A celebration of the most enchanting hamlets in France, now available in a popular format. Gorgeously illustrated as well as informative, One Hundred & One Beautiful Small Towns in France is a tour through the pleasures of the French countryside, a place where the pace slows, locals engage strangers in conversation, and every town presents a unique set of curiosities waiting to be discovered. Whether you are an armchair traveler or a Francophile planning another trip, this volume is the guide to the hidden treasures of France that proves once and for all that the heart of this popular travel destination lies in the countryside far from the grandeur and pomp of Paris. Wander the serpentine alleyways of the rockbound coastal fishing villages in Brittany and Normandy; explore medieval masterpieces in Alsace and order flammekueche, this region’s thin-crusted pizza; spend a day in the Ile-de-France, the green surround of Paris, and visit the magnificent Château de Versailles, or the palace at Fontainebleau, a treasure trove of mannerist delights. One Hundred & One Beautiful Small Towns in France is a map to the heart and soul of the French countryside, complete with a full appendix of restaurants, hotels, and shops to aid even the most seasoned travelers and Francophiles.

This book features 101 towns that represent the twenty diverse regions of Italy and their varied landscapes.

This work takes the reader on a tour through virgin coastal hamlets, sun-kissed terracotta villages, and lush green hilltop towns, while vibrant photography illustrates local legends, customs, activities and fiestas, and in-depth captions introduce readers to the sights, sounds and smells of Mexico.

The town of Dreux--60 miles from Paris--made history in 1983 when Le Pen's National Front earned startling electoral gains in the region, establishing it as the forerunner of neofascist advances across the nation. A trained historian and the city's socialist mayor from 1977 to 1983, Gaspard offers us a picture of a particular town in a broad context.

Beautifully illustrated as well as informative, One Hundred & One Beautiful Towns in France: Food and Wine explores the local delicacies of a country known for and proud of its love of food and wine. Organized by region, this book features a wonderful sampling of French plaisirs de la table and the shops and markets where you can find them. The classic dishes and drink of France are as remarkably varied as its many different regions: Quench your thirst with a glass of calvados, the heady apple brandy that Normandy is known f∨ reach "land’s end" or Finistère, in Brittany, and enjoy a galette, a savory buckwheat crêpe stuffed with ham and cheese or mushrooms and lobster; don’t miss the vendange (harvest) in romantic Burgundy or a simple, hearty meal of boeuf bourguignon; in scenic Alsace enjoy a piping-hot flammekueche, a tart of local cheeses, speck, and onions. A thorough appendix provides useful addresses and phone numbers to accommodate planning your trip, including hotel listings, restaurants, wineries, and shops. Sidebars give information on local delicacies to be tasted and imbibed, as well as where to find the choicest goods.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • "James and Deborah Fallows have always moved to where history is being made.... They have an excellent sense of where world-shaping events are taking place at any moment" —The New York Times • The basis for the HBO documentary streaming on HBO Max For five years, James and Deborah Fallows have travelled across America in a single-engine prop airplane. Visiting dozens of towns, the America they saw is acutely conscious of its problems—from economic dislocation to the opioid scourge—but it is also crafting solutions, with a practical-minded determination at dramatic odds with the bitter paralysis of national politics. At times of dysfunction on a national level, reform possibilities have often arisen from the local level. The Fallowses describe America in the middle of one of these creative waves. Their view of the country is as complex and contradictory as America itself, but it also reflects the energy, the generosity and compassion, the dreams, and the determination of many who are in the midst of making things better. Our Towns is the story of their journey—and an account of a country busy remaking itself.

All the other bastides were founded either by the English or the French within the space of 150 years, and continued to develop until the seventeenth century. Most have survived as lovely small towns in spectacular countryside, and almost two hundred are discussed, and many also illustrated, in this book.