标签法国下的文章

鸟瞰勃朗峰山脉中的南针峰，法国 Aerial view of the Aiguille du Midi in the Mont Blanc massif, France (© Amazing Aerial Agency/Offset by Shutterstock)

Atop the Needle of Chamonix

With these dramatic clouds, the shard-like pinnacles of the Aiguille du Midi (Needle of Midday) resemble the spires of a ruined Alpine cathedral. This is just one of the many spectacular peaks of the Mont Blanc massif, the storied Alps range in eastern France that stretches across the border into Italy and Switzerland. It was here in France's Chamonix valley that mountaineering first became a sport in the mid-1700s. This dramatic peak was summited in 1818, a feat that helped to popularize mountain climbing throughout Europe.

Skilled mountaineers still climb the Aiguille du Midi, but these days the rest of us can choose to reach the top the easy way. A cable car to the summit went into service in 1955 and is still considered the highest vertical-ascent cable car in the world. Visitors can climb aboard in the valley town of Chamonix and ride to the top of the Aiguille du Midi—more than 9,000 vertical feet—in under 20 minutes. The cable cars and viewing platform were upgraded in recent years, and a new feature called 'Step into the Void' was added in 2013. It allows courageous tourists to stand in a glass room jutting out from the mountain and look down through the glass floor with more than 3,000 feet of free air under their feet.

阿尔卑斯山Cheran峡谷中流淌的河流，法国萨瓦 River running through Cheran Gorges, Alps, Savoie, France (© Jean-Philippe Delobelle/Minden)

A very precious river

Autumn has settled here on the banks of the Chéran, a river of the Northern Prealps, a small region of Savoy, France. Nicknamed "the pearl of the Bauges" because of its remarkable character and the beauty of the landscapes it crosses, this mountain stream is conducive to many activities, including one you don't expect!

Gold miners have been visiting the Chéran since the middle ages – the 24-carat river known as one of the purest in the world - however the inhabitants of the region are confident that there will be no gold rush here.

从波迪安西之路的洛特谷中望向圣西尔克·拉波皮教堂，法国洛特 (© Reinhard Schmid/Huber/eStock Photo)

波尔多葡萄园，法国 Sunset landscape and smog in Bordeaux wineyard France (© agefotostock/Alamy)

A hedonist’s paradise

It's harvest season! For this occasion, we are taking you today to the Bordeaux vineyard, which many consider to be the oldest and most prestigious in the world. The influence of French wine culture in general and of the Bordeaux wine culture in particular, are largely due to the expertise of the wine-growers but also, to the rich history of the French territory, to which Bordeaux is no exception.

In Gironde, the department of Bordeaux, there are six large wine regions whose names may remind you of a few properly catered “aperitifs” or dinners. First of all, there are the Bordeaux Métropole wines, for instance those produced in the vineyards of Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, the only vineyard with an address within the city limits. There are also the estates of Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Fronsac, Médoc and Graves et Sauternes, then those of the Entre-Deux-Mers and Blayes and Bourg. So many names, so many flavors…

罗卡马杜尔，法国 Rocamadour, France (© Rrrainbow/Getty Images)

A city, a cliff, a canyon…and cheese

Gazing down the lush Alzou river valley at the vertically-oriented village of Rocamadour, you won't be surprised some regard the medieval French town as a holy site: Its beauty alone is mystical. The gorges of southwestern France are home to numerous striking historic hamlets built along and atop their steep edges. But Rocamadour is special as a stop for thousands of pilgrims on the Way of Saint James, a UNESCO-recognized traditional route through France and Spain that still draws journeyers both pious and secular. The town's cliff-top sanctuary and the black-painted Madonna statue within have been purported to have healing powers. If you're drawn to more earthly sources of good health, though, Rocamadour also lends its name to a delicious, locally crafted goat cheese.

As we end on that cheesy note, why not test your dairy IQ with today's quiz?

Bicycle sculptures at the Col d'Aubisque, Hautes Pyrenees, France (© Fco. Javier Sobrino/age fotostock)

Big wheels on a big mountain

Today we're high in the French Pyrenees at the Col D'Aubisque, a beautiful mountain pass topping out at 5,607 feet above sea level. It has special significance to riders and followers of the Tour de France, which starts today in Nice: The Col D'Aubisque is one of the most famous climbs on the 23-day Tour (21 days of racing), with riders clocking around 2,200 miles overall. The road up the pass has grades in either direction that can tilt past 10%. This epic mountain stage was first added to the 1910 race and it's since appeared in more than half the annual Tours, though not this year as it happens.

Just off to the side of the road at the pass, these three giant bicycle sculptures are painted in colors that correspond to the colorful jerseys worn by Tour de France riders. The yellow bike represents the overall time leader's yellow jersey; the green jersey is for the leader in stage points; and the white polka-dot jersey is for the best climber, or the 'King of the Mountains.' It's an apt name for anyone who conquers the Col D'Aubisque, which is an 'Hors Categorie' climb, meaning it is beyond categorization. In other words, it's really, really, hard. While climbing the Col in 1910, French rider Octave Lapize famously yelled at Tour officials, “You are murderers!” Today, motorists can drive over the pass without breaking a sweat, but cyclists still have their work cut out for them.

A prison fit for a count

Château d'If, off the coast of Marseille, France, was built beginning in 1524 as a fortress by King Francis I because of the tiny island's steep cliffs and strategic location. While the 'château' never gained notoriety defending the ancient port (since it was never attacked), it did become famous as a prison. Surrounded by treacherous currents—like Alcatraz in San Francisco—it gained a reputation starting in the late 16th century as a dumping ground for powerful political and religious prisoners. As far as official records go, none of the prisoners condemned there ever escaped.

However, there is one famous tale of an escape from the château by one Edmond Dantes, the titular hero of the 1844 Alexander Dumas novel 'The Count of Monte Cristo.' And though he is a work of fiction, you can visit Edmond Dantes' cell on the lower level of the prison. The nearly perfectly preserved castle is just a short ferry ride from the docks of the old port of Marseille.

Under Paris skies

For Bastille Day, aka French National Day, we examine not the titular prison that was the site of beginning of the French Revolution, but another building inexorably wrapped up in that powder-keg moment of French history. That dome in the upper right portion of this photo is the Panthéon. Construction of the building—intended to be a church—began in 1758. But by the time it was completed, the French Revolution was in full swing and the new establishment decided that it should instead be used as a mausoleum for distinguished French citizens, which it remains today.

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