TWO'S COMPANY

Step back in time to the French Renaissance and commemorate the 500th anniversary in 2016 of Leonardo Da Vinci's arrival in France.  The legendary artist and designer spent his last years at Amboise in the Loire Valley at the Château de Clos Lucé, where his restored workshops will open to the public for the first time in May 2016.   A new exhibition from 17 June to 19 September will also showcase three Da Vinci masterpieces on loan from The Louvre.  
www.vinci-closluce.com

If you're heading to Paris, don't miss the chance to discover the secrets of the perfume trade at the Fragonard Perfume Museum which opened in September, close to the Opéra Garnier.  The museum takes visitors on a sensory journey in the atmosphere of a 19th century perfume factory, through a combination of archive material, modern film footage, and a magnificent collection of precious artefacts
www.fragonard.com

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

Hugely popular with families and school groups, the Mémorial de Caen-Normandie is an interactive and moving museum that presents the struggle for world peace through the conflicts since World War I.    New in February 2016, a 19-minute film will offer an innovative look at the unfolding of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.  'Le Jour J et La Bataille de Normandie' is an emotional and historic journey using the latest projection techniques.
http://normandy.memorial-caen.com/

And if your kids are fascinated by space – and which kids aren't? – now is the time to start planning a trip to Space Story!, a new exhibition at Cité de l'Espace in Toulouse which will run from February half term to 31 August 2016.  Discover impossible dreams and crazy contraptions from the history of Man's attempts to conquer the heavens.
http://en.cite-espace.com

FUN WITH FRIENDS

Like to know more about wine?  Then head for the new Cité du Vin which opens in Bordeaux in June 2016.  Housed in an eye-catching glass tower on the banks of the Garonne, the exhibition will take visitors on a multimedia journey through the history of wine-making, as well as offering wine tastings and tours through the vineyards.  And don't miss the chance to enjoy panoramic views over a meal in the 7th floor restaurant.
http://www.laciteduvin.com/accueil.html

If your musical tastes are rooted in the late Sixties, you won't want to miss a temporary exhibition at the Philharmonie de Paris on the short-lived but influential band The Velvet Underground.  For the 50th anniversary of the famous 'banana' album, the exhibition reveals the history and heritage of a band that only played from 1965-1970, charting its development from fringe towards mainstream through its encounters with Lou Reed and John Cale, and then Andy Warhol.
http://philharmoniedeparis.fr/en/museum-exhibitions/exhibitions/upcoming-exhibitions

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For further information please contact 

Anne Pedersen, Head of Public Relations Department, Atout France
anne.pedersen@atout-france.fr
Tel. 020 7061 6624
www.france.fr