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From young apprentices to accomplished craftspeople, from farmers to Michelin-starred chefs... We meet the people keeping French heritage alive. Saturday at 7.20 am.
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Podcast on the topic Gesellschaft und Kultur
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A stitch in time: Discovering French fashion traditions from 2022-02-20T18:46:40
The eastern French town of Lunéville has played a key role in France's fashion history. It's the birthplace of Lunéville stitch embroidery, which features on UNESCO's intangible cultural herit...
Restoring the priceless heritage of France's Loire Valley from 2022-02-16T17:54:12
With its 2,500 castles, the Loire Valley is the cradle of the French Renaissance. But this priceless heritage requires constant maintenance. With state-of the-art technology, as well as histor...
A wine festival in France's Burgundy villages from 2022-02-07T17:37:46
In the heart of France's Burgundy vineyards, where villages bear the names of grands crus such as Pommard, Nuit-Saint-Georges and Chablis, preparations are underway for the Saint-Vincent tourn...
Chantilly: France's castle of princes from 2022-01-28T19:31:59
Every year, almost half a million visitors flock to Chantilly, one of France's most beautiful castles. Located an hour from Paris and built in 1358, its princes greeted Louis XIV for sumptuous...
A French family business: The intricacies of Boulle work from 2022-01-24T13:13:35
Marie-Hélène Poisson is the only craftswoman to be entirely dedicated to Boulle work. This French technique, invented at the end of the 17th century, consists of inlaying antique furniture wit...
The feathers of Montmartre: Behind the scenes at the Moulin Rouge from 2022-01-18T17:42:29
Located in Paris's famed Montmartre district, the Moulin Rouge is the most famous cabaret in the world and has entertained revellers for 120 years. Home to the French cancan, it recruits the b...
The mountain on a plateau: France's Vercors plains from 2022-01-10T14:34:56
In this edition, we take you to discover the High Plains of Vercors in south-eastern France. In winter, this area is devoid of permanent human dwellings – only animals roam the mountains. It's...
Off the beaten track: France's Mercantour National Park from 2021-12-20T12:00:04
France's Mercantour National Park is a green sanctuary in the heart of the Alps. It’s one of the few untouched sites left in France where wild animals are truly protected from humans. Its uniq...
The guardians of France's Calanques from 2021-12-14T12:46:25
Between the southern French cities of Marseille and La Ciotat lies a magnificent coastline with 40 kilometres of cliffs and coves. The landscapes of the Calanques National Park are breathtakin...
The legacy of the Atlantic Wall: WWII-era bunkers in Brittany get second life from 2021-12-13T13:27:51
It began as one of Hitler's craziest ideas: to construct 4,000 kilometres of defences along the entire coastline of mainland Europe. Some 76 years later, local governments, private individuals...
French chef Éric Pras whips up a storm for a festive Michelin-starred meal from 2021-12-02T17:20:29
As Christmas approaches, French chef Éric Pras opens up his kitchens to make a special festive meal. As he prepares the main dish, the Michelin-starred chef reveals his secrets. From rural Bur...
A black diamond on the plate: Sniffing out the secrets of French truffles from 2021-11-22T11:25:04
The truffle is a luxury fungus that's become a delicacy in French gastronomy. Being a truffle farmer requires years of patience and hunting for the "black diamond" cannot be done without the u...
French brasseries: Where tradition is on the menu from 2021-11-17T17:30:34
In France, brasseries are an institution. They offer simple, tasty dishes in the style of traditional home cooking. Brasseries were born more than a century ago with the "bouillons" of Paris. ...
From a lighthouse to a chapel: A second life for French heritage sites from 2021-11-10T12:57:27
Every year in France, thousands of heritage sites are put up for sale and get a second life thanks to slightly eccentric owners. We meet some of the people who have decided to make these monum...
Thoiry, an African safari park at the gates of Paris from 2021-11-02T17:39:27
At Thoiry park, in the Yvelines region outside Paris, there are many surprises in store. Thoiry is not a typical zoo, since the animals live in semi-freedom. The safari is the main attraction....
In France's Loire Valley, gardens of Chambord castle get second life from 2021-10-25T17:28:05
Since the end of the 18th century, the French-style gardens of the Château de Chambord, in France's Loire Valley, had disappeared. But months of hard work have brought these 6.5 hectares back ...
Hot air balloons fill the sky in France's Charente region from 2021-10-19T17:14:13
Every two years for three days, dozens of balloons take to the skies for the European Hot Air Balloon Cup. This year's competition in France's western Charente region has brought together 48 t...
A fairy tale of a French castle: The Château de Breteuil from 2021-10-11T12:00:06
Located some 35 kilometres from Paris in the Chevreuse Valley, the Château de Breteuil offers a journey through the history of France. Visitors learn the story of the Breteuil family of aristo...
The Loire, France's still-wild river from 2021-10-05T14:42:23
A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Loire is France's longest river and the last that's still more or less wild. A unique set of flora and fauna live on its banks and islands. But this fragile e...
A rich heritage: Discovering France's city of gold from 2021-09-28T17:40:15
For a century, the French town of Saint-Amand-Montrond, in the central Cher department, was the capital of gold. As France's third-biggest centre for manufacturing gold jewellery after Paris a...
Full steam ahead: The rebirth of France's Pontivy train station from 2021-09-21T13:13:48
In 2018, a retired salesman bought the 19th century Pontivy train station, located in the French region of Brittany, in order to save it from demolition. Since then, this train enthusiast has ...
France's Sainte-Baume, a lush oasis in the heart of Provence from 2021-09-14T17:48:54
Close to the Mediterranean Sea in southern France and not far from the Alps, the regional natural park of Sainte-Baume benefits from a unique ecosystem. Since time immemorial, humans have live...
A wealth of French history: The castle of the counts of Perche from 2021-09-07T16:44:30
The castle of the counts of Perche stands on a hill overlooking the French town of Nogent-le-Rotrou, in the central Eure-et-Loir department. This thousand-year-old fortress, testament to a wea...
The enduring legacy of French king Louis XIV from 2021-07-06T12:19:44
Louis XIV embodies absolute monarchy more than any other French king. The Sun King, who ruled from 1643 to 1715, left his mark on many places in France, from Versailles to Saint-Jean-de-Luz an...
On board the Hermione, La Fayette's frigate of freedom from 2021-06-28T17:49:43
It took 17 years to build the Hermione, a perfect replica of the Marquis de La Fayette's three-masted frigate from the 18th century, on which he crossed the Atlantic to support Americans fight...
Chausey, a French archipelago with picture-postcard landscapes from 2021-06-22T11:19:57
Just off the French coast of Normandy lies Chausey, the largest archipelago in Europe. It’s a wild and remote area, where some elderly islanders still live. But with the arrival of warmer days...
The champions of baking, from baguettes to dough sculptures from 2021-06-14T15:07:54
Every four years, the top bakers and pastry chefs from all five continents face off at the World Cup of Baking in Paris. Contestants from some 36 countries take part in the timed event. Each t...
Lavender, the blue gold of France's Provence region from 2021-06-07T15:52:27
The lavender fields of the Valensole Plateau, in France's southern Provence region, are an ocean of purple-blue. This is where much of the plant's global production is grown. Many families in ...
The French island of Groix, land of stern sculling from 2021-05-24T15:06:27
The French island of Groix, off the coast of Brittany, is ??the land of stern sculling, a single-oar technique used for centuries by fishermen. Although traditional fishing has disappeared tod...
The secrets of France's Beauval Zoo from 2021-05-18T16:47:04
It's one of the largest wildlife parks in Europe and welcomes more than one million visitors every year. Beauval Zoo, located in France's Loire Valley, is home to more than 35,000 animals and ...
Behind the scenes of French TV show 'Fort Boyard' from 2021-05-10T17:52:27
How is "Fort Boyard", one of the most famous TV game shows in France, made? We give you the keys to the fort! We discover how the challenges are designed and tested. We also see how, behind th...
France's Cheverny castle: Nobility through the ages from 2021-05-03T15:35:57
We take you to discover a magnificent stately home located in France's Loire Valley. The Château of Cheverny is listed as a historical monument and it also inspired Tintin creator Hergé for th...
The spring awakening of the forest in France's Ardèche region from 2021-04-26T10:50:56
In France's south-eastern Ardèche region, as winter ends, the forest slowly wakes up from its long hibernation. Spring is the time when a whole population gets busy studying, preserving and ti...
Kings of the sky: The pilots of the Patrouille de France from 2021-04-19T15:45:02
The pilots of the Patrouille de France are the undisputed masters of the air. Their planes fly at 600 kilometres an hour, just three metres apart. Every year, a new team is selected to represe...
Treasures of the volcanoes: France's Auvergne mountains from 2021-04-12T15:18:42
Located in central France, the Regional Natural Park of the Auvergne, with its 400,000 hectares, is the largest volcanic ensemble in Europe. In July 2018, UNESCO listed the Chaîne des Puys mou...
Entrenched in history: The French city of Verdun from 2021-04-05T15:45:49
The eastern French city of Verdun is a place of memory which symbolises the terrible human cost of World War I. Hundreds of thousands of French and German soldiers died there during 300 days o...
Passing the rural baton: The growing appeal of the French countryside from 2021-03-29T15:50:32
They are the future of rural France: more and more young graduates are giving up a lucrative career to settle in the small villages of the French countryside. Whether they're grocers, farmers ...
A glimpse of life on the Rhine from 2021-03-23T14:00:11
A natural border between France and Germany along 180 kilometres, the Rhine is a backbone of Europe. Every year, more than 300 million tonnes of goods pass through it: that's about two-thirds ...
In pursuit of excellence: French craftspeople aim for top prize from 2021-03-15T11:23:05
For French craftspeople, the title of "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" is the prestige of a lifetime; the recognition of unparalleled know-how. The most famous winners are all chefs, but in realit...
Freediving under the frozen lake of France's Tignes resort from 2021-03-08T15:23:53
High up in the French Alps, Tignes is one of France's best known winter resorts. That's of course thanks to its snow, but also a more unexpected asset: its water. At 2,100 metres above sea lev...
The masterpieces of the Louvre-Lens museum in northern France from 2021-03-01T15:56:55
The northern French city of Lens, once famous for its coal mines, saw a museum open in 2012. The Louvre-Lens is the little sister of the famous Paris museum. Since its arrival, it has literall...
In France's Loire Valley, Leonardo da Vinci's legacy lives on from 2021-02-22T13:10:27
More than 500 years after his death, Leonardo da Vinci's legacy lives on in the castles of France's Loire Valley. The Italian genius spent the last three years of his life at the court of King...
Mouth-watering creations in Lyon, France's capital of chocolate from 2021-02-15T13:22:30
Nine out of ten French people love chocolate. Chocolatiers like to think that the tenth person must simply be lying. In the city of Lyon, France's chocolate and gastronomy capital, techniques ...
From dream to reality: Owning a French castle from 2021-02-08T15:30:19
France has more than 2,000 castles of all kinds. Across the country, enthusiasts are willing to make huge sacrifices to become owners. A childhood dream for some, a family inheritance for othe...
French Guiana, a lush green land in need of protection from 2021-02-01T16:07:52
In France's overseas department of French Guiana, the Amazon rainforest covers 90 percent of land. It's teeming with wildlife, but this unique biodiversity is in danger. Researchers and locals...
Paris's Musée d'Orsay, from a train station to a world-class museum from 2021-01-25T15:14:26
The Musée d'Orsay is the second most-visited museum in France after the Louvre. In 1986, this former Paris train station became a showcase for Impressionist art. The exhibition rooms are const...
Behind the scenes as France's presidential palace gets a makeover from 2021-01-18T13:33:22
The "salle des fêtes" of France's Élysée Palace is a place of power, pageantry and prestige. As well as press conferences and official dinners, it's here that the French president is sworn in....
Winter warmers: Discovering typical French soups from 2020-12-14T17:27:50
In France, each region is proud of its own local soup. Simple and satisfying, cabbage soup from the village of Queyrières, in the Auvergne region, has passed down through the generations. Old ...
France's Jura Mountains, a paradise for cross-country skiers from 2020-12-07T15:51:37
The white blanket of France's eastern Jura Mountains stretches out for 340 kilometres along the Swiss border. Trekking across this wilderness is an unforgettable journey. We follow a small gro...
Winter in France's Vosges mountains from 2020-11-30T13:43:08
Located in France's eastern Vosges region, the Champ du Feu is a stunning patch of wildlife; a giant meadow that stretches out 1,099 metres above sea level. This vast area can be crossed on Ic...
The charm of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, a French archipelago off the coast of Canada from 2020-11-25T13:07:40
It's a scattering of French soil off the coast of Canada. For two centuries, the archipelago of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, with its fish-rich waters, attracted people from Brittany, Normandy b...
Crosses, dovecotes and bridges: The heritage of France's Auvergne region from 2020-11-18T11:28:09
We take you to discover France's central Auvergne region, starting with the Cantal area. Its crosses are relics of the past that tend to be ignored. There are nearly 3,000 of them at the side ...
Peaceful mountains and local songs: Discovering France's Pyrenees from 2020-11-09T17:04:13
Surrounded by 16 peaks, the cirque de Gavarnie is a must-see for lovers of hiking. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it's one of the natural wonders of France's Pyrenees. Philippe loves ...
The odyssey of the Marion Dufresne, a link with far-flung French territories from 2020-11-03T17:28:01
For 25 years, the Marion Dufresne has been the only regular link with the most remote French territories. The ship's silhouette stands out among the albatross and elephant seals of the far-flu...
Discovering the rich local heritage of France's Charente region from 2020-10-27T18:20:26
Roumazières-Loubert is known as the "city of clay". This small town in France's western Charente region has been turning the precious raw material into tiles for more than a century. For 40 ye...
The gardens of France's Loire Valley, a feast for the senses from 2020-10-20T14:52:04
The vegetable garden of the Château de Villandry, with its 27,000 spring vegetables, is one of the stars of France's Loire Valley. For more than 20 years, it's been a UNESCO World Heritage sit...
The talented craftsmen who work for the French army from 2020-10-13T18:40:35
The craftsmen who shape the accessories of France's Republican Guard have a particular know-how which simply cannot be replaced by a machine. When the cavalry band need new musical instruments...
France's Kerguelen archipelago, a maritime nature reserve teeming with life from 2020-10-05T19:52:54
Located 13,000 kilometres from the French mainland, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Kerguelen archipelago is home to a maritime nature reserve that has been listed as a UNESCO World Her...
Discovering France's prettiest streets from 2020-09-28T18:44:07
From the foothills of the Vosges mountains, to a medieval town in the south, to a village on the Spanish border, France has many beautiful streets full of history. We take you to discover thre...
Discovering the headlands of Brittany, gems of natural beauty from 2020-09-23T14:51:27
We take you to discover the coastline of the French region of Brittany and its gems of natural beauty. With its 70-metre-high cliffs, the Cap Fréhel has some of the most dramatic scenery in th...
High up in France's Pyrenees, past meets present from 2020-09-15T17:58:34
In 1659, the Treaty of the Pyrenees was signed, putting an end to the war between France and Spain. More than two centuries later, under Napoleon III, a total of 602 boundary stones were put i...
The wonders of wood: Discovering rare French craftsmanship from 2020-09-03T19:23:25
We take you across France to discover some examples of increasingly rare craftsmanship. On the banks of the Loire River, Gilbert makes wooden moulds for some of France's biggest hat designers....
The wild, remote beauty of the Cirque de Mafate from 2020-07-06T12:34:47
Located in the middle of Reunion Island, the Cirque de Mafate attracts nearly 100,000 hikers every year. Listed as a World Heritage Site, it resembles a huge natural amphitheatre cut off from...
Discovering the most beautiful villages in France from 2020-06-26T20:53:35
Some 158 French villages belong to an elite club: those deemed the most beautiful in France. In the heart of the hilly Auvergne region, in the centre of the country, the village of Usson cling...
A whirlwind tour of French amusement parks from 2020-06-22T19:55:03
Welcome to the magical world of amusement parks! France is a pioneer in the domain: in 1955, on the northern Opal Coast, Bagatelle welcomed its first visitors, two months before the opening of...
France's Mercantour National Park, a hiker's paradise from 2020-06-15T19:07:38
The Mercantour National Park, in the south of France, is a hiker's paradise. If there's one person to thank for it being so well preserved, it's Roger Settimo. The 94-year-old discovered the s...
A glimpse of France's fables and legends from 2020-06-08T18:46:11
France is full of different beliefs, but it's also packed with legends. In the southern Hérault region, the miraculous fountain of Lunas is believed to have a healing effect on the eyes. Those...