In this edition, we take you to discover the High Plains of Vercors in south-eastern France. In winter, this area is devoid of permanent human dwellings – only animals roam the mountains. It's an immaculate but hostile landscape spread over 170 km² that forest warden Brice Palhec knows well. He takes us behind the scenes of this wild world, the largest nature reserve in mainland France.

France's Mercantour National Park is a green sanctuary in the heart of the Alps. It’s one of the few untouched sites left in France where wild animals are truly protected from humans. Its unique location, near the French Riviera, brings a Mediterranean touch to the Alpine mountains. This area is also where the wolf returned to France from Italy in 1992. We take a closer look at this wildlife sanctuary.

Between the southern French cities of Marseille and La Ciotat lies a magnificent coastline with 40 kilometres of cliffs and coves. The landscapes of the Calanques National Park are breathtaking. To safeguard this fragile natural heritage and rescue amateur mountaineers who get into difficulty, wardens and firefighters are constantly on a war footing. FRANCE 24 went to meet them.

It began as one of Hitler's craziest ideas: to construct 4,000 kilometres of defences along the entire coastline of mainland Europe. Some 76 years later, local governments, private individuals and companies are trying to give a second life to sections of the infamous Atlantic Wall. In the Finistère department of Brittany in western France, a half-buried bunker now houses a museum featuring the voices of those who lived under German occupation. Meanwhile, an abandoned bunker on Brittany's Cap Fréhel peninsula is now home to a group of bats. FRANCE 24 takes a closer look at these sites and more.

As Christmas approaches, French chef Éric Pras opens up his kitchens to make a special festive meal. As he prepares the main dish, the Michelin-starred chef reveals his secrets. From rural Burgundy to the Gers region, he then takes us to discover the exceptional produce he uses for his creations, from free-range chickens to organic vegetables.

The truffle is a luxury fungus that's become a delicacy in French gastronomy. Being a truffle farmer requires years of patience and hunting for the "black diamond" cannot be done without the unrivalled sense of smell of man's best friend. Today, France produces almost half of the 120 tonnes of truffles sold throughout the world every year, and truffle lovers are prepared to pay up: some black truffles are worth as much as €1,000 per kilo. FRANCE went to sniff out its secrets.

In France, brasseries are an institution. They offer simple, tasty dishes in the style of traditional home cooking. Brasseries were born more than a century ago with the "bouillons" of Paris. Today, their decoration has changed little, but their success is still intact. FRANCE 24 gives you a taste of this timeless constant in French gastronomy, from Paris to Lyon via Saint-Tropez.

Every year in France, thousands of heritage sites are put up for sale and get a second life thanks to slightly eccentric owners. We meet some of the people who have decided to make these monuments their home, from an abandoned lighthouse to a deconsecrated chapel.

At Thoiry park, in the Yvelines region outside Paris, there are many surprises in store. Thoiry is not a typical zoo, since the animals live in semi-freedom. The safari is the main attraction. Visitors get around in their own cars or on board a so-called bush truck to discover 180 different species of animals up close, including lions and elephants. FRANCE 24 takes you behind the scenes of the park, which attracts half a million visitors a year.

Since the end of the 18th century, the French-style gardens of the Château de Chambord, in France's Loire Valley, had disappeared. But months of hard work have brought these 6.5 hectares back to life. From lawns to flowerbeds and rows of trees, FRANCE 24 takes you behind the scenes of a model of perfection where there is no room for approximation.