As a Belgian, I have grown to nicely distinguish myself from our French neighbors; kind of the same way Oklahomans are not Texans. The idea of this article came to me when I was planning a lesson for one of my education classes. I was looking at different geography games I could use for my Emerging Technology course when I stumble across this game that had two versions for the French regions: before 2016 and after 2016.
Apparently, on January 1st 2016, The French regions went from 27 to 18. My first thought was “How are they going to play À prendre ou à laisser.” À prendre ou à laisser literally means “to take or to leave” and is the French version of Deal or No Deal. I used to watch it every night after school, and apparently it's back on now with a new host. The world is changing in Western Europe, and I'm obviously not aware of it. Anyways, I don't like change, so here's a to-do list of what to do in each of the (old) 27 regions of France.
1. Bretagne
Bretagne or Brittany for English speakers is full of hidden treasures. The Peninsula of Crozon is one of my favorite places; it is longed by the GR34, a little trail that allows hiking along the coast. I have spent some time there almost every summer the past 8 years, and it is absolutely beautiful. The village of Locronan is one of the most beautiful villages in France and their crepes and butter pastries are among the best worldwide!
2. Aquitaine
The medieval village of Beynac-et-Cazenac is situated on the Dordogne River. As Locronan, it is classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France. The village, established at the base of a cliff, is sprinkled with small alleys that lead to the old castle.
3. Champagne-Ardenne
Home to the city of Reims and the sparkly wines that share its names, Champagne-Ardenne gets its charm from its historical sites and vineyards scattered between small villages.
4. Poitou-Charentes
Poitou-Charentes is home to Fort Boyard. The fort was built in the 1800's under Napoleon Bonaparte as a military storage for guns and mortar and now serves as the filming location for the eponym game show: Fort Boyard.
5. Limousin
The Limousin is the least populated region of France and covered with green plains. There are over 1,000 lakes in this Limousin.
6. Basse-Normandie
On June 6th, 1944, American troops landed on the beach of lower Normandy to accomplish what would later become the most successful battle in History. A few miles up Omaha, Utah, Sword, Gold, and Juno beach is St Michel Mount. The Pre-Romanesque church situated at the top of the Mount of St Michel was built in the 900's and continued to expand for the next few centuries until the walls were build as a way to fortify the mount.
7. Picardie
Thought it looks like a Disney's fairytale princess could inhabit this castle, the castle was built in the Middle Ages and later destroyed by Richelieu during the 16th century. Napoleon visited it and bought it for less than 3,000 francs before ordering its restoration. It is situated in the woods and possess a massive park, which gives it its fairy tale-like look.
8. Haute-Normandie
The Etretat cliffs are among the most popular due largely to the advertisement they have enjoyed from many famous painters and writers such as Monet or Arsene Lupin.
9. Rhones-Alpes
Looking to ski? Morzine is where I spent my Easter break in fifth grade. I hit the slopes for the first time at just 10 and earned my snowflake! I was pretty proud!
10. Centre
Another castle but not just any castle: that of Chambord. It is one of the most renown castles in the world due to its very distinctive French architecture. I have yet to visit Chambord, but I personally think it is much prettier than Versailles.
11. Midi-Pyrenees
These French really liked to build villages on a cliff, I guess. Rocamadour is first a religious center that hosts our Lady of Racamadour: the miraculous statue of Virgin Mary. It attracts tourists and pilgrims from all around the world.
12. Alsace
There is too much to say about this region to keep it in a paragraph, but I'll attempt. Alsace is situated at the German border and is well known for its wonderful Germanic architecture that can be found on both sides of the Black Forest. Alsace is also home to some wonderful potteries and delicious dishes. Flamed tarts and pastries are sure to leave you with a full and very happy tummy.
13. Bourgogne
With landscapes very similar to that of Champagne-Ardennes which it borders, Bourgogne - Burgundy - gave its name to a famous red wine.
14. Franche-Comte
In the valleys of this beautiful region is made one of my favorite cheeses: Comte. Comte is made from unpasteurized cow milk and is famous for its strong nutty taste.
15. Languedoc-Roussillon
16. Corse
Corsica besides being a paradise for many retired French is also known for the Southern temper of its inhabitants. This little island situated off the shore is only separated by a short one-hour boat ride from the Italian island of Sardinia.
17. Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur (PACA)
18. Lorraine
19. Nord-pas-de-Calais
20. Pays de la Loire
I spent my summer vacation in Vendee - a department of Pays de la Loire - about 8 years ago, and I remember the beautiful architecture, the Poitevin swamps (also known as Green Venice) and the Noirmoutier salt from the Noirmoutier island. The island can only be reached during certain times of the day because during high tide, the water gets too high to drive on the road but too low to drive a boat.
21. Auvergne
In this central region of France can be found a natural reserve of volcanoes that bring the most delicious water - or so I think - Volvic. Volvic is a water that is very rich in minerals due to the volcanic environment in which it is collected.
22. Ile de France
The last continental region I will introduce you to is Ile de France. This region is most famous for its capital, which is also the country's capital but also for what is most likely the most famous castle in the world: Versailles.
23. Guyane
Few people ignore that France has overseas departments and regions, but it actually has 5 overseas regions. French Guiana is situated on the South American continent and borders Brazil. The ethnicity range is very wide and many languages are spoken in this second-largest French overseas region.
24. Reunion
The Reunion island is situated in the Indian Ocean nearby Madagascar. In the summer of 2015 the Piton de la Fournaise, an active volcano, erupted. Many waterfalls such as the Trou de Fer pictured above can be found on the island as well.
25. Martinique
The Martinique Island is situated in the Lesser Antilles island Arc of the Caribbeans. On this picture can be seen Mount Pelee, a semi-active volcano.
26. Guadeloupe
This small archipelago of the Caribbeans is famous for its zouk music, stunning beaches and jaw-dropping marine reserve.
27. Mayotte
What better to finish than the beautiful island of Mayotte. Situated nearby Madagascar on the side nearest to the African continent, Mayotte is made up of two main islands: Petite Ile and Grande Ile as well as a few smaller isles around it. Mayotte though it is a French territory, is geographically part of the Comoros islands. The Mayotte culture is matriarchal; the mother and wife rules over the household and protects her family.
