French Escapade: The Riviera to Paris - Northbound

A holiday to France with MSC Cruises is the perfect chance to visit Cannes. With its immaculate seafront hotels and exclusive beach concessions, glamorous yachts and designer boutiques, Cannes is in many ways the definitive Riviera resort, a place where appearances count, especially during the film festival in May. The not particularly attractive seafront Palais des Festivals is the heart of the film festival but also hosts conferences, tournaments and trade shows. Despite its glittery image, Cannes works surprisingly well as a big seaside resort, with plenty of free, sandy public beaches. Promenade de la Croisette is certainly the sight to see during your excursions, with its palace hotels – the Martinez and Carlton – on one side and their private beaches on the other. It’s possible to find your way down to the beach without paying, but not easy (you can of course walk along it below the rows of sun beds). The old town, known as Le Suquet after the hill on which it stands, provides a great panorama of the curve of Cannes’ bay. On its summit stand the remains of the fortified priory lived in by Cannes’ eleventh-century monks, and the beautiful twelfth-century Chapelle Ste-Anne. The Musée de la Castre, in the remains of Cannes’ eleventh-century priory, holds an extraordinary collection of musical instruments from all over the world, along with pictures and prints of old Cannes and an ethnology and archaeology section. MSC Mediterranean cruises also offer excursions to Nice. Since reaching its zenith in the belle époque of the late nineteenth century, it has retained its historical styles almost intact: the medieval rabbit warren of Vieux Nice, the Italianate facades of modern Nice and the rich exuberance of fin-de-siècle residences dating from when the city was Europe’s most fashionable winter retreat.

If you have a love of Roman history, then Arles should be on the visiting itinerary. Situated on the Rhône River, in Southern France, the city was at one time a provincial capital of ancient Rome. The Roman influence can still be seen to this day in its historical sites. Its semi-circular Roman theatre still stands on a hilltop. Its Amphitheatre, built between the 1st and 2nd century, and capable of accommodating over 20,000 spectators, is used today for plays, festivals and bullfights. While the Alyscamps, or Roman Necropolis, built by the Romans and Greeks, is the most famous burial site in the western world. Another site worthy of mention is the Constantine Thermes, built between the 3rd and 4th centuries during the reign of the Emperor Constantine. Arles is also said to have influenced Van Gough’s paintings, and the contemporary art on show at the Vincent Van Gough Foundation.

As you stroll the squares and cobbled streets of Avignon, in south-eastern France, you can’t help but be impressed by the architectural influence of 400 years of papal rule. From its 800 year old ramparts that tower majestically over the Rhône River, to the UNESCO listed Pope’s Palace and city centre, the area is steeped in cultural history. However, to contrast the spectacular ancient architecture, the city has a young energetic population. With many attending the University of Avignon, they add a dynamic energy to the many cafes and bistros dotted around the town squares and alleyways. Visit the three magnificent Gothic churches, the old papal mint, Collection Lambert, and the Renaissance artwork in the Musee du Petit. Wander through the Rochers des Doms gardens. Take in the spectacular view across the city skyline, and relax with a liqueur coffee and pastries, in one of the many pavement cafes.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a French wine, an Appellation d'origine contrôlée located around the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône wine region in southeastern France.

Tain-l'Hermitage is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.

Stroll through the old town, past charming half-timbered facades and right onto the square in front of the Cathédrale Saint-Vincent, which dates back to the eighth century. Then, enjoy a cool glass of local Chardonnay. In Chalon-sur-Saône, millennia-old history meets modern lifestyle and culture – as in so many other small towns and cities along this tranquil river. The city is also known as the birthplace of photography: the Musée Nicéphore Niépce, a photography museum at the Quai des Messageries, is clear evidence of this.

Stroll through the old town, past charming half-timbered facades and right onto the square in front of the Cathédrale Saint-Vincent, which dates back to the eighth century. Then, enjoy a cool glass of local Chardonnay. In Chalon-sur-Saône, millennia-old history meets modern lifestyle and culture – as in so many other small towns and cities along this tranquil river. The city is also known as the birthplace of photography: the Musée Nicéphore Niépce, a photography museum at the Quai des Messageries, is clear evidence of this.

Tournus is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France.

Sitting in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, where the Rhône and Saône rivers converge, Lyon boasts a proud 2,000 year history. From its magnificent Roman Amphitheatre of Fourvière, to Renaissance architecture in Lyon’s old town, to the Presqu’ile peninsula, where impressive 19th century buildings house banks, cultural centres, and government buildings, alongside designer stores, independent retailers, restaurants, bars, cafes, and nightclubs. Check out the Vieux area of the city, and its grand houses of the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, built by the city’s wealthy silk merchants. Walk the Traboules, underground passageways that linked the weaving houses to the river. Visit the impressive Fourvière Basilica, and Lyon’s gothic cathedral. Seek out the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the largest fine-arts museum outside of Paris. Or choose to relax, stroll the Parc de la Tête d’Or, one of France’s largest botanical gardens, and stop off at a Bouchon, to enjoy some local Lyon cuisine.

Even if you’ve never been to Paris before, you’ll feel like you recognise every corner of the city. Countless films, books, paintings, poems and songs have been set in the city of love. Yet there’s always more to discover. The fashion capital of the world, a mecca of art and culture, an oasis for gourmets and a metropolis for media, education and political and economic power – Paris is all of this and more. Paris is a city whose beauty never fades. The Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Madeleine, Opéra, Louvre, Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre, Dôme des Invalides and Centre Pompidou are just some of the sights that exemplify this city’s fame and grandeur.

Even if you’ve never been to Paris before, you’ll feel like you recognise every corner of the city. Countless films, books, paintings, poems and songs have been set in the city of love. Yet there’s always more to discover. The fashion capital of the world, a mecca of art and culture, an oasis for gourmets and a metropolis for media, education and political and economic power – Paris is all of this and more. Paris is a city whose beauty never fades. The Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Madeleine, Opéra, Louvre, Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre, Dôme des Invalides and Centre Pompidou are just some of the sights that exemplify this city’s fame and grandeur.

Even if you’ve never been to Paris before, you’ll feel like you recognise every corner of the city. Countless films, books, paintings, poems and songs have been set in the city of love. Yet there’s always more to discover. The fashion capital of the world, a mecca of art and culture, an oasis for gourmets and a metropolis for media, education and political and economic power – Paris is all of this and more. Paris is a city whose beauty never fades. The Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Madeleine, Opéra, Louvre, Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre, Dôme des Invalides and Centre Pompidou are just some of the sights that exemplify this city’s fame and grandeur.