FRANCE AND THE LOW COUNTRIES

FRANCE AND THE LOW COUNTRIES

France and the Low Countries at a Glance

FRANCE DOMINATES the northwest of continental Europe. To the northeast of France lie Belgium and the Netherlands, known as the Low Countries because they occupy flat plains and land reclaimed from the sea. South of Belgium is the tiny state of Luxembourg. France has some of Europe's greatest attractions, notably the culture and nightlife of Paris. Visitors often choose to tour just one or two of the country's regions: the mountains of the Alps or the Pyrenees, one of the historic wine-growing areas, or the warm south. Belgium and the Netherlands have many historic cities full of fine museums and art galleries. Visiting these countries can be rewarding because all the major sights lie within easy reach of each other.

Paris (see pp150-71), France's capital, is a city of distinctive districts. Montmartre, the hilltop artists' quarter, is dominated by the Sacré Coeur.

● Cherbourg

St. Malo ●

● Rennes

■ PARIS

● Chartres

● Orléans

The Loire Valley (see pp176-9) is one of France's most popular regions for touring. It is dotted with magnificent châteaux, built by kings and nobles during the Renaissance. One of the finest is Chenonceau.

Nantes ●

FRANCE (See pp144-217)

● Limoges

● Clermont Ferrand

● Bordeaux

Southwest France (see pp188-9) has a huge variety of attractions, from the peaks of the Pyrenees to Atlantic seaside resorts such as Biarritz and the world-famous vineyards of Bordeaux (see p186).

● Biarritz

● Toulouse

A field of poppies in northeast France, where the battles of World War I were fought

NETHERLANDS

(See pp244-271)

● AMSTERDAM

LOCATOR MAP

Amsterdam (see pp248-59)

is a unique city, criss-crossed

by canals, its relaxed atmos-

phere a refreshing change

from Europe's other traffic-

clogged capital cities.

● BRUSSELS

BELGIUM AND

LUXEMBOURG

(See pp218-243)

● LUXEMBOURG CITY

Brussels (see pp222-9),

the capital of Belgium,

thrives as the head-

quarters of the European

Union. The Grand Place,

with its soaring Gothic

town hall, is one of

Europe's most

spectacular squares.

● Reims

● Nancy

● Strasbourg

● Troyes

● Dijon

● Besancon

● Clermont-Ferrand

Dijon (see pp184-5) flourished in the Middle Ages under the powerful dukes of Burgundy. The former palace where the dukes held court now houses the prestigious Musée des Beaux Arts, with its rich collection of art and sculpture.

● Lyon

● Grenoble

The South of France

(see pp190-97) is one

of the traditional

playgrounds of

Europe's rich and

famous, where grand

hotels, luxury yachts,

and pristine beaches

contrast with picturesque

old fishing ports.

Cannes ●

● Marseille

FRANCE

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THE BEST ADVOCATES for visiting France are the French themselves, convinced as they are that their way of life is best, and their country the most civilized on earth, The food and wine are justly celebrated, while French literature art, cinema, and architecture can be both profound and provocative, France is a country that stimulates the intellect and gratifies the senses.

France belongs to both northern and southern Europe regions ranging from Brittany, with its  encompassing Celtic maritime heritage, and Germanic Alsace-Lorraine to the Mediterranean sunbelt and the peaks of the Alps and Pyrenees. The capital Paris, is the country's linchpin, with its intellectual excitement, intense tempo of life, and notoriously brusque citizens.

Strangely,

as life in France becomes

more City-based and industrialized, SO

the desire grows to

safeguard the old,

traditional ways and to value rural life

The idea of life in the country

-

douceur de vivre (the Good Life). long

tables set in the sun for the wine and

anecdotes to flow - is as seductive as

ever for residents and visitors alike,

Nevertheless, the rural way of life has

been changing. Whereas in 1945 one

person in three worked in farming,

today it is only one in 16. France's main

exports used to be luxury goods such as 

perfumes, Champagne, and Cognac;

today these have been overtaken by

cars, telecommunications equipment,

and fighter aircraft. The French remain

firmly committed to their roots, however, 

and often keep a place in the

country for vacations or their retirement.

    HISTORY

Though famous for the rootedness of

its peasant population, France has also

been a European melting pot, from

the arrival of the Celtic Gauls in the

1st millennium BC, through to the

Mediterranean immigrations of the

20th century. Roman conquest by

Julius Caesar had an enduring impact

but, from the 4th and 5th centuries AD,

Germanic invaders destroyed much of

the Roman legacy. The Franks

provided political leadership in the

following centuries, but when their

line died out in the late 10th century,

France was politically fragmented.