France It is one of the most important countries in the European Union, and also one of the most visited by travelers from all over the world. Although many of them end up in Paris and do not move much more, the truth is that France offers us many other wonderful destinations.
Thus, we should know more about the provinces of France And with that objective we have written this article. Let's go on a trip to France!
provinces of France
Talking about the internal geopolitical division of France is a bit complex since over time the borders have moved and there are overlapping subdivisions. Before the fall of the Old Regime, the country had provinces but also duchies, states, dioceses, baronies, but the Constituent Assembly of 1790 passed the broom, abolished everything and gave birth to the departments.
But time did not bury the old word and it is still used today to talk about certain regions that have a certain cultural and linguistic personality. In 2014 there was a redistribution of regions, and so today mainland France has 13 regions, with its corresponding capital.
The current regions are: the Centre-Valle de Loire, Pays de la Loire, Burgundy-Franche-Comté, New Aquitaine, Brittany, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Corsica, Île-de-France, Normandy, Haute-France, Grand Est, Occitania and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. and what happened to Alsace, Lorraine or Languedoc the one you sure heard of in History? Well, they disappeared in 2014.
Now then there are the departments that would be something like the Spanish provinces, larger or smaller. How many departments are there in France? 96, identified by their alphabetical order, which in turn assigns them a code that is the one that appears in the postal system, the social security of its inhabitants and the license plate of the cars.
The departments and their capitals do not have the same name, yes. Districts or departments are also added to the regions and departments. districts, cantons, communes and intercommunities. And of course, we cannot forget the French provinces in America, Oceania and Africa.
As we said before, each province is divided into administrative regions, also made up of provinces with a lot of personality, which gives the country an interesting cultural diversity. Many of them are considered "historical regions" and only by reading them can you guess why: Normandy, Lorraine, Brittany, Aquitaine, Porvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Poitou-Charentes and Burgundy.
The truth is that these provinces are different from each other and if you can go through some of them you will immediately notice customs, festivals and even the occasional different language.
New Aquitaine
New Aquitaine is a wonderful destination where you can taste good French wines. It has a coastline of 250 kilometers and many castles and historical towns. It is the land of Poitou, Biarritz, Bordeaux.
Grand-Est
Here is the city of Strasbourg, Alsace and the vineyards of the popular Champagne You can walk through the cellars and try the champagne and even follow a special route through cellars and villages. The heart of the viticulture activity here is Epernay, but the largest city in the region is Reims, with its beautiful Gothic cathedral, Notre Dame. And if you like history, then there is the battlefield of the famous battle of verdun, of the First World War.
To the east of Champagne is Lorraine, also the city of Metz or Nancy. Here we are already in the old Alsace and Lorraine, on the border with Germany and Switzerland, mountains, forests and good chocolates.
Corsica
You can see here the Fortress of Corte, the Gulf of Bonifacio, Calvi or its many villages hidden in the mountains.
Normandy
Normandy it is a historical, cultural and geographical entity that is bordered by the English Channel. It was born as a duchy in 911 and its most famous duke was William the Conqueror, the conqueror of England.
We've all seen what a wonder it is Mont-Saint-Michel and we've all seen movies about the Battle of Normandy, with the landing beaches, which marked the beginning of the end of World War II. It is the land of William the Conqueror, of the wonderful Fecamp cliffs, the village of Camembert with its famous cheese, the manufacture of cider...
Burgundy Franche-Comté
It is the land of the wine industry, so it is the best place to tour wineries. If you dare to eat snails, it is also here where they are prepared delicious. It is also the land of Dijon, its picturesque capital, of the Jura, of the towering and picturesque Alps.
Ile de France
Heart of France, headquarters of Paris, owner of museums, restaurants and picturesque streets to get lost in seeing shops and churches. Its icons are the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, La Villette, the Seine River...
Loire Valley Center
Oh, what to say about this beautiful land studded with castles…. You cannot leave France without seeing some of them. If you are short on time you can always book a day trip that takes you by car through some of the most popular.
The valley is of the castles of Chenonceau, Royal de Blois, Chambord, Gaillard… You can get to know the University of Tours and the medieval charm of Angers.
Pays de la Loire
Dunes, beaches, sea, all this and a lot offer destinations such as Le Mans, Guérande or Nantes.
Brittany
The French countryside in its beautiful splendor, with Celtic reminiscences, villages, towns and its magnificent Atlantic coast. It also has Neolithic treasures with standing stones of Carnac, the menhirs, for example, and a lot of Celtic tradition that is still seen in the Breton language, in its identity and also in its music.
Do not miss the joselin castle, hidden in the woods, or the beautiful capital, Reindeer. On the coast is the lighthouse of St-Malo and like any region with access to the amr its gastronomy is not to be detracted from.
Occitania
It is the land of perpignan and Toulouse.
Provence-Alps-French Riviera
The best beaches on the French Riviera are here, with Marseilles in the lead, but there are also fields of lavender, coves and the air that comes from neighboring Italy.
Auvergne-Rhône-Alps
volcanoes? Yes. Summits? Also. Springs? Clear! To the east of Burgundy are the Jura Mountains, along the border with Switzerland, with the citadel of Besancon. South of Lake Geneva, Chamonix, south of Burgundy, Lyon the third largest city in France.
Hauts-de-France
The Hauts de France are the land of Lille, on the border with Belgium, with its great Flemish influence and old medieval cathedrals, the cliffs of the Côte d'Opale, with its beaches and estuaries, castles and fortresses. It is north of Paris and if you like World War II you can go and see the Somme memorials.
Of course, I have many other destinations in the pipeline. My advice is to be very clear about what aspects of France you like to decide later on your best route. Do you like gastronomy, medieval history, contemporary history? And from there, draw your paths. Have a good trip!