
Discover events, new developments and more in France this year.
While it’s always a good idea to visit France, this year offers a few new reasons to hop the pond. First off, The Louvre Lens (the first regional annex of the Louvre Museum, located in Northern France) celebrates its 10th anniversary with two major exhibitions: Rome from April 6 to July 25 and Hieroglyphics from September 28 to January 16, 2023.
Meanwhile, Château Villers-Cotterets, the only Renaissance castle in the Picardy Region of Northern France, has been fully restored and will reopen to the public in March. A project initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron, the castle also will welcome the first semester of 2023 at the Cité de la Francophonie (the City of the French language). The center features an exhibition hall, spaces for start-ups and French language workshops, and artist residences.
In April, Burgundy’s capital city, Dijon, will welcome the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin (International City of Gastronomy & Wine). Located at the starting point of the region’s famed wine route—from Dijon to Macon via Beaune—the eco-friendly residential neighborhood will serve as a gastronomy and wine cultural and training center. Features include a Ferandi Cooking school, new shops and restaurants, a four-star hotel and a 13-screen cinema complex.

The town of Troyes, crown jewel of the Aube Department in the Grand Est region of north-eastern France, has been known for centuries as the stained glass capital of Europe. Famed for its medieval quarter and its Gothic churches with striking windows, Troyes will welcome the Cité du Vitrail (housed within the magnificently restored 18th century Hôtel-Dieu-le-Comte) this spring. It will showcase stained glass works dating from the 12th to 21st centuries, as well as contemporary stained glass artists from across the region.

In June, Marseille’s ultra-contemporary edifice on the old harbor (La Villa Méditerranée) will welcome a replica of the underwater prehistoric cave known as the Grotte Cosquer. It will provide immersive and interactive experiences to discover the original cave’s 500 paintings depicting marine animals like penguins, seals and jellyfish, and mammals that roamed the area.

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