Ten Top Reasons to Visit France for 2010

Need an excuse to visit France? Here are some darn good reasons to be booking that trip.

2010 will be an Impressionist lover's delight

The first-ever Normandy Impressionist Festival will celebrate Impressionism in all its forms with major exhibits, concerts, lectures, and festivities all over Normandy, from May through September. Heading up the festival will be a groundbreaking exhibit at the Rouen Fine Arts Museum, "A City for Impressionism: Monet, Pissarro, Gauguin in Rouen" (June 4 - September 26, 2010). The exceptional exhibit will explore Rouen's influence on the Impressionist movement through some 100 paintings—many of which have never before been exhibited in public—over 50 paintings will come from private collections or from other museums, such as the Getty's only Monet. For details click on FranceGuide.com

As if to kick-off a year of Impressionism in France, the Grand Palais in Paris is holding "Turner and the Masters," and exhibition of 100 paintings, studies and engravings which runs February 24 through May 24, 2010. It showcases Turner's works and those of the masters who inspired him. Turner is considered the father of Impressionism.

And for those who couldn't make it to France before the fall Mega Monet retrospective at the Grand Palais, exhibiting 200 of the artist's paintings from September 22, 2010 to January 24, 2011. It will be the biggest Monet retrospective in France in 30 years..

The Musée d'Orsay, which is dedicated to 19th century French Art is preparing for its 25th anniversary in 2011 and certain galleries have been closed for renovations. The Orsay is lending close to 250 works and masterpieces from Monet to Van Gogh to the San Francisco Fine Arts Museum which will hold two consecutive exhibitions starting in May 2010 and through January 2011.

50th anniversary of Jazz à Juan

In 2010, the prestigious international jazz festival, Jazz à Juanthe oldest in Europe, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary from July 14-25, with a world-class roster of jazz performers, including Marcus Miller, Keith Jarett, Carlinhos Brown, David Sanborn, and Manu Katché. Read more about it at Jazz a Juan

Inauguration of the Pompidou Metz (May 2010)

An architectural masterpiece, the Centre Pompidou-Metz was designed by Shigeru Ban Architects (Japan) and Jean de Gastines (France). The 10,700 sq. meter space offers a wide variety of programming possibilities, with the Grand Nave dedicated solely to large-scale installations.

The inaugural exhibition of the Centre Pompidou-Metz, Entitled Chefs-d’œuvre?, will consider the notion of masterpiece. With this theme in mind, the exhibition will present a selection of exceptional works from the 20th century, mainly from the collections at the Musée national d’Art Moderne, covering all creative art forms.

Visit Saint-Etienne’s brand new City of Design

This refurbished collection of buildings has one main objective: to promote local designers. The "city" will host art-centric events and exhibits all year leading up to the November 2010 Biennale. Unfortunately, the website CiteDuDesign.com has no link under the alternative for EN, leaving the site solely in French

To experience the new super jumbo A380 between New York and Paris

The double-decker, 538-seat Air France A380 is the quietest aircraft of its generation and among the most fuel-efficient per passenger. It also generates one of the lowest levels of CO2 emissions. Well, this may be stretching it a bit as a reason to visit France, but I'm sure it provides a very nice ride.

To take advantage of Rail Europe's Anywhere Anytime France™ bargain

With Rail Europe’s Anywhere Anytime France™ it's easier to travel around the country. This is the first pre-paid electronic ticketing system for European train travel, ideal for travelers who wish to explore more than two cities in France. Travelers simply create their own Anywhere Anytime France™ account online at RailEurope.com, purchase a prepaid first class trip at a flat fee of $169, and all subsequent trips cost just $50.

Hike the Chemin de St. Jacques in an Année Jacquaire

The Chemin de St. Jacques is a pilgrim's path that leads through southern France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, the resting place of St. James the Apostle. There are actually four main pilgrimage routes, originating in: Paris/Tours, Vézelay, Le Puy and Arles. The last two routes cross Languedoc-Roussillon.

They are among the most fascinating walking tours Europe has to offer, passing some of the most famous religious landmarks of France.

2010 is a "Holy year" when the St. Jacques celebration (on July 25th) falls on a Sunday. Special events will take place along the route, highlighting traditions of the pilgrimage, troubadours, Roman art and customs of the Middle Ages. The last Année Jacquaire was 2004 and the next one is in 2021.

French cities are introducing creative new ways to see the sights

Take a jogging tour of Lyon, or a bike through Avignon. Even a segway tour of Paris and Dijon

Get the jump on visiting Marseille, voted as the 2013 European Cultural Capital

Experience the city with a new "Marseille-Provence" Greeter: www.marseilleprovencegreeters.com Visit the beautiful Marseille-Cassis Calanques, just outside the city -— in 2010 they will be ranked as the "National Calanques Park," thus becoming the very first peri-urban national park in Europe.