10 Of The Best Family Friendly Hotels In France

From a guesthouse on the Côte d'Azur to a chalet in the Alps, a farmhouse B&B in the Loire to a chateau in Limousin, we've selected hotels that know what kids (and their parents) need

Le Lodge Kerisper, France

Le Lodge Kerisper, La Trinité-sur-Mer, Brittany

This breezy boutique hotel is the perfect base for a seaside holiday, just a stone's throw from the beautiful beaches of Brittany's south coast. The style throughout is beach-hut chic with lots of pale wood and linen, but it's incredibly family-friendly, too: there's a small heated outdoor pool and garden, books and board-games to borrow, mountain-bikes for hire and a baby-sitting service. There are 20 rooms including several family suites, some of which have private, shady terraces, and inter-connecting rooms which can cater for family groups of all sizes. There's no restaurant but the yachting town of La Trinité-sur-Mer with its crêperies and seafood restaurants is just 100m away.
• From €150 for a junior suite sleeping two, plus €25 per extra bed. Buffet breakfast €14 per adult, and €9 per child. lodge-kerisper.com

Chateau Ribagnac, Limousin

The Bergot family became unwitting TV stars when they featured in the Channel 4 series No Going Back, which followed their move from London to France in 2003 and their struggles to renovate a dilapidated chateau deep in the Limousin countryside. Ten years on, and there's no sign of the toil that went into creating this relaxed country house retreat. Patrick and Colette have three young children so they know exactly what's needed to make a family holiday work. Just let them know what you need in advance – from nappies to cots – and it will be waiting for you in your suite when you arrive. All five guest rooms are spacious and kitted out with a mix of French antiques and contemporary furnishings. Outside, there are 86 acres of grounds to roam with lakes, nature trails and outdoor games. Evening meals (on offer five nights a week) are a relaxed and sociable affair, with a 6pm sitting for children and an adults-only sitting at 8.30pm (baby monitors provided).
• From €130 per night for a suite sleeping two adults and two children (plus cot), on a B&B basis. chateauribagnac.com

Villa Nais, Bormes Les Mimosas, Côte d'Azur

This friendly family-run guesthouse tucked away in the hills between St Tropez and Hyères offers a peaceful respite from the heat and crowds of the Côte d'Azur. There are just nine air-conditioned rooms, most of which overlook the small (fenced) swimming pool and a terrace with views of the valley, but what really makes this place ideal for families is the communal barbecue and kitchen area with fridge, freezer, microwave, sink and dishwasher – perfect if you don't want to eat out every night. There's a tennis court and table tennis, and Wi-Fi in all rooms. The charming little town of Bormes-Les-Mimosas and the beach at Le Lavandou are a short drive away.
• From €100 for a triple room with breakfast, and from €119 for a family room sleeping four in a separate annexe, with breakfast included.villanais.com

Novotel Thalassa Oleron Saint Trojan, Ile d'Oleron, Poitou-Charentes

They might not win any prizes for design flair or local flavour but there are times when nothing quite hits the mark like a Novotel. What the Novotel Thalassa Oleron Saint Trojan lacks in bijou charm, it makes up for with a fab location right on the beach, great-value family rooms with terraces or balconies, and decent facilities. The hotel is on the Île d'Oléron, a more affordable and less crowded alternative to the chi-chi Île de Ré a bit further up the coast, and linked to the mainland by a bridge. It's connected to the island's thalassotherapy centre so parents can indulge in some restorative treatments while children are taken care of in the kids club (French school holidays only). There are tennis courts, bikes to hire, table tennis, free Wi-Fi, play areas and the sandy expanse of Plage de Gatseau on your doorstep for sandcastle building.
• Two children under-16 can stay free in their parents' room (or you can book a second room with 50% off). From €70 for a room sleeping four.novotel.com

Hotel Alpina, Morzine, Rhone-Alps

Morzine might be known as a winter sports destination but it has plenty to keep active families happy in summer, from hiking and mountain-biking to horseriding and white-water rafting in the Haute-Savoie. The Hotel Alpina is a cosy, no-frills chalet-style hotel with a small pool on the sunny side of the Morzine valley, a short walk from the town centre and the Super Morzine Bubble lift. Simple rooms are kitted out in Alpine style with lots of exposed wood, and most have balconies. In summer the hotel is part of the Multipass scheme which gives access to all the operating lifts of the Portes du Soleil area (pedestrian-only), Morzine's swimming pool complex, indoor ice rink, tennis courts and local bus service, for €2 a day (free for under-fives).
• From €80 for a family room in summer sleeping up to four. Breakfast €9.50. alpinahotel.com

Hotel de l'Océan, Biarritz, Aquitaine

The Hotel de l'Océan makes the perfect base for a car-free holiday. Located right in the centre of buzzing Biarritz, a traditional seaside resort which is well connected by bus to the Basque resorts of St Jean de Luz, Guéthary and, across the Spanish border, San Sebastián. The 26 air-conditioned rooms in this three-star hotel have been decorated in a crisp, nautical style: it's worth paying extra for a room with balcony for the pleasure of watching the surfers do battle with the Atlantic breakers on the Grande Plage or for people-watching in the Place Sainte Eugénie below. There's a good choice of doubles, triples and family rooms.
• From €124 for a family room sleeping four. Breakfast from €7.70 per person. biarritz-hotel-ocean.com

La Louviere, nr Saint-Denis-sur-Sarthon, Normandy

Photograph: i-escape.com

This 18th-century farmhouse in the gentle hills of southern Normandy has been transformed with great flair into a five-bedroom guesthouse which oozes tastefulness and elegance. But don't let that put you off! The welcoming owners Alain and Isabelle go out of their way to make families feel at home here. Children will enjoy splashing about in the heated outdoor pool, playing tennis, befriending the ducks on the pond, or playing hide and seek in the heavenly gardens. Some of the rooms are big enough for an additional child's bed or you can opt for two inter-connecting rooms for more space and privacy. Alain is happy to make reservations at local restaurants but once you've tasted Isabelle's cooking you might be tempted to stay put for dinner.
• €180 for a family suite of two connecting rooms. i-escape.com/la-louviere

La Maison Olea, Le Bugue, Dordogne

Photograph: Sawdays.co.uk

It's hard to think of a more welcoming base from which to explore the Dordogne than this friendly guesthouse in the hills above the village of Le Bugue. All the attractions of the Périgord Noir region are within easy striking distance including the medieval town of Sarlat, the prehistoric rock dwellings and cave paintings at Les Eyzies and Lascaux and the Dordogne river. After a day's sightseeing or canoeing, children can cool off in the delightful saltwater pool with its dreamy views of the Vezere valley or let off steam on the trampoline. There are five rooms, including two family suites which can sleep up to four people, plus two gîtes in the grounds which can each sleep up to five for those who prefer to self-cater. The owners occasionally offer table d'hôte meals which make good use of Périgordine specialities such as duck and truffles, and wines from nearby Bergerac.
• From €130 for a family suite sleeping four, including breakfast.sawdays.co.uk

La Gaucherie, Langon, Loire Valley

Photograph: Sawdays.co.uk

This relaxed farmhouse B&B makes a great alternative to the grand chateau hotels of the Loire Valley for families. Surrounded by the conifer forests of the Sologne, it has lots of space for running around, ponies to pet, eggs to collect, an orchard, a lake with boat and a heated pool (fenced off). Rooms are tastefully fitted out with neutrals, rustic wooden furniture and seagrass or terracotta floors. The stable conversion has a cosy sitting room with wood-burning stove and red sofas: a perfect spot for reading or board-games. Aurelia, the English-speaking host, is a great cook and can prepare evening meals on request. Lots of people use La Gaucherie as a stopover en route to the south: most end up wishing they'd booked to stay longer.
• From €85 a night for a double room, plus €15 per extra person.lagaucherie.com

Orion B&B & Treehouses, nr St-Paul de Vence, Alpes-Maritimes

The South of France is not generally known for its choice of quirky accommodation, which makes this collection of four delightful treehouses near the medieval fortified village of St Paul de Vence even more of a find. When the kids have finished playing Tarzan and Jane in the treetops, there's a natural swimming pond, perfect for cooling off after a hot day on the beach. The treehouses may look rustic but the owners haven't skimped on modern luxuries such as showers, heated towel rails, hairdryers and Wi-Fi connection (in the shared summer kitchen).
• From €400 for a two-night stay, in a treehouse sleeping two adults and two children, including breakfast. orionbb.com

• Contributed by Joanne O'Connor
• theguardian.com

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Travelore Tips: 5 Things To Do In Lyon, France

1. Eat!

Lyon is France’s gastronomic capital and you could spend your whole trip just going from romantic bistros to gourmet restaurants and sidewalk cafes.

Many of the “must-eat” dishes can be sampled in the many “Bouchon”, intimate restaurants which serve traditional Lyonnais cuisine in multi-course meals.

Try the offal (tripe, bone marrow and pork offal sausages), fish dumplings and chicken liver cake. Café de la Cloche is a good choice for trying the Lyon café culture and chocoholics can enjoy the Chokola chocolate-only shop! Wash down your meal with some of the local wine like Brouilly

The buildings which have struggled to survive have been lovingly restored and renewed. Within Old Lyon is the Musee des Beaux-Arts de Lyon and St. Jean cathedral.

2. Vieux-Lyon (Old Lyon)

Wander through the meandering pedestrian cobbled streets, take in the historic buildings, stores, craftsmen shops and sidewalk cafes.

You can see Renaissance and Medieval architecture and this is one of Europe’s largest concentrations of Renaissance architecture.

France’s third city is a bustle of boutiques, bistros, hidden passageways, riverside walks and historic architectural masterpieces. There is a lot to do both in the city and the surrounding countryside but here is a short list of things you have to do in Lyon!

3. Traboules

These are tunnel-like passage ways which wend their way between and even through houses. The majority of traboules are found here in Lyon.

You may just follow a traboules which opens up to a secret garden or courtyard. It is believed that the French resistance used these passages during the Second World War to hid from the Germans.

4. Saint John Cathedral

Although there is also the hill top Notre Dame de Fourviere Basillica, this one, the cathedral St. Jean is a 15th century masterpiece and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Roman Catholic cathedral was built on the site of earlier churches and parts of the earlier structures dating back to the 6th century still remain.

The cathedral’s most stunning feature is the astrological clock, a 13th century addition.The church also has stunning stained glass windows and a beautiful rose window.

5. Parc de la Tete d’or (Golden Head Park)

This is one of Europe’s largest parks covering 290 acres, here you can enjoy the wide open green spaces, a small zoo, botanical gardens, rose gardens, a velodrome, greenhouses, a large lake, mini-golf, miniature train, sports grounds and a statue commemorating the 22nd G7 conference of 1996.

Enter through the ornate 1901 wrought iron Porte des enfants du Rhone. The park is one of only a handful of parks in Lyon and is very popular. Come here to picnic, play or enjoy the attractions.

Contributed by Sofia

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Picasso Museum In Paris To Open After Renovations In September 2014

Contributed by Jamey Keaten, AP.

This photo provided Monday May 12, 2014 by the Picasso Museum shows the facade of the museum. Paris proudly hosted Picasso for decades. But two controversies around the artist’s legacy are now haunting French officials. One centers on the Paris Picasso Museum, where renovations have dragged for five years amid accusations of mismanagement, labor problems and clashes between the artist’s family and the French government. The re-opening has now been pushed back until September _ after the summer tourist season. The other is about the fate of a Left Bank studio where Picasso lived and worked for 19 years, and painted his famed anti-war opus "Guernica” in 1937. A historic preservation panel is meeting Tuesday to decide what’s next. (AP Photo/Beatrice Hatala, Musee Picasso 2014)

 Paris proudly hosted Picasso for decades, but two controversies around the artist's legacy are now haunting French officials.

One centers on the Paris Picasso Museum, where renovations have dragged for five years amid accusations of mismanagement, labor problems and clashes between the artist's family and the French government. The re-opening will be in September.

The other is about the fate of a Left Bank studio where Picasso lived and worked for 19 years, and painted his famed anti-war opus "Guernica" in 1937. A historic preservation panel is meeting Tuesday to decide what's next.

As with many of the Cubist great's works, little is as it first appears.

A legal group has owned the 17th-century manor containing the studio since before Picasso worked there, and now wants to renovate it - perhaps as a luxury hotel.

Some high-profile art lovers are up in arms and say the studio deserves state protection from re-development. The case has raised questions about whether the birthplaces of great art - not just the works - deserve state protection from re-development as part of national heritage.

The Culture Ministry last year ordered a one-year pause to any development while officials consider the implications. That expires in July.

The panel meeting Tuesday may put it on a national register of historic sites, which could make any redevelopment more costly and time-consuming at the least.

A group of artists and actors including Britain's Charlotte Rampling have signed on to a petition decrying any possible redevelopment.

Pablo Picasso spent 19 years living and working in the Hotel de Savoie, as the manor is known. A plaque out front notes how "Guernica," his famed painting decrying Spanish Civil War bloodshed, was painted there in 1937.

Whatever officials decide, the redevelopment "will in no way impact the historic character of the building," said Alexandra Romano, a spokeswoman for the site's owners. She declined to specify the "several" development plans being considered, adding, "This battle doesn't honor the legacy of 'Guernica'."

Alain Casabona, an official at the state-backed National Committee for Arts Education, says the owners want to make the building a hotel. The committee enjoyed free office space in the studio for a decade.

Casabona was quoted in Le Parisien newspaper as suggesting that the birthplace of "Guernica" might become a "jacuzzi suite." He later told The Associated Press he was being provocative with that remark.

Two French cultural officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said the studio bears no visible traces of Picasso's presence. One noted that the artist was evicted in 1955 for not paying his rent.

Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti's office said last week that she favors stronger protections for the site, and instructed envoys to the preservation panel to vote to put it on a historic register.

Filippetti has a bigger public headache when it comes to Picasso.

Claude Picasso, the painter's son, has spoken out this month to denounce delays in reopening Paris' Picasso Museum, one of the city's premier art attractions.

The 52-million-euro (about $72 million) renovation of the Hotel de Sale, in the celebrated Marais district, is set to double the possible number of visitors and allow for the presentation of 400 artworks in 37 rooms, the ministry said.

Speaking to Le Figaro earlier this month, Claude Picasso said Filippetti had told him that troubles getting security guards in place, as required under French regulations, were behind the delay. Picasso said he couldn't understand that, and that he had the impression France "doesn't care" about him or his father.

Filippetti's ministry then lashed out in a statement at "erroneous" media reports about the delay, and called on "everyone to get past personal interests" and get enthusiastic about the upcoming reopening.

"No polemic will sway the state from its mission" to protect and display national heritage, and to ensure proper workplace conditions and completion of the renovation, the statement said.

The museum's beauty and rich collections, it said, will "in no way suffer from an opening in September."

Travelore Tips: 12 New Rules For Riding The Paris Métro

FRANCK FIFE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

The Paris Métro has released a “politeness manual” with 12 rules for proper behavior in the city’s underground. The rules were suggested by the Paris public and published online in an effort to keep people civil in the subway. Some of the instructions are helpful, some are hilarious, some seem very French indeed. They include:

Greet the driver.
Sneeze into handkerchiefs.
Do not stare for a long time at beautiful women.
Offer help to tourists in Bermuda shirts with a Métro map in one hand and the other hand in their hair.

Having spent a lot of time in the Paris Métro myself, I thought I’d offer up a few tips of my own:

Download the MetrO app. It can save you time in any complicated subway system, but particularly the Paris Métro, where the map can be deceiving: For instance, when two or more subway lines intersect, it can be a very long hike from one end of the station to the other. The MetrO app enables you to punch in your origin stop and destination stop and find your fastest ride between the two.

Now that Paris’s pickpockets have been kicked out of the Louvre, they’ve got to go somewhere, so watch your wallet: Keep it in your breast pocket or an internal compartment in your jacket, near your chest, rather than in a pants pocket. (When being jostled by a crowd, you’re more likely to notice somebody pushing against your chest.)

When you’re going to the Eiffel Tower, use the Trocadéro stop rather than Bir-Hakeim, even though the latter is a little closer. You’ll get a grand panoramic view for your stroll to the Tower.

Contributed by Wendy Perrin

Chopard Acquires Five-Star Parisian Hotel

The jewelry brand diversifies into the hotel business by purchasing the Hôtel de Vendôme in Paris

Bulgari, Versace and Giorgio Armani have all expanded into the luxury hotel business – now jewelry and watch house Chopard is checking in too. The Swiss brand has purchased Union Hôtelière Parisienne – the parent company of the five-star Hôtel de Vendôme on the esteemed Place Vendôme in Paris.

Chopard's flagship Paris boutique has been housed in the ground floor of the 18th-century building for over 10 years. The prestigious jeweler will now also take over the hotel's 29 rooms and restaurant in a move that the company says will “kick off a diversification project for the group”.

The hotel occupies a prime position for jeweler enthusiasts, with Boucheron,Van Cleef & Arpels, Dior, Chanel and Bulgari all located in the surrounding streets of the city’s 1ere arrondissement. “This transaction ensures a key location for Chopard's own boutique network,” a representative stated.

The hotel, which has sister properties on the French Riviera, in Megève in the French Alps and in Buenos Aires, carries 10 suites including a penthouse, along with its own restaurant and bar.

“The restaurant, on the first floor, enjoys a very good reputation, and possibilities of synergies between the two worlds are numerous,” said the family-owned company, adding "the firm looks forward to further developing this gem of Parisian hotels".

The company has not disclosed the hotel’s purchase price, but has revealed that this is the first of several planned investments for the group.

Contributed BY SARAH ROYCE-GREENSILL, The Daily Telegraph

Travelore Tips: Five Reasons To Visit Northern France

Contributed by Anita Islaska 

France’s refreshing Nord-Pas-de-Calais has been overlooked by travellers for too long. The region has embraced the jokes about chilly weather and yokel locals while quietly transforming into a world-class destination with a daring arts scene, clutch of historic sights and irresistibly rugged charm. Here are five experiences not to miss in northern France this year.

Catch the buzz in revamped Lens

The new Louvre gallery in Lens (www.louvrelens.fr) has had an eventful first year. First was the wave of scepticism, as art lovers pondered the news that France’s most famous gallery was setting up an outpost in Lens, a depressed former mining town. Then came controversy when a vandal defaced the Louvre-Lens’ piece de resistance, Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People. More recently there have been fears that the ‘Guggenheim effect’ - the extraordinary renaissance of Bilbao credited to the world-famous gallery  - would never materialise in Lens.

The mirrored exterior of the Louvre-Lens gallery. Image by  準建築人手札網站 Forgemind ArchiMedia / CC BY 2.0.

But the genre-busting Louvre-Lens deserves attention. All polished aluminium and glass, the gallery's futuristic air is a delicious contrast to northern France's rustic red palette. Its ambitious Galerie du Temps aligns thousands of years of art in a single room. And while there’s been no sudden makeover for sleepy Lens, sceptics will be pleasantly surprised. Food lovers will have reason to linger after the gallery doors close: seafood at rustic Au Bouchot (lebouchotlens.extra-flash.com) is exceptional, and slick Le Cesarine (20 av Alfred Maës) serves up some of the best local food in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The area’s natural sights are also starting to make their mark. ‘Europe’s highest slag heaps’ is a boast that might make you choke on your Flemish ale, but more travellers are starting to explore the Lens plains, scarred and shaped by the region’s mining history. Mentioning Lens still triggers a twitch in Parisians’ elegantly tweezed eyebrows, but there’s no question this town is on the rise.

The small-town charm 0f Bergues in northern France. Image by John Miller / Robert Harding World Imagery / Getty Images.

Commemorate World War I’s centenary

War monuments and cemeteries in northern France, such as Dunkirk’s battlefields, attract a steady stream of visitors paying tribute. But the start of World War I’s centenary this year means a host of commemorative events taking place across Europe. Flanders, which encompasses the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, its surrounds and part of Belgium will experience a rich calendar of special exhibitions, floral tributes, parades and lectures this year (check out a full rundown on www.greatwar.co.uk/events/somme-events).

But whether or not you’re timing your travels for a particular event, there are plenty of ways to immerse yourself in the Great War’s history. Explore the Carrière Wellington, a network of underground war tunnels in Arras (www.arras.fr/tourisme; French only). Pay a visit to the region’s war cemeteries, such as the world’s largest French war cemetery and a stately ossuary at Notre-Dame de Lorette (www.cheminsdememoire.gouv.fr/en/notre-dame-de-lorette), and the vast Étaples Military Cemetery (www.cwgc.org). Or hire a car to roam the Circuit of Remembrance, a 40-mile route around northern France that takes in historic sights including the Lochnagar crater and the Somme Museum in Albert (www.musee-somme-1916.eu) (check out the full route here).

The heart of the city, Lille's Grand Place. Image by Anita Isalska / Lonely Planet.

Get merry in Lille

Lille is no longer just a Eurostar stop between London and Brussels. The capital of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, this friendly city is winning visitors over with its charming old town, great eateries and yes, those much-maligned winter markets - all for a fraction of the price of Paris, bien sûr.

Start in the Grand Place, formerly a medieval marketplace and now home to the city’s most beautiful building, La Vieille Bourse. This 17th-century stock exchange ripples with cherubs, horns of plenty and carved lions. From there take rue de la Bourse into Vieux Lille, the old town home to some of Lille’s most interesting sights: Flemish buildings painted orange and dusky rose; the neo-gothic Notre Dame de la Treille cathedral (www.cathedralelille.com); and even a Masonic temple with burnished gold relief.

Unexpected sights on every corner - a dramatic red-brick temple in Lille. Image by Anita Isalska / Lonely Planet.

Crucially for a city renowned for its friendly nightlife, this district is also packed with Lille’s most atmospheric eateries and liveliest places to drink. Wolf down galettes (savoury buckwheat crepes) at Le Repaire du Lion (www.lerepairedulion.com), slurp oysters at L’Huitriere (www.huitriere.fr) and drink your fill of Belgian beers at L’Autrement Dit (www.lautrementdit.com).

A stained-glass sunset in Roubaix's La Piscine. Image by Anita Isalska / Lonely Planet.

Discover small-town treasures

Lille is the perfect base for exploring the region’s lesser-known highlights, including Roubaix, Amiens, Arras and Villeneuve d’Ascq. Each of these unassuming towns has a star attraction, so they’re ideal for day-trips.

Roubaix’s crowning sight is La Piscine, an utterly unique gallery space in a former swimming pool. The gallery has a breathtaking array of sculptures and paintings, lit by an enormous stained-glass sunset. It’s also worth exploring Roubaix’s neck-craning Eglise St-Martin, dating to 1511 - and leave time for a hearty Flemish stew at local favourite Baraka (www.cooperativebaraka.fr).

Over in Amiens, the big highlight doesn’t require much of a search - simply look up. The city’s cathedral is the tallest in France, dwarfing the world-famous Notre Dame in Paris. And there’s only one thing you should be nibbling on as you gaze up at its wealth of gothic flourishes, tracery and stained-glass windows: macarons d’Amiens, local almond and honey cakes.

In Arras you'll see a much more eclectic blend of architectural styles. The wealth of influences is the result of an astonishing post-war rebirth. More than 90% of Arras' houses were reduced to rubble in WWII, but the painstaking rebuild in the following decades has produce a visual feast where colourful art deco facades jostle with narrow Flemish-style housefronts and Baroque stylings.

Finally, underrated Villeneuve d’Ascq is becoming a niche art hub because of LaM (www.musee-lam.fr), its museu

The dramatic Amiens Cathedral. Image by Anita Isalska / Lonely Planet.

Experience the Ch’ti craze

A new craze for northern France was born after the 2008 release of ‘Bienvenue chez les ch’tis’ (translated as Welcome to the Sticks; a ch’ti is a term for a northerner and a type of regional French slang). Ever since this affectionate satire, the unpretentious warmth of northerners has been a mainstay of French popular culture (sparking offshoot TV shows about no-nonsense northerners and their exploits).

It took a while for travel to the region to feel the ch'ti effect, but Bergues, where most of the film’s action takes places, is riding the wave. There are guided tours of the film’s key sights while visitors continue to be surprised by Bergues’ small-town prettiness and the peaceful plains of Flanders (see www.bergues-tourisme.fr; French only).

‘A stranger coming to the North cries twice,’ according to the movie. ‘Once when he arrives, and once when he leaves.’ When the time comes for you to leave behind the Nord-Pas-de-Calais's quaint and quirky towns, rich history and hearty cuisine, we think you’ll agree.

Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/travel-tips-and-articles/five-reasons-to-visit-northern-france-in-2014#ixzz30wYD9oaU

80 Year Old Paris Zoo To Re-Open With New Look

Contributed by Jamey Keaten, AP.

A man photographs an Agami, at the Vincennes Zoo, in Paris, Tuesday, April 8, 2014. Its gray, man-made mountain that might lure King Kong still protrudes over treetops, but nearly everything else has changed as Paris' best-known zoo prepares to re-open after a multi-year, multimillion-euro (dollar) makeover. (AP Paris/ Thibault Camus)

 Its gray, man-made mountain that might lure King Kong still protrudes over treetops, but nearly everything else has changed as Paris' zoo prepares to re-open after a multi-year, multimillion-euro (dollar) makeover.

A lone lion was lounging, the baboons burrowing, and lemurs leaping from branch to branch as the Zoological Park of Paris opened for a herd of journalists on Wednesday before a grand re-opening this weekend.

Gradually, and with no lack of logistical headaches, the 80-year-old Paris attraction returned to life: Macaws cackled, red ibises perched on one foot on a greenhouse rail, and the stench of giraffe manure wafted through a cavernous indoor pen - certifying that, yep, this is a bona fide zoo.

The 65-meter (215-foot) Grand Boulder, the zoo's main landmark (which actually covers a water tower) has been touched up, but isn't quite ready to host visitors for its panoramic views, officials said. When it does it may help lure visitors out to the zoo's site near the eastern suburb of Vincennes, and away from Paris' many other highlights.

WHAT'S NEW?

When the zoo temporarily closed in 2008, its crumbling displays were a safety hazard. Without major refurbishment since its opening in 1934, the zoo was a concrete jungle of traditional animal cages. Now managers trumpet an unparalleled, top-to-bottom renovation: Winding pathways, lush vegetation, and 21st-century displays with fewer fences and cages - and clever landscaping to separate the wildlife from its watchers. The greenhouse as long as a football field features not-so-shy grey-winged trumpeters strutting across a walkway (and at times pecking at photographers' camera lenses), and a lethargic West Indian manatee.

WHAT MAKES THIS ZOO DIFFERENT?

Instead of by type, the animals have been grouped by region of origin - and there are five: Madagascar, Patagonia, Guyana, Europe and Sahel-Sudan, the largest single area in the zoo and home to African savannah roamers. Rolling terrain and artificial rocks point to the effort to re-create the natural ecosystems, as best possible. "It's like a journey around the planet," said zoo director Sophie Ferreira Le Morvan. Giraffes and ostriches co-habit one display area, zebras and rhinos another. A male lion, somewhat understandably, has his own pen until three lionesses arrive.

WHAT ARE THE STAR ATTRACTIONS?

Giraffes. Zoo officials say the 16 giraffes - some with ancestors that were here in 1934 - amount to the largest grouping of its kind in Europe. The giraffes' indoor dwelling offers face-to-face viewing. While many animals were shipped away to other zoos during the renovation, the giraffes stayed put, to literally "oversee" the work, as the cheeky zookeepers put it. The lion called Neron (the French namesake of Roman emperor Nero) and pack of European wolves are likely kid-friendly sights.

HOW DIFFICULT HAS THE REOPENING BEEN?

Most of the animals that left for the renovation won't be returning, so like modern-day counterparts of Noah the zookeepers have had to bring in new ones. To make sure the animals are happy in their new digs the staff are letting the creatures adapt at their own speed - sometimes a snail's pace. One young addax was spooked at the unfamiliar sight of zebras. Due to space constraints, there are no elephants. Chief veterinarian Alexis Lecu said the one animal he wants is a platypus, but "we'll have to ask the Australian government."

BY THE NUMBERS

The zoo has some 180 species - including 74 bird and 42 mammal species - totaling over 1,000 animals (aside from the insects). The budget for the renovation, under a public-private partnership, was 167 million euros ($230 million). Signage at the displays is French only, but audio guides are available in several languages. Full-rate admission ranges from 11 euros (about $15) for kids aged 3 to 11, to 22 euros for adults.

Travelore Tips: 5 Recommended Events In Paris For 2014

Paris. The name is synonymous with love, beauty, art, culture … the list goes on. No matter the time of year, there’s a seemingly endless of festivals, parades, sporting events and cultural attractions to take in.

If you’re planning a weekend getaway or (even better) an extended stay in Paris this year, be sure to check out these top five events for 2014!

Sunset in Paris, France © Moyan Brenn

#1: Six Nations Rugby (February/March)

Every year, France goes head-to-head with five other European nations (Italy, England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland) in the Six Nations Rugby international. At roughly 120 years old, this championship match series is officially the world’s oldest rugby tournament. What’s more, since its inception, France claims the title has the “most successful”, so it’s quite a treat to see the champs play on their home turf.

#2: Paris Carnival (March)

Since 1274, the time-honored Carnaval de Paris has been led by a real-live cow simply dubbed the Fat Cow. Throughout this single-day event, proud Parisians – including musicians and boisterous trumpeters – march through the city streets on the way to Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall). Check out www.frenchaffair.com.au for more information.

#3: Paris Marathon (April)

New York, London, Antarctica (!) … seemginly every corner of the globe offers an (in)famous annual marathon. But there’s just something so special about running the streets of France’s most popular city. While hailed by tens of thousands of spectators, runners enjoy the unique opportunity of racing past the city’s best known landmarks, including the Place de la Bastille and Champs-Élysées (among others). Kids are even invited to join in with a 1-mile breakfast run the day before the marathon, so it’s a true family event! You can register online at www.parismarathon.com.

#4: Jardin Shakespeare (June – September)

Every year, the city’s Bois de Boulogne hosts the annual Jardin Shakespeare. This open-air theater event features bards performing original Shakespeare works (as well as some from other playwrights) in both English and French language. The appropriately named concert takes its namesake from the five gardens that make up the event – every one named after a famous Shakespearean work – As You Like It, The Tempest, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Macbeth.

#5: High Heel Race (December)

And now for something truly unique (and bizarre) … Paris’s annual High Heel Race is about as strange as it gets. The gist is simple: teams of women run as fast as possible at various Parisian monuments. It’s actually part of a worldwide competition put on by Sarenza shoes. Sure, it’s basically one big marketing ploy. But it works!

Read more at http://www.vagabondish.com/travel-paris-events-2014/#Z3m6wyS77MR85eMR.99