#star-forts

#star-forts

The most striking discovery is a concentration of natural stone cannonballs-numbering in the dozens-buried together on the site. These projectiles were commonly used between about 1350 and 1600, a period when gunpowder weapons were becoming increasingly important in European warfare.

La Roque-Gageac's cliffside setting has shaped its destiny both as a place of defence and a magnet for visitors across the centuries.

"A visit to the Palace of Versailles is truly a walk through history, not to mention one of the most beautifully preserved palaces one can visit."

In the UK and the US, it is often crystal clear when your new home is classified as a heritage home or period property, but in France it can be less obvious. You could be breaking the rules simply by installing new windows. So how can you check that your big plans aren't going to upset anyone - or worse, break the law?

No introduction to Saint-Malo is complete without a stroll along the ramparts. These granite walls, rebuilt and reinforced over centuries, encircle the intra muros, the historic heart of the city by the port. The nearly two-kilometer circuit offers sweeping views of the Atlantic, the Fort National, and the distant Grand Bé. Walking the ramparts is like pacing the city's memory: narrow streets below hide cafés, boutique shops, and layers of architectural history.

I like to create a small universe. From the master plan to the doorknobs, from the trees planted outside to the way people will sit and eat and dance inside, you create and control a whole microcosm.

For many travellers, France begins and ends with Paris, Provence, or the French Riviera. Yet venture west and a very different France emerges, one shaped by Celtic roots, dramatic coastlines, diverse local cuisine, and a fierce sense of regional identity. Brittany ( La Bretagne) is a world unto itself, where land and sea shape daily life, and it should be the location for your next French holiday.

Travelers often overlook tiny European countries, but, as I discovered on a recent trip to Luxembourg-Europe's seventh-smallest nation, with a population of just 699,000-there's much to discover in these hidden gems. Last summer, I visited my aunt, who has lived in Europe for over 20 years, with stints in Paris, Vienna, Zug, Switzerland, and now, Luxembourg. We spent three days touring the historic city nestled between Belgium, Germany, and France. It's built on a rocky plateau overlooking deep gorges, a sweeping canyon, and surrounding countryside.

The winning proposal is a partnership between GReeStone Immobilier and Grand Ouest Immobilier, with an architectural team formed by the office of Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, winners of the 2021 Pritzker Prize, in partnership with Emmanuelle Delage Architecte. According to the city government, the proposal was chosen with the aim of promoting resilience and limiting the carbon footprint by renovating rather than demolishing.

The project faces the historic site of the Vichy parks. It is part of an ambitious project to reclaim the water body, which began with the renovation of the right bank of Lake Allier in 2014 and the left bank in 2019.