The French Alps
The
Alps are the highest mountains in Europe, and Mont Blanc,
on the border between France and Italy, is Europe's highest peak. The
high French Alps are a dramatic and environmentally-sensitive area,
where snow lies all year round in some spots; this is an area for hardy
hikers and mountaineers. The lower Alps, the alpine foothills of the
Vercors, and the Jura, offer beautiful mountain environments ideal for
many outdoor pursuits, and appeal to nature-lovers. The highest areas
are located along the Swiss and Italian borders, and it is here that
two of France's national parks are located. Click for
Climate
and weather in the French Alps
The city of Lyon, situated in
department 69 (map) is France's second metropolis, and the area to the
north east of it, betwen the Saône and Rhone rivers, is a
large fertile
plain, the Bresse, dotted with small lakes and popular with anglers and
ornithologists.
Regional
information:
Rhone-Alpes
area guide -Savoy, Dauphiné and the northern Alps