Louis de Montarlot, the author, spent most of his professional life as an international marketing consultant on all the continents. But his real passion was history and tourism, in fact history through tourism. France, his country of origin, gave him the opportunity to show how a country can be visited today with renewed excitement through the eyes of a historical person.
France is the most visited country in the world. Most visitors want to see Paris only, for its monuments and museums, or the French Riviera for its glamour. When the French regions are discovered, it is mostly through wine tours, restaurant experiences, or sporting events. Catholic tourists often limit their pilgrimages to Lourdes, Lisieux, or Chartres.
Most of beautiful smaller cities, a large part of provinces which are the real heart of the country, remain unknown to millions of tourists from around the world. How many of them have been behind the unique ramparts of Aigues Mortes, door to the wild Camargue, or in the old streets of Brioude, so typical of Auvergne, or in Soissons, in the rich Picardy, where the French monarchy originated?
Many want to go beyond, to understand the spirit of some hidden places. But they need a purpose, a plan, and a flexible schedule to suit their time and budget. This book is for them.
The goal of their trip will not be the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre, Cannes or Monte Carlo, the Champagne or Burgundy cellars, the Tour d'Argent or Bocuse-starred restaurants, the Tour de France, or Le Mans racing events. It will be the discovery of a largely unknown France, guided by one of the most important kings of its history, Saint Louis, in the cities he loved and the splendid monuments he created in the thirteenth century. Thanks to him, you will visit ten lovely towns and discover not only what he saw himself eight centuries ago, but also what is to be seen today.
Even Paris, which is included, will be rediscovered from his view.
