Chateau of Josselin, in Brittany, France.

France attracted over 75 million tourists in 2004 (surpassing its population), making it the most popular tourist destination in the world. Recently however, its popularity has been diminishing with the increased convenience of cheaper countries in Eastern Europe. France is one of the classics among tourist countries. It offers mountain ranges, coastlines like in Brittany or along the Mediterranean Sea, cities with a rich cultural heritage, châteaux (castles) like Versailles, countryside, vineyards in Burgundy, Tourism is accountable for 6% of the country's income (4% from French tourists travelling inside France and 2% from foreign tourists), and contributes significantly to the balance of payments. The Chateau of Josselin in Brittany, France. ... The Chateau of Josselin in Brittany, France. ... A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ... Regions of Europe as delineated by the United Nations (UN definition of Eastern Europe marked salmon):  Northern Europe  Western Europe  Eastern Europe  Southern Europe Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium... The Himalaya as seen from the International Space Station A mountain range is a group of mountains bordered by lowlands or separated from other mountain ranges by passes or rivers. ... Brittany has an expansive coastline Flag of Brittany (Gwenn-ha-du) Historical province of Brittany région of Bretagne, see Bretagne. ... Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ... Château de Chenonceau A rural château in France. ... Pierrefonds Castle, France Castle has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning. ... Hall of Mirrors redirects here. ... A vineyard Vineyard with bird netting Wine grapes with netting as protection against birds A vineyard (vignoble in French, vigna or vigneto in Italian, vinha in Portuguese, viña or viñedo in Spanish, Weinberg in German) is a place where grapes are grown for making wine, raisins, or table... région of Bourgogne, see Bourgogne. ... The balance of payments is a measure of the payments that flow from one exports and imports of goods, services, and financial capital, as well financial transfers. ...

Paris

The capital city of Paris attacts tourists with museums such as the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and cathedral of Notre-Dame and dozens of other attractions, for example, Disneyland Paris. City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... This article is about the museum: for building history, see Palais du Louvre, for higher education, see École du Louvre. ... Vincent Van Gogh: Starry Night Over the Rhone, painted in September 1888 at Arles Pierre-Auguste Renoir: Bal au moulin de la Galette, Montmartre, 1876 Édouard Manet: The Luncheon on the Grass, 1862-3 Gustave Courbet: The Artists Studio (detail), 1855 Paul Cézanne: Apples and Oranges, circa 1899... Eiffel tower on Bastille Day The Eiffel Tower (French: , ) is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris, France. ... Arc de Triomphe The Arc de Triomphe is a monument in Paris that stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly the Place de lÉtoile, at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. ... This article is about the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. ... Castle of the Sleeping Beauty in Disneyland Park Disneyland Resort Paris is a theme park in Marne-la-Vallée, near Paris. ...

Eastern France

In the eastern parts of France there are skiing resorts in the Alps. Other notable cities are Avignon with the Popes' palace, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Nice, Orléans on the Loire River, Saint-Benoît-du-Sault, Toulouse on the Garonne, Strasbourg on the border with Germany, and Lyon. Alpine skier carving a turn on piste Members of the U.S. Air Force skiing (and snowboarding) at Keystone Resorts 14th Annual SnoFest Downhill Ski Racing This article is about snow skiing. ... The west face of the Petit Dru above the Chamonix valley near the Mer de Glace. ... City flag City coat of arms Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Région Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur Département Vaucluse (préfecture) Arrondissement Avignon Canton Chief town of 4 cantons Intercommunality Communauté dagglomération du Grand Avignon Mayor Marie-Josée Roig... The current Pope is Benedict XVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger), who was elected at the age of 78 on 19 April 2005. ... Coordinates Administration Country France Region Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur Department Bouches-du-Rhône (Subprefecture) Arrondissement Arles Canton Chief town of 2 cantons: Arles-Est and Arles-Ouest Intercommunality Agglomeration community of Arles-Crau-Camargue-Montagnette Mayor Hervé Schiavetti  (PS) (2001-2008) Statistics Altitude 0 m–57 m... Aix (prounounced eks), or, to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, Aix-en-Provence is a city in southern France, some 30 km north of Marseille. ... City flag Coat of arms Motto: By her great deeds, the city of Massilia shines Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur Department Bouches-du-Rhône (13) Subdivisions 16 arrondissements (in 8 secteurs) Intercommunality Urban Community of Marseille Provence... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Orléans Cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Cross, built from 1278 to 1329; after being pillaged by Huguenots in the 1560s, the Bourbon kings restored it in the 17th century. ... The Loire River (pronounced in French), the longest river in France with a length of just over 1000 km, drains an area of 117,000 km², more than a fifth of France. ... Saint-Benoît-du-Sault is a little town and commune of the Indre département, in central France. ... New city flag (Occitan cross) Traditional coat of arms Motto: (Occitan: For Toulouse, always more) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region Midi-Pyrénées Department Haute-Garonne (31) Intercommunality Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc  (UMP) (since 2004) City Statistics... City flag City coat of arms Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region Alsace Department Bas-Rhin (67) Intercommunality Urban Community of Strasbourg Mayor Fabienne Keller  (UMP) City Statistics Land area¹ 78. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: (Franco-Provençal: Forward, forward, Lyon the best) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region Rhône-Alpes Department Rhône (69) Subdivisions 9 arrondissements Intercommunality Urban Community of Lyon Mayor Gérard Collomb  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics...

France's tourist industry, however, is not limited to the towns and cities, Paris and the Alpine ski resorts. All over France rental accommodations and hotels are available. For example, the English like to spend their summers in the Dordogne valley, the Spanish vacation in Biarritz and St Jean de Luz on the Basque coast, and the Irish often visit Lourdes. The west face of the Petit Dru above the Chamonix valley near the Mer de Glace. ... St. ... Dariush Grand Hotel,Kish island, Iran The 4-star Manor House Hotel at Castle Combe, Wiltshire, England. ... Summer is a season that is astronomically defined as beginning around June 21, and ending around September 23 in the Northern Hemisphere. ... Périgord (   pronunciation?) is a former province of France, corresponding to the current Dordogne département, now forming the northern part of the Aquitaine région. ... Biarritz (French: Biarritz, pronounced ; Gascon Occitan: Biàrritz; Basque: Miarritze) is a town and commune which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in southwestern France. ... Saint-Jean-de-Luz (Basque Donibane Lohitzun) is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département in France. ... Basque Country flag Basque Country Northern Basque Country, French Basque Country or Continental Basque Country (French: Pays Basque, Basque: Iparralde) constitutes the Western part of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. ... Lourdes is a town situated in the Southwest of the Hautes-Pyrénées department, lying in the first Pyrenean foothills. ...

France offers a high-speed train service called TGV (train à grande vitesse) as well as regional services, both operated by the SNCF. A typical North American steam train In rail transport, a train consists of rail vehicles that move along guides to transport freight or passengers from one place to another. ... For the group of heart conditions referred to as TGV, see transposition of the great vessels. ... An SNCF multiple unit. ...