The Great Tours: France through the Ages

Begin by contemplating the French art de vivre (“art of living”), and the timeless appeal that makes France the world’s most visited tourist destination. Take an overview of your upcoming journey across the rich cultural landscape of France, and learn about the iconic figure of Charles de Gaulle. Finish with an aerial view over Paris, and a first look at its beloved monuments.

Mine the layers of history that reveal how Paris evolved from an ancient settlement on the Seine to a Roman city and then the capital of France. Learn about medieval Paris through the Cluny Museum, the great cathedral of Notre Dame, and the royal chapel of Sainte-Chapelle. Follow the growth of Paris and its architectural treasures through the Renaissance, and the reign of Louis XIV.

Discover the remarkable palace of Versailles as the self-contained world of Louis XIV, the “Sun King.” Note how the landscaping surrounding the palace symbolizes features of Louis’s reign, and how the Versailles court prized royal spectacle and appearances. Take account of Louis’s patronage of the arts, and how he and his successor built extravagant private residences within the palace grounds.

Examine the social, intellectual, and political background of the French Revolution of 1789. Visit key locations in Paris where the events unfolded, from a legendary coffee house to the site of the Bastille prison and the Place de la Concorde. Then map the turbulent epoch of Napoleon, and witness the lasting impact of his rule on both the look of Paris and the features of French society.

In your journey to the first of France’s diverse regions, begin at the city of Rheims, and chart the fortunes of its glorious and historic cathedral. Learn about the beverage that gives this region its name, and about some of the area’s great champagne producers. Visit the cemeteries and memorials that poignantly commemorate World War I, and a small town that is central to French identity.

Travel now to the northern French coast, where three dramatic events in world history took place. Learn first about the 1066 Norman invasion of England, and the role of the famous Bayeux Tapestry. Then visit Dunkerque (Dunkirk), site of the massive evacuation of Allied troops during World War II, and finally the beaches of Normandy, where the D-Day invasion of Nazi-held Europe unfolded.