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Its worth taking the time to discover
Nice in depth : wander at random through
the narrow streets of the old town and
then stroll along the famous "Promenade"
before entering into the heart of the
city with its rich architectural and
cultural heritage and its parks and
gardens.
Nice has a total of 19 museums and
galleries, 32 classified historical
monuments and 300 ha of parks and
gardens, woodland and green areas in
addition to 150 ornamental lakes and
fountains
IN OLD-NICE
Whilst wandering through the old town,
take a look at the "ogival arches" above
some of the shops, dating back to
medieval times. They have been carefully
restored, especially in the Rue du Pont
Vieux and Rue de la Préfecture. You can
also see many examples of stone lintels
on the facades of private houses
Le PALAIS de JUSTICE
(Place du Palais)
Law courts built in neo-classical style
at the end of the last century. The
courthouse annex occupies Caserne Rusca,
former barracks accross the square. A
pleasant pedestrian area separates the
two buildings.
• Le PALAIS de la PRÉFECTURE
(Rue de la Préfecture)
Formerly the "Palais Royal", built at
the begininng of the 17th century to
accomodate the Governors and Princes of
Savoy when they came to stay in Nice.
After Nice was reunified with the rest
of France in 1860, the building became
the headquarters of the "Préfecture des
Alpes-Maritimes". Since the inauguration
of the new administrative centre to the
west of Nice, it has been home to the
President of the General Council and the
Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes. At n° 18
rue de la Préfecture, there is a very
fine house dating back to the 16th
century.
• L'OPÉRA
(Rue Saint-François de Paule)
Today's Opera House was built on the
site of the former municipal theatre,
destroyed by fire in 1881. Inuagurated
in 1885, it is a typical example of
Second Empire architecture
IN THE CITY CENTRE
• ANGLICAN CHURCH
(11, rue de la Buffa)
The Anglican church has been a part of
the history of Nice since 1820, when the
cemetery first opened. The church itself
was built in 1860, at the time Nice
became French, in the 19th-century
Neogothic style. The interior is
particularly lovely (open all day, every
day of the week).
• La PLACE MASSÉNA
The heart of the city ! On the northern
side, elagant buildings in a rich red
colour, to the East, a perspective
towards Tuscany style hillsides.
• Le JARDIN ALBERT 1ER
Built over two seperate periods towards
the end of the last century when the
riveir Paillon was covered over, these
public gardens now extend beyond Place
Masséna. A vast area for lesiurely walks
and relaxation, with a bandstand and
concert arena. On the central lawn an
immense and audacious sculpture cannot
go unnoticed : "l’Arc" by Bernar Venet.
MARSEILLE
2600 years of tradition
Marseille is true to its traditions ans
love of merrymaking
Over the centuries Marseille has
preserved its traditiions and unique
lifestyle.
Marseille invites you to take a walk
down the legendary Canebière, to stroll
around the Old Harbour with its fish
market and take a ride on the famous
ferry-boat.
As the capital of soap-making and the
home of the world-famous santons (Christmas
crib figures representing well-known
figures in Provencal life).
Marseille holds festivals all year round,
such as the boat-shaped biscuits known
as navettes eaten at Candlemas, the
Carnival, the Garlic fair, the feast of
Saint-Eloi, waterjousting at l'Esaque,
the Kite-flying Festival and the Santon
fair.
Real lovers of popular tradition will be
enthralled by the Musée du Terroir
Marseillais de Château-Gombert (Marseille
Museum of Folk Culture) at Château-Gombert.
History and geography go hand in hand.
An excellent place for human settlement
for the past 28 000 years (as attested
by the wall paintings in the Cosquer
Cave), Marseille now has grown into a
metropolis of 807 000 inhabitants
Corseted by a ring of hills, including
the Calanques massif, the city winds 57
km along the Mediterranean coast.
Sunshine is one of the strong assets of
its pleasant lifestyle, and the Mistral
wind gives it that special light that
has inspired many renowned painters such
as Cézanne, Braque, Dufy, Derain,
Marquet and others
BOURDEAUX
The Country of BOURDEAUX it is: A
made ground of contrasts and lights,
assoiffées stones, marls, of under wood
and garrigues with thymes and lavenders,
of treasures which you will be able to
unearth. A small corner of paradise of
Préalpes Drômoises between Vercors and
Provence
A country with a historical print,
with the landscapes marked by
Protestantism. An inheritance makes in
filigree some makes of a scientist mixes
tolerance of rigour and opening. An
incentive with the discovery! An ECRIN
where nothing is there by chance but by
the force of time, the seasons and the
vital needs for those which lived in
this combe, in top of this Poët *, where
in this Viale *, and of those which live
there and which continues to make live
this country with harmony.
PAYS DE FALAISE
Come and discover an authentic local
Region, full of charm and serenity. It
is waiting for you, easily accessible
between the Pays d’Auge and the Suisse
Normande, and only 45 minutes from the
sea.
You will see its countryside :
plains where fields wheat and flax grow,
interspersed with natural fault lines,
green valleys where many rivers flow.
Thanks to the superb natural environment
here, leisure activities abound. For
those who like to push themselves:
canoeing, paragliding, mountain-biking,
clay pigeon shooting and gliding.
The richness of the region’s
architectural heritage will surprise you
by its diversity: here a chapel restored
by a Japanese artist, there a country
church decorated with Romanesque
frescos, a rich balaquin (canopy),
strange Orant figures
TOULOUSE
From the Garonne to the Canal du Midi,
and from Saint Sernin to the Cité de
l'Espace, the many different faces of
Toulouse invite visitors to come on a
journey of discovery.
So accept the invitation offered and
come to Toulouse as a pilgrim to its
numerous churches, a student of the
history of art (or simply an art
enthusiast) to its museums and galleries,
a navigator on the Garonne, and an
expert on heavenly bodies to the Cité de
l'Espace.
And then, content and overwhelmed with
what you have seen, join our other
guests in having just one final wish -
to come back soon.
Heritage Treasures
Ever since the Garonne offered the
hospitality of its river banks to the
Tectosages, the city of Toulouse has,
with the passing centuries, become home
to a growing collection of monuments,
fine edifices and works of art, which
stand as witnesses of its diverse
culture and stimulate the curiosity of
its visitors.
Listen, observe, Toulouse is a city
proud of its past history which is all
around you
The Toulouse museums have moments of
intense pleasure in store for those who
are moved by the joy of discovery. Many
of them are in superb buildings and
their collections present a wide range
of different facets of History. Real
History. The History of Man, of Art, of
different cultures. Recently the ‘Abattoirs’,
a gallery devoted to modern and
contemporary art, has opened in
beautiful buildings created in the 19th
century by Urbain Vitry, a powerful and
enriching addition to an already
captivating and seductive array of
museums and galleries.
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