Eastern Pyrenees (Pyrénées Orientales)

The Pyrénées-Orientales (Dutch: Pyrénées Orientales) is the southernmost department of mainland France, located in the Occitanie region. 

It borders Spain (Catalonia), Andorra, the Mediterranean Sea, and the departments of Aude and Ariège.

Capital / Préfecture: Perpignan (Perpinyà in Catalan) – a vibrant city with a strong Catalan atmosphere. 

Nickname: Also called Northern Catalonia (Catalunya Nord), because it was historically part of the Principality of Catalonia until the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659). 

Landscape & Climate: A unique mix within easy reach: High Pyrenees with peaks such as the iconic Pic du Canigó (2,784 m) – a symbol of the Catalans. 

Ski and hiking areas (including Cerdagne, Capcir, Font-Romeu). 

Fertile Roussillon plain with vineyards, peach and apricot orchards. 

Mediterranean coast (Côte Vermeille) with rocky coves, beaches, and picturesque coastal towns such as Collioure, Banyuls-sur-Mer, Argelès-sur-Mer, and Cerbère.

Culture & Identity: Strong Catalan character: many people still speak Catalan, street names are bilingual, there are Catalan traditions, dance (sardana), and cuisine (including cargolada (snail festival), crema catalana, anchovies, Banyuls sweet wine). 

Languages: French, Catalan, and to a lesser extent Occitan. 

Economy & Tourism: Main sectors: tourism, wine production (Côtes du Roussillon, Collioure, Maury, Banyuls), fruit growing, and fishing. Very popular with sun worshippers. 

Hikers, skiers, and culture & gastronomy enthusiasts. 

In short: a mini-Catalonia on the French side with sea, mountains, sun, wine, and a unique identity – “la Catalogne française.”

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Bas-Rhin

Bas-Rhin is the northern part of the historic Alsace region in northeastern France, part of the Grand Est region. 

Capital/prefecture: Strasbourg (European capital with the European Parliament, a magnificent cathedral, and the iconic La Petite France district). 

Border: Germany to the east via the Rhine, Haut-Rhin to the south, and Moselle and Vosges to the west. Characteristics: Mix of French-German culture, typical Alsatian half-timbered houses, wine route (white wines such as Riesling), picturesque villages (such as Obernai, Rosheim, Saverne), castles (including Haut-Koenigsbourg just across the border but closely associated with it), forests and hills (northern Vosges). 

Tourism: Very popular for Christmas markets, gastronomy (choucroute, baeckeoffe, flammekueche), wine villages, and historic towns. 

In short: Bas-Rhin = Strasbourg + Alsatian romance + Rhine + wine + half-timbered houses + German-French atmosphere.

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Haut Rhin

Haut-Rhin is a French department in the Grand Est region (formerly Alsace), in northeastern France. 

It borders Germany and Switzerland and owes its name to the Upper Rhine. 

Capital/préfecture: Colmar (a beautiful, typically Alsatian city).

Largest city: Mulhouse (industrial, with, among other things, the famous car and train museum). 

Famous for: The Route des Vins d'Alsace (Alsatian Wine Route) with picturesque wine villages such as Riquewihr, Eguisheim, Kaysersberg, and Ribeauvillé. 

Half-timbered houses and beautiful medieval heritage. 

The Vosges Mountains (mountainous south with the Grand Ballon as its highest point at 1,424 m). 

Tripoint (Germany, Switzerland, and France) near Saint-Louis/Basel. 

Strong Alsatian-German cultural influence (language, cuisine, architecture). 

Since 2021, it has been part of the European Collective of Alsace, along with the Bas-Rhin region. 

In short: a mix of beautiful wine landscapes, authentic villages, mountain scenery, and a cross-border atmosphere – one of the most beautiful parts of Alsace!

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Rhône

The Rhône department is located in east-central France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. 

It is named after the Rhône River that flows through it. 

Capital (préfecture): Lyon, one of the largest and most important cities in France (the Lyon metropolitan area alone has over 1.4 million inhabitants). 

Sub-prefecture: Villefranche-sur-Saône. 

Known for: Lyon: historic old town (a UNESCO World Heritage site), gastronomic capital ("capitale de la gastronomie"), history of silk production, and Roman remains. 

Beaujolais: renowned wine region (especially light, fruity red Beaujolais wines made from the Gamay grape). 

Landscape: Hilly in the north (Monts du Beaujolais), Rhône and Saône valleys, and the "Pays des Pierres Dorées" (golden stone villages). 

The department combines a vibrant metropolitan area around Lyon with rural and wine-growing areas. It is an economically important region (industry, pharmaceuticals, and technology) and attracts many tourists with its food, wine, and culture. 

In short: a metropolitan heart (Lyon) and a world-famous wine region (Beaujolais) in a dynamic part of southeastern France.

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Haute Saône

Haute-Saône is a department in eastern France, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. 

It is named after the Saône River, which flows through it. 

Capital (préfecture): Vesoul 

It is a rural, green department with many forests, rivers (Saône, Ognon), lakes, and plateaus (such as the Plateau des Mille Étangs). 

It lies between the Vosges Mountains (north) and the Jura Mountains (south), with hills, valleys, and abundant nature. 

Well-known places: Luxeuil-les-Bains (spa town), Lure, Gray, Ronchamp (with the famous Notre-Dame-du-Haut chapel by Le Corbusier, a UNESCO World Heritage Site). 

Tourism primarily focuses on tranquility, hiking, cycling, boating, historic villages, and gastronomy (including kirsch from Fougerolles). 

In short: a peaceful, authentic, and natural department, ideal for those looking for the French countryside without the crowds.

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Saône et Loire

Saône-et-Loire is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region (Burgundy-Franche-Comté), in eastern France. 

It lies between the Saône and Loire rivers (hence the name) and is the southernmost and most populous department in the region. 

Prefecture (capital): Mâcon. 

Major cities: Chalon-sur-Saône (largest city), Autun, Le Creusot, Mâcon. 

Characteristics: Very varied landscape: flat Saône Valley, hilly vineyards (Mâconnais, Côte Chalonnaise), Charolais-Brionnais with meadows and cows, Morvan hills in the west. 

Known for Burgundian wines (Pouilly-Fuissé, Mercurey, Givry, Montagny, etc.). 

Historical heritage: impressive Cluny Abbey (a medieval highlight), Roman remains in Autun, Romanesque churches in the south. 

Gastronomy: Charolais beef, goat cheese, Burgundian cuisine. 

Tourism: rivers, cycling (Voie Verte), Romanesque art, wine tourism. 

In short: a mix of wine, history, nature, and the Burgundian way of life – the most diverse department in Burgundy!

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Sarthe

Sarthe is a French department in the Pays de la Loire region, in northwestern France. 

It is part of the historic province of Maine. 

Capital/prefecture: Le Mans (famous for the 24 Hours of Le Mans car race). 

Key features: Very green and wooded (one of the most wooded departments in western France). 

Many rivers and hiking trails (including the Sarthe River itself). 

A mix of countryside, forests, valleys, and small towns. 

Tourist highlights: Le Mans' historic city center, La Flèche Zoo, castles, beautiful villages (such as La Ferté-Bernard, Malicorne, Fresnay-sur-Sarthe), nature parks, and gastronomy (rillettes, poultry, dairy). The department is conveniently located between Paris, Brittany, and the Loire Valley, combining rustic countryside with the dynamism of Le Mans. 

Ideal for nature lovers, history buffs, and motorsport enthusiasts.

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