France Sailing Destination
France - Sail on France’s beautiful and spectacular canals and charming rivers, which run through some of Europe’s most beautiful areas. Riverboat holidays in France offer cultural and culinary delights, majestic landscapes, colorful villages and much more. Whichever destination you choose, you will be sure to find great wine, gourmet cuisine, beautiful scenery and historic sites – here are activities for all ages.
Recommended boats
| Yacht model | Lagoon | City | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabins: | 6 | Beds: | 12 |
| Year: | 2022 | Type: | Catamaran |
| Length: | 13.99m | Wc: | 4 |
| Yacht model | Sixto | City | Cahors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabins: | 3 | Beds: | 6 |
| Year: | 2011 | Type: | Riverboat |
| Length: | 13.5m | Wc: | 2 |
| Yacht model | 900 DP | City | Venarey-les-Laumes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabins: | 2 | Beds: | 4 |
| Year: | Type: | Riverboat | |
| Length: | 8.85m | Wc: | 2 |
Experience France
France consists of three geographical regions – lowland areas in the northwest, the highlands of the Massif Central in the south and the mountain ranges of the Pyrenees and the Alps in the southwest and southeast. The landscape is intersected by the great rivers Rhône, the Loire and the Seine, which have been important transport routes for many centuries.
The coastal stretches towards the Atlantic and the Mediterranean consist of both rocks and long sandy beaches, and have many natural ports where large commercial towns have grown. In the northern part of the country, the climate is typically North Atlantic, with much rainfall throughout the year and moderate differences between seasons. Further south, there is typically a Mediterranean climate with less rainfall and warmer summers.
Because of the good climate, there are many popular sailing areas in France. One of the favorite areas where you can rent a riverboat is Grez-Neuville
which is only a few hours drive from Paris. Further east is another popular sailing area the is Saverne . From the Saverne in France you sail along the Canal de la Marne au Rhin in the direction of the historic city of Nancy, and further along the Moselle River to the beautiful Lorraine.
You do not need any sailing training to rent a boat or sail here where there is no commercial sailing and where the boats are not allowed to sail more than ten km per hour. There are excursion boats on different stretches.
See which boats you have the opportunity to rent in France
Food – experience the delicious French cuisine
Traditionally, every region of France has had its own distinctive cuisine: in the northwest with butter, crème fraiche and apples; in Provence (in the Southeast) olive oil, herbs and tomatoes are used; in southwest duck fat, foie gras and Karl Johan mushrooms; Food from northeast France is very similar to German food and uses fat, sausage, beer and sauerkraut.
In addition to the four general areas, there are many local cuisines such as the Loire Valley’s freshwater fish and white wines and the Basque cuisine’s use of tomato and chili. Today, however, the geographical differences in cooking are not so great as there has been greater population exchange in recent times. But the local French cuisine is about to have a renaissance.
French cooking is often considered outside of France to be the fine food of Paris served in restaurants at high prices. The fine cuisine has most of its inspiration from Northern France, but is more refined. Typical French cooking in France does not have much in common with the fine.
Wine and cheese are two very important parts of any French cuisine both as ingredients and as accessories. France is widely known for its many wines and cheeses.
Attractions
The French waterways have a total length of approx. 7,000 km. One of the most famous stretches is the Canal du Midi, a 240 km long canal from Toulouse to the port of Séte. And together with the 193 km long Canal de Garonne, it connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean. Both channels are artificially created, but built almost 200 years apart.
Strasbourg is the capital and most important city of Alsace. Still, it is an easily overlooked metropolis in Europe. The city is one of the most beautiful cities in the northeast of France with a cozy, old town with picturesque half-timbered houses, the romantic district "the little France" and the many wineries along the canals. East of the old center is the German district with wide boulevards and large buildings.
The city's landmark is the Gothic cathedral from 1439 in pink sandstone, which with its characteristic single twin tower can be seen from a long distance. The second tower was not completed according to the original drawings, although it has also been discussed later.
Beaches in France
France has several thousand kilometers of coastline, which offers a variety of beautiful bathing beaches, ranging from large sandy beaches with inviting waves to small secret beaches surrounded by cliffs.
On the French Riviera there are many small secret beaches that few people know about. The small beaches are often just around the corner – sometimes you just have to walk a few 100 meters down the coast, at other times they are at the end of a staircase that is easy to overlook. From Embiez to Roquebrune Saint-Martin – Voilà our favorite beaches where the towel can be spread out on a small piece of sand, far away from everyone else.
