DAY TRIPS FROM PARIS

The French countryside is full of one-day trips and several-day trips. And, they’re easily accessible on the internet. However, we’ve selected some of the more interesting trips for your perusal. Each trip holds a link (if it is available) to the main web page. You will note that some of the options have a link to Wikipedia; because there IS a link page there, and no active web page; the information contained on those pages appears to be accurate. At the end of this section of the pdf is a set of links to some potential trip companies to help you plan the non-conference days of your trip to Paris.

CHANTILLY
The Château de Chantilly is a historic château located in the town of Chantilly, France. It contains two attached buildings; the Grand Château, destroyed during the French Revolution and rebuilt in the 1870s, and the Petit Château which was built around 1560 for Anne de Montmorency. It is owned by the Institut de France, and is open to the public. The château’s art gallery, the Musée Condé, houses one of the finest collections of historical paintings in France (after the Louvre), with special strength in French paintings and book illuminations of the 15th and 16th centuries. The library of the Petit Château contains over 700 manuscripts and 12,000 volumes, including a Gutenberg Bible, Les très riches heures du Duc de Berry and Jean Fouquet’s Book of Hours of Etienne Chevalier. The park, featuring extensive parterres and water features; was laid out principally by famous landscaper André Le Nôtre for the Grand Condé. It also contains an English garden with cascade, and a number of pavilion buildings. The estate overlooks the Chantilly Racecourse and the Grandes Écuries (Great Stables) which contains the Living Museum of the Horse. According to legend, Louis Henri, Duc de Bourbon, Prince of Condé believed that he would be reincarnated as a horse after his death. In 1719, he asked the architect, Jean Aubert to build stables suitable to his rank. These 186m long stables are considered by some as the most beautiful in the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chantilly

GIVERNY
A settlement has existed in erny since neolithic times and a monument uncovered attests to this fact. Archeological finds have included tombs dating from Gallo-Roman times and to the earlier 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The town was known in ancient deeds as “Warnacum”. The cultivation of grapes has been an occupation of the inhabitants of Giverny since Merovingian times. Claude Monet moved to Giverny in 1890, producing some of his bestknown works in the local gardens. Monet lived in Giverny from 1883 until his death in 1926. He and many members of his family are interred in the village cemetery. http://www.giverny.org/

REIMS AND THE CHAMPAGNE REGION
Reims played a very important role in French history, as it was the place where the kings of France were crowned. The most famous and cherished of these events was the coronation of Charles VII in the company of Joan of Arc. Reims, along with Épernay and Ay, is one of the centers of Champagne production. Many of the largest Champagne producing houses have their headquarters in Reims, and most are open for tasting and tours by appointment. The Champagne house of Gosset was founded as a still wine producer in 1584 and is the oldest Champagne house still in operation today. Ruinart was founded in 1729 and was soon followed by Taittinger (1734), Moët et Chandon (1743) and Veuve Clicquot (1772). http://www.ville-reims.fr/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reims
http://www.champagne.fr/
http://goeurope.about.com//l/bl_champagne_2.htm http://www.discoverfrance.com/regions/champagne.html

CHARTRES
The town is best known for the Cathedral of Chartres widely considered to be the finest gothic cathedral in France. Its historical and cultural importance is recognized by its inclusion on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The abbey church of St Pierre, dating chiefly from the 13th century, contains, besides some fine stained glass, twelve representations of the apostles in enamel, created about 1547 by Léonard Limosin. Of the other churches of Chartres also noteworthy are St Aignan (13th, 16th and 17th centuries) and St Martin-au-Val (12th century). The surrounding city financed the stained glass windows. Chartres is also known for its museums. Musée des Beaux-Arts, fine arts museum (located near the Cathedral of Chartres) housed in the former episcopal palace. Le Grenier de l’Histoire Musée, history museum specializing in military uniforms and accoutrements. Le Centre International du Vitrail, a workshop-museum and cultural center devoted to stained glass art. Muséum de sciences naturelles et de la préhistoire, Natural Science and Prehistory Museum. Conservatoire du Machinisme et des Pratiques Agricoles, an agricultural museum http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Chartres_Cathedral.html http://www.chartres-tourisme.com/pages/en/index.php
NORMANDY
Visit the chateau built by William the Conqueror, the 1st King of England, Or, after a brief visit to the Peace Memorial in Caen, visit the American Cemetery at Saint-Laurent (Omaha Beach) and the Landing Beach. Other World War II historic monuments include:

ARTIFICIAL HARBOR AT ARROMANCHES:
The seaside town of Arromanches, was designated as Gold Beach by the allies during the Normandy invasion of World War II, features one of the areas oldest and most respected D-Day museums, the Musee du Debarquement. Offshore, remnants remain of the artificial harbor code named Mullberrys that the Allies built to facilitate the massive flow of supplies for the invading army.

GERMAN GUN BATTERY AT LONGUES-SUR-MER:
German gun batteries at Longues-Sur-Mer: A spectacularly preserved example of the massive firepower the Allies faced in storming the Normandy beaches, these four German 152mm gun batteries situated on the coast in the midst of a working French farm field are a fascinating visit. Finally knocked out by Allied warships following a daylong artillery duel, three of the guns remain in their massive concrete bunkers. Make sure to tour the range-finding bunker at the cliff side. Peering from the concrete observation post facing the sea, one can only imagine what the Germans felt when the saw the Allies’ 5,000 ship armada.

AMERICAN MILITARY CEMETERY AT COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER:
Situated above Omaha Beach, a place where the American military suffered staggering casualties on D-Day, the American cemetery at Colleville-Sur-Mer contains the remains of nearly 10,000 servicemen who died during the Normandy campaign. With marble crosses and Stars of David stretching as far as the eye can see, the cemetery is a solemn, breathtaking experience that all Americans should share.

OMAHA BEACH:
Omaha Beach is accessible from the cemetery atop the bluffs.The World War II Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is situated on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach and the English Channel in the village of Colleville-sur-Mer, France. It is just east of St. Laurent-sur-Mer and northwest of Bayeux about one hundred and seventy miles west of Paris. The cemetery is located on the site of the temporary American St. Laurent Cemetery, that was established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944, the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II.

POINTE DU HOC:
Strategically located between American landing beaches Omaha and Utah farther west, La Pointe du Hoc remains virtually unchanged from when American Army Rangers scaled its sheer cliffs under deadly fire to knock out huge coastal guns they didn’t know had been moved. Pocked by huge craters left by naval bombardment, most of the German bunkers remain. The cliff-side battlefield also offers a scenic view of the French coastline that saw some of the war’s fiercest fighting. http://www.franceway.com/regions/normandi/intro.htm http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Provinces/Normandy.shtml http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Normandy

MONT-SAINT-MICHEL
Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay are registered on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Perched on a 264 feet high rock formation sits Mont St. Michel. During the seasons highest tides the abbey is surrounded by water. During low tide the flats provide food for the world’s only herd of salt water plant eating sheep. Mont St. Michel’s tides can rush in at incredible speeds. It’s not uncommon to hear an announcement in French over the islands PA system that a car must be moved from the auxiliary parking lot within minutes or be completely underwater. The sea can rise 45 ft. during high tide. http://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com/
 
CHATEAUX OF THE LOIRE VILLANDRY
Visit the famous gardens of this chateau, one of the last castles built on the Loire river edge during the Renaissance period (1536). This contemporary garden is unique in Europe. It is inspired by the gardens of the 16th and 18th centuries. Eight gardeners work full time in the gardens of Villandry, and plant about 60,000 vegetables and 45,000 plants in its gardens each year The highest level, surrounded by lindens, has a large pool where the water needed for the moat is collected. The middle level, at the level of the chateau, is in three parts: “the garden of love,” “the music garden,” and “the herb garden.” Finally, at the level of the outbuildings, is the most original of the three gardens: the ornamental vegetable garden that covers 12,500 square meters, and which is replanted twice per year. http://www.chateauvillandry.com/

CHENONCEAU
The square dwellings are built in the bed of the Cher River on the piles of a former mill. On the bridge built by Diane rises the two-level gallery completed by Catherine de Medicis. There, you will find the guardroom, the chapel, a superb 60-metres long gallery above the river, and the François 1st rooms. In the upper level are the bedrooms of Gabrielle d’Estrees, Catherine de Medicis and Louise of Lorrain. Settled inside the two piles of the former mill anchored in the Cher river bed, the kitchens will reveal the art and ingenuity of the Renaissance builders. A walk in the French style gardens will provide a pleasant end to your tour. http://www.chenonceau.com/media/gb/index_gb.php

AMBOISE
Built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries by Charles VIII, Louis XII and François 1er, the chateau is one of the first royal residences and a splendid example for gothic and renaissance architecture. It houses an exceptionally well-preserved collection of furniture. Leonardo da Vinci lived there his last years of life. He is buried in the St. Hubert chapel, built in high gothic style of the fifteenth century. Above the city of Amboise in the gardens of the chateau, you will find one of the most famous panoramas in the Loire-Valley. http://www.amboise-valdeloire.com/

CHEVERNY
This richly furnished chateau is still owned by the descendants of the Count of verny who have enhanced, maintained and preserved the beauty and character of their respective periods. The main facade is cut stone from Bourre, a quarry in use from the 11th century to the present day. Inhabited all year by its owners, the Domain of Cheverny (belonging to the family of the Hurault), who were counselors to kings Louis XII, 1st François, Henri III and Henri IV. http://www.chateau-cheverny.fr/page.php?lang=en&nom_page=visite

CHINON
Located in the heart of the Val de Loire area and of the Regional Natural Park Loire/Anjou/Touraine, the non area lies between two rivers, the Loire and the Vienne. The surrounding, countryside, particularly the lower valley of the Vienne and the area between the Vienne and the Loire (known as the Véron) delight visitors with its lovely scenery and many interesting architectural features. The Chinon region is known for its wine production. http://tourisme.chinon.com/indexgb.php
http://www.chinon.com/wine/index.html
 
CHAMBORD
The plan of the château is based around a square residence flanked with round towers – a traditional form of keep and a symbol of feudal power. The axis of the keep is the magnificent double helix staircase, whose two bricked spiral flights rise independently around a central hollow column. Since the early twentieth century, the clarity and geometrical power of the palace has been interpreted as evidence of the involvement of Leonardo da Vinci, who work for François 1st in the Loire Valley as early as 1516. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Château_de_Chambord http://www.chambord.org/educ/libre-GB.htm

LINKS TO A FEW OF THE TOUR COMPANIES http://www.linkparis.com/daytripsfromparis.htm
http://www.parisexcursion.com http://gofrance.about.com/loirevalley/Loire_Valley.htm http://www.travelswithfriends.com/Sightseeing_in_Paris.htm http://convention.parisinfo.com/venue-finder/252

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