Archive for 'Curiosities in France'

One of the most famous attractions in Paris has to be the city’s Catacombs. Lying below the elegant city streets, this creepy and fascinating gem, is hidden away and a must-see for anyone who has found a vacation rental in Paris and is planning a trip over mid-term break and in the weeks running up to Hallowe’en.

The catacombs back to the late 18th century, when public health problems in the city led to the decision to move the contents of Paris’ cemeteries to an underground site, which was actually just outside the capital at the time. Now absorbed by the bulk of the city, the former Tombe-Issoire quarries under the plain of Montrouge had been established in the 15th century and were subsequently abandoned after major collapses. Part of a large labyrinth of underground tunnels that extended for 800 hectares beneath the city, the quarries provided a perfect, vast space for human remains that was a good distance from the living citizens.

Between 1787 and 1814 bones from the parochial cemeteries of Paris were transported to their new homes further underground, briefly interrupted by the French Revolution. More transfers took place then again in 1840, during urban renovation by Louis-Philippe, and the space was reorganised under the Haussmannian reconfiguration of the city between 1859 and 1860. Officially consecrated as the “Paris Municipal Ossuary” on April 7th 1786, they came to also take on the name of the “Catacombs” after the Roman catacombs, which had so fascinated people since their discovery.

Back in 1866, a family business was established in Cavaillon, France, selling Cavaillon melons at the entrance to the city. These melons are spherical and slightly smaller than the standard cantaloupe. The exterior has a pale gold skin with bluish-green vertical striping running from end to end and orange inner flesh with an intense floral yet tropical aroma and a very high sugar content. Available from mid-summer to fall, the fruit comes from Cavaillon and is a much-celebrated local product with special designation status. It can only be called a Cavaillon Melon if it is grown in Provence or in a part of the Durance valley and must be grown by farmers that belong to the product’s official association. Beloved of its hometown, statues, paintings, annual festivals, and a 9-ton melon sculpture at the entryway to the town all mark what it means to locals.

This beloved local melon can also be thanked for birthing the town’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, Maison Prévôt. This restaurant, which goes completely melon-themed for five months of the year, owes its origins to a trip to Paris in 1977, when Jean-Jacques Prévôt, chef and founder of Maison Prévôt broke down in the south of France, just outside Cavaillon.

Stunning Corsica is a little slice of paradise on earth and is filled with gorgeous towns and landscapes and wee surprises dotted all over the place. One such little surprise that you might find yourself stumbling upon is the Staircase of The King of Aragon (or the Escalier du Roi d’Aragon), an incredible stone stairwell carved out of the side of a cliff in Bonifacio. Steep, striking, and extraordinary, it is one of those unique curiosities about a place that one should pop along to and see for themselves while on holidays. If you have found a vacation rental in Corsica and are seeking out everything wonderful and special and unique about this beautiful island, swing by this rather unusual gem.

Colmar is a border city in France that is nestled physically and culturally against both France and Germany and Switzerland. It is the capital of the Alsacian wine region and is surrounded by vineyards and lovely pastoral landscapes. The charming city itself is pulled right from the pages of a colourful storybook, with little traditional houses in an astonishing array of pretty rainbow shades, floral displays and beds of bright blooms dotted all over, and a canal that runs through the historic centre of the city. It is said canal that has given this part of the city the nickname of “Little Venice” and, if you are exploring Colmar, it is an absolute must to ensure that you spend some time there in order to fully enjoy the picturesque prettiness and charming atmosphere for which the city is famous. Just browse our vacation rentals near Colmar and come explore this fairytale destination for yourself!

If you have found a vacation rental in Île-de-France, aka the “Paris Region” of France, you will find yourself with no shortage of things to see or do. However, for the cat-lovers among you, there is one thing that you should definitely make time for above all others in the area: a visit to Parc des Félins.

This very special zoological park is dedicated to the breeding and conservation of wild members of the cat family and is home to 30 of the 41 recognised species of felines that exist in the world. A total of around 140 cats roaming this 60 hectare park in Lumigny-Nesles-Ormeaux, Seine-et-Marne, about 53km southeast of Paris, and are just waiting to be admired.