World Walker

The French often refer to continental France as L’Hexagon – obviously because of the shape of the country. Knowing how big and how geographically and culturally diverse the country really is I got to thinking about the most extreme cardinal points of continental France. Each of the four locations has something of unique interest that not surprisingly reflects the diversity of this great country.

North – Bray-Dunes

Bray-Dunes is the northern most commune in France, with a small, seaside town of the same name, located on France’s border with Belgium. The town figures significantly in both World War I and World War II history – and the German’s concrete bunkers from WWII can still be visited in the dunes. It was here that French and Belgium troops took their periods of rest during WWI, and, later, where Allied troops suffered many casualties during the Dunkirk Evacuation in 1940. Today the town has monuments to fallen soldiers from both World Wars.

East – Lauterbourg

Moving around the compass, the eastern most point of France is to be found at the confluence of the Lauter and Rhine rivers, and the alluvial land that fronts the Rhine is the commune of Lauterbourg. From this point in France one enters two major regions of Germany: Baden-Württemberg and Rheinland-Pfalz. Being located on a major river and land route this area has been the focus of cultural and commercial traffic since Roman times; as well as the movement of various armies during times of war.

South – Le Puig de Coma Negra
The southern most point of continental France is a mountain peak, on the border with Spain in the mountain range that makes up the Pyrénées. In historic times the area was well known for its iron mines. Le Puig de Coma Negra, as the peak is known, is 1553 meters above sea level, and is the highlight of a mountain-walking route that is popular for walking associations from around France. The stunning view into both France and Spain from Le Puig can be seen in this 360 degree panoramic image.

West – Pointe de Corsen

In keeping with the natural theme of the previous extremity La Pointe de Corsen (in the Department of Finistère, Brittany), the western extremity of continental France, is a rocky promontory that reaches out into the sea. It is here that the Atlantic Ocean is said to meet the Manche – the English Channel.

Of course, these locations do not take into account islands and overseas territories that fall under France’s administration, such as Corsica (Mediterranean), Gaudelope (West Indies) and the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, or even any of the smaller islands in Australasia and Antarctica.

I am hardly the first to wax poetic about the beauty of Provence, but with a region as spectacular as this one, it certainly bears repeating. My husband, young children and I took a wonderful holiday in Provence’s Luberon Valley. We based ourselves in a little mas provençal (traditional regional homes of stone) just outside the charming hillside town of Gordes and used this as our base to explore the region. Gordes, like many of the picturesque hilltowns in the region, bears the classification as “un des plus beaux villages de France” (one of the most beautiful villages of France). You’ll be sure to agree before you even reach the town, because the approach to this idyllic village, perched high on a hilltop is so breathtaking. Our house had beautiful views up to the town. The location is perfect for a relaxing holiday and there are enough charming hilltowns and places of interest in the vicinity to ensure that you’ll never grow bored. Considering the almost guaranteed sunshine in southern France for much of the year and the wonderful food and wine, you certainly have the makings of a  perfect holiday.

Close to Gordes is the “ochre” town of Roussillon . This former ochre mining town once provided 17 different hues of ochre and you will find them all of those shades displayed on the colourful homes in the old town. It makes a beautiful impression in the bright summer sunlight. Visit the old ochre quarries and enjoy a pleasant walk through the paths to admire the stunning ochre colours set off beautifully by the green trees.

Oppède-le-Vieux has only a few cafés and restaurants in the restored homes at the bottom of the hill, but as you work your way up to the medieval town, it is mostly in ruins. You’ll love wandering around this spectacular remains of the town with lovely views over the valley below. The medieval castle ruins are perched on top. The drops can be quite steep, so be careful while admiring those stunning views. Take along good walking shoes and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of this special slice of  Provence.

Just slightly further afield, although technically not part of the Luberon Valley, is the jagged landscape of the Dentelles interspersed with lush vineyards and charming wine-producing villages. Not to be missed is the wonderful town of Vaison-la-Romaine . This was originally a settlement of the Ancient Romans and the Pont romain (Roman bridge) is still used to cross the town. Incidentally, the ancient Roman engineering has fared better than that of nearby modern bridges in recent floods. The cobblestoned roads are steep, winding and lovely. The ruins of the 12th Century castle are at the top of a steep climb and this panoramic point offers spectacular views below. Reward your efforts at one of the numerous town restaurants and be sure to accompany your meal with one of the excellent local wines.

Other towns of interest in the Luberon are Lacoste, Ménerbes, Bonnieux, Isle-la-Sorgue. If you are there in June, you will be lucky enough to see the fields full of lavender. And be sure to dedicate some time to visiting the colourful local markets – towns each have their own market days – come prepared to stock up on all the wonderful, local delicacies. The  only unpleasant moment of this vacation is when it’s time to leave.

The cave of Lascaux in the Dordogne is without doubt the most well-known of all cave art sites in the world. The discovery of this cave in 1940 did much to change the way in which scholars of art thought about the history of art. Up until this time, Western art was generally thought to have originated in Ancient Greece. And now, Lascaux is still widely thought to be the origins of art. All this attention took its toll on the Stone Age paintings in the cave. On 20 April 1963 Lascaux was closed to the public.

Twenty years later Lascaux II was opened to visitors. Having been in both Lascaux and its replica, I can attest to the claims that the accuracy of the replica is measured in millimetres. While there is no escaping the fact that visiting the original is certainly a wonderful experience, visiting the reproduction should not be missed – certainly not on grounds of authenticity. In any event, there are many other cave art sites in the Dordogne to visit for a more authentic experience, including Bernifal, Rouffignac, Les Combarelles and Font de Gaume. If I was to recommend one cave it would have to be the cave of Pech Merle.

The cave is large, with seven underground ‘galleries’ totalling 2 kilometres in length. And although visitors only get to see about a third of the cave, they do get to see the best third. The cave is best known for the large panel of spotted horses, the head of one of which is formed by a natural shape on cave wall.

The prehistoric galleries were discovered in 1922 by two young boys, André David (16) and Henri Dutertre (15). And the cave was opened to the public shortly thereafter in 1926. But visitor numbers are controlled for conservation reasons. As with much of France’s prehistory, initial studies of the cave were undertaken by the local priest (from the nearby town of Cabrerets), Father Amédée Lemozi.

Besides the spotted horses there are also many paintings of mammoths, aurochs, mountain goat, bison, deer, lion, female human figures, stencilled hand prints and geometric signs. There are also some rather enigmatic images of human figures: the so-called ‘wounded’ man – a male figure that appears to be impaled by a number of spears – and the bison-woman. There are also some calcified footprints made by an adolescent boy.

As an archaeologist with an interest in how the past is presented to the general public, something I do enjoy doing is visiting archaeological sites that are set up for general visitors. One thing France does very well in my opinion is their parc préhistoriques, and there are a number of them. But my favourite, and I think well worth a visit particularly if you have children who need entertaining, is Samara. This really is no boring archaeological theme park.

Samara is the name the Gauls (those chaps who made and used iron for the first time, the so-called Iron Age) gave the river Somme, on which the park is situated only a few kilometres outside the city of Amiens at the western end of Picardy. The park traces the evolution of humanity in the Somme Valley – some 600 000 years, and it does so in a very accessible manner. There are no stuffy, out of reach displays, but rather a series of reconstructions of four different periods of prehistory that cover the early hunters and gatherers, the arrival of farmers in the area, the making of metals, bronze and iron. And in each of these areas are people who demonstrate the skills associated with the particular period in prehistory. In all of these, children are actively encouraged to get stuck in and have a go themselves.

In over thirty hectares a number of different bio-zones are preserved, including an arboretum, a more formal botanical garden, a wetland willow bed typical of the Somme valley, and a Neolithic garden that reveals the importance of plants for the first farmers in western Europe some 5000 years ago. And the highlight of this side of the park is definitely the maze. There are a number of activities in the nature section of the park to keep everyone busy.

Samara is only open from March through to October, but during that time there is a very varied programme of activities designed for children of all age groups. Unfortunately, their website is only available in French, but if you are planning to spend some time in the Valley of the Somme/Amiens area, or even if you are just passing through and need a place to stop over with something interesting to do for everyone, it is ideally located just off the A16 and I really do recommend you consider Samara. There is a restaurant at the site, but they do allow you to take you own picnic baskets in.

Location: Marseille – France
Photo: Marseille Cathedral

Marseille Cathedral in Marseille, France.

Travel Photo Gallery: Marseille Photo Gallery