Europe Off The Beaten Path Tips by dr.firas Top 5 Page for this destination

Lux Fountains

There are plenty of amazing parks and fountains in Luxembourg city!
I was lucky to visit in the most beautiful period of the year when everything is so green and flowered in April, it is the magic of the spring :-)

Versailles

The most prestigious monuments of the world's artistic heritage and are certainly the finest and most complete achievement of the 17th century French art!
Versailles is with no doubt the Greatest place in France counting it with Paris!

Swan Lake

Tchaikovski must been here so he had been inspired to write his wonderful music!
I was very surprised positively to see the Swans in the river, they were gorgeous!
it is a local animal in Auxerre!
The Swans are inteligent animals, not onlt beautiful, why I'm saying so... it is simple, the way the swan approached to me very slowly keeping all the elegancy and having the knowledge and sure that it is beautiful, came to demonstrate her beauty and maybe to have some food, hee hee I had nothing but Chips, and what you know, she liked it, and called her friends swans to have lunch LOL

Parks

Pascale
I met her in Aleppo, she was my first French teacher, then we became great dear friends, she is amazing,
she is a special person to me, I put her photo in my Special persons Album on my Home Page, and also you can read more about her in my Aleppo page and Syria.
Parks are really wonderful and green in Paris, best places to relax and have fun!

Pisa

We all know this magical city thanks to its famous tower,
in a naive way people think that the city is just the tower, well the tower is indeed impresive and beautiful, but have a look, Pisa is more than this wonderful tower, it is full of very nice places, I kept this city in my heart after meeting my dear VT friends there :-D

Thinker

In the museium of beautiful arts there were a beautiful garden full of beautiful statues, I don't know why I was attracted by this one only, maybe beacause he is thinking, and I love to think, and love thinkers and thinking people ;-p

Beaten path in Europe

There are few places on Earth like those wonderful streets I've walked in Lyon,
no words to express the particular beautiful exigued streets with the sharming colors of the buildings, best paths are placed in the old town in the St.Jean Cartier ;-)
I though Lyon is the third biggest city in France, but after visiting it and asking to verify, I learned that this was an old statistic!
Lyon now is the second biggest city in France after Paris!
and it deserves this status in all senses!

Fontenay

The Abbaye de Fontenay was founded by St. Bernard in 1118.
it was one of the most ancient Abbayes, the first monastery ordered by him in 1098
The reformer of the life of the monastery was strict and the law of St.Benoit VI century who organized the poor lonely way of living, before constructing Fontenay, the first big works were with the water recourses. Fontanetum, the latine name, which symbolize: *who swim over the sources*
The Abbaye de Fontenay was built in the period between the XII and XV century!
the religous persons who lived and served the monastery was practicing the culture of religion, in the XVI century it became named by the favor of the royals!

Bourgogne

In the way to Bourgogne, you will enjoy the beautiful views of the Green nature, from the good rains, and the beautiful little villages thrown by here and there!
No worries of getting bored in the way to Bourgogne, the beautiful views are nice and you will think only to enjoy them!
The Big Stones in the middle of the way from Dijon to Beaune, big beautiful giants made of stone, natural amazing pleasing view for the curios naked eye of a tourist, and a no way to miss for a picture to a VTer LOL!

Besancon

Old Roads in Besancon, still well kept, with the triada: Old Road,Houses,and narrow ways! Just made this picture to share it on VT!
No problem when you first come to Besancon
Take the road to the centre, there you climb the road to the citadel, the best churches, houses, roads, fountains and statues are all in the same place, the sign is the Black Gate, enter it and you are there!