Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel takes us to another town within easy reach of Paris. Monfort-l'Amaury boasts a huge church called the Église Saint Pierre et Saint Paul with some magnificent stained glass windows. If you are a music lover, you might want to check out Maurice Ravel's house, where he composed many of his great works, including Le Boléro.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol continues his tour of the small medieval town of Montfort-l'Amaury, an hour west of Paris. He takes us to an unusual cemetery building that has a human skull in every corner. On a less spooky note, Daniel tells us about famous figures who have lived in Montfort, such as the composer Maurice Ravel and the singer Charles Aznavour.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel begins his tour of Nemours with a visit to the twelfth-century castle, which has the rare distinction of standing right in the center of town. Nemours was the hometown of the famous Du Pont family, who immigrated to the United States in the 1800s and created a business empire.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The town of Nemours is linked to the history of the United States in two important ways. Daniel will tell you more about that in this segment of his tour, and he'll also show you a group of charming bridges called the "Ponts des Petits Fossés" (Little Ditch Bridges).
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In the next part of his tour of Nemours, Daniel shows us the Church of Saint John the Baptist, a medieval church that was destroyed in the 1600s and then rebuilt over the course of the next two centuries. It houses a bell called the Cloche Philippe (Philippe Bell), which has a lengthy history of its own.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Nemours is nicknamed the "Venice of the Gâtinais" (a former French province), and you'll see why in the final part of Daniel's tour of the town. Traversed by many streams and rivers, Nemours is also a great place to go hiking and immerse yourself in a medieval atmosphere.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol takes us to Mont-Valérien, the highest vantage point just outside of Paris, where you will be able to take in a sweeping view of the capital. Mont-Valérien also represents a sad part of history, a site where thousands were executed during World War II. General de Gaulle inaugurated a memorial in 1962 to honor its victims.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel takes us to town of Rueil-Malmaison and its famous castle, which once housed Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Joséphine. Besides being Empress of France, Joséphine also invented the concept of the rose garden during her stay in the castle.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol takes us to Lagny-sur-Marne, a medieval town on the outskirts of Paris. If history is not your thing, you can visit a small museum where neo-impressionists works are displayed. The pioneers of pointillism made their debut in this charming little town.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel shows us some more of Lagny-sur-Marne. This small town is famous for its battle with the English (or les Anglois in Old French), valiantly fought by Joan of Arc in 1430. You will also find more peaceful sites like the washhouse, where, by municipal decree, everyone had to be silent....
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel continues his visit to Lagny-sur-Marne, a small town where extraordinary events took place. Joan of Arc is said to have performed a miracle there on her second visit to Lagny. And the abbey-church of Saint Pierre once harbored a great secret: a nail from Jesus's cross. Unfortunately, the nail was lost, but not forgotten, as it now features on Lagny's coat of arms.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel gives us a historical overview of the town of Lagny-sur-Marne, about thirty kilometers southeast of Paris. This small town is full of historical landmarks dating from the Middle Ages, and includes many Art Nouveau-style buildings from the Belle Époque. On a more whimsical note, you will also find a free outdoor library made up of a few books and DVDs in a glass case. Help yourself but don't forget to put them back!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In this video, Daniel shows us around the town of Chantilly, famous for its horse races and for its beloved Chantilly cream (also known as whipped cream). You'll get an inside look at the town's beautiful racetrack, which is home to over three hundred events each year.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Continuing his tour of the town of Chantilly, Daniel takes us to a bucolic vegetable garden called the "Potager des Princes" (Princes' Vegetable Garden), which was frequented by many of France's most famous writers and dramatists, including Racine, Molière, and the Madame de Sévigné. Today it also includes a goat petting zoo!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In the final part of his tour of Chantilly, Daniel takes us back to the "Potager des Princes" (Princes' Vegetable Garden) and introduces us to some adorable barnyard critters, including a rooster, a pigeon, and some rabbits. The rabbits even have their own French-style village to roam around in, complete with a café, a town hall, and some villas too!
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