Fontainebleau Palace, France - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Fontainebleau Palace, France

Weather: Sunny skies, 53/74F.

Route: From Paris 69 km SSE on A6.

Significance: It started as a hunting lodge in the 12th century. In the 16th century it was turned into a renaissance style palace by Francois I. Restored by Napoleon after the revolution - it was said to be his favorite place to live.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

The main palace buildings (from whc.unesco.org)

Large park surrounds the palace (from whc.unesco.org)

Paris, France - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Paris, France

Weather: Generally sunny, 54/74F.

Route: From Versailles 24 km ENE on A13.

Population: 2,175,601

Places to visit: Musee d'Orsay, Notre-Dame de Paris, Sainte-Chapelle, Eiffel Tower, Musee de l'Orangerie, Louvre Museum, Luxembourg Gardens, Musee Rodin, Jardin des Tuileries, Pere-Lachaise Cemetery.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Videos:

UNESCO Video

Video by me of our trip to Paris in 2009

Images:

Aerial view of Ile de la Cite, including Notre-Dame (from whc.unesco.org)

Panorama of Paris with Eiffel Tower in the background (from travelpulse.com)

Versailles Palace and Park, France - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Versailles Palace and Park, France 

Weather: Mostly cloudy in the morning then periods of showers later in the day, 51/70F.

Route: From Chartres 88 km ENE on A11 and A10.

Significance: The ideal palace of the 17th century, Versailles was built to impress foreign dignitaries and control the aristocracy. The famous hall of mirrors and vast gardens are still impressive today.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

The palace from one of the many water features (from whc.unesco.org)

The hall of mirrors (from whc.unesco.org)

Chartres Cathedral, France - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Chartres Cathedral, France

Weather: Some sun in the morning with increasing clouds during the afternoon, 51/70F.

Route: From Mont-Saint-Michel 194 km east on A81 and A11.

Population: 38,462

Significance: Probably the best example of gothic architecture in the world - the cathedral was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. Known for its beautiful original stained glass and supporting flying buttresses.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

The front western facade (from whc.unesco.org)

Detail of the one of entrances (from whc.unesco.org)

Mont-Saint-Michel, France - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Mont-Saint-Michel, France

Weather: Partly cloudy, 48/65F.

Route: From Chambord 334 km WNW on A28.

Significance: One of the most iconic abbeys in the world, set on a small island just off the coast. Most of it was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. 

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

The abbey and island from the coast (from whc.unesco.org)

The courtyard (from whc.unesco.org)

Chateau of Chambord, France - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Chateau of Chombord, France

Weather: Overcast with rain showers at times, 46/62F.

Route: From Bourges 107 km NNW on A71.

Significance: A masterpiece of the Renaissance, Francis I built it soon after his friend Leonardo da Vinci died in the 16th century.  The architect was Dominico da Cortana, but some of the features, like the spiral staircase were at least influenced by da Vinci designs. The chateau was built to show off Francis' power. The cheateau was initially the UNESCO World Heritage Site, but it has been updated to include the entire Loire valley.

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Images:

The chateau at sunset (from whc.unesco.org)

The chateau and gardens (from whc.unesco.org)

Bourges Cathedral, France - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Bourges Cathedral, France

Weather: Partly cloudy skies in the morning giving way to cloudy skies in the afternoon, 47/62F.

Route: From Vezelay 126 km WSW on N151.

Population: 64,668

Significance: Bourge Cathedral was a gothic masterpiece of the 12th and 13th centuries. There have been updates in the 16th and 18th centuries - making it a bit of an architectural hodge podge.

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Images:

The Cathedral (from whc.unesco.org)

The inside of the cathedral (from whc.unesco.org)

Vezelay, France - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Vezelay, France

Weather: Rain, 44/59F

Route: From Montbard 67 km WSW on D957.

Significance: It was founded in the 9th century and soon became popular as a pilgrimage site when it acquired the relics of Mary Magdalene. It was the starting point for the second and third crusades in the 12th century.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

The hill town of Vezelay (from whc.unesco.org)

The 12th century church (from whc.unesco.org)

Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay, France - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay, France

Weather: Partly cloudy, 47/63F.

Route: From Lyon 254 km north on A6.

Significance: It was founded in 1119 by St. Bernard. He believed that many monasteries had lost their way by being too ornamented and ostentatious. He taught his monks to live a simpler life. He even thought a cross was too much decoration.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

The Abbey (from whc.unesco.org)

Corridor by the courtyard (from whc.unesco.org)

Lyon, France - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Lyon, France

Weather: Partly cloudy skies, 46/67F.

Route: From Montignac 398 km ENE on A89.

Population: 518,635

Places to visit: Musee du Cinema et de la Miniature, Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere, Parc de la Tete d'Or, Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon, Musee des Confluences, Theatres Romains de Fourviere, Institut & Musee Lumiere, Gallo-Roman Museum, Cathedrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lyon, Centre d'histoire de la Resistance et de la Deportation, Musee des Tissus et des Art Decoratif, Memorial National de la Prison de Montluc, Musee de l'Imprimerie de Lyon.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

Place de Terreaux (from whc.unesco.org)

Roman Theatre (from whc.unesco.org)

Prehistoric Sites of the Vezere Valley, France - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Montignac, France

Weather: Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers, 47/61F.

Route: From Bordeaux 185 km east on A89.

Significance: There are 25 caves in the Vezere valley that were decorated during the paleolithic era, most around 17,000 years ago. The most famous cave, Lascaux cave, was found in 1940. After a few decades of thousands of people visiting the site the images started to decay. The caves were finally closed in 1963 to protect them.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

Images of animals (from whc.unesco.org)

The limestone cliffs that contain the caves (from whc.unesco.org)

Bordeaux, France - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Bordeaux, France

Weather: Cloudy skies, 52/71F.

Route: From Bilbao 335 km NNE on AP-8 and A63.

Population: 257,068

Places to visit: Place de la Bourse, St Andre Cathedral, Musee du Vin et du Negoce, La Cite du Vin, Jardin Public, Musee d'Aquitaine, Porte Cailhau, La Fleche Saint-Michel.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video: 

Images: 

Place la Bourse (from forbes.com)

Porte Cailhau (from whc.unesco.org)

Bilbao, Spain

Place: Bilbao, Spain

Weather: Light rain early, a mix of sun and clouds in the afternoon 46/63F.

Route: From Cave of Altamira 125 km east on A-8.

Population: 345,821

Places to visit: Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, Basilica of Begona, Euskal Museoa Bilbao Basque Museum, Catedral de Santiago, Museo Maritimo Ria de Bilbao.

Images:

Guggenheim Museum and Le Salve in the background (from telegraph.co.uk)

The river estuary cuts through downtown with hills in the background (from theguardian.com)

Cave of Altamira, Spain - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Cave of Altamira, Spain

Weather: Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers, 49/60F.

Route: From San Millan 250 km NW on AP-68 and A-8.

Significance: Paleolithic cave paintings are always so mysterious. Who painted this and why? Was it some weird member of the community who saw things differently? Or was he/she celebrated for their work and it was a big part of the community?  These paintings were between 15-25,000 years ago.  The most common painting was of buffalo, but there are many other animals and even some mysterious symbols.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site 

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Image: 

Some of the many images of buffalo (from whc.unesco.org)

San Millan Yuso and Suso Monasteries, Spain - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: San Millan, Spain

Weather: Considerable cloudiness, 42/63F.

Route: From Burgos 88 km on N-120.

Significance: St Millan was a 6th century aesthetic monk, who started a monastery in a cave, and whose followers built first a small church near the cave and then a in the 16th century a larger monastery below the cave.  The cave is still a popular place for pilgrims. The first books on record in the Castilian language, predecessor of modern Spanish, were found here.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video: 

Images:

The small monastery of Suso built into the cave (from whc.unesco.org)

The larger Yuso monastery below in the valley built in the 16th century (from whc.unesco.org)

Burgos, Spain - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Burgos, Spain

Weather: Partly cloudy 43/63F.

Route: From Oviedo 297 km SE on AP-66 and A-231.

Population: 175,921

Significance: The world heritage listing is actually specific to the Burgos Cathedral. It was built in the 13th century and is the greatest example of Gothic architecture in Spain. 

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

The Burgos cathedral (from whc.unesco.org)

The interior of the cathedral (from whc.unesco.org)

Oviedo and Kingdom of the Asturias, Spain - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Oviedo, Spain

Weather: Cloudy with occasional light rain, 50/61F.

Route: From Lugo 249 km ENE on A-8.

Population: 220,020

Significance: The only area of the Iberian peninsula that was never taken over by Muslims was the Kingdom of Asturias in Northern Spain. There are several pre-Romanesque style churches built in the 9th century, which are symbolic of the beginning of the christian reconquista, which took almost 700 years to be fully realized.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

Santa Maria del Naranco (from whc.unesco.org)

Cathedral of San Salvador (from whc.unesco.org)