Global warming is threatening the ski industry in the French Alps. Many operators have to resort to snow guns to keep the slopes open as snowfall has halved in the last fifty years.

The popular theme park Parc Astérix, situated north of Paris, opened a new area called "La Forêt d'Idéfix" (Dogmatix's Forest), which is specially designed for families with young children. This video goes behind the scenes to find out how the druids themselves built the attractions... with a little help from the designers.

Right in the heart of Paris, the Comédie-Française is a major institution. It's a theater where the famous playwright Molière performed his plays over three centuries ago. To this day, the Comédie-Française still captures the imagination of French people.

We continue our tour of the Norman Vexin region with a stop in the hamlet of Boisgeloup, where Pablo Picasso once lived. If you get hungry while strolling around this charming little village, make sure to stop in the bakery Chez Valérie et Patrick Bunel, which won an award for best traditional baguette. You can eat one while admiring the beautiful Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church for a wonderful sensory experience.

A theatrical spectacle called "Je t'aime, un peu, beaucoup, aveuglément" revisited the Oedipus myth, incorporating works on the same theme from twentieth-century French playwrights. The event took place in the Château du Grand-Pressigny, and the public was encouraged to wander around the castle as part of the show.

Lionel takes us inside a shop that sells "dragées" (sugared almonds), which are the specialty of Verdun. These treats come in all colors and flavors, from chocolate to marzipan to hazelnut. If you want to try the famous "dragées," be sure to visit this shop in Verdun on your next trip to France!

At the Balzac Museum in the Château de Saché, exclusive period furniture was brought in to illustrate Honoré de Balzac's famous collection of novels, La Comédie Humaine (The Human Comedy). Balzac was famous for his lengthy, detailed descriptions of interiors in his novels.

For his last video on Paris's "Cour de l'Industrie" (Industry Courtyard), Daniel visits a gilder. Bruno Toupry explains the intricacies of his trade and highlights the tradition of passing on a craftsman's knowledge, which for him is both a duty and a pleasure.

In this video you will learn about synonyms, words that share the same general meaning but convey different degrees of intensity, illustrated by various examples of feelings. Armed with this new vocabulary, you should never be at a loss for words, whether you're overjoyed or wild with anger!

Daniel Benchimol takes us to Paris's eleventh arrondissement, which has a strong artisan tradition. There, you'll meet Laurence Raverdeau, voted the "best craftsperson of France" in 2011, who explains the complex art of upholstering. She shows us some of her amazing creations, which include scented macaroon-shaped cushions.

Lionel stays in Verdun for part two of this series. You will see the remains of the famous Battle of Verdun, which took place in 1916 and lasted ten months. The French soldiers were called poilus or "hairy men" because of their unshaven faces. Verdun also has a magnificent cathedral with stained glass windows.

Daniel Benchimol takes us to the Cour de l'Industrie (Industry Courtyard) in Paris. It used to be the site of a wallpaper factory that was destroyed in a fire and more or less abandoned. An artisan association decided to renovate the premises, which now house over forty artists and craftsmen. Be sure to visit the area on your next trip to Paris!

Lionel Brigeot takes us to the northeast of France to the town of Verdun, where the famous Battle of Verdun took place during World War I. Follow Lionel up the Victory Steps, commemorating the battle in which more than one hundred sixty-three thousand soldiers lost their lives.

Daniel Benchimol is in Maisons-Laffitte, also known as the "horse city." He tells us about the history of its famous racetrack, which boasts the longest straight line segment of any racetrack in Europe. And if horses aren't your thing, there's a campground where you can relax by the river Seine.

In part three of our visit to Maisons-Laffitte, Daniel Benchimol reveals even more interesting facts about this city. The Maisons Castle, which epitomizes seventeenth-century French architecture, has been used for the filming of many famous movies, such as Love and Death, Dangerous Liaisons, Queen Margot, and many more.