Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Henri Griffon, an art enthusiast, puts his passion to work and brings together an amazing collection of contemporary artwork featuring the best artists from the Vendée.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In an archaeological park in Aussois, you can find some fascinating, mysterious rock engravings dating from sometime between the Neolithic Period and the Iron Age. Do the "armed dances" carved in the rocks represent a battle or a ritual? The tour guide in this video speculates on their possible meanings.
Difficulty: Beginner
France
Daniel Benchimol walks us through one of Paris's most charming neighborhoods, the Campagne à Paris (Countryside in Paris). This small, quiet corner of the 20th arrondissement is made up of only 89 houses built in 1906 and gives the impression of a quaint village inside a major city.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Breton, France
Long-time Concarneau residents take part in an unprecedented technological event. Their memories of the olden days and the town's maritime life will be filmed and shared on smartphones for visitors to enjoy thanks to QR code technology.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol continues his tour of the Normandy coast with stops in Tourgéville, Houlgate, and Dives-sur-Mer. Along the way, he shows us some interesting houses built on top of German bunkers from World War II.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In the French town of Lantages, a group of history buffs and other volunteers reenact a series of World War II battles from the years 1940 and 1944. Their equipment and clothing are authentic to the period, which helps to preserve that memory of that difficult time.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The cathedral of Chartres is one of the most famous in Europe and is a prime example of Gothic architecture. Daniel Benchimol gives us an exclusive tour of this magnificent cultural landmark.
Difficulty: Beginner
France
According to our trusty tour guide, Daniel Benchimol, Paris's Alexander III Bridge is one of the most beautiful in the city. You might find it hard to disagree after watching this video!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Why is this dead-end street named after a big bottle? The local historian will reveal all.
Difficulty: Beginner
France
A cemetery might not top your list of places to visit in a city. But actually, cemeteries are a treasure trove of information on a city’s history and architectural taste. The cemetery in Roubaix is particularly rich, with Gothic and art deco tombs side by side.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The first electric car? 1899! La Jamais contente. This car and other rare self-propelled antique vehicles can now be seen in car museums.
Difficulty: Beginner
France, Morocco
Opening night in Casablanca for the movie Indigènes (English title "Days of Glory") provided a special opportunity for some of the subjects of the film to reflect upon their past, and for Moroccans and the French to talk about their future.
Difficulty: Beginner
France
Parks, streets, boulevards, a storied history, and an eclectic mix of people: Belleville has it all! This historic neighborhood in Paris’s 20th arrondissement has been home to many different immigrant groups over the years and in recent times has taken a turn for the “bobo.”
Difficulty: Beginner
France
What was life like for the poilus, the French soldiers of World War I? In sum, much, much harder than our lives. Subjected to bullets, bombs, death, and all the atrocities of war, these soldiers fought bitterly to protect their homeland, and one another.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lazare Ponticelli was the last of the “Poilus” — French infantry soldiers who served in World War I. Ponticelli, who was actually an Italian immigrant to France, first served in the French Foreign Legion and then eventually, the Italian army. He died in 2008 at the age of 110.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
What is the best way to explain the horrors of the Holocaust to nine-year-old children? France’s Holocaust memorial has taken measures to avoid disturbing children by placing the most graphic photographs out of their line of sight and by offering a tour specifically designed for younger viewers. The idea is for children to learn about this dark moment in our history without being overwhelmed.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The Oradour-sur-Glane massacre took place over a half a century ago, but France still remembers.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The Malgré-nous (Despite Ourselves) are the roughly 130,000 young Alsatians from Lorraine, many of them recruited by force, who served under the Nazis during World War II.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
On the 9th of November, 1989, the wall that divided the German city of Berlin began to fall along with the East German state that built it. Claudia Rusch, a young Francophile, was one of the first to scramble over what remained of the divide, meeting up with a French friend on the western side. She’s recently recounted her story in a book, which is a best-seller in her native Germany.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Sixty years after the disappearance of literary great Saint-Exupéry, a commemoration is held on the Mediterranean Sea at the spot where his airplane fell.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
A Lockheed P-38 Lightning, last piloted by noted writer Saint-Exupéry, who presumably went down with it on July 31, 1944, has been found and identified off the coast of Marseille. This gives credence to a local fisherman who, six years ago, claimed to have netted the author’s ID bracelet.
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