Archive for 'Tourist Attractions in France'

Shakespeare and Company is arguably the most famous independent bookstore in the world but is much more than that. As we discussed in the last post, it was the site of the meetings of great artistic minds in Paris since the 1920s and was a second home to the likes of Hemingway, an office and publisher for Joyce and a safe haven for banned books. It has featured in endless city guides, novels, television shows and movies and is an important tourist attraction in Paris that garners thousands and thousands of visitors each year. If you are a literature fan or are merely an English-speaking tourist looking to pick up a good book once you have found a vacation rental in Paris and are spending time in the city, it is a must-see destination.

Shakespeare and Company is the name an iconic independent English-language bookstore on Paris's Left Bank. It was first opened by the American Sylvia Beach, in 1919, at 8 rue Dupuytren and is famous as it was, at the time, a gathering place for many then-aspiring writers such as Ezra Pound, Ernest Hemingway, Djuna Barnes, James Joyce and Ford Madox Ford. Closed during WWII, it was reborn again at 37 rue de la Bûcherie, in the 5th arrondissement, and is still in operation today. For book-lovers and literary history buffs, it is an absolute must-see landmark in the city. Just find a vacation rental in Paris and visit it for yourself.

Paris is often called the City of Love and plays host to countless romantic weekends and wedding proposals. People like to imagine that they will someday visit the city with a loved one and make their romantic fantasies of the city - built from a lifetime of novels, movies and songs - come true.

Well, if you're planning to finally make your dreams of a trip to Paris with your partner a reality, then the Wall of Love is a must. Just find a vacation rental in Paris and drop by this rather unique and wonderful attraction.

Notre Dame du Haut, also known as Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Haut de Ronchamp or Notre Dame du Ronchamp, is a Roman Catholic chapel in Ronchamp, France that was built in 1954. It is an immediately recognisable and distinctive building that is considered on of Le Corbusier and the 20th century's most important works. Beautiful, serene and unique, it is a must-see for architecture lovers and regular tourists alike. Just find a vacation rental in Burgundy and pay a visit to this extraordinary architectural gem yourself.

Franco-Swiss architect Le Corbusier was one of the 20th century's leading architects. He largely designed homes and apartment buildings and was interested in how people interacted with the spaces in which they dwelled. He wanted to come up with new, pleasant and efficient ways for living in the modern world. Notre Dame du Haut was, therefore, a rather unusual work in his oeuvre.

France is home to some incredible beaches from the stormy and romantic beauties of the northern coasts, the perfect surf of the Atlantic coast, and the paradisiacal picturesque colours of the Mediterranean. Whatever you are after, whether you are looking to relax and restore yourself or have adventures or experience glamour and luxury, you'll find it all and more in France. We have rounded up some of the best beaches among all the many remarkable stretches of coast that the country has to offer. Here are the first of our picks of the best beaches in France.

1. Baie d'Audierne, Brittany

Brittany has over 2,000km of coastline and that means there's a lot of beaches to choose from. Almost all of them are well-preserved, windswept and wonderful in their own right but experts agree that one of the loveliest is Baie d'Audierne.