With the wealth of museums we have in Paris, it’s easy to forget about the art treasures to be found in the impressive museums in France’s provincial cities. The city of Rouen, only about an hour from Paris by train, … Read More
In French, the expression “image d’Épinal” refers to something that’s traditional, naively upbeat, clichéd, maybe even corny. The expression’s origin goes back to the Imagerie d’Épinal, founded in 1796, which became famous all over France for its brightly colored, simplified … Read More
The view of the Château de Chambord from the near distance is spectacular, but the sight of Susumu Shingu’s white kinetic sculptures moving silently in the breeze like abstract swans swimming on the moat turns it into pure magic. Beyond … Read More
The early-17th-century Château de Cheverny, one of the few in the Loire Valley that has been continuously inhabited for its entire existence by the same family, has added a new attraction to the many it already has: a “Love Garden” … Read More
Strolling around a landscaped garden and seeing some pre-Revolution architecture can be a peaceful way to spend a weekend, away from the rush of life in the city. The famed Château de Versailles is a must for most Paris visitors, … Read More
The Cistercian Abbaye Royale de l’Épau was founded in the 13th century to ensure the salvation of its founder, the Spanish-born Berengaria of Navarre, queen consort of England (although she never set foot in the country while actually queen) as the wife of … Read More
Nestling between two rivers, the Loire (to the north) and the Cher (to the south), Tours is ideally situated for a daytrip from Paris or a longer stay as a launch pad for visiting the castles of the Loire valley … Read More
A spirit of fun always reigns at the Domaine de Chamarande, where a once-aristocratic residence and its park have become something of a “people’s palace” with contemporary art exhibitions and a vibrant program of performances and activities, all open to … Read More
Not everyone may know what it is called, but everyone has seen the pretty ecru fabric with delicate pastoral scenes printed on it, usually in red or blue. This is Toile de Jouy, so-called not because it originated in Jouy-en-Josas, … Read More
Barking Up the Right Trees Pinus pseudostrobus apulcensis at the Arboretum de Chèvreloup. © F-G Grandin/MNHN Right beside Marie-Antoinette’s make-believe farm on the grounds of the Château de Versailles is a kind of secret garden, open to the public but … Read More
