France

The pleasant city (120,000 inhabitants) situated on the Mediterranean with a well worth seeing old town,... has Spanish, Catalan and French influences, which still can be found in today's cityscape. Perpignan was the capital of the Mallorcan kingdom from 1278-1344; bearing witness of this is the massive Palais des Rois de Majorque on the Puig del Rey hill in the south of the city. Behind the red brick walls of the citadelle, with which the castle was expanded, lies an enticing Mediterranean garden. The Place de la Loge with the bronze statue "Venus" (1918) from Aristide Maillol and the pink-colored marble tiles in the pedestrian area Rue de la Loge make up the lively city center. In the summer, the Sardana is danced several times a week. The richly adorned Gothic building of the Loge de la Mer was the headquarter of the maritime trade exchange more than 500 years ago. A ship at the facade reminds one of this period of time. Towards the west one reaches the Place Gambetta, where the Gothic cathedral St-Jean rises, the most important sacred building of the city. The main church, started in 1324, was sanctified in 1509. The considerable square tower with an iron bell cage (18th century) contains a bill bell from the 15th century. The single-aisled nave appears to be very majestic. Massive walls on the inside separate the chapels from one another. The wonderful retables from the 16th and 17th century are worth seeing. A white marble statue of John the Baptist, patron saint of the city, is located in the middle niche of the main altar. Reliquary shrines, behind bars, are presented at the back of the church. Not far from the church, going to the northwest, one reaches a landmark of the city: The gate construction Le Castillet dominates the Place de la Victoire with both its towers. The brick stone building, started in 1368, was expanded with a city gate in 1483. During the reign of Louis XI, Le Castillet protected the city from outside attacks and also kept the often riotous people in check. Today it is home to the Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires. Another great museum, the Musée Hyacinthe Rigaud, is situated in a grand city palace from the 17th century. The painter Hyacinthe Rigaud (1659-1743), born in Perpignan, was famous for his portraits. Next to these works of arts the Museum shows Gothic panel paintings from Catalonia and modern art, among them works from Maillol, Dufy and Picasso. more

Tall palm trees and enticing parks line the fantastic riverwalk La Croisette. Here and on its side streets,... splendid hotel palaces and exclusive boutiques, art galleries and movie theaters, bars and gourmet restaurants can be found. The Palais des Festival et des Congrès, where the famous Cannes Film Festival takes place, borders the west side of the Croisette, right at the harbor. From the Palais towards the east , almost parallel to the Croisette, runs the Esplanade Georges-Pompidou lined by gardens, offering a great view over the bay of La Napoule. The avenue of the stars is also located here, on which countless celebrities have eternalized themselves by putting their finger prints into the concrete slab. Along the palaces, like the famous luxurious hotel Carlton (1909, no. 58) on the one side and the colorful sun shades on the other side, you reach the east end of Croisette, where the yacht harbor and the promontory with its beautiful parks are located. The Casino Palm Ceach entices to gamble. more

Château de Versailles located in the same-named Parisian suburb is probably the best-known castle of... France. The splendid building has its origins in a small hunting lodge of Louis XIII, which Philibert Le Roy extended on the king’s behalf into a three-winged hunting castle in the style of the early French Baroque between 1631 and 1634. Louis XIV loved his father’s castle, and after he had taken over the government in 1661, he used it as a pleasure castle and summer residence. From 1668, he commissioned Louis Le Vau, François d’Orbay, Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Robert de Cotte to rebuild and extend it into one of the largest and most splendid palaces in Europe. Charles Lebrun was responsible for the interior. In 1682, Versailles became the royal residence and seat of the government. Today it is known as one of the highlights of European art of castle building, not at least due to the famous gardens by André Le Nôtre. Since 1979, Versailles has been part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. The outside appearance shows a striking difference in style between the garden façade and the city façade. The latter consists of many single buildings and corresponds to the old style of the original hunting lodge. On the contrary, the impressive garden façade shines in the classical Baroque style. Flatly jutting risalits, adorned with pillars and statues, liven up the rather strict sandstone façades. The “saloon of the ox’s eye” (Salon Oeil de boeuf), the Hercules Saloon as well as the splendid gallery of mirrors (Galerie des Glaces) and the adjacent bedchambers of the Queen and King are among the most significant rooms. With 30 stuccoed ceiling paintings, 357 mirrors and marble pilasters, the 246-ft (75 m) long gallery of mirrors is really impressing - especially the 17 window-sized mirrors, which seem to bring the gardens into the room. The real gardens outside are based on the Petit Parc, which was designed for Louis XIII by Jacques Boyceau de la Barauderie. Their current magnitude is due to the work of André Le Nôtre between 1662 and 1689. Typical of a Baroque garden, the castle park is divided into three areas: the parterres close to the castle, the bosquet and the spacious hunting woods. The facility is crossed by a main axis leading from the city through the castle, the garden and the big channel up to the Grand Parc. Symbolic allusions to the “Sun King” can be found everywhere, just like inside the castle. There are also numerous fountains and several maisons de plaisance: the Grand Trianon, which gave the inspiration to Sanssouci in Potsdam, the Petit Trianon as well as the Hameau de la Reine, which Queen Marie Antoniette designed as a retreat shortly before the French Revolution. The castle with its gardens and museums is open for visitors. From downtown Paris, Versailles can be reached by the RER C in about 40 minutes. The castle entrance is 10 minutes from the station. Tickets are available on site or, in advance, on the internet. more