3rd Edition of Choice Option Magazine August 2014 | Page 29

Trave

FRANCE
Loire Valley, An area of outstanding natural beauty, the
Loire Valley is also affectionately
known as the garden of France.
It’s filled with culturally and
historically important architecture which has earned it a world
heritage site status; so it’s not
surprising it’s one of the most
visited places in the country.
Known for its large collection of
fairytale-esque chateaux and
mansions, exceptionally beautiful landscapes and one of the
most striking rivers in Europe the
Loire Valley is a gentle but most
definitely bourgeois paradise.

Loire Valley, France

Mont Saint-Michel: It’s an imposing sight sitting amid sandbanks and powerful tides; the
heritage site is most celebrated for its Gothic-style Benedictine abbey. Directly below the
grand monastery is a medieval village complete with winding streets, small houses and
souvenir shops.

Mont Saint Michel France

Exterior of the Palace of Versailles France

The Palace of Versailles: It’s most famous for its chateau -the hugely grand and ornate Palace
of Versailles which once housed the kings of France (Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette).
The perfectly preserved palace and manicured gardens are extraordinary and the palace,
as well as being very easy-on-the-eye, offers an insight into the lives of 18th century French
royalty before the start of the legendary French Revolution.

GERMANY

Neuschwanstein: The ultimate legend castle, Neuschwanstein
is situated on a rugged hill near Füssen in southwest Bavaria. It
was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty castles in the Disneyland parks. The castle was commissioned by King Ludwig II
of Bavaria who was declared insane when the castle was near
completion in 1886 and found dead a few days later. Neuschwanstein is the most photographed building in the country
and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Germany.

Neuschwanstein Castle
Brandenburg Gate: The Brandenburg Gate is the only surviving
city gate of Berlin and sy X