A Michelin Green Guide for “French World Heritage sites”

Responding to both a growing interest among the French for heritage tourism (as demonstrated by the growing success of Heritage Days) and to the aim of the sites to attract ever larger numbers to discover the richness and exceptional character valued by the international community, this 418-page guide describes all the 35 French World Heritage sites in metropolitan France and its overseas territories.  

It pays homage to the diversity of the French heritage assets which includes: 

• cultural assets:
   
  • monuments (the cathedrals of Amiens, Chartres and Bourges),
  • architectural masterpieces (the palace and gardens of Versailles),
  • historic city centres (Lyon, Strasbourg),
  • cultural landscapes (Loire Valley, Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion),
  • asset groups (the fortifications of Vauban, the belfries of France, the French Way of St James to Compostela)…,
• natural assets (the lagoons of New Caledonia, pitons, cirques and remparts of Reunion Island, the Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata and the Scandola Reserve)
• and a single mixed asset (Pyrénées - Mont Perdu).

These sites are easily located thanks to a summary chart placed at the front of the guide; the guide contains a description of all the sites and gives practical information needed to reach and visit them. In addition they benefit from an account, written by the manager of each asset, explaining the details of its UNESCO listing. Maps and diagrams supplement the written information. 

Details:  Michelin Green Guide (in French) 

418 pages 

Price: €13.90 

Publication date: 18 April 2011 

Photo : Guide official presentation in Unesco Headquarters.