Next, I will continue to introduce several exquisite French towns that you may not be familiar with, and see which one is your favorite.
Western France
【Loire Valley】
The Loire region has always been known as the "Garden of France", but it is impossible to visit all 21 castles in the Loire Valley in one go. If you have two days, you can stay in Tours and visit several castles around. In this way, you don’t need to change hotels. Frequent luggage changes are the most taboo thing for long-distance travel. Here are two castles that are most worth visiting.
Chambord Castle People often say that if you can only visit one castle in France, then go to Chambord Castle. Chambord Castle is the most majestic and broad castle in the French Renaissance. It is the most magnificent castle in the Loire Valley and even in France. It is a perfect combination of the French medieval heritage and the innovative architecture of the Italian Renaissance. The castle is located in more than 1,000 hectares of forest. The beautiful natural scenery and its gorgeous appearance are perfectly integrated, which is shocking. The most famous thing about the castle is the double spiral staircase in the hall. It is said that this was designed by Leonardo da Vinci, and the purpose was to avoid the embarrassment of meeting François's queen and his lovers when going up and down the stairs.
Transportation: Therefore, to go to Chambord Castle, you can take a train from Tours to Blois, and then take a bus from Blois. After leaving the train station, there is a bus waiting area on the left. From April to September, during the peak tourist season, there will be buses shuttling between Blois and Chambord every day. The bus to Chambord Castle is No. 2, which has 4 buses per day from Monday to Thursday and only one bus per day on Sunday.
If you think public transportation is too troublesome, you can of course choose to drive there. For friends who have limited time but want to see more castles, you can choose a chartered car day trip from Paris, which can generally see 3 castles.
【Chenonceau Castle】
Chenonceau Castle is the only castle built on water in the Loire Valley. Because it is more delicate than other castles, and since it was built by Madame Catherine Brissonnet in 1513, most of the castle's owners were wives at the time, so people are used to calling it "the castle of ladies". In addition to the exquisite appearance, the interior of the castle is also perfect, with exquisite and elegant rooms, luxurious furniture, and paintings by many famous masters such as Murillo, Tintoretto, Nicolas Poussin, Correggio, Rubens, Palimathis, and Van Loo, which will amaze you again and again.
Transportation: Take a train directly from Tours to Chenonceaux, which takes half an hour. The Chenonceau train station is so small that there are only two platforms on both sides of the railway, as if it was specially set up for the castle. You can see the sign of the castle on the platform, and follow the boulevard all the way to the cabin at the ticket office.
【Saint-Emilion】
Saint-Emilion is one of the most famous wine producing areas among Bordeaux wine producers. This beautiful stone town surrounded by vineyards is a miracle given by God to the world and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The most famous historical site in the town is an underground church with an amazing maze of underground passages. It is said that this is where Emilion once lived, and there are washbasins and beds. However, it is not allowed to visit alone here. You need to go to the tourist center to follow the tour group. This is also an important filming location for the movie "Love". In this golden rural town, the quiet cobblestone alleys are as dense as spider webs. Xu Jinglei and Li Yapeng ran away holding hands in the alleys here.
There are dozens of wineries around Saint-Emilion where you can visit and taste wine. Contact the winery one day in advance and visit at the agreed time. Reference website: *** It should be noted that some wineries have fixed visits and limited places; some wineries are more casual. You only need to discuss the time to go. The winery will have someone waiting and then lead the tour. If you think it is troublesome to make an appointment with the winery, or if you can't drive there by yourself and the transportation is inconvenient, you can also choose to join a group tour. There are many one-day and half-day groups starting from Bordeaux.
Transportation: It takes about 22 minutes from Bordeaux Station to Saint-Emilion Station, and it is about 1.5 kilometers from the station to the town center.
If you drive there, you can also go to the Pyla Dune in Arcachon, which is also the filming location of the movie "Love".
Summary
In general, an in-depth tour of France is Paris plus your favorite urban elements and surrounding towns. If you like the seaside, it is recommended to go to the south of France. If you like history, it is recommended to go to the Loire Valley and Normandy. If you like mountains, waters and lakes, you must not miss Annecy. If you like wine, you can choose to go to Bordeaux. In addition to the towns listed above, there are many other famous towns in France, such as Arles, the sunflower town of Van Gogh in Provence, Aix, the lavender town, Chamonix, the ski resort, Grasse, the perfume town on the Cote d'Azur, and Antibes, the art town that gave Picasso rich inspiration...