Virtual Walks in France

Explore Paris, the Seine River, Provence, Lourmarin, Saignon, Lacoste, Ansouis, Ménerbes - and Never Leave Home!

Your treadmill can transport you to romantic France, from the sophistication of Paris, the magic of the Seine, to the charm of Provence!

If you love France, its history, culture, and incredible scenery, then you'll love taking one of our virtual walking tours or virtual cruises through:

PARIS:

Your one hour Virtual Walking Tour of Paris begins early in the morning on the left bank of the Seine beside the famous Cathedral du Notre Dame, a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, and it is among the largest and best-known church buildings in the Catholic Church in France, and in the world. As you walk along the quay you pass several dinner boats awaiting their evening patrons who will enjoy a three course meal while discovering the city of lights from its very heart, the Seine. Cyclists and joggers pass before you ascend stone steps to the street alive with Parisians hurrying to work. Turning right and crossing Petit Pont, notable for having been destroyed, at least thirteen times since its original inception during Gallo-Roman times to the mid-19th century. Once across, you enter Parvis Notre-Dame – place Jean-Paul-II and ahead, the historic Notre-Dame Cathedral which, in the 1790s, suffered desecration in the radical phase of the French Revolution when much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. An extensive restoration supervised by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc began in 1845. A project of further restoration and maintenance began in 1991. Next it's onto Quai de la Mégisserie with its typical Parisian book and artwork stalls on one side of the street and garden shops on the other.

Further on, you come to the east wing of the Louvre, the world's largest art museums with over 38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century exhibited over an area of 782,910 square feet. In 2016, the Louvre was the world's most visited art museum, receiving 7.3 million visitors. Entering the courtyard beside the Place du Carrousel you see the famous Pyramide du Louvre designed by Architect I. M. Pei. The Pyramide du Louvre consists of one large glass and metal pyramid, surrounded by three smaller pyramids, and is located in the main courtyard of the Louvre Palace. The large pyramid serves as the main entrance to the Louvre Museum and since its completion in 1989, it has become a landmark for the city of Paris. Crossing the Place du Carrousel, you come to the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, which was built between 1806 and 1808 to commemorate Napoleon's military victories of the previous year. Walking through the Arc you enter the Jardin des Tuileries, created by Catherine de' Medici as the garden of the Tuileries Palace in 1564, it was eventually opened to the public in 1667 and became a public park after the French Revolution. In the 19th and 20th centuries, it was a place where Parisians celebrated, met, strolled, and relaxed.

Following the Grande allee du jardin des Tuileries, you eventually arrive at the Place de la Concorde, one of the major public squares in Paris. Measuring 21.3 acres in area, it is the largest square in the French capital and is located at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées. It was the site of many notable public executions of royalty during the French Revolution. Here you can see the Egyptian Obelisk which once stood at the entrance to the Luxor Temple. In addition to the Obelisk, the two fountains in the Place de la Concorde have been the most famous of the fountains built during the time of Louis-Philippe, and have come to symbolize the fountains in Paris. From Place de la Concorde, you follow the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, running between the Place de la Concorde and the Place Charles de Gaulle, where the Arc de Triomphe is located. It is known for its theatres, cafés, and luxury shops, for the annual Bastille Day military parade, and as the finish of the Tour de France cycle race. The name is French for the Elysian Fields, the paradise for dead heroes in Greek mythology. It is one of the most famous streets in the world. As you walk along the famous street, occasionally you turn onto small circular winding paths that lead you temporarily away from the noisy street and through a small quiet park.

Returning to the Champs-Élysées, you glimpse the Grand Palais, constructed for the Universal Exposition of 1900. The structure was built in the style of Beaux-Arts architecture as taught by the École des Beaux-Arts of Paris. The building reflects the movement's taste for ornate decoration through its stone facades, the formality of its floor planning and the use of techniques that were innovative at the time, such as its glass vault, its structure made of iron and light steel framing, and its use of reinforced concrete. Now you are back on the Champs-Élysées and heading towards the Arc de Triomphe. The sidewalk is alive with shoppers and tourists, each enjoying the autumn day and you pass numerous outdoor cafes and after an uphill climb, you arrive at the Arc de Triomphe, one of the most famous monuments in Paris, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the center of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l'Étoile — the étoile or "star" of the juncture formed by its twelve radiating avenues. The Arc de Triomphe honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. After pausing to admire the famous monument, you next enter the Jardin du Luxembourg, built in 1620. The gardens known for its lawns, tree-lined promenades, flowerbeds, and for the picturesque Medici Fountain, are featured prominently in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables. Famed for its calm atmosphere, it contains just over a hundred statues, monuments, and fountains, scattered throughout the grounds. Surrounding the central green space are twenty figures of French queens and illustrious women standing on pedestals.

Your sixty-minute Virtual Walking Tour of Paris next takes you to Montmartre, an historic hill in the north of Paris. In the past, many artists had studios or worked in or around Montmartre, including Salvador Dalí, Claude Monet, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro and Vincent van Gogh. Today, Montmartre is an officially designated historic district with limited development allowed in order to maintain its unique character. With taxis and tourists vying for the same space, the streets of Montmartre can get crowded. Your walk through Montmartre ends with the scenic view of Paris from the front of Sacré Cœur, a popular landmark, the basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. Near the end of your day in Paris, your Walking Tour takes you to the Champ de Mars - a large public greenspace located in the seventh arrondissement, between the Eiffel Tower to the northwest and the École Militaire to the southeast. In the evening, when this section of your Walking Tour was filmed, Parisians gather on the Champ de Mars to eat, drink, sing, talk, and enjoy themselves. As you walk towards the Eiffel Tower, you pass couples holding hands, small groups of friends laughing, boyfriends taking photos of girlfriends, life being lived with joie de vivre in one of the most romantic places on earth! Your one hour Walking Tour of Paris ends at the base of the Eiffel Tower.

PROVENCE:

Your 60 minute Provence Villages Virtual Walk begins overlooking a valley outside the hilltop village of Viens. You turn and approach the village proper and enter the village of Viens through a courtyard and find yourself walking in a beautiful narrow French street which winds its way between timeless stone houses that have been homes to countless families through the centuries. You turn and walk through a stone archway and, after walking through a second stone archway you pause to take in another stunning view of the landscape that is Provence. But Viens has even more memorable scenes to offer, just waiting to be captured on canvas.

Next, you enter the village of Lourmarin, designated "L'un Des Plus Beaux Villages de France" by the French. And you can see why the village was so honored, Lourmarin is a typical Provence village, with its sidewalk cafes with families enjoying the warm September afternoon and friendly, welcoming faces. Lourmarin has wide, tree lined streets and narrow streets with shops and cafes just waiting to be explored. Lourmarin typifies the relaxed, romantic, Mediterranean style of life with hand-in-hand strolls or sitting leisurely at an outdoor cafe with a glass of wine, lemonade, or favorite aperitif.

Your Provence Villages Virtual Walk next takes you to the hilltop village of Saignon. The church you see in the distance, the 12th century Saint Mary of Saignon, has been a stopping point for religious pilgrims since the Middle Ages. Once again beginning your walk from a hilltop outside the village proper, as you turn and begin your descent, you pause to admire the magnificent view, then you proceed through an archway and over more winding, narrow walkways and through a small courtyard with a centuries old fountain on the outside of the 12th century village church where Marriage Banns are still posted.

Then on to the village of Lacoste, a village where time appears to be standing still. Lacoste is best known for its most notorious resident, the Marquis de Sade, who in the 18th century lived in Château de Lacoste. Today, fashion designer Pierre Cardin has purchased the Château and built a new residence within its ruined walls. You descend from the Château walking around the perimeter and cross the bottom of the dry moat and once again, pause for a view of the valley and the incredible Provencal landscape. Then you continue down through the nearly empty stone streets of Lacoste where, today the Savannah College of Art and Design has classes here for art students and professors from all corners of the globe studying fine arts, writing, architecture, design, fashion, film, photography, sculpture, and theater. During World War II, the French Resistance took their foothold in the steep Luberon Mountains around Lacoste and trenches and barbed wire still can be found in the forested area in the valley.

Next you visit Ansouis, also designated "L'un Des Plus Beaux Villages de France" by the French. Ansouis, often described as a 'mini version' of nearby Gordes, is a quaint medieval village dating to the 10th century. Ansouis is one of the less well known of the Provence villages, but the day we filmed, it had a few tourists and a dog or two while other sections of Ansouis were compeletely empty.

The last village you will visit on the one hour video is Menerbes, also designated "L'un Des Plus Beaux Villages de France." Ménerbes became known in the English-speaking world through the books of British author Peter Mayle who related his experiences as a British expatriate who settled in this village. You will walk through the village and up to its summit to take in a spectacular view of the hilltop village and surrounding countryside before continuing on through Menerbes. Your 60 minute Village Virtual Walk continues through the village and ends with a spectacular view of the Provence countryside.

THE SEINE RIVER:

The first half of your Seine River Cruise takes place on a beautiful September day. Accompanied by light classical music, your virtual experience cruise begins at the southeast end of Ile Saint-Louis and heads northeastward and soon goes under Ponte de Sully, the first of many Paris bridges you will encounter on this one hour video. You first pass Ile Saint-Louis, a perfect illustration of preserved 17th century Classical architecture and one of two natural islands in the Seine. The island is one of France's first examples of urban planning, it was mapped and built from end to end during the 17th-century reigns of Henri IV and Louis XIII. Further on, you encounter even more bridges before reaching Ile de la Cite, the centre of Paris and the location where the medieval city was refounded. The western end of Ile de la Cite has held a palace since Merovingian times, and its eastern end since the same period has been consecrated to religion, especially after the 10th-century construction of a cathedral preceding today's Notre Dame.

Even further on the Seine, you pass the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, museum spaces located in the Grand Palais which serve as home to major art exhibits and cultural events programmed by the Réunion des musées nationaux et du Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées. Continuing on you pass the beautiful glass boats, the Bateaux-Mouches. These boats are popular tourist attractions in Paris. They started with steamers at an Exhibition in 1867 but now many seat several hundred people, often with an open upper deck and an enclosed lower deck; some even have sliding canopies that can close to protect the open deck in inclement weather. For the next section of cruise your boat turns 180 degrees and takes you to the Left Bank and under the Pont Neuf. The Pont Neuf, "New Bridge," is the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris. It stands by the western (downstream) point of the Île de la Cité, the island in the middle of the river that was, between 250 and 225 BC, the birthplace of Paris, then known as Lutetia, and during the medieval period, the heart of the city. Passing Ile de la Cite once again, you get a beautiful view of Notre Dame Cathedral.

The second half of your 1-hour virtual cruise of the Seine River takes place in the early evening at twilight. Underscored by beautiful light classical music, you'll experience all of the magic of "The City of Lights" at sunset. You'll pass sightseeing boats with their lights aglow and passengers enjoying a beautiful evening cruise on the Seine. Soon the Eiffel Tower appears in the distance and the most famous landmark in Paris dominates the view for the next few minutes, then after an evening cruise around the Ile de la Cite, your 60 minute virtual cruise of the Seine River comes to a close.

Whether you use these Virtual Walks to make the time spent exercising on your treadmill FUN, or use them as a way of "relaxing" after a hard workday, you'll delight in the amazing scenery and vitality captured in these DVDs and HD Downloads.

Customers tell us again and again, that these virtual walk videos actually make the time spent exercising on their treadmills, ellipticals, or Nordic Tracks, "fly by!" They tell us they exercise longer and enjoy every minute! One of our Amazon customers recently posted this review, "These folks that make these DVDs do such a great job that I feel I am actually there! I can't wait to get the next DVD that they make. I am never disappointed."

Another customer wrote: "I do not do this very often with products I order, but I would truly like to thank you for your product. I was looking for something to help me get through my workout and this was it! I was a little sceptical at first, thinking that I would not enjoy this since I love being outdoors. After receiving the initial DVD's I ordered, I soon discovered it is a great feeling to be able to jump on the treadmill and be transported away from the days stresses. The hour goes by very quickly and I get a mini vacation. On those days I can't be out on the trail because of weather or time, I bring the outdoors in! I have just ordered four more DVD's to add to my collection and I will routinely be checking your web site for new jogs. I was able to drop some pounds, go sight seeing and make my doctor happy all in one shot. I would love to see more nature trail (mountain biking) or beach runs away from the busy city or town life. Again, thank you so much. These will be workout DVD's that will not gather dust. Respectfully, S.L., California"

So if you love France, its history, culture, and incredible scenery, then pick out a location and order either a DVD or a High Def Download today. Tomorrow you could be taking a treadmill virtual walk in Paris, Provence, and even along the Seine River. So much history and beauty here, waiting for you to experience while you exercise!