VERDON GORGE
France The Verdon Gorge is considered by many to be the most beautiful canyon in Europe. Formed by the Verdon River in the foothills of the Alps, the Verdon Gorge is lush with vegetation (hence its name), and is one of the most magnificent natural features in France. Although the area is developed with dams and bridges, these do little to detract from its beauty, or deter … [Read more...]
CAMARGUE
France The Regional Nature Park of the Camargue is one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in France and one of Europe’s most protected areas. Located along the Mediterranean Coast in the Rhone Delta, this area of lakes, rivers, shores and lagoons is a major bird sanctuary. It is famous for its roaming herds of wild horses and cattle. The Camargue is an ancient region … [Read more...]
MONTE D’ANETO & MONTE PERDIDO
Spain/France (3,404 m, 3,355 m) – Highest Peaks in the Pyrenees Monte D’Aneto and Monte Perdido are two of the largest mountains that form the backbone of the Central Pyrenees on the border of France and Spain. The former is the tallest mountain of the Pyreness, and the latter is the centerpiece of Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park. Monte D’Aneto is named for the nearby … [Read more...]
MONT BLANC
France/Italy (4,810 m) – Tallest Mountain in Europe Mont Blanc is the tallest mountain in Europe (excluding the disputed Caucasus region), but the shortest of the Seven Continental Summits. Part of the thickest and highest concentration of mountains in the Alps, Blanc is also the best known, most visited and first to be climbed of the Seven Summits. Its name is French and … [Read more...]
BATTLE OF NORMANDY (NORMANDY BATTLEFIELD)
Bayeux, France (1944 AD) The Battle of Normandy was the beginning of the Allies’ counter-offensive in Western Europe and the largest seaborne invasion landing in history. While the campaign lasted for more than month, the definitive day of the battle, June 6, is the one that is best remembered and for which the term D-Day is best associated. Thousands of ships and planes … [Read more...]
BATTLE OF VERDUN (VERDUN BATTLEFIELD)
Verdun, France (1916 AD) The Battle of Verdun was actually a campaign that lasted nearly a year and was one of the bloodiest engagements of World War I. One of the largest offensives launched by the Central Powers on the Western Front, it involved over two million soldiers, cost nearly a million casualties, and resulted in no strategic change of significance in the trench … [Read more...]
BATTLE OF SEDAN (SEDAN BATTLEFIELD)
Sedan, France (1870 AD) The Battle of Sedan was the decisive battle of the Franco-Prussian War, and one of the largest battles fought in Europe between the Napoleanic era and World War I. A resounding victory for Prussia, it was a humiliation for France and led directly to the capture of French Emperor Napolean III, the collapse of the French government, the end of the war … [Read more...]
BATTLES OF CRECY & AGINCOURT (BATTLEFIELD)
Hesdin, France (1346 & 1415 AD) The Hundred Years War, a dynastic feud between England and France which actually lasted well over a century, was the definitive war in Western Europe during the late Middle Ages. Fought in four stages, ultimately with a French triumph, the Hundred Years War is actually most famous for three overwhelmingly lobsided English victories. Two of … [Read more...]
BATTLE OF AQUAE SEXTIAE (AQUAE SEXTIAE BATTLEFIELD)
Aix-En-Provence, France (102 BC) The Battle of Aquae Sextiae was the last major engagement of the Cimbrian War, a conflict caused by the migration of several Germanic tribes from Central Europe into Roman territory. This campaign (of sorts) was essentially more of an aggressive relocation of the Teutons and Cimbri tribes through the Alps, but was viewed as a major military … [Read more...]
