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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
Share your discoveries

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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137 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...

2009/04/30

misfortune greatness vaux-le-vicomte nicolas fouquet chateau

Nicolas Fouquet’s greatness and misfortune
As a tribute to Nicolas Fouquet, the richest French intendant, the Vaux-Le-Vicomte castle invites...

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...

2008/12/23

ski resorts pelvoux puy aillaud puy saint vincent

Slide sports in the Ecrins - guaranteed sunshine and a village atmosphere
Enjoy a true Mediterranean climate and the preserved environment in the Ecrins country's two...

2009/02/03

birthplace charles trenet

The birthplace of Charles Trénet
Behind the green shutters, the poet’s soul suffuses a haven of nostalgia, with its memories...

2008/09/26

one of kind underground laboratory in modane

A one of a kind underground laboratory in Modane
The Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (L.S.M.) dates from the beginning of the 80s....

2009/04/27

drink wine but make it organic tasting wine-makers organic wine vivin

Drink wine, but make it organic
Vivin is a cosy wine cellar in Neuilly that only sells organic wine. What Eric Pasquet, the shop...

2008/05/15

festival artistic explosion in montsapey

Festival: artistic explosion in Montsapey
The strength of the arts lies in their capacity to relate to and unite with one another. It was...

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...

2008/12/23

comeback raftsmen

Rafting adventures on the river Durance
Well before the joys of rafting were discovered, mountain dwellers used to float their timber...

2008/10/27

pierrefeu circuit from puget ville to chateau reillane

Circuit 2 : from Puget Ville to Chateau Reillane
At the foot of the Maures hills, on the plain which stretches between Puget-Ville and Pierrefeu,...

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...

2008/10/06

vinos epoca

Vinos de época
La relación de la comarca del Penedès con la vid se remonta al siglo IV a.C.

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...

2008/11/13

saint-tropez the seamen cemetery dreaming by the grave of hindu princess

The seamen's cemetery: dreaming by the grave of a Hindu princess
What a striking contrast between the port and the cemetery! Situated at the foot of the citadel,...

2008/12/17

barolo barbaresco dolcetto wine food langa langhe roero piemonte

Baroloworld
Perhaps you've never been here, but almost certainly you tasted our flavours. Red wines like...

2008/10/27

grimaud life before the stars local heritage

Grimaud : life before the stars
What was life like in Saint Tropez before the stars arrived? Take a journey back in time in the...

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...

2008/12/15

dolcetto dogliani wine shop langhe langa piedmont piemonte

Dolcetto di Dogliani Wine Shop
At the Bottega del Vino Dolcetto di Dogliani, an historic vaulted stone cellar beneath the town...

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...

2008/10/27

collobrieres collobrieres heavenly views over the maures massif

Collobrières: heavenly views over the Maures massif
Over the centuries, the wild and impenetrable Maures hills attracted a number of great monastic...

2008/12/15

sappada dolomiti belluno plodn architecture sport blockbau

Sappada. Architectures amongst Dolomites
The upper Piave river valley stands at the north end of the Veneto region and the Belluno...

2009/01/27

barolo wine route piedmont langhe roero barbaresco dolcetto strada grandi vini

The Barolo Wine Route
Perhaps you've never come here, but you've certainly come across their flavours. Barolo,...

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...

2008/12/18

five places close vilafranca

Five places close to Vilafranca
A handful of alternatives to the capital of the Alto Penedès

2009/07/01

recipes old days eat local authentic wild spinach country cooking local produce

Gastronomy - who's for a bite of "donkeys' ears"?
At the foot of the Puy Saint Vincent slopes, meet Jean-Louis Giraud, head chef of the Hotel...

2008/10/27

saint-tropez the bravade the pride of saint tropez

The Bravade: the pride of Saint Tropez
Upholding a tradition five centuries old, once a year, the heart of Saint Tropez beats to the...

2008/10/27

collobrieres collbrieres the chestnut country

Collbrières, the chestnut country
It is said that they were first planted by Carthusian monks. Chestnut growers have now elected...

2008/11/04

fontanafredda vino langhe langa

Fontanafredda
Fontanafredda lies at the heart of the Langhe, a world of hills dating back to ancient times...

2008/05/14

on the cistercian track fontfroide abbey

On the Cistercian track: Fontfroide Abbey
Immerse yourself for a day in the silent universe of the Cistercian Monks, who had only the...

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.

2008/06/12

the spirit of charles trenet lives on

The spirit of Charles Trenet lives on
Narbonne, his native town, inspired the “singing fool” (fou chantant). Follow the guide…

2008/04/09

new seat for canon sarkozy

A new seat for canon Sarkozy
One of the stalls in the cathedral of Saint Jean de Maurienne Cathedral is waiting to accommodate...

2008/04/14

saint just and saint pasteur rayonnant gothic

Saint Just and Saint Pasteur: rayonnant Gothic
All the secrets of the cathedral Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur as well as the secrets of the...

2009/04/30

aura maurienne solid art saint-jean-de-maurienne

The ‘Aura’ of the Maurienne region
Come enhance the biggest Land’Art solidarity-based art creation in the world in Savoy.

2008/09/05

lucienne zinant and the tales of bygone days

Lucienne Zinant and the tales of bygone days
Lucienne Zinant lives in a delightfully restored farmhouse on the upper slopes of...

2008/10/27

londe-les-maures londe maures olive oil nectar of the maures

La Londe des Maures: olive oil, nectar of the Maures
If it's Eden, then there has to be olive trees. This goes for the Maures country too, which has...