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What is a gem ?
It's a top spot, an absolute must, somewhere you love bringing friends to, a really special place - in a nutshell, the best your region has to offer.
Gems of Europe
Going from one discovery to the next
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Travel with a difference: discover the territories of Europe


  © R. Sandraz

Where to go at the weekend, or on holiday? Rome, Berlin, the South of France… Europe abounds in destinations, each more enticing than the last.


But away from these major capitals and prestigious regions, there is another Europe every bit as delightful: the Europe of small provincial towns where time passes leisurely; where hidden churches and castles are waiting to be explored; where vineyards serve their own wine; where you can observe a mountain valley in total solitude…

 

This Europe needs to be revealed and discovered – and this is what we aim to do by unearthing the ‘gems’ of these territories of Europe.

 

What are these gems we have chosen? They are spots off the beaten track, addresses recommended by friends, original activities, or maybe just an artwork, a sensation or a flavour…

 

In this website, you will discover the first territories of Europe assembled to show you their riches: Vilafranca del Penédès in Catalonia; Dolomites and Piemonte in Italia ; the mountains of Bulgaria; ; the region of Maurienne, Narbonne, Strasbourg, the Ecrins and the Pays des Maures in France.

 

In each country, top publishing houses have collaborated with the tourist offices and local communities in these regions: Prisacom in Spain, the Touring Editore in Italy, Gallimard in France, Atlas in Bulgaria.

 

Together, they will unveil the best of these territories: attractive places to stay, culinary specialities, unusual landscapes. An array of ‘gems’, ‘jewels’, ‘pearls’ awaiting inquisitive tourists just like you. And now, set off to discover the gems of Europe.



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51 gems in the area
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2008/06/16

just like champion

Just like a champion
You don’t necessarily need to be a champion to discover the roads and mountain tops in the...

2008/12/23

heart national natural park

An introduction to the National Park in Vallouise
A visit to the Maison du Parc in the Ecrins National Park is essential to learn how to read its...

2008/11/04

piave sorgenti refuge hutte mountain alp river source sesis valle val valley alta via high route

Where the river comes from
The Sorgenti del Piave Refuge stands near the source of the River Piave, 1830 meters above...

2009/06/23

guides ecrins transmission passion

Mountain guides of the Ecrins: passing on the torch
Raymond Peru was born in 1940, Sébastien Foissac in 1973. They are fired by the same passion for...

2008/12/23

climate glaciers retreat melt warming climate optimum

Glaciers in the Ecrins: from one global warming to the next
Profession: hydrogeologist. Bernard Bonhomme is the leading observer of the Ecrins glaciers. Torn...

2008/10/27

massif maures nature sauvage

The Maures hills : nature untamed
Hard to imagine that between Hyères and Saint Raphael and between the coast and the...

2008/09/05

the maurienne forest an outstanding ecological corridor

The Maurienne forest : an outstanding ecological corridor
Covering a quarter of the entire area, the Maurienne forest boasts a remarkable diversity of...

2008/10/27

ramatuelle plan tour daniel van velde landscape sculptor

Plan de la Tour : Daniel Van de Velde, landscape sculptor
There are all sorts of ways to discover the Maures, by sea, by land, on foot, on horseback, by...

2008/12/15

alpago tambre santa croce lake dolada cansiglio

Alpago: Mountains, Forests & a Lake
The Alpago offers a wide variety of perspectives: the Santa Croce Lake, Mount Dolada, the...

2009/06/23

guides ecrins conquest happiness

Mountain guides in the Ecrins: the conquest of happiness
Mountaineers are sometimes seen as pursuing pointless victories. A touching chronicle of mountain...

2008/10/10

miraculous bridges erkyupria

“The Miraculous Bridges – Erkyupria”
This is a unique natural phenomenon, consisting of three naturally-formed bridges above the small...

2008/10/27

saint-tropez dany lartigue the star-hunter of saint tropez

Dany Lartigue the "star-hunter" of Saint Tropez
He collects them, steeps them in formaldehyde and displays them. Come and admire Dany's stars.

2008/12/23

water reservoir provence

A reservoir for the Provence
Glaciers, melting snow, rain- and snowfall: in the Ecrins, energy in the form of water careers...

2008/11/13

gonfaron the most beautiful walking and riding trails in the maures

The most beautiful walking and riding trails in the Maures
There are hundreds of miles of tracks for hikers, cyclists and horse riders. Savour the Maures at...

2008/10/27

draguignan follow the nature guide on cap taillat

Follow the nature guide on Cap Taillat
Geology and botany, heritage and history, landscape reading and coastal paths... You can learn an...

2008/12/23

climbing first 4000

Dôme des Ecrins: braving your first "4000er"
The splendour of the Alps at your feet and the elation of pushing yourself to the limit. Good...

2008/10/15

routes history

Routes with history
Five walking or cycling ways to discover the capital of Penedes.

2008/06/24

on the cathar trail

On the Cathar trail
A few miles from Narbonne, a path leads up to the “vertiginous citadels”.

2008/11/27

dospat

Dospat
Famous with its marvellous nature and beautiful sightseeings, the municipality of Dospat hosts...

2009/07/01

alps mountaineering centenary guides ecrins

Alpine mountaineering: 100 years of guides
The Ecrins Mountain Guide Bureau is celebrating its centenary. Attention all peak lovers!...

2008/12/23

fishing river

Fly fishing paradise
A fantastic range of first class lakes and rivers, teeming with wild trout - 43 lakes et...

2009/02/04

hidden canal midi make detour robine

The hidden Canal du Midi: make a detour on the Robine (1)
Less crowded and just as magical as the renowned Canal du Midi, the Robine flows through Narbonne...

2008/12/23

vallouise terrain atb trails ecrins

Mountain biking in Vallouise - a gentle approach to Les Ecrins
Trails designed for leisure mountain biking in the Alps will soon be completed.

2008/07/11

leucate-la franqui the hottest spot for wind sports

Leucate-La Franqui : the hottest spot for wind sports
Windparks on the hillside, speedsail and kitesurf aficionados on the beach… Welcome to wind...

2008/12/15

windsurf kite surf alpago santa croce lake

Windsurf & Kitesurf in Alpago
Special climate conditions around Santa Croce Lake produce a regular daily breeze, which in the...

2008/12/23

thrills white water

White water thrills in the Ecrins
In the last century, it was skiing which changed the face of the mountains; now it's the turn of...

2008/12/22

laki municipality magic mountain waters

Laki Municipality – the magic of the mountain waters
Situated in the Western Rhodopes it has a total area of 260 02 ha. Its administrative...

2008/10/27

rayol canadel rayol all of the mediterranean in one garden

Rayol : all of the Mediterranean in one garden
The Garden of Eden must have looked like this. Six magical hectares perched above the Maures...

2008/12/23

ice falls

Ice Climbing: tackling the ice falls
Every winter, the Ecrins country becomes the Mecca of an extreme sport which combines physical...

2008/11/04

dolomites park national schiara agordino hospices vedana imperina mine

Another side of the Dolomites
The Parco Nazionale Dolomiti Bellunesi is situated in the Veneto Region, precisely in the...

2008/10/27

cogolin forest chestnut trees

Cogolin : "I give back to the forest what it gave me."
At the age of 82, Louis Valentin, the owner of Château des Garcinières in Cogolin, has passed...

2008/10/14

picturesque and charming place

Picturesque and charming place
“Banite” Municipality – 270 km away from the Bulgarian capital – Sofia and 130 km from...

2008/10/27

gonfaron decouverte chene-liege

Gonfaron: learning about cork oaks
The Maures country derives its name from the Provencal maouro, which means "dark wood",...

2008/10/27

croix-valmer herbiers posidonie maures mediterranee

La Croix-Valmer: Posidonia meadows
These plants produce approximately 20 litres of oxygen a day per square metre, in huge underwater...

2008/12/18

triad through penedes lands

Triad through Penedes lands
A cultural, natural and wine-growing route around Vilafranca

2008/10/27

gassin the prettiest roads in the maures

The prettiest roads in the Maures
By foot or on horseback, with a donkey or by bike… The Maures can be explored using all...

2008/12/23

interpretive paths irrigation

Mountain canals and the irrigation system
An irrigation system laid out in the Middle Ages is still in evidence on the mountainside in the...

2008/12/23

back to the land

Gardening at a height
This is where he grew up, and mountain agriculture has always been his passion. He is now living...

2009/06/23

guides ecrins record pelvoux

Mountain guides of the Ecrins: the first ascent of Le Pelvoux
1828-1830: the first ascents of the Pelvoux by a French officer also mark the beginnings of the...

2009/01/05

ardino traces antiquity

Ardino
Ardino Municipality is situated on the border of the Western and Southern Rhodopes and covers an...