French passion and the Black Forest

Welcome to your tour with Europamundo!Early departure from Paris. We’ll travel towards Normandy, making a stop in Giverny to visit Monet’s House and its impressive gardens (admission included); we’ll learn about impressionist art, a movement centered in Normandy. The journey will continue to Rouen, Normandy’s capital with its medieval streets and cathedral. Here we’ll have time for a stroll and lunch. We’ll continue to Arromanches, where the beaches serve as a poignant reminder of the World War II landings in France. Our final destination is Caen, where we’ll enjoy some leisure time in the central district.Note: From November to April, Monet´s house is closed to visitors, so there will be no stop at Giverny.

First thing in the morning, we’ll travel to Mont-Saint-Michel, known as “The Marvel,” where you´ll have time to explore the city, surrounded by the sea and the abbey. Next, in Brittany, we’ll stop in Saint-Malo, whose powerful walls defend the city. Time for lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll continue to Dinan, a charming town in the Brittany region. We’ll then make our way to Rennes, the capital of Brittany, with its fascinating and monumental historic center.

We’ll depart for Angers. Those who wish can visit the castle that houses the largest medieval tapestry depicting the Apocalypse. Our journey will take us to the Loire Valley, arriving in Tours, the region´s capital, located on the banks of the Loire River. Here, you’ll have time to explore and enjoy lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll visit Château de Villandry, renowned for its magnificent gardens and flowers, with admission to the gardens included. We’ll then continue to Amboise for accommodation, a city celebrated for its enchanting medieval quarter. Dinner will be included.

Embark on a day of discovery in the Loire Valley. Our day will begin with an early morning walk in Amboise to the Château du Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last three years. Delving deeper into the Loire region, we´ll explore the iconic Château de Chenonceau (tickets included), built like a bridge over the River Cher. Next, we will visit Chambord, the largest castle in the Loire Valley (visit to the park included). Continuing our journey into central France, our next stop will be Limoges, renowned for its porcelain. We suggest visiting its historic center, where the highlight is Saint Etienne Cathedral.

We’ll leave Limoges for the Dordogne, home to one of the great historic rivers in central France. Few regions contain so many charming villages and enchanting landscapes. We’ll arrive at Lascaux, where we’ll visit the museum and the replica of the caves (tickets included) and learn about the site’s prehistoric times with its magnificent cave paintings. After that, we’ll visit Sarlat, a UNESCO World Heritage town with an incredibly well-preserved Renaissance historic center, where there will be time to stroll and have lunch. In Beynac, we’ll explore a medieval castle overlooking the river (admission included). We’ll end the day in Rocamadour, a beautiful medieval village with an important sanctuary "perched" on a cliff; we suggest walking down the Via Crucis and taking the lift back up. Dinner will be included.

We´ll visit the impressive Padirac Chasm, where we´ll enjoy a boat ride on the river 75 meters underground. Afterwards, we´ll proceed to Collonges-la-Rouge, a picturesque village built with red stone on the Way of St. James. Following lunch, we´ll journey to Saint-Emilion, located in the heart of the Bordeaux wine-producing region, with time for a leisurely stroll. We’ll arrive in Bordeaux in the evening.Note: The Padirac Chasm may be closed from November until the end of March due to weather conditions.

The entire center of Bordeaux has been recognized as a World Heritage Site. Prepare to be captivated by the "Water Mirror" and explore the historic old town with its charming pedestrian streets and 11th-century cathedral. We will include admission to the Cité du Vin (with audio tour in English, Spanish or French), an impressive interactive museum that delves into the history and production of wine; wine tasting included at the viewpoint overlooking Bordeaux. Later, you´ll have free time to stroll along the Garonne River banks, lined with quaint restaurants perfect for lunch. Afterward, we continue towards the Pyrenees, arriving in Lourdes by mid-afternoon. You´ll have time to visit the sanctuary (we suggest attending the candlelit procession). Dinner will be included.

We travel through the south of France and stop in CARCASSONNE, a city surrounded by the most beautiful walls in Europe. Time to walk. After lunch we will continue to NARBONNE, free time to get to know this historic Occitan city with its picturesque historic center. At the end of the afternoon we arrive in MARSEILLE, the second city of France. We recommend a walk through its vibrant “Vieux port”, full of life and small restaurants.

Villages, landscapes, history, today we see some of the most beautiful places in Provence. ARLES, a world heritage city, shows us its legacy of the Roman and medieval times and reminds us of Van Gogh. In LES BEAUX, we have the chance to visit this small medieval village and we will include admission to the CARRIERES DE LUMIERE, an impressive show of art, image and sound underground, in some former quarries. Time for lunch and stroll in AVIGNON, with its immense Palais des Papes. We continue to LYON, where we can walk through the World Heritage Site old town and we will include the cable car to climb Notre Dame de Fourviere, a huge basilica from where we have a great view over the city.Note: When due to closure or influx of public it is not possible to obtain tickets for the show of Carrieres de Lumière, as an alternative there will be a transfer to the Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard.

We will set off from Lyon and head to the Burgundy region. We stop at TOURNUS, a quaint little town with an imposing stone gate and a large abbey. After that, we will travel to BEAUNE. Time to have lunch and explore a bit through the wine capital of Burgundy. We recommend you to visit the wine museum or the historic hospice. Next, we will visit the CASTLE OF SAVIGNY situated in the heart of this winemaking region. The castle was built in the 15th century and houses some extraordinary museums (museum of motorbikes, racing cars, planes and helicopters!). We continue to DIJON, capital of Burgundy, which boasts of lively streets as well as numerous medieval and Renaissance buildings, among which, the palace of the dukes stands out.

Yet in the Burgundy region we make a stop in BESANÇON, a city of Roman origin with a beautiful historic center and citadel of the 17th century that dominates the city. We continue our route towards Alsace, a French region disputed over the centuries between France and Germany, which maintains its own German dialect, “the Alsatian” and the architecture and traditions with deep Germanic roots. We make a stop in COLMAR, a city with unique architecture, with colorful wooden houses and canals that cross it. It is known for its white wine and its gastronomy. We will have time to have lunch and a walk. In the afternoon we visit two of the most beautiful towns in Alsace RIQUEWIHR, a medieval town with cobblestone streets and colorful houses that seem to come out of a fairy tale and that inspired scenes of the Beauty and the Beast movie. RIBEAUVILLE, with its historic center and ruined castles that dominate the town. STRASBOURG, arrival in the evening. We suggest walking through the cathedral area and Petite France, full of charming places and small restaurants.

Time in STRASBOURG, the capital of Alsace. The city is the seat of the European Parliament. Its historic center is beautiful, with its picturesque medieval streets, its impressive Gothic cathedral and its canals and flowers. We include a boat trip through the canals of Petite France. After that we go to Germany, admiring beautiful mountain landscapes and towns of the Black Forest. In FREIBURG, we have time to have lunch and walk through this university city with its medieval center and its cathedral. Among wonderful landscapes we will continue to TRIBERG, one of the most picturesque towns in the Black Forest known for its cuckoo clocks. We include the admission to the Triberg Falls, the highest in Germany, which we access through a beautiful path. We continue towards GENGENBACH, a small town with its beautiful central square. Accommodation in BADEN-BADEN, a spa city that attracted nobles and upper bourgeoisie from all over Europe, its casinos, its architecture and its parks remind us of this.

Some time in Baden-Baden to stroll through its parks before leaving for Rhineland-Palatinate. SPEYER, on the banks of the Rhine River, its great Romanesque cathedral is a World Heritage Site, you can visit it and have a walk through the old quarter, where the Alte Munze tower stands out. We continue our route to HEIDELBERG. We include a cable car to its impressive castle (admission to the castle´s exterior park, wineries and pharmacy museum included), with its great views over the city. After that we will have time for lunch and a walk through the old town and its Markt Platz. In the afternoon we will arrive in FRANKFURT, a large financial city, with its modern skyscrapers, its old town, the views over the Rhine River and its well-known nightlife.

Today we travel to France passing through the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, a small country that speaks German (Luxembourg dialect) and French. LUXEMBOURG, arrival in this cosmopolitan city that combines a rich history with the modernity of being a financial center and headquarters of European institutions. In addition to its old town, a World Heritage Site, its fortifications, the Grand Ducal Palace and the Notre-Dame Cathedral stand out. After lunch time we head on to France. In the center of the Champagne-producing region we will make a stop in REIMS, time to see its impressive Gothic cathedral, where the coronations of many of the kings of France took place. Arrival in PARIS at the end of the day.

After breakfast, our journey will come to an end, leaving you with wonderful lasting memories.