J.damase crt centre Celebrating 10 years.. culture Largest World Heritage Site on november 30, 2000, the world Heritage committee declared the loire valley an outstanding cultural landscape. It is the largest listed site in France, stretching for 280 kilometers between sully-sur-loire and chalonnes-sur-loire. the valley is exceptional for more than just its size, however: clustered along and near the river are chateaux (sully, chambord, Blois and chaumont), abbeys (saint and Meung), a royal basilica vineyards (anjou, saumur and touraine), spectacular gardens (chaumont) and romantic landscapes commemorated by illustrious poets. Paris tourist office-Marc Bertrand Julie Mautner, American freelance writer who has lived in St. Remy de Provence on and off for 12 years. Andminno1w0? years President Maison de de France is scheduled to be completed in 2015. Housed in the Marais area of downtown Paris, it will celebrate the rich history and national identity of France. washington has its national Museum of american History, london has the Imperial war Museum, Berlin has the deutsches Historisches Museum and soon, Paris will be home to hotly debated project. Port of the Moon Bordeaux experienced a renaissance during the first decade of the new millennium. a slumbering city of art and history has awakened, as unesco proved in June 2007 by naming nearly half the town of Port of the Moon a world Heritage site. the Bordeaux tramway is another symbol of renewal: the first line began running in 2003 and two more have opened since, to the delight of the 2.5 million tourists who visit each year. The Re-opening of the Grand Palais visitors to the freshly renovated Grand Palais are invariably awed by its glass dome, which peaks at 45 meters and weighs a full 8,500 tons. originally constructed for the Paris Fair in 1900, the building just off the champs had been closed since 1993. since the 72.3-million-euro renovation, it has hosted events that include concerts, runway shows by dior, chanel and Hermes and the International contemporary art Fair. FranceGuide 2011 New Centre Pompidou the Centre Pompidou-Metz opened its doors in May 2010 as the first outpost of the popular Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. the Metz museum owes its asian influence to Japanese architect shigeru Ban. More than 400,000 visitors have already explored the first major exhibit: presenting some of the greatest figures of 20th-century art, including pieces borrowed from the Centre Georges Pompidou (the second-largest collection of modern art in the world). shigeru Ban France you see history everywhere. In the middle of a busy intersection just outside arles, a section of a bridge composed of seven fairly major arches. If it dates back to the same era as those nearby, it could be from the First century ad. But there it sits, in the middle of a traffic circle, looking ancient and very out of place. I love that a decision was made to preserve it. so much history you get to live with always thinking that one day dig up a sarcophagus or something in my garden but so far been just pop tops and Baggie o. t. B. thomas sanson Living in France