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
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
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
Our presenter Peter is in front of the Olympia, which is the oldest music hall in Paris. Many French singers and big stars from around the world have performed there, from Edith Piaf to Liza Minnelli. The Olympia was entirely rebuilt in 2001.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The Paris mayor's office set up an outdoor exhibition at the Bastille recounting events that took place on the site of the famous prison. Most people know that the Bastille was stormed during the French Revolution of 1789, but not many people are aware of other important events that took place before and after the Revolution.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Adrien talks to us about Paris's Rue des Martyrs [Martyrs Street]. There, a hapless bishop, Saint Denis, was decapitated. He supposedly carried his severed head in his hand all the way up the street. But rest assured, the street has none of this gruesome past. It's filled with restaurants, bars, cafes, and cabarets to keep you entertained and happy.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol continues to explore the town of Soissons on an exceptionally hot summer day. There's no better time to explore the magnificent twelfth-century cathedral of Soissons to cool off and admire this gothic architectural masterpiece, including the stained glass wall depicting religious scenes.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In this third segment on the madeleine, a specialty of the Lorraine region, we find out more about the history of the famous pastry. Did you know that the first madeleine appeared in the Middle Ages?
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel is still in Liverdun, a small village in the Lorraine, to find out some more about the madeleine. It's a specialty of the region that comes in various delicious flavors, such as mirabelle plum and bergamot orange.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel takes us to Soissons, an ancient city that was the first capital of France. He shows us the memorial commemorating the victims of World War I and depicting the legend of the famous Soissons vase.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Meet Jean-Claude and Rachelle, who own a specialty store full of delicious goodies. They talk to Lionel about the madeleine, a specialty of the Lorraine region that was supposedly invented by a cook named (you guessed it!) Madeleine.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Aldo takes us to a very special house on 23 Rue Beauregard in Paris. In that house lived a shady character, Catherine Deshayes, who was responsible for the murder of thousands of infants. She and 36 others were burned at the stake by Louis XIV.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel finishes up his tour of Auvers-sur-Oise with an appreciation of Vincent Van Gogh, who completed an astounding eighty paintings during his two-month sojourn in the village. In this video, you'll see the inn where the artist stayed during his visit, along with some of the gorgeous stops on the "painters' discovery" tour of Auvers-sur-Oise. It's easy to see why the village was such an inspiration to the impressionists!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel introduces us to the town of Auvers-sur-Oise, famous as a source of inspiration for a number of impressionist painters, notably Vincent Van Gogh. He also gives us a sneak peek into the Daubigny Museum, dedicated to the work of the pre-impressionist Charles-François Daubigny.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In the wake of the recent tragedy on the Promenade des Anglais, Nice remains a beautiful and diverse city. In this video, Patricia talks about what makes the city such a great place to live and visit.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel continues his visit to Maisons-Laffitte, home to many famous actors, authors, politicians, business tycoons, and others. According to Daniel, its villas are among the most beautiful in the Île-de-France region.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In the final installment of his tour of Compiègne, Daniel takes us to the "Haras National" (National Stud Farm), where some of the most prestigious horses in France have been raised since the 1700s. He also shows us the Imperial Theater, built by Napoleon III, and the Museum of Internment and Deportation, which commemorates the prisoners of the Royallieu concentration camp.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
As Daniel explains, Joan of Arc is a bit of an "obsession" among French people, and tributes to her can be found in many towns across France. Compiègne has particularly close ties to the country's patron saint—after assisting the town in its fight against the Burgundians, she was captured by them in 1430.
Difficulty: Beginner
France
Lionel takes us to Metz, a city that was once part of Germany, being only some sixty kilometers from the German border. In this video you will learn a few facts about this Germanic city, and you will add a lot of useful terms to your going-about-town vocabulary.
Difficulty: Advanced
Canada, France
Oliver concludes this eleven-part series with a visit to Fort Chambry, where French and British armies fought over new Canadian territories. How did this affect the present? Olivier leaves us to draw our own conclusions and assures us that he is fond of the Québécois as much as they are fond of him. He shares his final impressions of Quebec in a lovely song at the end.
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