Entries Tagged "france"

Monday, December 14, 2009

Because of its location, Cherbourg has played an important role in military campaigns throughout history. It was a major objective of the Allied Forces during the D-Day invasion, and changed hands several times during the Middle Ages, as France and England fought to establish their sovereign territories. It was even the site of a Civil War naval battle - between the USS Kearsarge and the CSS Alabama.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Lyon is a popular port on France river cruises.  Capital of Gaul under the Roman Empire, major center of culture and trading during the Renaissance, strong industrial breeding ground in the nineteenth century, Lyon has become a large European metropolis, benefiting from the influences that have swept across its beautiful landscape. Now included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Lyon is categorized along with prestigious cities such as Venice, Prague, or Saint Petersburg. From the Roman city of Lugdunum to the city of today, two millenniums have left their mark in terms of an outstanding architectural heritage, at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers : Fourvière, with its basilica and Gallo-Roman ruins, the Renaissance district of Old Lyon, which is centered around Saint Jean Cathedral, the presqu'île (peninsula between the two rivers), which was shaped by the great classical and imperial era, along with the slopes of the Croix-Rousse, where the silk industry thrived. A particularly lively part of the city, Lyon's historical area is proof of the importance that the city places on its heritage, preserved and enriched over the centuries, it is now turned towards the future.  If a France river cruise is not for you, take a France tour that include Lyon.