5 Ways to Find Ireland in France

On St. Patrick's Day, everyone is Irish, including the French! Here are five ways we bet you didn't know you could find Ireland in France:

1. Green liquor!

Instead of drinking green beer, try a Chartreuse and tonic, or follow the "green fairy" with a classic absinthe preparation.

Chartreuse has been made by Carthusian monks for hundreds of years, and the 130-herb recipe is still a secret. Visit Isère and the Chartreuse region (External link) to learn more about their history and taste the spirit for yourself.

If you want to really discover absinthe, you have to travel the Route de l'Absinthe (External link) , a trail between France and Switzerland dotted with producers, museums and even little tasting posts hidden in the woods next to cold springs, waiting to provide refreshment for intrepid travelers.

2. The largest Celtic festival in Europe

Yes, that's right: the largest Celtic festival in Europe is held in Brittany, France. The region still has a strong Celtic heritage, evident in the Breton language and local customs. Every year, thousands of musicians from around the Celtic world gather for a celebration of music and tradition (External link) .

3. (French) Whiskey

The French are among the top three consumers of whiskey in the world, and they have their own distilleries to prove it. They are located around France, but writer Jon Forsyth of the Wall Street Journal lays out a nice itinerary for you to sample for yourself (External link) .

4. Celtic ruins

Menhirs, dolmens, even Merlin’s forest (External link) : the vestiges of Celtic history can be seen across France. Take a trip through the Celtic frontier (External link) .

5. Rolling green landscapes

Ireland is known as the “Emerald Isle”, but France has its own “Emerald Coast (External link) ”, as well as plenty of greenery in other regions: volcanoes in Auvergne (External link) , Europe's largest forest in Aquitaine (External link) , and a protected nature reserve in Limousin (External link) .