France is all about world-class art and architecture, Roman temples and Renaissance châteaux, iconic landmarks known the world over, and rising stars few yet know. Stroll the lily-clad gardens Monet painted and savour un café at the Parisian cafe where Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir met to philosophise. See glorious pasts blaze forth and imagine the life of a French king at bourgeois Versailles. View tomorrow's art stars in squats secreted in abandoned 19th-century Haussmann mansions in Paris, or at new headline-grabbing museums up north. Drink cocktails in a shabby-chic Nantes warehouse. Listen to Marseille rap and Parisian jazz. Sense the subtle infusion of language, music and mythology in Brittany, brought by 5th-century Celtic invaders. Yes, French culture offers never-ending possibilities to fill any stay in France.
France is the second largest country in Europe, with the fifth largest population in Europe. Two thirds of France is mountains and hills, with the Alps, Pyrenees and Vosges ranges. Mont Blanc in the Alps is the highest mountain in Europe. The Mediterranean coast includes the popular tourist area, the French Riviera. Its hot, dry summers and mild winters make it a popular beach area.
Continental France is divided into four climatic zones: *Oceanic and humid climate with often cool summers to the west of a line from Bayonne to Lille; *Semi-continental climate with harsh winters and hot summers in Alsace, Lorraine, along the Rhône corridor and in the mountainous massifs (Alps, Pyrenees and Massif Central); *Intermediate climate with cold winters and hot summers in the north, and in the Paris and central regions; *Mediterranean climate with mild winters and very hot summers in the south of France.
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Emergency Numbers
Medical emergency/accidents/ambulance (SAMU): 15
The SAMU is the coordinated service to call in case of any serious medical emergency.
Fire brigade: 18
The French fire brigade, called les sapeurs pompiers, can also be called in cases of medical emergencies, such as traffic and domestic accidents.
Police: 17
This number puts you in contact with the appropriate emergency police services nearest you, whether that be the police nationale or the gendarmerie. For non-urgent situations, make a note of the direct phone number for your nearest police station (commissariat de police or gendarmerie).
All emergencies from a mobile phone: 112
This is the pan-European emergency number which can be called in any emergency from your mobile phone. As it's a Europe-wide number, you can also ask to be connected to an English-speaking operator.
Tourist Information Visit France
Tourist Information Visit France