historical monuments
Eagle’s Nest (Le Bo de Provence)
On a barren weathered rock ridge nine hundred meters long and two hundred and eighty meters high – the ruins of the castle. On the mountain, rising to the foot of the rock massif – a living city, ivy greens, tiled roofs, solar heat comes even from the limestone walls of the houses, the streets smell like lavender – and growing in the surrounding fields, and sold in every shop.
Already at the end of the X century, the owners of the castle of Le Bo in Provence – Les Baux-de-Provence, arrogantly looking down on arable land and pastures, controlled a fairly vast surrounding land. By the middle of the next century, they were already among the strongest feudal families in the south of France. Senor Le Bo owned 79 towns and villages.
The owners of Le Bo, in their pride, built their genealogy to none other than the sorcerer Baltazar, awakened by a Christmas star, and wore a sixteen-rayed silver star on a black emblem as a sign of their genealogical claims. Who could compare with the owner of Le Bo? Who could dictate terms to him? Who could dare to offer him an alliance? “Raso d’eigloun, jamai vassalo” – “The eagle clan does not know vassality,” was the answer to anyone from the Continue reading
NORMANDIE
Normandy. For every Frenchman, this province is connected with the sea, idyllic village landscapes and rich history. If you want to feel the beauty of Normandy, look at the canvases of Corot, Pissarro and Claude Monet. It was Normandy who inspired their work, and you will now see the famous lilies from the paintings of Claude Monet in the pond near the artist’s house in Giverny. Thanks to Monet, the whole world learned about this small French village, where crowds of tourists from all over the world are now flocking, starting their acquaintance with the culture of France and Normandy. You can follow suit and are unlikely to be disappointed. From Giverny, you can continue on to Rouen by driving along the road to Les Andelys to the ruins of Chateau Gaillard, built by Richard the Lionheart in 1196. Feel the breath of that time, and, continuing the path, you will soon find yourself in Rouen. This city will remind you of Continue reading
PROVENCE
The province that inspired Van Gogh and Cezanne, gave birth to a galaxy of famous artists, attracting more and more foreign tourists and the French themselves – this is Provence.
Provence is diverse: endless vineyards of the Gigondas, silver hills of olive groves Nyons, lavender valleys stretching from Valreas to Vaison-la-Romaine. The huge cliffs that open to your eyes in Les Baux, cypress trees and cedars under the scorching azure sky of Arles – this makes Provence a unique place to relax.
Mount Mont Ventoux is one of the most beautiful landscapes of Provence. At its foot is one of the largest natural springs in the world (fifth largest) – Fontaine de Vaucluse (Arles – Roman arenas)
Provencal roads are very picturesque – especially noteworthy are the roads through the Luberon massif and the journey to Arles, Saint-Remy and St-Remy and Avignon. Continue reading
