-
Warning for all ages as whooping cough on rise in France
The condition starts with cold-like symptoms before the coughing becomes more severe. It can be dangerous - even fatal - for infants and vulnerable people
-
Trend for entering empty properties in France and taking photos
It is not illegal so long as the owner does not voice opposition and the person entering does not break anything to get in
-
France’s Olympic torch relay begins: who carries it next and where?
These are the first three stages of the torch’s epic 68-step journey
From here it is 1km straight down...
Opening on June 1
Officially one of France’s darkest places, the Pic du Midi observatory opens to the first of its expected 120,000 visitors on June 1 and ties in its Dark Skies experience with an exhibition alongside its planetarium, Europe’s highest.
With its view to the Massif Central, the site at Bigorre at 2,877m in the Pyrénées also opens a ‘bridge over the void’ that features a 12m pier over a 1,000m drop... fitted with a glass floor.
It is part of a facelift for the Pic du Midi that builds on its past as a scientific observatory – that remains in full use – and offers a new look at the world of science and discovery.
The site was France’s first dark skies park, Réserve Internationale de Ciel Étoilé, and offers beautiful sunsets, clear skies above the clouds for star-gazing, and a sunrise breakfast for visitors who book a night’s stay.