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Health/Wellbeing
There are dozens of spas in France, ranging from upscale spa resort hotels to charming small spa villages that have relaxed visitors since the days of the Ancient Romans. Visit the city of Evian and experience the curative waters that have been bottled as drinking water for years. Alternatively, how about to a luxurious spa in Bordeaux where spa treatments and wine are combined? Or maybe you could relax in the thermal spa waters in France's second busiest spa town Aix-les-Bains and gaze at the superb views of the Alpine Mont Blanc? Whether you are looking for some pampering or a rejuvenating break France has many spa options to suit your needs. |
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Walking in Auvergne
Auvergne's immense greenland is peppered with trecks for all ages and experience. All kinds of hiking trails are to be found through the landscape taht has been sculpted through the ages by volcanic eruptions. |
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Health and Wellbeing in Brittany
Brittany has an invigorating marine climate with bracing sea air, excellent for a well deserved break. Breton thalassotherapy centres, acknowledged for the quality of their facilities, offer all advanced treatment techniques exploiting the benefits of the ocean. They set the standards in advanced treatment techniques. |
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Water, A Source of Harmony for the Body
Today's new motto? Healthy of body and of mind. Escape to better recharge your batteries with the revitalising treatments and outstanding water cures, spas, chromo therapy, light therapy and sensual massages. |
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Health and Wellbeing in Loire (Western)
Thalassotherapy: an ocean of well-being. From La Baule to Sables-d’Olonne, the six thalassotherapy centres of the Pays de la Loire pamper your body and shape up your spirit. In search of a break that is both healthy and fun? Each treatment programme is geared to your own needs and preferences.
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Health and Wellbeing in Provence/Cote D'Azur
Renew your personal balance in a region bathed in sunshine with the Mediterranean at its feet! Many establishments are at your disposal in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur to make your holidays a privileged moment of relaxation, well-being and fitness. |
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Health and Wellbeing
Lorraine’s spa towns provide twofold benefits – health and relaxation in high-quality natural surroundings. In Amnéville, the most recent of the spas, the water drawn from the natural spring 900m below ground level gushes out at temperatures of more than 41° C. |
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Spas in Alsace
Recharge your Batteries in Thermal Baths in a landscape of hills, vineyards and forests, Alsace has spa sites offering modern facilities and custom or beauty treatments. The special characteristics of its waters help you to regain your health.
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Natural Healers in Brittany
Seawater is rich in living matter and concentrates many mineral salts and trace elements beneficial to the human body. Phytoplankton and zooplankton present in large quantities possess the specific ability to synthesize antibiotic and anti-viral substances. |
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Hydrotherapy in Midi-Pyrénées
Boosted by constant quality research, hydrotherapy in the Midi-Pyrenees embodies the alliance between hydrotherapy, which is well known for its effectiveness, modern medicine and highly technical know-how.
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The Order of the Day
Several of Lorraine’s spa towns put the accent fairly and squarely on fitness but also attract visitors for their architecture. One such is Plombières-les-Bains, the “town of a thousand balconies”. |
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Health and Wellbeing in Poitou-Charentes
Poitou-Charentes has a splendid oceanic side rich in options to relieve and rest you. It offers through natural means thalassotherapy, using the natural springs and sea water materials to create a system to increase well-being. |
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Nature Reserves in Provence/Cote D'Azur
In this mosaic of landscapes, you can choose to ride a horse in the wild pools of the Camargue, admire the underwater depths on a dive off the island of Port Cros, follow the bicycle trails in the Luberon, or hike through the Verdon countryside. |
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Hydrotherapy in Auvergne
Auvergne is the most important region for hydrotherapy treatment in France. Every year its 10 resorts welcome nearly 70,000 curists making Auvergne a major European health centre. The spa centres of Vichy, Le Mont-Dore, Saint-Nectaire, Châteauneuf-les-Bains, Châtel-Guyon, La Bourboule, Royat-Chamalières, Chaudes-Aigues, Néris-les-Bains and Bourbon-l’Archambault, together make up a unique group. |
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Saines Saveurs Bourgogne, Naturally Good
In November 2005, Burgundy made an innovative move by launching 'Saines Saveurs, Naturally good in Burgundy'. This new label is a commitment from Burgundy's catering professionals to provide healthy natural foods wherever possible. |
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Spas in Burgundy
In Burgundy you can always add a little water to your wine and this is exactly what you do in the two spa towns of Saint-Honoré-les-Bains in the Nièvre and Bourbon-Lancy in the Saône-et-Loire. |
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Lille in Nord-Pas-de-Calais
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Not to be missed in the French Riviera
It is the blue of the south that defines this land. Its climate is so mild, its nature so filled with flowers that thousands of years after the Romans, English aristocrats, fed up with the greyness, fell in love with it. Since then, the Côte d'Azur has been entirely given over to summer pleasures. |
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Not to be missed in Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Traditionally an industrial region, it has now turned to tourism, a natural choice in a landscape where forests predominate, and where the Opal Coast has a host of beaches dedicated to surfing, wind-surfing, water-skiing, and more. |
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Not to be missed in Lorraine
Bordered by the three countries, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany, Lorraine is a strategic region which today exudes a peaceful charm. There is no shortage of reasons to explore it. For lovers of architecture and the arts, Mirecourt, Bar-le-Duc and Epinal possess many wonders. Enthusiasts for footpaths, will find routes dotted with lakes, forests and green valleys in the Lorraine Regional Park. Another excellent reason to come is for its springs and to stay in one of the well-known spa establishments in Contrexéville or Vittel, where the gastronomy is not to be outdone. |
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Not to be missed in Midi-Pyrénées
Few regions offer such a variety of landscapes, climates and architecture. This is because the region is huge, it runs from Aveyron to Gers and from Ariège to the edges of the Dordogne. |
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Not to be missed in Burgundy
From the vineyards of Chablis to those of the Mâconnais passing through the Côte de Beaune and Côtes de Nuits, from the luminous Loire Valley to the opulent Bresse region passing through the mysterious forests of the Morvan, Burgundy is beautiful in its natural state and in every season. |
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Not to be missed in the Loire (centre)
It is western Europe's last wild river, over 1,000 km long, that shapes the region : The Loire. On its banks the aristocracy built châteaux that are among the jewels of French architecture. Amboise, Chambord, Blois, Azay-le-Rideau are all extraordinary. |
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Not to be missed in Limousin
Nature lovers who like to punctuate their walks with seeing the old craft traditions develop an immediate attachment to this region. Green woods and forests, it is also criss-crossed by water, the Creuse, Vienne and Dordogne rivers... |
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Not to be missed in Normandy
Combining in the same land the pleasures of an extraordinary coastline and those of a green and blossoming countryside, Normandy is a very fortunate region. |
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Not to be missed in Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur
Everything in this region sings, even the wind, when it is called the Mistral or the Tramontana. The great poets were able to convey its music, and painters from Cézanne to Picasso, captured its light. Provence is magical, it smells wonderfully of olive oil, lavender and thyme. |
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Not to be missed in Ile-de-France
Around Paris, Ile-de-France offers the joys of discovering both nature and culture. With 9 royal towns, 400 listed gardens and châteaux including 24 masterpieces of landscape art, medieval villages or Cistercian abbeys, the Ile-de-France region boasts a unique and fascinating heritage. |
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Not to be missed in Alsace
Very long and narrow and backing onto the Rhine, Alsace has seen its borders moved on many occasions. The ups and downs of history have caused it to hang on to a very strong regional tradition. This can be seen in its language, its folk traditions and its cuisine. Its countryside beckons the walker, with its hillsides streaked with vineyards in the Munster valley and the flower-decked valleys of the Florival.
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Not to be missed in Aquitaine
If you had to define this land by one word, il would be 'generous'. A generosity that can be seen in its variety of landscapes with hills, valleys, sandy moors and a coast that is almost wild. The Bordeaux vineyards, the Basque Country, the plateaux of Périgord... |
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Not to be missed in Rhône-Alpes
A great river and a chain of mountains give the region its name and create the pattern of life here. The Alps crowned by Mont Blanc provide a skiing area that is unique in the world. Hiking enthusiasts are becoming increasingly numerous in the summertime, walking the waymarked trails through the region's nature parks (La Vanoise, Les Ecrins, Les Bauges), and around the lakes (Lake Geneva, Annecy, Le Bourget). Nearer the Rhône, the Ardèche gorges are a paradise for canoeing. |
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Not to be missed in the Loire (western)
A land of water traversed by the Loire, the region is bathed in the north by the spray of the Atlantic Ocean. While Saint-Nazaire is an important merchant navy port, Nantes is the regional capital, and Saumur, Le Mans and Angers offer visitors a cultural heritage dominated by Gothic art and the Renaissance. |
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Not to be missed in Corsica
Mountains in the sea, pierced with torrents, Corsica, an island of rare beauty, has the full spectrum of landscapes. Dry in the south, it makes up for it with long beaches of white sand, where lazing around can be enhanced by sightseeing tours. |
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Not to be missed in Picardy
With its exceptionally rich architectural heritage, this province is a preserve of Gothic art. Famous for its cathedrals, it offers the discerning an opportunity to explore its towns and their medieval wonders. |
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Not to be missed in Champagne-Ardenne
The fruit of its vineyards is so famous that the first thing you think of in this region is a glass of champagne. You can of course begin the journey underground and visit the wine cellars. Reims, its magnificient cathedral or its museum of fine arts, should not make you forget the 'vine-growers' villages spread around the region. There is also the Ardennes with its wild forests, populated by roe deer and hares. |
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Not to be missed in Languedoc-Roussillon
The Mediterranean on one side, the eastern Pyrenees to the south and Lozère to the north, Languedoc-Roussillon takes pleasure in the contrats if its stepped relief. |
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Not to be missed in Paris
Some cities call to mind lovers, others architecture, yet others an intellectual, cultural or appealing popular atmosphere. Paris has all these faces, plus lots more to discover depending on your particular interest. |
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Not to be missed in Franche-Comté
This is a region with distinct faces. In the north, the valleys of the Haute-Saône which, from the Grays region to the Saône Vosges, passing through Vesoul, back onto the region of Belfort. Châteaux and churches give added attraction to its towns and villages, and a great many museums house specimens showing the traditional craftmanship related to wood, but also to clock making. |
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Not to be missed in Poitou-Charentes
The dispute between Ancient and Modern is not on the agenda in this region where the vestiges of the past are keyed neatly into an openness to the future. |
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Not to be missed in Auvergne
If it were possible, the best way to travel in this region would be on the back of a donkey, just as the writer Stevenson did. It is indeed probably the pleasantest way to see this land of volcanoes, fashioned by their eruptions. Inactive for centuries, they gave birth to a strange and majestic landscape. |
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Not to be missed in Brittany
A land of seafaring people, and the aspect that makes Brittany the daughter of Neptune. Its thousands of kilometres of coastline, from Cancale to Saint-Nazaire, give it a prodigiously varied relief, with the strange rocks of the Pink Granite coast and the idyllic beaches of the Morbihan following on from one another. |
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Hot Air Ballooning
Floating through the air in a hot air balloon is the perfect way to take in the scenery of the region. If you have a head for heights there is no more relaxing way to see the Burgundian countryside. |
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| News |
What's happening in France? |
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| 05/01/2009 Summary of the 'travel' sections in this weekends newspapers |
Summer holiday previews, detoxing, healthy eating, financial know how and lots of skiing
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| 05/03/2009 Affordable France - composite press releases Feb09 |
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| 26/08/2008 Recharge your batteries in Brittany |
After the stress and rich food during the weeks leading up to Christmas, a 50 minute flight across the channel to Brittany situated on the west coast of France can restore your body and mind.
Leave all the stresses and strains behind and discover the mystical, heritage rich region of Brittany with its year round mild climate, listen to the sound of the ocean and breathe in the fresh, salty air for as little as £100 per person on half board including treatments and excluding flights
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| 13/10/2009 Summary of the weekend travel sections, 10th&11th October |
How to ski through the downturn, all the latest ski develoments, cider, film locations, Lyon, Ile de Re and a planned theme park holiday that wasn't quite as expected.
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| 12/05/2009 Summary of the national newspaper's travel sections, 9th&10th May 2009 |
Cahors, eating your way around Paris, Cannes, spa holidays, luxury villages in Languedoc and some unusual festivals.
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| Grésilles en Féte |
| Jun (annual) |
Dijon
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The Grésille district in northern Dijon stages its annual outdoor festival of street parties, circus, concerts, exhibitions, photography competitions, modern dance and street theatre. Saturday is the climax, culminating in DJs playing late into the night.
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| Chestnut Festival (Fiera dia Castagna) |
| December (annual) |
Bocognano - Corsica
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| Chestnut fever hits Southern Corsica every December with this fair in Bocognano, which draws crowds of up to 30,000. Although its official aim is the promotion and development of local agriculture, the delights of chestnut biscuits, jam, sweets and even alcohol are enticing to all. |
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| Almond Fair |
| August (Annual) |
Aregno
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Both tradesmen and visitors enjoy the harvest of almonds at this Corsican fair in Aregno, known locally as La Fête des Amandiers. |
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| Carnival Biarnés |
| January - February (annual) |
Pau
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The roots of this quirky carnival in Pau, just 40 minutes from peaceful Oloron, predate Christianity, offering visitors the chance to delve deep into the mythology of the Pyrenees and to get…
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| Festival of the Wind |
| October - November (annual) |
Calvi - Corsica
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More than 600 artists, scientists and athletes gather in Calvi to share their expertise at the annual Festival of the Wind - Le Festival du Vent.
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Newsletter
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Sign up to our newsletter for latest news, offers and deals
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| Offers |
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Download 2010 Corsica Brochure
Download Corsican Places 2010 brochure online now.
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Up to 15% Off Half Term Skiing with Peak Retreats
Offer covers selected resorts and accommodation. Book with award-winning French Alps specialist.
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More Offers
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| Holiday Options |
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Accommodation
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Spring Harvest Holidays
Four star holiday park near Vendee beaches. Optional activities for all ages with Christian emphasis
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Alan Rogers Guides & Travel
Pitch reservations & mobile home holidays across France & Spain. Pay at-the-gate prices, with a small, one-off admin fee and we'll organise it all for you. Free Child Places and Special Offers available. Alan Rogers Guides have been the market leading campsite guides since 1968. Also Camping Cheque programme (www.campingcheque.co.uk) for low season touring with savings up to 60%
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Headwater's High Alps Independent Walk
Exciting high level walking; awe inspiring views; super flora and fauna.
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Lagrange Prestige apts in St Lary Soulan, French Pyrenees
Luxury apts with communal pools, whirlpool and spa centre in traditional Pyrenean village of St Lary
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Pierre & Vacances Premium Luxury Ski accommodation
12 comfortable residences in top resorts, large apartments, pools, spas and excellent locations.
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Matthews Holidays
We offer self-catering mobile homes on some of the best campsites by the sea in France. We specialise in having detailed knowledge of all our campsites and local areas, to enable us to give an excellent personal service unmatched by call centres and internet sites.
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More Holiday Options ... |
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