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 who come regularly, equipped with handkerchiefs, make a ritual of it. Meanwhile, at the highest point of Brittany, at an altitude of 385 metres, the Arrée Mountains are populated by strange-looking creatures: the Korrigans. FRANCE 24 takes you on a journey of discovery from south to northwest.

Inaugurated in 1825, the Canal Saint-Martin stretches over five districts of eastern Paris. Once essential for transporting goods, it's mainly used today by tour boats and pleasure cruises. Along its four kilometres, the canal with its nine locks lets both Parisians and tourists alike discover the French capital from a different perspective. FRANCE 24 went on board.

Fireplaces are at the heart of a household and allow us to wind back the clock. In south-western France, the d'Artagnan chimney takes us back to the 17th century. It's located at the castle of Castelmore, where the famous musketeer was born, in the Gers department. Meanwhile, at the foot of Castelnau-de-Montmiral, the fireplaces at the castle of Mayragues are lavishly decorated. Finally, in Montgaillard, a typical village of the Bigorre region, Jean-Louis's family fireplace brings back memories. With its wooden benches on either side, he loved to settle down there to read as a child.

France is full of small museums that retrace its history. In the south-western town of Agen, the museum of fine arts houses 3,000 works of art. Ranging from ancient times to the present day, they are housed in four Renaissance-era mansions which have been graced by the presence of Catherine de Medici and Queen Margot. Meanwhile, 800 kilometres north, the little Normandy port of Honfleur has dedicated a museum to local artist Eugène Boudin. He was one of the first Impressionist painters to capture the changing light on this stretch of the French coast.

It flows for just 100 kilometres, but the Rance, a river in France's Brittany region, is still home to an exceptional and ever-changing biodiversity. Its mouth has been home to France's only tidal power station for half a century. We see how the 400-metre-long dam also acts as a road bridge between the towns of Dinard and Saint-Malo. Some 17 percent of households in Brittany get their power from this green energy source. We then take you further up the valley, where you can find boats, fishermen, old mills... and a famous seal named Joséphine.

We take you to France's Basque Country, where traditional know-how is a family affair. We meet Thérèse and Michel Riouspeyrous, wine producers in Irouléguy. Their two sons will one day take over the running of the vineyard. It's a similar story at the Goicoechea artisanal pottery, not far from there, which will pass from father to son in order to perpetuate an old manufacturing technique using a length of rope. We end our journey at the Arrantzaleak restaurant in Ciboure, where father, mother and son are united by the same love of food.

For almost 40 years, the automobile pioneer Ettore Bugatti designed exceptional cars in France's eastern Alsace region. "Nothing is too beautiful; nothing is too expensive" was his motto. At the age of 21, the Italian mechanics enthusiast was hired by an Alsatian industrialist. In 1909, he set up his own business in Molsheim. Today, a foundation is dedicated to him in the city centre and about 100 models can be seen in the giant automobile museum in nearby Mulhouse. FRANCE 24 takes you on a tour of the region, starting at a Bugatti workshop.

It's known around the world for the 22 million bottles exported every year, but France's eastern Beaujolais region has a lot more to offer than just wine. In the south of the region is an area nicknamed the "Golden Rocks", where the walls seem to glow thanks to a limestone tinged with iron oxides. In the village of Oingt, musical instruments of yesteryear are the pride of the local museum. We also check out one of the dozens of castles dotted across the region, before finishing with a typical local meal.

The Gruss family, pioneers in the circus world, have been travelling the roads of France and Europe for 35 years. Each performance is a moment of escape and delight for spectators. It's also a tribute to the matriarch, Arlette Gruss, who died back in 2006. Backstage as well as on stage, technicians and artists bring the big top to life, under 2,500 m² of canvas. FRANCE 24 takes you to discover this family-run circus.

It's winter on the French island of Corsica, a place nicknamed the island of beauty. In the village of Piana, we meet Antoine (pictured), a shepherd who will spend six months creating the brocciu, a traditional cheese made from goat's milk. Meanwhile, we see how the island's last travelling butcher keeps life going in the most remote hamlets. For the past 34 years, Jean-Charles has been criss-crossing the treacherous roads of Corsica to keep his customers happy.