travel Mont Saint Michel

Mont Saint-Michel is a rocky tidal island and a commune in Normandy, France. It is located approximately one kilometre off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. The population of the island is 41, as of 2006. The island has been a strategic point holding fortifications since ancient times, and since the 8th century AD it became the seat of the Saint-Michel monastery, from which it draws the name.

Mont-Saint-Michel was used in the 6th and 7th centuries as an Armorican stronghold of Romano-Breton culture and power, until it was ransacked by the Franks, thus ending the trans-channel culture that had stood since the departure of the Romans in AD 460.

Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey, albumen print, ca. 1865–1895
Before the construction of the first monastic establishment in the 8th century, the island was called "monte tombe". According to legend, the Archangel Michael appeared to St. Aubert, bishop of Avranches, in 708 and instructed him to build a church on the rocky islet. Aubert repeatedly ignored the angel's instruction, until Michael burned a hole in the bishop's skull with his finger.

The mount gained strategic significance in 933 when William "Long Sword", William I, Duke of Normandy, annexed the Cotentin Peninsula, definitively placing the mount in Normandy. It is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry which commemorates the 1066 Norman conquest of England. Harold, Earl of Wessex is pictured on the tapestry rescuing two Norman knights from the quicksand in the tidal flats during a battle with Conan II, Duke of Brittany. Norman Ducal patronage financed the spectacular Norman architecture of the abbey in subsequent centuries.

Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country France
Type Cultural
Criteria i, iii, vi
Reference 80
Region ** Europe
Inscription history
Inscription 1979 (3rd Session)
Name as inscribed on World Heritage List
Region as classified by UNESCO

In 1067, the monastery of Mont-Saint-Michel gave its support to duke William of Normandy in his claim to the throne of England. It was rewarded with properties and grounds on the English side of the Channel, including a small island off the southwestern coast of Cornwall which was modeled after the Mount and became a Norman priory named St Michael's Mount of Penzance.

During the Hundred Years' War, the English made repeated assaults on the island, but were unable to seize it due to the abbey's improved fortifications. Les Michelettes two wrought-iron bombards left by the English in their failed 1423–24 siege of Mont-Saint-Michel are still displayed near the outer defense wall.
When Louis XI of France founded the Order of Saint Michael in 1469, he intended that the abbey church of Mont Saint-Michel be the chapel for the Order, but because of its great distance from Paris, his intention could never be realized.

The wealth and influence of the abbey extended to many daughter foundations, including St Michael's Mount in Cornwall. However, its popularity and prestige as a centre of pilgrimage waned with the Reformation, and by the time of the French Revolution there were scarcely any monks in residence. The abbey was closed and converted into a prison, initially to hold clerical opponents of the republican régime. High-profile political prisoners followed, but by 1836, influential figures including Victor Hugo had launched a campaign to restore what was seen as a national architectural treasure. The prison was finally closed in 1863, and the mount was declared a historic monument in 1874. The Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay were added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979, and it was listed with criteria such as cultural, historical, and architectural significance, as well as human-created and natural beauty.

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Travel Guide To Versailles

Most guests who go to Versailles have only one place of intention, the wonderful castle, the Palace of Versailles that has been traditionally the capital kingdom of the country of France. However most of them come across more gorgeous attractions. The town of Versailles is a loaded city in Paris and made history for numerous world treaties like the deal of Paris and the concord of Versailles that ended the 1st great world war. in the city are some examples of the most fantastic shopping shops and specialist shops and restaurants in area of Place du March.

Some of the major sightseeing locations in Versailles are the Palace Gardens, the Grand Trianon, Marie Antoinette's town called Hamlet, the Petit Trianon, the large nursery de Chevrloup, the Dsert de Rez Park, and the most popular The Palace of Versailles. The palace features beautifully stunning paintings, creative mirrors, one of kind fabric decors and other dazzling interior designs. The highlights in the palace are the Hall of Mirrors, the Chapelle Royale and the amazement electrifying Queen's Bedroom and King's State Bedroom. Major state occasions and parties are typically held in the Hall of Mirrors, a multi-colored room filled with huge and pretty mirrors.

The palace a gigantic garden that spans for roughly eight square kilometers with varied complex patterns, pathways, flower gardens, shrubberies, fountains, pools and gorgeous ancient sculptures and statues. The Palace of Versailles is symbolic of the power and strength of the old French Monarchy that used to house royalties, and more than ten thousand courtiers and servants. This magnificently grand palace was built in the 16th century.

The Versailles Palace is packed with neighbors and visitors during Sundays and during months of April through September, the palace fountains dance synchronically with the sound of music. Many traveller attractions in the town are free but there are also some that have entry costs. Just make sure you bring your camera along for the tour so you can immortalize your trip to this attractive city. Led tour trips are common in the city and you'll need to order for one early before you visit Versailles, the pretty.

Climate: Summer in the city of Versailles is typically sunny, warm and pleasant. This is when visitors flock to the city but many Parisians prefer to visit the palace during less warm seasons to avoid hot and packed venues. Jan is the coldest month in the winter when weathers become wet and gusty. Temperatures begin to rise when March approaches, the start of summer. The driest weathers start from May to Sep but occasional rain showers are also experienced inside these period. Spring and autumn show the best weathers but rain showers are regular also.

the Grand Trianon

Marie Antoinette's town

the Petit Trianon

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The Best hotels in Paris ,Hotel de Paris - Monte Carlo, Monaco

Paris, along with being the capital of France is also famous as one of the most romantic cities of the world having the Eiffel Tower, the epitome of love and hotels de Paris. Paris is also the fashion hub of the world and every year it attracts millions of tourists and travelers from across the world because of its monuments, best hotels in Paris, historic centers and museums. Undoubtedly with the regular flow of tourists and travelers the Paris hotels strive constantly in order to provide the most lucrative and the best Paris hotels deals to their customers.
Paris has some of the best Europe luxury hotels with each having its own style and charisma. Luxury hotels in Paris provide the best accommodation, ultimate delicious cuisine, world class service and adventurous recreational events. Thus it becomes very important to check for the best Paris hotel deals before planning the trip. As part of the Paris package, these deals include airport shuttles, sightseeing options and travel options. Another option is to read guide reviews to select for the best luxury hotels Paris France.
Before selecting the best Paris luxury hotels, there are a few things which must be kept in mind. For instance, you must choose the right time of the year to visit Paris as it would directly impact on your accommodation and travel cost. The travel and accommodation costs are at a peak during the spring season as most of the tourists visit Paris during that time. Thus if an incredible yet affordable Holiday Paris is what you are looking for then you must choose best hotels in Paris any time of the year besides the spring season.
Winter season, with the exception of Christmas, the months of July and August are certainly the best months to Holiday in Paris. These months being the off season, can help you get the best Paris hotel deals. It is also important to do a little study on the various hotels so that you can easily get good promotional deals and good bargain with the best hotels in Paris. For this purpose, you must check out the websites of all the hotels that are in your list of best Paris hotels.
Visiting the website can help you a lot in many ways; like it can help you get the reviews of various guests who have stayed in the hotels de Paris thus assisting you in choosing the best Paris hotels. You must also make sure that your accommodation charges cover for the breakfast and that the breakfast is good enough lest you should be spending extra for the breakfast and not eating it too.
While selecting one of the best Europe luxury hotels, also make sure that you check for its location. Usually the hotels which are near to any monuments or landmarks are very expensive. It is under your scrutiny to decide whether you want a view of these monuments or not from your Paris Luxury hotel balcony. Thus, you should opt for other luxury hotels Paris France which are not nearer to these monuments for getting the best Paris hotels deals. Pack your bags and go for your dream vacation. Have a memorable stay in the city of lights, Paris.











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The Eiffel Tower - The Symbol Of Paris

The Eiffel Tower, named after the French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, is one of the most famous structures in the world. It is the most visited monument in the world, where there is an admission charge.

Estimates indicate that more than 6 million people visit it each year. It is also the tallest built structure in all of Paris. There are stairways and lifts available to allow access to different levels of the Eiffel Tower. There are observation platforms allowing a clear view to the surrounding area beneath the tower itself. It is now considered as an invaluable symbol representing the city of Paris.

It was built in 1887 for the World's Fair, an exhibition celebrating the French revolution. It was at first thought to be a highly unusual structure, leading to it being built in its current location instead of Barcelona City. When construction was originally finished, many complaints arose regarding the tower. Some claimed that it was not pleasant to look at due to its unusual look.

The strange design of the structure can be attributed to the factor of wind resistance. Initially planned to be one of the tallest structures in the world, Eiffel and his team of engineers took many precautions to ensure that the structure could withstand substantial amounts of wind resistance. Drawing upon their previous experience as bridge designers, they developed a mathematical calculation with the wind resistance being a major part of the equation.

The tower was slated to be demolished in the early 1900's. However, it proved useful for communication purposes leading to the abandonment of that idea. The tower has been used since the 20th century for radio transmissions of different kinds. An underground radio center is located near the southern pillar of the tower. It was used by the Paris Observatory as an antenna to exchange wireless signals.

There are two restaurants in the tower. One of which is the Altitude 95. It is located on the first floor of the tower. The Jules Verne is the other restaurant, which is located on the second floor. It is a gastronomy themed restaurant with several expensive dishes. A popular chef, Alain Ducasse was hired to run the restaurant. Popular French cuisine can be sampled from these two restaurants. The top platform of the tower has a bar and a souvenir shop. The old office of Gustave Eiffel was recently restored and is another attraction in the tower.

In the year 2000, various lights were added to the tower. There is a light show held every night using these modern lights. There is also an ice skating rink installed on the first floor of the tower during the winter seasons.

There have been many strange events that have occurred related to the tower. One such event was when the tower was scaled by a mountaineer in 1954. Another such event occurred in 1984 when two Englishmen parachuted off the tower. A journalist once rode a bicycle down from the first level of the tower.

France is one of Europe’s most popular destinations for a wide range of holidays for the whole family to enjoy.

France has tens of thousands of hotels and B&B’s in fact there are more hotels in Paris than any other city in France, as this is such a popular destination for a short weekend break. But for a break with a difference, how about staying in one of the many chateaux that has been converted into a prestigious hotel with the ultimate in luxury or perhaps you would prefer a travel inn near to one of the attractions like Disneyland Paris or Futurescope.

There are also absolutely thousands of camping sites all over France, where you can pitch your own tent, go touring with a caravan or motor home, but for more convenience you could even hire a chalet already on site.

You can normally find campsites with excellent facilities that include swimming pools, shops, clubs, bars, entertainment, playgrounds, etc and are ideal for a family holiday. Some even offer other activities such as tennis, fishing, French boules, cycles for hire, and even games rooms with pool, snooker, etc, which can make for an ideal self-catering holiday at very little expense.

However, for those that are into adventure, you will not be disappointed with the range of activities on offer in France, such as canoeing, paragliding, abseiling, kayaking and rafting, horse riding, hiking, etc.

France is also a country that is extremely enthusiastic about cycling and they have made it ever so easy to explore the countryside and cities on two wheels.

For a cycling holiday, France is a great location for people with all levels of ability. Gentle rolling lanes and dedicated cycle paths for family cycling holidays, along with mountains for the cycling enthusiast and those that require a bit more strenuous activity whilst on holiday.

With all the rich heritage, extraordinary landscapes and the gastronomic delights you can really appreciated these more whilst cycling, especially because of the extensive national network of veloroutes, which will take you along canal towpaths, quiet country lanes and converted railway lines as well as getting you into the heart of the countryside by using voies vertes, also known as green ways, which are specially designated tracks that are completely shut to motorised traffic.

France also has two main ski areas, the Pyrenees and the Alps, both with many ski resorts and without a doubt, some of the best and most extreme ski areas in the world. It also has some of the biggest ski resorts such as Les Trois Vallees, which is made up of three valleys and includes resorts like Courchevel and Meribel. There are well over 1000km of pistes for skiers of all abilities and experience, so there is enough choice for everyone.

France has everything you could possibly wish for in a holiday, and forgetting things like the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, there are numerous other landmarks to experience, such as the Canal du Midi, which is the oldest canal in Europe, thermal springs, National Parks and wildlife reserves, caves, the Millau Viaduct, which is the tallest traffic bridge in the world, The Dune de Pilat, which is the largest sand dune in Europe, plus the Cirque of Gavarnie in the Hautes-Pyrenees that surprises all by its colossal size and its cascade, and being the highest in Europe you will not fail to be impressed!

So for your next holiday to France why not start planning to see more of the real France, with all of its history, culture, landmarks and heritage, you will not want to go home!

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