C'est la vie!

An exchange program to France is an opportunity to immerse yourself in a culture that has influenced the western world for hundreds of years.

The French have good reason to be proud of their contributions to art, literature, philosophy, architecture, food and wine, sport and film.

Arts & Culture

Famous artists include Monet, Degas, Renoir and Cézanne. The Notre Dame with its gargoyles in the heart of Paris and the Chartres with its abundance of stained-glass windows southwest of Paris are two of the best-known cathedrals in the world. Author, Victor Hugo, wrote the classic novels Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Misérables in the 1800s.

Philosophy

René Descartes, who lived in the 1600s, was one of the most influential philosophers in human history and is sometimes called the founder of modern philosophy. Later French philosophers include Jean- Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Albert Camus.

Fashion

With the likes of Cardin, Dior, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Lacroix, French designers set the trend. Paris has also attracted fashion firms from all over the world, including Kenzo from Japan, and Versace and Armani from Italy.

Food

Croissants, escargot, cuisses de grenouilles, foie gras, and chocolat chaudes are just some of the delectable treats to be enjoyed.

Landscape

From the Alps near the Italian and Swiss borders to the forest-covered Vosges Mountains in the northeast, the Pyrénées along the Spanish border and the beaches on the Mediterranean, France offers many breath-taking vistas.