Béziers is one of oldest towns in France and a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network. In Medieval times, town was a Languedoc stronghold of Cathars - believers whom the Catholic Church condemned as heretics and thus offended with a crusade in 1209. There are several bridges across the river Orb, one of which is used for Canal du Midi. Every August, Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, a five-day event centred on bullfighting and attracting a million visitors.
Bayonne's location close to the border, but also within the Basque Country straddling both France and Spain, gave it an often privileged position in commerce. The river Nive divides Bayonne into Grand Bayonne and Petit Bayonne, with five bridges between the two, both quarters still backed by Vauban's walls. The houses lining the Nive are examples of Basque architecture, with half-timbering and shutters in the national colours of red and green.
Today a small market town, it was once home of the French royal court. The town of Amboise is also only about 11 miles (18 km) away from the historic Château de Chenonceau, situated on the Cher River near the small village of Chenonceaux. The city is famous for the Clos Lucé manor house where Leonardo da Vinci lived (and ultimately died) at the invitation of King Francis I of France, whose Château d'Amboise, which dominates the town, is located just 500 metres away. The narrow streets contain some good examples of timbered housing.
Blois is built on a pair of steep hills, winding and steep pathways run through the city, culminating in long staircases at various points. To the south of the city, the Forêt de Russy is a reminder of the thick woods that once covered the area. The town stands on the river Loire, so unsurprisingly, it sports a magnificent old bridge as well as Renaissance castle. It also has a unique museum dedicated to magic.
The town is shaped by a narrow valley between the rock and the river Meuse, stretching from North to South along the shore. It became wealthy because of agricultural opportunities presented by the fertile of the land on the plateau that overlooks it, as well as by the limestone of the cliffs themselves. Military architecture fans would admire the 11th-century built citadel, while gastronomy maniacs would appreciate special quiche dinantaise and couque, Europe's hardest biscuit. Dinant was also a hometown of Adolphe Sax, inventor of saxophone.
The old Bavarian town of Bamberg is one of the jewels in historical region of Franconia. Since the middle of the 13th century and until 1802 the town was ruled by bishops, which had an impact on Bamberg's history and architecture. The only Pope buried to North of Alps, rests in Bamberg's cathedral. There are seven hills in town, each of which is crowned by a beautiful church. This fact alludes to Rome, which is also called a "city on the seven hills". The town itself is an untouched historical monument survived in World War II - this fact is emphasized by inscription of Bamberg into UNESCO World Heritage List. With its 11 breweries, Bamberg is famous for its beer traditions.
The area of Bad Wimpfen was settled since the Bronze age. Celts are believed to name the place as well as the river Neckar, on which the town stands. Bad Wimpfen consists of two parts - the older one situates on the coast of the river, and another (also containing the town centre) sits on the hill. As a town Bad Wimpfen is known since 13th century, and turbulent winds of history has blown through it. One of the bloodiest battles of Thirty Year's War took place near town in 1622, thus known as "Battle of Wimpfen". Nowadays, town enjoys peaceful times, being an attractive spa resort and offering its visitors an eye candy of numerous preserved (and beautifully renovated) historical buildings.
Old town of Koblenz was always shaped as a triangular - two sides of which are rivers Rhine and Mosel, while the third side was a line of fortifications. This strategic location was appreciated back in 8BC by Romans when they established a military post - thus, citizens celebrated 2000th of anniversary in 1992. Remains of Roman-built bridge can still be found. Most fortifications were gone after 1890 but citadel of Ehrenbreitstein still overlooks the town from another bank of the Rhine. The town is an important centre of the Mosel and Rhenish wine trade.