. That’s sad because it has so much to offer … its famous red brick town hall with the Rodin sculpture of the Burghers of Calais in front of it… World War II h…

Bayeux is one of the most historic cities in northern France. It was first big town liberated by the Allies after the D-Day invasion in World War II. But Bayeux had a glorious history stretching back centuries before it was very briefly General De Gaull…

Caen was the historic capital of Normandy. It was from here that William the Bastard launched his invasion of England in 1066 and so became William the Conqueror. It has a historic castle, many fine church buildings and a fun, modern heart.When GPS tour…

St Malo is one of France’s most unique cities. The historic part lies within powerful defensive walls.. and it’s called Intra Muros from the Latin. St Malo is on a beautiful stretch of coast with some of France’s finest fish and shellfish. It was …

Marseille is by far the biggest city in the south of France and it has an ancient history and vigorous present. It’s near neighbour Aix en Provence has a much gentler, more cultured feel – so in this two-week trip we’ll explore coastal Marseille, …

The Dordogne is legendary for its beauty and its history. The river meanders through rich farming country with ancient fortress towns and castled villages everywhere. It’s a rich area for outstanding cuisine too, based mainly on duck … done a dozen …

One of the world’s most remarkable and beautiful palace –. Peterhof was terribly damaged during the Second World War but now is largely back to its pristine condition when it was built.  Peterhof is about 25 kms west of SPb, on the Gulf…