Not only Olympics: How France can surprise tourists this year
This year, many travellers will definitely associate France with the Olympic Games. Of course, this fact will attract a lot of attention from tourists who will come to Paris to attend the sporting event of the year.
However, what can France do to attract tourists this year besides the Olympic Games? iNews offers 19 places that will help to diversify a trip to this country and leave a good impression.
World capital of books, Grand Est. This year, UNESCO has chosen a new literary champion, which is the city of Strasbourg. The festive programme will be held on World Book Day on April 23 and will be accompanied by various entertainment events.
Cannes, Maritime Alps. Here you can find a small island of Saint-Honorat, where the restoration of the 11th-century abbey is being completed and where 21 monks live and grow grapes. It offers guided tours and the opportunity to taste wine during excursions.
Expansion of the Matisse Museum, Hauts-de-France. You can see the artist's complete collection, which will be presented to the public for the first time in the former Hotel Ville from September 28, 2024.
New long-distance cycling route, Brittany. The 275-kilometre La Régalante bike route, which circles some of the region's ancient castles and fortifications, officially opens this spring.
Nice's new resort, the Alpes Maritimes. The Hôtel du Couvent was once a 17th-century monastery that stood empty for 40 years. Today, it has been converted into a hotel that will open its doors this summer and will offer guests Roman-style thermal baths, elegant rooms, and food prepared from its own products.
Anniversary of the Normandy landings. On the 80th anniversary of the liberation of France from occupation, an international ceremony will be held on June 6 in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer near Omaha Beach. In addition, from June 1 to 16, the D-Day festival will be held here, which will include historical reenactments, parades and parachute jumps among a busy schedule of events.
Modern medicine, Paris and Montpellier. The tour, which will allow you to plunge into the development of modern medicine, will be held on the 90th anniversary of Marie Curie's death and will present the works of the Nobel Prize winner, as well as Louis Pasteur, the inventor of the vaccine, and René Laënnec, who invented the stethoscope.
Revitalization of an old fort, Lyon. The Croix-Rousse hill in Fort St. Laurent was previously used as a military base, a monastery, a prison, a homeless shelter, and an artists' residence. At the end of this year, a new hotel with magnificent views of the river is planned to open here.
Houses on the GR34 hiking route, Brittany. These are Naéco hostels that offer cheap and comfortable lodges. This time they are opening their third facility in Erdevin above the Quiberon peninsula northeast of Nantes, just a few steps from the GR34 hiking route.
Yves Saint Laurent Museum, Paris. You can see the new exhibition Transparency: The Power of Matter at the Yves Saint Laurent Museum from February to August this year.
Summer rail pass for 49 euros. This price will be valid throughout the country. These passes entitle you to an unlimited number of trips on regional trains (TER) and intercity trains during the month.
Long-term stays in Paris. For those who plan to spend more time in the capital, the Locke apart-hotel brand is opening its next property in the Latin Quarter of Paris, Le Jardin de Verre by Locke. It features 145 apartments, a gym, coworking space, a winter garden, a restaurant and a bar.
Futuroscope Water Park, New Aquitaine. This water park opens in the summer of 2024 and offers year-round entertainment. Here you can try eight water slides, dynamic cinemas, and cinematic projects on the water.
New gondola, Chamonix-Mont Blanc. Tourists are invited to travel with a new 16-cabin gondola that can carry up to 160 passengers to the Mer de Glace glacier and its ice cave.
Long-distance hiking route, Gironde. This year, a new hiking route called the Amadour Trail opens in this place, retracing the path of St. Amadour, who walked to Rocamadour, 500 km away, where he became a hermit in a sanctuary.
Opening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Notre Dame will finally reopen after the infamous fire in April 2019. The large-scale repair work cost 800 million euros, so visitors will be able to see how successful they were on December 8, 2024.
Wine retreat in Lyonne, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Wine Dine Caroline has announced the launch of its first multi-day retreat in May this year. Those who are interested can join and stay in the centre of Lyon for 3 nights, tasting wines and walking around the old town.
Floating hotel for cyclists, Isère. La Peniche Bed and Bicycle is located on a barge near the 815-kilometre ViaRhôna bicycle route, which runs along the Rhone River between Geneva and the Mediterranean Sea.
Family beach resort, Eastern Pyrenees. The Pierre et Vacances resorts are located in all the sunniest corners, and the Premium Residence Golf du Lion offers cycling, hiking, water sports and horseback riding.