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 teams, with 14 different nations represented. One the first day of the competition, the organisers check weather conditions with a small balloon and calculate the strength and direction of the wind. Once this is validated, the director can start the competition. Among the many pilots here you'll find Capucine de Sade, one of the top three pilots in France who is attending the event for the sixth time.

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 aristocrats, who served the greatest French monarchs. The castle also brings to life the world-famous fairy tales of French author Charles Perrault, such as "Cinderella" and "Puss in Boots". FRANCE 24 takes you behind the scenes.

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 ecosystem is threatened by climate change and invasive species. What is being done to face these dangers? We take a closer look.

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 and Lyon, the town of 10,000 inhabitants was best known for its hollow-link gold chains. Today, few goldsmiths remain but the local vocational school is busy training up the next generation of jewellers. FRANCE 24 takes you to discover it.

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 been using all his energy and savings to restore the station and preserve its history. FRANCE 24 takes you on a tour of it.

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 lived in this area. They have long enjoyed its natural riches, from its forest to its water. FRANCE 24 takes you to discover this natural oasis in the heart of the Provence region.

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 wealth of local history, is now a museum. Through nearly 400 objects, it takes visitors on a journey through time, from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution. FRANCE 24 takes you on a tour.

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 and the Gobelins tapestry factory in Paris. Even today, his legacy lives on in all of them. FRANCE 24 takes you on a tour.

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 fighting for their independence. Since her launch in 2014, the ship has travelled 40,000 kilometres. For each outing at sea, the Hermione welcomes on board trainee sailors known as riggers. Professional sailors only represent a quarter of the crew. We bring you a glimpse of life on deck.

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 area is metamorphosed. Every day, a ferry brings thousands of visitors attracted by these picture-postcard landscapes. FRANCE 24 takes you to discover them.