Corsica, a mountainous Mediterranean island, presents a mix of stylish coastal towns, dense forest and craggy peaks (Monte Cinto is the highest). Nearly half the island falls within a park whose hiking trails include the challenging GR 20. Its beaches range from busy Pietracorbara to remote Saleccia and Rondinara. It’s been part of France since 1768, but retains a distinct Italian culture.
Tag Archives: France
News: Indonesia’s Widodo, Russia-Ukraine, France Exits Mali, Mexico Cartels
As Indonesia celebrates its independence day, we discuss President Joko Widodo’s plan to act as a diplomatic bridge between Russia and Ukraine. Plus: French troops officially leave Mali, cartel-driven violence in Mexico and the latest aviation news.
Walking Tours: Cassis In Southeastern France (4K)
Cassis is a Mediterranean fishing port in southern France. Overlooked by a centuries-old château, it’s known for pebbly beaches and its calanques, narrow inlets framed by steep, limestone cliffs. The harbor features pastel-colored buildings, sidewalk cafes and restaurants. Local vineyards are known for producing Cassis white wine. Trails run along the huge, rocky Cap Canaille headland for panoramic sea views.
Headlines: Trump’s Legal Woes, The Future Of Apple iPhone, French Mustard
Donald Trump endured an FBI raid, questioning in a civil lawsuit and an adverse court ruling, all in 48 hours.
But at least in the short-term, he’s making political hay from his legal woes. Why Apple’s future increasingly rests on services rather than just hardware. And how France is coping with a mustard shortage.
Walking Tour: Cannes In Southeastern France
Cannes, a resort town on the French Riviera, is famed for its international film festival. Its Boulevard de la Croisette, curving along the coast, is lined with sandy beaches, upmarket boutiques and palatial hotels. It’s also home to the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, a modern building complete with red carpet and Allée des Étoiles – Cannes’ walk of fame.
National Geographic Traveller UK ‘Lakes & Mountains’ Issue 2022
1. Alpine running in Canada
Keen runners seeking more inspirational landscapes can join a new tour by CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures to discover the wild beauty of the Bugaboos in the heart of the Canadian wilderness. Soar over verdant forest trails, rugged mountain tops and granite spires in a helicopter before being dropped on a summit. Runners will revel in the sunny skies, breathtaking panoramas and plenty of breaks, often in crystal-clear glaciated lakes. The day ends back at base camp, a spacious fly-in backcountry luxury lodge where guests can relax with a massage, sauna or a soak in a hot tub.
Where to stay: CMH Bugaboos log-hewn lodge at the base of Bugaboo Glacier offers gourmet dining, swimming and a rooftop hot tub. From $3,025 (£1,926) for three nights/four days including meals, helicopter flights, guide, equipment and local transfers.
2. Heli-biking in New Zealand
Cycle far from the crowds in the Wanaka region past glaciers and lakes on gentle high-country trails and tricky single tracks that combine easy free-wheeling with adrenaline pumping fun. For seasoned cyclists, the four-hour Mount Burke trail is the holy grail of mountain bike trips with riders ferried to the top by chopper to avoid the uphill grind. Soak up the scenery at 4,593ft before braving the epic downhill descent through scenic valleys and farmland to the glassy waters of Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea for a gourmet picnic.
Where to stay: Minaret Station, an off-grid lavish four-chalet lodge accessible by only helicopter or boat, located at 7,000ft with a valley to one side and Lake Wanaka to the other. Five nights from £5,250pp, including four nights’ full-board at Minaret Station with return helicopter transfers, excluding international flights, with Black Tomato.
Preparing to go heli-biking in New Zealand.
PHOTOGRAPH BY FREDRIK LARSSON
3. Glacier hiking in France
Head to Saint Martin de Belleville to traverse the Glacier de Chavière and conquer not one, but three cols, or mountain paths, at altitudes of around 10,000ft. Set off at dawn, after learning how to use an ice axe and crampons, to begin an energetic climb attached by a rope to an expert guide. Enjoy incredible views of snow-covered ridges, steep couloirs and rock towers, but take care where you place your feet as some narrow paths come dangerously close to crevices with sheer drops. After reaching the three cols — Col de Thorens, Col Pierre Lory and Col du Bouchet — return to Val Thorens in the early afternoon for a leisurely lunch.
Where to stay: The renovated four-star Hotel Lodji at the base of Saint Martin with cosy bar, restaurant, sunny terrace and spa. Rooms from €150 (£129) a night.
Walks: Lake Annecy In Haute-Savoie, France (4K)
Lake Annecy (French: Lac d’Annecy) is a perialpine lake in Haute-Savoie in France. It is named after the city of Annecy, which marks the start of the Thiou, Lake Annecy’s outflow river.
It is the third-largest lake in France, after the Lac du Bourget and Lac de Grand-Lieu, if the French part of Lake Geneva, which is shared between Switzerland and France, is excluded. It is known as “Europe’s cleanest lake” because of strict environmental regulations introduced in the 1960s. It is a popular tourist destination known for its swimming and water sports.
The lake was formed about 18,000 years ago, at the time the large alpine glaciers melted. It is fed by many small rivers from the surrounding mountains (Ire, Eau morte, Laudon, Bornette and Biolon) and a powerful underwater source, the Boubioz, at a 82-metre depth (269 ft).
Walking Tour: Dijon In Burgundy, France (4K)
Dijon is the capital city of the historical Burgundy region in eastern France, one of the country’s principal wine-making areas. It’s known for its traditional mustard, vineyard tours, autumn gastronomic fair and building styles ranging from Gothic to art deco. The distinguished 1787 Musée des Beaux-Arts, housed in the vast Palace of the Dukes, holds a rich collection of paintings, sculptures, crafts and antiquities.
Village Walks: Mougins In Southeastern France (4K)
Mougins is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. It is located on the heights of Cannes, in the district of Grasse. Mougins is a 15-minute drive from Cannes. The village is surrounded by forests, such as the Valmasque forest. In the village there are pines, olives, and cypress trees.
The village of Mougins is where Pablo Picasso lived for the last 12 years of his life and where he died in 1973 at the age of 91. Picasso was buried close to Aix-en-Provence. Picasso first visited Mougins in 1953, when he was living in nearby Cannes with his long-time muse, Francoise Gilot.
Travel Guides: Top 25 Places To Visit In France
France, in Western Europe, encompasses medieval cities, alpine villages and Mediterranean beaches. Paris, its capital, is famed for its fashion houses, classical art museums including the Louvre and monuments like the Eiffel Tower. The country is also renowned for its wines and sophisticated cuisine. Lascaux’s ancient cave drawings, Lyon’s Roman theater and the vast Palace of Versailles attest to its rich history.
Boomers Daily 