There are so many sights to view or explore in France that the traveler, even one with the most frugal of appetites for adventure and discovery, will need repeated visits, perhaps even a residency permit, to see but a few of those that France contains, displays and, on occasions, conceals.
First, there are the numerous natural landscapes, inherited from diverse geological formations and a varied geography. The ancient volcanoes of Auvergne in the center of the country are among some of those. But so are the rolling hills of the Jura and the "ballons" of the Vosges in the North... the limestone cliffs of the English Channel at Étretat... the marshlands of the Poitou region, on the West coast... the Pyrénées range in the South, with the crater of Gavarny... the estuary of the Rhône river - the Camargue - home to wild horses and wild bulls... the Calanches of Cassis, near Marseilles, and of Corsica, rocky inlets caressed by the warm ripples of the Mediterranean sea... the canyons of the Tarn and Verdon rivers in the South, a paradise for hikers and canoeists... the celebrated Provence, a preferred destination for many travelers... the high peaks of the Alps, in the East, including the Nature Park of Vercors... and so many regions yearning to be discovered, so many itineraries waiting to be explored.
Then, there are the sights shaped by history whose significance are often a legacy to the whole of humanity. The great prehistoric finds, for example, like the ones of the Dordogne valley where the Cro-Magnon man roamed some 15,000 years ago, or the smaller archeological digs, some open to volunteers, help us look into our distant past. There are the alignments of menhirs and dolmens in Brittany, which no one can conclusively explain... the canal du Midi, the 17th century engineering marvel, 400 kilometers of navigable network linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea through canals, rivers, bridges and tunnels... the landing beaches of Normandy, poignant memorial to the many lives lost in the first battles for the liberation of France from Nazi occupation.
Finally there are the natural preserves, over a hundred of them, the 7 National Parks and the 32 Regional Nature parks. Local tourist offices, the Fédération des Parcs Naturels, la fédération de protection de la nature, the French Hiking Federation and the Federation of National Forests have all made great strides in promoting eco-tourism, usually in conjunction with local inhabitants, businesses, and conservationists. This partnership has usually been quite successful at protecting nature against massive human encroachments and at giving the fauna, struggling for existence, a more favorable environment. In some parks, bears and wolves have now been re-introduced.
The Club for Nature and Discovery Tourism publishes a guide to holiday excursions and outdoor activities. It includes cycling, horseback riding, skiing, canoeing and kayaking tours, deep-sea diving and nature discovery excursions. This guide is available through the French Tourist Office, and should be available through your nearest French Embassy or Consulate.
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