The king was desperate to attract Marie Antoinette to his castle in Rambouillet. He custom-built an unusual addition in the park and you’ll never guess what it is. In this new series, in partnership with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, we unveil the hidden secrets of some of France’s finest historical sites. This month, the elegant Château de Rambouillet, on the outskirts of Paris. Source ..read more

With excellent value-for-money and intriguing dishes, this new restaurant in central Bordeaux is sure to conquer diners. Overlooking the Gironde River in Bordeaux’s delightful Chartrons district, this friendly, recently-opened bistro expresses the appealing zeitgeist of this young neighbourhood, which is popular because it’s relatively affordable compared to other parts of the city. Source ..read more

The Getty Museum and the French Consulate of Los Angeles have entered a cooperative agreement to promote exhibitions and programming related to French culture. This cultural exchange fosters the understanding of art, and mutual understanding across societies. The agreement was executed on April 2nd by French Consul General in Los Angeles, Julie Duhaut-Bedos, and Getty President and CEO… Source ..read more

It is one of the most reviled and controversial manuscripts ever penned and has had long and complicated history. As a new book on the subject is published, we ask is Les 120 Journées de Sodome really cursed? The handwriting was so tiny, you needed a magnifying glass to read it. For 37 days, the Marquis de Sade toiled to put his depraved words to paper, writing only in the evenings by… Source ..read more

Find out what makes the vineyards of Costières de Nîmes special. Nîmes, Occitanie’s easternmost metropolis, has a beautifully preserved Roman amphitheatre which hosts one of France’s most exciting annual music festivals (Eric Clapton, among others, will perform there in May!), and its fashionable bars and bistros increasingly give those of nearby Montpellier a run for their money. Source ..read more

This year, Saint Germain Boucles de Seine is celebrating the anniversary of Impressionism, with more than 50 events planned between now and October. On April 15, 1874, the first Impressionist exhibition took place in Paris at the studio of photographer Nadar, a breakaway event from the official Salon. Around 30 artists showed their works, including Monet, whose Impression soleil levant inspired… Source ..read more

Emily Monaco examines the changing face of viennoiserie offerings in the French capital, as quality, choice and a resurgence of regional specialities buck the boulangerie status quo. If you’d walked into a Parisian bakery 20 years ago, the viennoiserie case would have featured a small cast of familiar favourites: croissants, pains au chocolat, pains aux raisins. Perhaps a chausson aux pommes or… Source ..read more

One of the many perks France Today Members enjoy is a suscription to the digital edition of our magazine – our new app allows for a seamless reading experience straight from your phone or tablet. The new France Today Members app is now available to download on Android and Apple smartphones and tablets. With its sleek design and responsive software, enjoying the digital issue of the magazine has… Source ..read more

Allow yourself the time to head beyond the city walls and explore Dole – and the Jura – from an different perspective. More than 20,000 hectares of forest grow to the eastern edge of the city, wonderful for walking and cycling, with a grid system of quiet forest roads. Look out for the seven stone columns, created in 1826, that stand at each of the main crossroads. Source ..read more

The latest exhibition-show at the Carrières des Lumières, in Les Baux-de-Provence, takes visitors on an epic journey back to ancient Egypt, in the footsteps of the great Pharaohs. Step back in time and rediscover Egypt at the time of the Pharaohs through the masterpieces of this mythical civilisation spanning three millennia. With epic projections on a former quarry and expert animation and… Source ..read more