Each region in France has its own characteristics. Your trip will be more enjoyable if you know in advance what kind of things a place is famous for, such as its cuisine or architecture. Please use this as a reference to make your trip more enjoyable.
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①Alsace
Famous for its Christmas markets, the Alsace region is located in northeastern France, bordering Germany. Therefore, you can encounter buildings and cuisine influenced by German culture.
②Auvergne
Auvergne is a volcanic region in central France. As a result of this, hot springs gush out, and you can see black buildings made of volcanic rock. The cuisine includes many local specialties such as lentils, Aligot, and Tripoux.
③French Riviera
The Cote d’Azur region, facing the Mediterranean Sea, is a region that many people visit on vacation. Famous cities such as Cannes, Nice, and Monaco line the coast, and inland there is a village on a hill called the Eagle’s Nest Village. The cuisine is famous not only for seafood, but also for dishes using plants such as Socca.
④Franche-Comté
The Franche-Comté region, located in eastern France and bordering Switzerland, is a region of the Jura Mountains. For this reason, they are famous for their cheese, making Comté and limited-time Mon d’Or. It is also a producer of yellow wine, which is rare in France.
⑤Burgundy
Burgundy, which borders the Franche-Comté region, is famous for its wine. The world-famous Romanée-Conti is also produced here. Unique patterns can be seen on the roofs of the buildings, and dishes such as boeuf bourguignon and escargot are famous.
⑥Brittany
Brittany, a region bordering the sea in southern England, has a long history of its own. It is also a place where a language called Breton remains, and where fantasy-like legends remain. Familiar dishes such as buckwheat crepes and Kouign-amann are specialties of the region.
⑦Provence
Marseille is located in the Provence region of southern France. Although it faces the Mediterranean Sea, it has a strong image of a port rather than a resort beach like Nice or Cannes. Inland, there are several cities steeped in history, including Avignon, home of the Papal Palace. It is famous for specialties such as Marseille soap and bouillabaisse.
⑧Rhone-Alpes
The Rhône-Alps region is close to the Alps. The mountain city once hosted the Olympic Games, and in the winter it flourishes as a skiing destination. The main city, Lyon, is known as the “city of gastronomy” and has a unique style of restaurants and many specialty dishes.
⑨Lorraine, Champagne
The Lorraine-Champagne region lies between Paris and Alsace. It consists of the Lorraine region, famous for its quiche, and the Champagne region, famous for its Champagne production. Culturally, there are also events unique to this region during Christmas, such as celebrating St. Nicholas, the model for Santa Claus.
⑩Loire Valley
This region is famous for its many castles along the Loire River. Here you can discover that there are many different types of castles, from noble castles to fortress-like ones. This is the region where Leonardo da Vinci died, and famous dishes include tarte tatin.
⑪Occitania
In the Occitanie region, which borders the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees Mountains, you can see red buildings in Toulouse and Albi. The restaurant is famous for its chicken, and other specialties include duck confit, cassoulet, and foie gras. Closer to Spain, you can enjoy the cityscape and cuisine influenced by the Catalan region.
⑫Nouvelle-Aquitaine
This region, which faces the Atlantic coast, is also a long region. The most famous wines are port wines, including those from Bordeaux. If you go to the south, there are several resort areas that are popular for their way of spending time at the sea, which is different from the Mediterranean.
