Aerial Traveler - Central France

Welcome (and Bienvenue!) to the inaugural episode of Aerial Traveler, the newest AirVūz Originals series which takes viewers to incredible places around the world, courtesy of the videos shared by our talented community of drone pilots on AirVūz.

Our first episode starts with a popular travel destination that is rife with beautiful aerial views, historical landmarks, and renowned cultural beauty: Central France.  This incredible region is simultaneously scenic and impressive, explaining the easy of allure of tourists to both the French countryside and it’s elegant urban city centers, and so it’s no surprise the drone pilots have captured these places too.  

Familiar hosts Allie Krings and Rusty Kath walk us through a delightful drone video tour of well known attractions, landmarks, and places such as the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame in Paris (both prominently shown in Paris D’Or), the Place Bellecourin Lyon, historic castles such as Chambord, the Gardens of Villandry, an active volcano in Central France named Puy de Dôme, and more.   

Enjoy their guided tour, and when you’re ready to embark on your own, explore all the full length videos in our complete Central Francecollection.  You may also enjoy our collections showing aerial content of The Best of France, The French Alps, and The South of France.

Need help planning your trip to Central France?

• Visiting the Gardens of Villandry? www.chateauvillandry.fr can help you plan your visit!
• For tickets and more information about the Eiffel Tower, click here!
• For more information on things to do in Paris, check out the Paris - Official website of the Office of Tourism and Congresses.
• Headed to Puy de Dôme. Get your tickets here!

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: 

Allie Krings:                   We're back.

Rusty Kath:                   Right. Allie Krings, Rusty Kath. Welcome to Aerial Traveler.

Allie Krings:                   That's right, the new AirVuz original that takes you to all the incredible places.

Rusty Kath:                   Now whether you're planning your next trip or just want to see some incredible destinations from above, we will take you there.

Allie Krings:                   Well, not literally.

Rusty Kath:                   No, we're not actually gonna come pick you up and bring you there. But we're gonna show 'em to you. Now, we were racking our brains as to where should go for our very first destination. We had a lot of choices.

Allie Krings:                   Honestly, we did. Basically all- all of Earth.

Rusty Kath:                   (laughs). It's quite a few choices. We made a bold choice, but I think a good one.

Allie Krings:                   And we begin by taking you to Central France.

Rusty Kath:                   Now, all the folks in France, and worldwide, were saddened by the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral last month.

Allie Krings:                   And we decided to pay homage to this incredible architecture.

Rusty Kath:                   Now, not only are we going to show you that, but we're going to show you all that you can see in and around Par-ee.

Allie Krings:                   What'd you say?

Rusty Kath:                   Par-ee. You know how you'd say Paris in France?

Allie Krings:                   No, I'm pretty sure that the French say Paris.

Rusty Kath:                   Yeah, I don't think that's accurate.

Allie Krings:                   Hmm. Well we begin by highlighting the lovely French countryside and some mind-blowing castles for you to add to your travel list.

Rusty Kath:                   We'll get to those, but we are gonna start in the City of Lights, Par-ee... Paris.

Allie Krings:                   Now, no trip to France is complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower.

Rusty Kath:                   Unbelievable piece of engineering. Built in the 1880s, it only took 'em two years to build, and it was supposed to be temporary.

Allie Krings:                   Wow. So why did they build it?

Rusty Kath:                   Built it for the World's Fair in 1889.

Allie Krings:                   Hmm. And what'd the people think?

Rusty Kath:                   Ah, while it was being built, some people didn't care for it.

Allie Krings:                   Really? What were they saying?

Rusty Kath:                   Ah, one person described it as a "truly tragic streetlamp."

Allie Krings:                   Oh, that's a good line.

Rusty Kath:                   Another called it a "giant, ungainly skeleton upon a base that looks built to carry a colossal monument of a cyclops."

Allie Krings:                   You know, a bit harsh.

Rusty Kath:                   Yeah, they all kinda shut up after two million people saw it and loved it at the World's Fair though.

Allie Krings:                   Yeah, and many more since.

Rusty Kath:                   If you do go, you could take the 704 steps to the second floor, and then the elevator to the top... or just take two elevators all the way up.

Allie Krings:                   Wow. And I bet there are no lines to do that?

Rusty Kath:                   No, you could just go whenever you want... No, you can't. You want tickets, and get 'em about a month in advance.

Allie Krings:                   Beamflights just happened to be there not long before the Notre Dame fire.

Rusty Kath:                   And fortunately for us, we get to see the iconic cathedral from a bird's-eye view, and its spire still intact.

Allie Krings:                   So cool that they got that footage. But so sad, all the damage that the cathedral suffered.

Rusty Kath:                   I thought the same thing. But I mean, Notre Dame Cathedral has stood for eight centuries. It survived revolutions, wars. It's even survived other fires in the past.

Allie Krings:                   So you're saying this could just be another chapter in its history?

Rusty Kath:                   I like to think so. Maybe just another chapter of perseverance in the history of the cathedral.

Allie Krings:                   Another urban area that is a must-see on your trip to Central France is the city of Lyon.

Rusty Kath:                   Located about 300 miles, 470 kilometers, south of Paris, it's situated right at the foot of the Alps. This tech center can be easily traversed just with a good pair of walkin' shoes.

Allie Krings:                   And be sure to make your way to Place Bellecour, the largest pedestrian square in Europe.

Allie Krings:                   You can see the full videos under the Collections Tab on AirVuz.com.

Rusty Kath:                   For Central France, just click on Collections, at the top of the screen, and scroll down to Countries. You'll find many fascinating destinations, including Central France.

Allie Krings:                   Paris and Lyon are wonderful, but don't limit yourself just to Central France's cities.

Rusty Kath:                   That's right. You've gotta make your way to the French countryside.

Allie Krings:                   Did you know that Central France has volcanoes?

Rusty Kath:                   I did find that out after I watched this collection on AirVuz.

Allie Krings:                   And, that's when I learned about them too.

Rusty Kath:                   Now, the largest of these dormant volcanoes is Puy de Dome.

Allie Krings:                   You can reach the summit by an hour-long walk... or, a 15-minute train ride.

Rusty Kath:                   Which would you take?

Allie Krings:                   Well I'm definitely gonna get Dippin' Dots on my trip, so may as well take the walk.

Rusty Kath:                   Gonna get Dippin'... You wouldn't get like a baguette, or a croissant, when you're in France?

Allie Krings:                   Well, when... pose it like that?

Rusty Kath:                   Another wonder to check out in Central France is Lake Servieres.

Allie Krings:                   It's a volcanic crater 26 meters deep. It can be easily hiked in about an hour. But you wanna take your time, just to appreciate all of its wonder.

Allie Krings:                   If you want a real French countryside experience, stay in a tree house.

Rusty Kath:                   That's right. Cabanes des Volcans are a popular place to stay, off the beaten path.

Allie Krings:                   Europe is dotted with some of the most historic castles, and Central France has some of the most breathtaking.

Rusty Kath:                   Ohh, if we're gonna go to some chateaux, I think we should have a little wine and cheese.

Allie Krings:                   Oh! Okay.

Rusty Kath:                   I have a little Brie de Paris, and I picked up a bottle of Beaujolais.

Allie Krings:                   Okay. Well I actually brought my own things.

Rusty Kath:                   Oh.

Allie Krings:                   Um, so do you... I have a boxed and then, um, I just got a- a string cheese. We could cut it in half?

Rusty Kath:                   I'm good. While we have our wine and... cheese... let's visit some chateaux in France.

Allie Krings:                   Cheers!

Rusty Kath:                   Among the most impressive to tour is the Chateau de Chambord.

Allie Krings:                   Yep. The palace is the largest and most magnificent in the region: 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces.

Rusty Kath:                   And it only took 1,800 workers 15 years to build it for Francois the First.

Allie Krings:                   Yeah, I mean it's not a bad little hunting lodge.

Rusty Kath:                   Yeah... Wait, what?

Allie Krings:                   Yeah. Francois the First used it as a hunting lodge.

Rusty Kath:                   Another castle to be sure to tour is the Chateau de Chenonceau, nicknamed the Chateau of Ladies.

Allie Krings:                   Ooh, do tell.

Rusty Kath:                   Well, while the kings were gone for years at a time, it was the ladies of the residence who would take care of the design and architecture work.

Allie Krings:                   Oh, I love that bridge.

Rusty Kath:                   Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Allie Krings:                   And these queens had good taste.

Rusty Kath:                   Yeah, that was actually added by King Henry's mistress in 1547.

Allie Krings:                   Ohh.

Rusty Kath:                   Yeah, the kings were wearing more than one crown, if you know what I mean. They had more than one scepter in their hand, if you know what I mean. They had mistresses, if you know what I mean.

Allie Krings:                   Interesting. Hmm.

Allie Krings:                   The most magnificent gardens in the area come from Chateau de Villandry.

Rusty Kath:                   These immaculately maintained grounds are home to over 100,000 plants.

Allie Krings:                   And there you have it: Central France.

Rusty Kath:                   Yep. When you make your trek there, of course check out Paris.

Allie Krings:                   But make time for the glorious countryside: Dormant volcanoes...

Rusty Kath:                   Yeah, dormant volcanoes in France. Who knew?

Allie Krings:                   Well, I did.

Rusty Kath:                   Really?

Allie Krings:                   Recently.

Rusty Kath:                   Oh.

Allie Krings:                   And make sure you make time for the most glorious castles in all of Europe.

Rusty Kath:                   Now, you can see our full list of Central France vids in the AirVūz Collections Tab under Countries.

Allie Krings:                   And you can get more info on the destinations that we highlighted in this episode, in the links below.

Rusty Kath:                   Travel with us to another amazing destination on Aerial Traveler.

Allie Krings:                   Cheers.

Rusty Kath:                   Nice wine glass.

Allie Krings:                   Nice wine.