When visiting a new country, the best way to ensure that you have the most luxurious stay is to book yourself into a 5 star resort. However, you can now experience an even more exclusive getaway by renting your own village!

Rentavillage.com is now offering its wealthy clientele the opportunity to rent an entire town for around $60,000 a night. The whole village would be at your disposal, ready for you to spend your stay however you please.

You could rename the streets and squares, have your name or company logo carved into the snow on a mountain slope, or even change the currency for the duration of your visit.

The inhabitants of your chosen location earn a living from the village and local businesses and clubs also contribute to any events you organise on your trip, offering their expertise in areas such as catering and indoor/outdoor activities.

Karl Schwärzler of Xnet (the company that runs the rentavillage website) reports that this concept has become a firm favourite with large global organisations who want to go all out to impress their clients.

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Talk about an art exhibition being held in inspirational surroundings! Until 15^th April this year, the work of six sculptors will be featured on the sides of the ski lifts on the Verdons slopes, one of the most famous ski locations in Courchevel.

This ‘art museum in the sky’ will feature a range of popular, modern and street art, displayed at an altitude of 2,320 metres.

Alongside the masterpieces of six great contemporary sculptors shown at various stations within this popular French ski resort, including the work of the famous ‘Doggy John’, the works of 20 contemporary artists will also be suspended in the air on the ski lifts.

The artistic geniuses of the likes of Alain Godon, Franck Tordjmann and Robert Mars are being complimented proficiently by a backdrop of unblemished snow quilted across a dramatic range of mountains.

While the Cote d’Azur has been given the title as being a playground for the rich and famous, Courchevel is known as being a ski resort for the world’s richest skiers.

French billionaire business magnate, Bernard Arnault, who, according to Forbes Magazine is the world’s forth richest person in Europe, with a 2011 net worth $41 billion, is a regular face at the Courchevel ski resort.

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Long established as being a rendezvous destination for the rich and famous with exceptionally good taste, it doesn’t come as a great surprise to learn that a luxury hotel on the Cote d’Azur has won the right to be referred to as a ‘palace’.

The hotel that has been rocketed to such a regal status is the Grand Hotel du Cap in Cap Ferrat. The award, which was launched in November 2010, ranks a hotel’s ‘stateliness’, on its location, the comfort of its rooms, the staff’s multilingual abilities, health and spa facilities, the quality of the personalised service and the hotel’s historical significance.

With France being home to 130 five-star luxury hotels, naturally a fair few hotels fitted the ‘Palace’ status criteria of the award and a total of eight hotels in France were awarded as being ‘palaces’.

Located between Nice and Monaco, at the tip of the Saint Jean Cap Ferrat peninsula, the ‘Palace’ status award has not been the only award this famous luxury hotel has received.

Alongside being crowned with a palace distinction earlier this year, the Le Spa at the Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat has been awarded the “Best Spa in Europe” in the Prix Villegiature Awards.

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Where better to learn how to cook than in France, the culinary capital of the world? And where better to learn to cook in France than the beautiful, exquisite and inspirational region of Provence?

If you fancy creating top-notch food similar to that produced in a region that is world-renowned for its sensational food, then why not embark on a gourmet cooking class at La Bastide des Saveurs, the kitchen of Hostellerie Bérard, located in picture-perfect surroundings in the heart of olive groves and vines.

The magnificent Hostellerie Bérard is typical of the Provencal countryside ambiance. A rustic kitchen is at the heart of this 19^th century house, whilst in the house’s extensive grounds an herb and vegetable garden take centre stage, producing delicious smelling hints of the culinary geniuses that are created in this stunning country home.

Over the four-day course students learn how to make various Provencal recipes, using only the freshest and finest ingredients and local produce. Asides making early morning visits to the country market in Sanary-sur-Mer, where students await the return of the fishing boats to pick up some fresh fish to prepare for lunch, guests will also discover local wine appellations, well you couldn’t complete a cooking course in France without being exposed to French wine in some day, could you?

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For decades ballet has been an important artistic expression in Monte Carlo. In 1985, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo was founded, a classical ballet company, which is the official national dance company of the Principality of Monaco, that was established by Her Royal Highness the Princess of Hanover in accordance with the wishes of her mother, Princess Grace of Monaco.

Since its inauguration, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, has attracted some of the biggest and most highly-esteemed names in the world of ballet, with its opening performance in 1985 casting several of the Paris Opera as guest stars.

In 1992 the world-renowned and highly influential French dancer and choreographer, Jean-Christophe Maillot, joined Les Ballets de Monte Carlo as an artistic consultant, and was quickly promoted to director of choreography. Because of Maillot’s passion, creative vision and energy, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, helped to create an increased demand and popularity, moved to a much bigger and glamorous location at the new congress centre in Monaco, known as the Grimaldi Forum.

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