American Discovers The 12 Regions of France

[00:00:00]The 12 regions of France explained. All right, this one's coming from the channel Les Frenchies. I think we've done a reaction to one of their videos before. Super pumped for this. Uh it's been a while since we've done a French reaction. This was a recommendation from Michael. Appreciate it, man. Without further ado, let's get in. What are the 12 regions? I don't know if this is just the actual country France or we're talking like territories, provinces. I have no idea. So, let's just get straight into it.

[00:00:26]>> most recurring comment that we get from French people is that Paris is not France. And this is so true. There's so much more to France than just Paris, the French Riviera, and Normandy. From the pink granite cliffs of Bretagne to the volcanic region of Auvergne to the medieval fortress of Carcassonne, [music] there's so much more to France than you can imagine and you need to know about it.

[00:00:50]>> So, in this video, we're going to tell you about the 12 regions of France, what there is to do there, what there is to see, and especially what you should eat and drink [music] when you're there.

[00:01:01]Allez.

[00:01:01]>> Okay.

[00:01:02]>> France has 13 >> Got to include what to eat and drink in the different regions. That's like one of the main reasons I would want >> distinct regions including Île-de-France. But, we're not going to include the Paris region or Île-de-France in this video. But, we'll show you the other 12 [music] regions in alphabetical order and we'll start with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes [music] region.

[00:01:22]This region is 2 hours south of Paris by TGV train and is what we consider here the heart of France. The capital of the region is the city of Lyon, which is the gastronomy epicenter of France. So, if you are a foodie, this is a must-visit region. To the >> Lyon, really? If you're a foodie. Of course, I know everyone immediately thinks Paris. I don't know. I feel like Paris is like where influencers go when they go to France.

[00:01:49]>> West of Lyon is the Auvergne area, which is a lush [music] volcanic area perfect for hikers and especially if you hate crowds. And to the east are the Alps with some of the best ski slopes in the world. [music] This region is home to several famous kinds of cheese like the Reblochon, Tomme de Savoie, and the [music] Emmental. And this is also where the cheese fondue, the raclette, and tartiflette [music] are from. The famous Chartreuse liqueur is made in the region. So, if you're looking for some of the best food of what France has to offer and you love hiking away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities, this region is for you. [music] To get there, take >> I would like this region a lot, especially with the Alps right there. I want to see the Alps.

[00:02:35]>> ride on the TGV high-speed train to Lyon, spend a day in Lyon, and then rent a car to discover the rest of the region.

[00:02:43]>> The next region is Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, or Burgundy. This stunning Côte d'Or is just southeast of Paris >> [music] >> and offers views of vineyards, glazed tile roofs, and Romanesque >> So, like farmland?

[00:02:56]>> architecture. Its capital is Dijon, a bustling, busy town, but also an artist village. After all, this is where >> Is this where the term Dijon mustard comes from? I don't think I've ever seen a place with the name Dijon before, other than Dijon mustard, and that's not a place.

[00:03:14]It's got to be, right?

[00:03:15]>> Gustave Eiffel comes from. And in Dijon, you'll find the iconic Palace of the Duke of Burgundy, which is home to the Musée des Beaux-Arts dating back to the late 1700s and is one of the richest collections in all of France. But what I love best about Burgundy is the small towns and villages all around. [music] This countryside patchwork of small, family-owned vineyards who bring their grapes together to create some of the best, and in some cases, the most expensive wines in the world.

[00:03:43]>> [music] >> Like Romanée-Conti, ranging from hundreds of dollars per bottle to thousands of dollars per bottle. [music] Still, this place >> Paying thousands of dollars for a bottle of wine. I mean, I kind of get it because like I enjoy whiskey and scotch like that, but usually the most I'll ever spend is maybe like 200 bucks on whiskey. It Anything past that, I'm like, "It's good, but is it a thousand dollars worth good?" I don't know. I know wine connoisseurs uh have a much wider palate than I do and can probably >> pretentious. You'll find old towns with medieval streets and half-timbered buildings, a strong sense of community, and a perfect blend of history, culture, and great food. Speaking of food, some of the best-known French dishes come from right here. Beef bourguignon is how you say a burgundy-style stew in French.

[00:04:33]>> That was amazing.

[00:04:34]>> from and the typical escargots swimming in garlic butter. And of course, Dijon mustard, which has its own particular history. But that's for another time.

[00:04:44]For adult beverages, this is the home of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, >> [music] >> and where they make one of my new favorites, Ricard, from the absinthe family.

[00:04:52]>> [music] >> If you want to visit the Bourgogne region, take the 1 and 1/2 hour TGV train ride from Paris Gare de Lyon to Dijon.

[00:05:00]>> The next We're going to have to do a We're going to have to do a wine test. I In the process of trying to order beer, like one of the most popular beers and probably like 20 different countries in Europe, then I'm going to do a taste test. Uh but maybe we'll do wine after.

[00:05:16]I know Fran You know, France will absolutely crush it along with uh Italy and probably Spain, but >> Next region is a place where I spent a lot of summers there as a kid, and that's Bretagne. Bretagne is located on the eastern front of France on the coast. This region is rich in history and significance for France. This is where France meets Celtic culture. It's very Celtic and absolutely gorgeous. The capital of Brittany is Rennes, but you'll want to travel deep in a region to feel and taste its influence. Being a coastal region, Brittany is famous for seafood like mussels, oysters, scallops, and langoustine, but this is the home of the famous French crepes or galette as they call it there. And they also produce some of the best salted >> You guys aren't going to believe this, but I don't think I've ever had a crepe.

[00:06:07]Maybe I like my wife might have ordered one a long time ago and I had like a bite, but I've never had a plate of crepes. I've also never had Nutella. I know they kind of go hand in hand.

[00:06:18]>> butter in France after Normandy if you ask them. And one of my favorite pastry is from Brittany, [music] the kouign amann. This needs to be on your must-try list when you come to France. Brittany is for explorers. If you love medieval towns and thick forest [music] mixed with amazing culinary traditions.

[00:06:36]To get there, it's a 2 and 1/2 hour train to Saint-Malo and from there I rent a car and discover the rest of Brittany on my own. Bring some hiking shoes and an appetite. [music] You won't be disappointed here.

[00:06:49]>> The next region is the Centre-Val de Loire, which is just south and west of Paris. And as its name suggests, this is the valley along the Loire River.

[00:06:58]>> [music] >> Here you'll find fields of grains and flowers, vineyards, and more chateauxs than you can imagine.

[00:07:04]>> Okay.

[00:07:04]>> Each with their own story of elegant lifestyles, fabulous gardens, and >> This was like my favorite chateau. We've done a chateau video if you're new here and haven't been watching for a while. I loved this one. I think I'm pretty sure that's the one that I liked.

[00:07:17]>> personality. The capital city is Orleans, but if you continue just a little bit farther southwest to the town of Tours, [music] you'll find yourself right in the middle of a trail of castles dotting the little villages along the river.

[00:07:32]>> I think that's so funny. When I actually see these places, it's Orleans and here in the states we have New Orleans.

[00:07:39]>> [laughter] >> Or you know, New England, of course they they New York. And in New Orleans, of course, has like a ton of French influence there. They still speak a a type of uh French, but it's like way broken and kind of been mixed with uh some other languages, but interesting.

[00:07:58]>> Château Chambord, Château Chenonceau, and the Château Amboise, to name a few.

[00:08:02][music] It's also where Leonardo da Vinci lived his last days, in the Château du Clos Lucé in Amboise.

[00:08:09]>> You can still visit his home and see his models and life-size pieces throughout the garden. When it comes to food and beverages, you'll find local flavors of saffron, walnut oil, flavored vinegars, and black truffles. But my favorites are the rillettes, which is a shredded pork spread that you'd put on your baguette, or the rillons, which are bits of flavorful pork belly. [music] And when you put that together with a local goat cheese and a glass of their regional Sancerre, Chinon Blanc, or a rosé d'Anjou, >> [music] >> you're in for a good time.

[00:08:40]>> My mouth is watering.

[00:08:41]>> the Centre-Val de Loire, take the 1 and 1/2 hour TGV train from Gare Austerlitz in Paris to the Tours train station.

[00:08:48]>> The next region is Corsica, which is the island right off the Côte d'Azur in the Mediterranean Sea. It's known for its stunning landscapes with a mix of mountains and forest >> This place I I've I always miss this place when I play GeoGuessr. I've I've been addicted to that game lately. There was like, I think one or two times we were supposed to be here and I just could not figure out I can never figure out France on GeoGuessr.

[00:09:14]>> where you can see high rocky peaks [music] covered in green trees, and then just a short drive away, you're standing on the beach with clear blue water.

[00:09:23]>> Whoa.

[00:09:24]>> That's Corsica. The island is a great place for hiking, especially in its famous mountains like Monte Cinto, the highest point in Corsica. There are also small towns and villages where you can experience the local culture, which is a mix of French and Italian influence.

[00:09:41]Corsica has a >> That is so cool. Hold on, I'm just going to see one more time.

[00:09:44]>> which is a mix of French and Italian >> Holy This is so crazy, the way this is all laid out. Oh, man. I want to go here. I would love to be in a town like this.

[00:09:55]>> Italian influence. Corsica has a long history with many old buildings and ruins that tell the story of the past.

[00:10:02]Corsica is known for its unique and delicious food, which is a mix of French and Italian flavors with its own local twist. They have great charcuterie, cured meats like coppa, lonzu, and figatellu. And chestnuts is a big deal in Corsica. They grow in abundance on the island and are used to make a variety of food.

[00:10:22]>> [music] >> And since Corsica is an island, seafood is very popular. People enjoy dishes like grilled fish, octopus salad, and bouillabaisse. Now, to get there, you can fly directly from Paris or take a TGV train to Marseille and take a ferry to the island.

[00:10:40]>> The next region is a really big one.

[00:10:42][music] It borders Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, and Switzerland, and that is the Grand [music] Est. It's also quite diverse because it includes the prestigious and glamorous subregion of Champagne >> [music] >> and the German-based Alsace subregion.

[00:10:57]So, let's look at the Grand Est in two parts. Strasbourg is the capital of Alsace [music] and has gone back and forth between French and German rule for centuries.

[00:11:06]>> They have like a like a boat that's covered with glass. That's cool. Another thing I've never seen before.

[00:11:13]>> [music] >> and has gone back and forth between French and German rule for centuries.

[00:11:17]And [music] you can really feel the German influence in the way the language is spoken and with words [music] that you see on signs and menus. And this is true for Colmar and Riquewihr, two other cities in Alsace that you really need to know about. You'll see a mix of medieval and Renaissance architecture, brightly colored buildings, and a robust river life. To say they're charming is an [music] understatement. Popular foods in Alsace are the choucroute, which is a sauerkraut dish with bits of pork and a variety of sausages served with potatoes and carrots, or the flammkuchen, which is like a pizza except with a white sauce and bits of thick-cut bacon. And of course, pretzels, which they call bretzels with a B. When it comes to cheese, this is where you'll find Munster and Gruyere. And you can wash all of those down with one of their local beers, a Riesling white wine, or the Alsatian version of champagne called Cremant. To get to the Alsace subregion of Grand Est, take the 2-hour TGV train from Gare de l'Est in Paris to the Strasbourg station. For the Champagne subregion, you may already know what to expect. [music] The capital city is Reims, and they say this is where men go to become kings. Since 816 AD, 33 of them were coronated here, starting with the son of Charlemagne. This is a regal place surrounded by vineyards producing the king of wines. Until the upper 1600s, grapes grown in the Champagne region made regular flat wine until Dom Perignon, yes, he's a real guy, discovered the modern technique of making the sparkling wine we know today as champagne.

[00:12:52]And of course, since it's a protected appellation, only sparkling wine grown and produced in the Champagne >> Not that big of a fan of champagne. I prefer red wines and occasionally a white, especially if I'm having fish or chicken or something, but red, usually a cab, is like my go-to if I'm having wine. Wine just gives me and it it I Someone's got to say this. It gives me the worst headaches, and no, I don't drink cheap wine.

[00:13:15]I can be a $50 bottle of red wine and or any kind of wine. I just immediately get a headache within about an hour. But I I don't know. I also I'm kind of allergic to alcohol.

[00:13:26]>> Champagne region can be called Champagne. Many large houses like Veuve Clicquot, Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon offer tours, and that's pretty cool.

[00:13:35]But, there are also lots of small family-owned houses where you can get more personal experience and often some amazing champagnes. Whether you enjoy your champagne with some fresh fruits, chocolates, and local pink biscuit cookies, or with a charcuterie board with something made with the local black truffles and the fine ham that comes from Reims, you'll make memories to last a lifetime.

[00:13:59]To get to the Champagne subregion of Gare de l'Est, take the 45-minute train from Gare de l'Est in Paris to the Reims train station.

[00:14:06]>> Now, the best way to discover all the regions of France is by train. And when we book our train, we use Trainline cuz it's super user-friendly and it's the exact same price that you'll find everywhere. So, I'm going to put a link in the description. Check it out and see what kind of pricing you get for the destination you want to go to.

[00:14:22]>> Nice.

[00:14:23]>> The next region is Hauts-de-France, >> France has the fastest trains, too, right? I'm pretty Yeah. Yeah, France they definitely have the fastest trains.

[00:14:30]>> Hauts-de-France, which is the region north of the Paris region. This is another place where I spent a lot of time as a kid because my mom was born in Dunkirk. This is also where we live, near the city of Chantilly, in the southern-most part of the region. This region is not high on the list of prime destination for visitors, and that's a mistake because it has a lot to offer.

[00:14:52]First off, you have Lille to the north, which is a vibrant and beautiful city.

[00:14:57]Amiens to the south is home to the largest cathedral in France. So big, in fact, you could put two Notre Dame inside the cathedral of Amiens. And one of Colleen's favorite castle in France is here, Pierrefonds, which is so iconic it provided inspiration for the Walt Disney classics like Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Hauts-de-France is the home of the famous moules frites. You'll find it in restaurants all around France.

[00:15:23]This is where you'll find the iconic Maroilles cheese and plenty of great beers. Getting to Lille or Amiens is super easy with daily TGV trains from Gare du Nord and you'll get there in less than 2 hours.

[00:15:36]>> The next region of France is the Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It's located along the southwest coast of France bordering on Spain to the [music] south. It's rich with large mountain ranges, fabulous rivers, natural parks, marshes, and a long beautiful coastline with some world-famous beaches. The difference in lifestyle and cuisine from the north to the south make this another diverse region. In the north, [music] the place most people are familiar with in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region is its capital, Bordeaux. This is where you'll find the World of Wine Museum, a thriving art community, a vibrant waterfront, and the kind of up-and-coming life that comes with being a university >> Whoa.

[00:16:15]Oh my gosh, I thought that was I thought this was like a wall for a second there. Just the way it was like from uh you know, just a glance, it kind of looked like a uh wall.

[00:16:26]>> It has a unique and pleasant atmosphere and I've decided it probably feels how Paris felt back in the 1950s. It's needless to say, the business of wine is at the center of their economy. Most vineyards and nearby towns like Saint-Émilion are large legacy domains.

[00:16:42]This is not a region for small family producers. You'll see vines from a single domain stretching out as far as the eye can see, but that >> That is so many grapes.

[00:16:52]>> the menu, you'll find a world of seafood es >> Shut the front door, dude. What?

[00:16:57]This looks amazing. Oh my gosh.

[00:16:59]>> especially from the nearby Atlantic, the Gironde Estuary, and Arcachon, which is famous for its oysters. When you're in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, you should definitely try a seafood platter with shrimps, clams, scallops, crabs, lang >> How much is this? I feel like this would be like $400 if I went to a restaurant here where I live and ordered something like this.

[00:17:20]For sure. Like four or five hundred.

[00:17:22]Maybe not. I think 400 is probably >> But there's also the non-seafood stuff like wild mushrooms that grow all around, their local lamb, >> [music] >> and excellent beef. To visit this area of Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, take the 2 and 1/2 hour TGV train from the Montparnasse station in Paris to Bordeaux. [music] The south side of Nouvelle-Aquitaine is heavily influenced by its neighbor, the Pyrenees area of Spain. You can taste it in the cuisine. This is Basque country with their Bayonne-style cured ham and stews baked in the little cocotte pots, and especially by the beaches of Biarritz, the surfing capital of France, [music] you'll find lots of flavorful tapas. To get to this part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, take the 4-hour TGV train from Gare Montparnasse in Paris to the Biarritz train station.

[00:18:11]>> Next is the famous region of Normandy.

[00:18:15]Normandy for many Parisians is what the Hamptons are for New Yorkers.

[00:18:19]It's about 2 hours from Paris, so it's a quick getaway from the city. But unlike the Hamptons, you'll find plenty of affordable places to have a great time.

[00:18:28]Of course, the D-Day beaches are a must-visit. [music] But all along the coast, you'll find gems like medieval city of Bayeux or the quaint seaside port of Honfleur. And don't miss the beautiful city of Rouen with its stunning cathedral [music] and its iconic clock. Of course, the Mont Saint-Michel is on the edge of Brittany and Normandy and is a must-see once in your life. Normandy is cheese and butter country. Here, they >> Why does that butter look so damn soft?

[00:18:58]Holy sh- >> produce the world's famous Camembert and some of the finest butter in the land.

[00:19:03]Don't leave Normandy before you have a chance to taste the Calvados apple liquor or the local cider. To get there is super easy. Just take a train from Galt and Azau and take a 2 and 1/2 hour train ride to call and rent a car from there so you can jump from one location to another and see it all.

[00:19:22]>> The next region is Occitanie, which runs along the Mediterranean over through Andorra and Spain for the borders. It's capital [music] is Toulouse, but then again, you'll find a broad diversity here from the cliffs and caverns of Rocamadour to the Gothic cathedrals [music] and neo-classic architecture of Montpellier or the antiquity and walled city of Carcassonne, the Roman rules of Nîmes, the spiritual pilgrimage of Lourdes, or France's second most visited attraction, the Pont du Gard aqueduct. This is mountain country. Here you'll find amazing blue cheeses like Roquefort, but also delicious softer cheeses like Rocamadour or Cathar.

[00:20:01]This is where the classic peasant dish cassoulet with its meat and white beans comes from and it's where the gooey half cheese, half mashed potato aligot [music] comes from.

[00:20:11]>> Oh, these are those mashed potatoes.

[00:20:13]We've seen these on some of the food videos we've done before, right?

[00:20:16]>> to mention the Toulouse sausage, which is the closest thing France has to an Italian sausage. For wines from this region, look for Cahors, Languedoc, or the Clairettes. To visit the Occitanie region, take the 4-hour TGV train from Gare Montparnasse to Toulouse.

[00:20:32]>> Next is the Pays de la Loire, which is just south of Brittany. It's a great place to visit if you love castles, rivers, and beautiful landscapes. Pays de la Loire is famous for its stunning castles.

[00:20:46]One of the most famous is the Château de Brissac, which >> Which one of these regions doesn't have stunning castles?

[00:20:53]>> [laughter] >> Am I right? I feel like they're in every single >> the tallest castle in France. There's also the Château d'Angers with huge walls and a beautiful garden inside.

[00:21:03]These castles look like something out of a fairy tale. There are charming towns and city in Pays de la Loire, like Nantes and Angers. Nantes is a lively city with a cool castle, lots of park, and even a giant mechanical elephant that you can ride. Pays de la Loire has delicious food. You can try the rillettes or enjoy fresh seafood from the coast. The region is also known for its wine, especially white wine like Muscadet, which go perfectly [music] with >> Same thing. Every region is just wine and castles and cheese and I'm completely here for it.

[00:21:37]>> Seafood. Besides castles and city, Pays de la Loire has peaceful countryside with vineyards, forest, and rivers. It's a great place to go biking, hiking, or just take a leisurely walk to enjoy the nature around you.

[00:21:51]>> [music] >> This is another region that is very easy to get to from Paris with a quick 2-hour train ride from the Montparnasse train station to Nantes.

[00:22:01]>> And last but not least, the region of Provence-Cote d'Azur.

[00:22:05]>> [music] >> When you hear about the south of France, this is what people are talking about.

[00:22:09]Here you'll find the oldest city in France, its capital, Marseille, founded in 600 BC by Greek settlers.

[00:22:16][clears throat] >> [music] >> And this is a main commercial port for France. But along the coast heading towards the Italian border, >> I love the look of this city. I absolutely love it. This is so cool.

[00:22:26]>> You'll find glamorous jet-set beaches, ports with mega yachts, Mediterranean villages where you can walk through town in your espadrilles and sandals, find old [music] clay pots and tiles and little boutiques, and savor a nice rosé on a delightful terrace.

[00:22:41]>> [music] >> It reminds me of the Steve Martin movie Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Then again, just northwest of Marseille, you'll find the small provincial town of Aix-en-Provence or the Roman ruins of Arles or the Palace of the Popes in Avignon.

[00:22:55]>> [music] >> Regardless of where in Provence you find yourself, you won't be far from lavender fields and [music] you will feel the Mediterranean influence.

[00:23:03]The cuisine is full of dishes with tomatoes and olives and aromatic herbs.

[00:23:08]After all, this is where ratatouille comes from, and the flavorful bouillabaisse fish stew, or that fabulous garlicky mayonnaise aioli. It's definitely crowded, okay, overcrowded in season, but this is definitely a region of France worth exploring. To visit the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, take the 4-hour TGV train from Gare de Lyon, Paris to Marseille, or the 6-hour TGV train, also from Gare de Lyon to Nice.

[00:23:36]>> In this video, we told you about the 12 regions of France. Next, I would watch this video, which is all about how to book your train tickets, and all about the train stations in Paris.

[00:23:46]>> Oh, I I have heard about train stations and air- airports, and is it I think just Paris, or maybe in France in general? I might have to check out that video on my own about the train tickets.

[00:23:58]All right, 12 regions of France explained.

[00:24:01]What's my favorite? Maybe this last one.

[00:24:03]This place looks really cool. I What was the name? I'm not even going to try saying the name. The most southern region of France. And then, I don't know, also Brittany looks really cool. I don't know, it all looks amazing. All right, I'm getting out of here.

[00:24:15]Appreciate y'all watching. Appreciate the recommendation, and I'll see you in the next one. Peace.