History

From the splendours of Versailles to the dungeons of the Conciergerie, Will Bashor charts the coquettish queen’s harrowing final weeks in solitary confinement, awaiting her call with Madame Guillotine. Here, the award-winning author offers...

With miles of unspoilt coastline, picturesque cities and the world’s largest megalithic rock site, Brittany is one of the most versatile provinces of France. And the food’s not bad either… CULTURE A GOGO Rennes boasts a glorious mix...

This charming fortified hilltop town in the Haute-Marne department of the Champagne-Ardenne has ancient history and modern thrills in equal abundance. Here's what we love. ACTION-PACKED SUMMER Langres boasts a packed – and eclectic– summer calendar; and this...

Blinking its droopy eyestalks from the tip of a leafy cabbage, the portly escargot is not a picture of haute cuisine. Never mind the slime trailing off its undercarriage. Yet, the humble garden mollusc is undoubtedly Burgundy’s most coveted...

I first learned about the Dom Robert tapestries from an article published in France Today (January 2017). Whilst reading, I was swept away by the dynamic images of the tapestries, instantly drawn in by this...

A pause to learn, reflect and pay homage to those who made the ultimate sacrifice France-Germany, 1870-1871 A conflict overshadowed by the two World Wars, the Franco-Prussian war remains an obscure topic to an international audience, and even to the...

Every year, more than seven million people flock to the Palace of Versailles to behold the jaw-dropping luxury in which the French monarchy once resided. They stand wide-eyed before the towering frescoed ceilings; they marvel at the gilded wood panelling, the...

This tiny street runs parallel to rue de Rivoli in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. The name translates as ‘Two Balls Street’. (Stop sniggering.) The origin of the denomination remains unclear. Some say there used to be a play area here where locals...

“Je tourne en rond” – I’m going round in circles – tease the words above the entrance. You don’t say… The cheeky doodle of an arrow looping on itself underneath twists the knife just enough. After meandering in vain...

I arrived in England in September of 1943. During the ten months I spent there, I experienced London air raids, the introduction of the V1 rockets and the departure of the Glider Troops to Normandy from the airfield close...