France Travel Guide

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Fodor's Essential France
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France is a gastronomic wonderland, an artistic mecca, and a historical pop-up book. Vineyards blanket the wine regions, cathedrals crown the cities, and sandy beaches fringe the coastline. With all these riches, you may start plotting your next visit before you even return home.

The celebrated city of lights, Paris is one of the must-see cities of Europe for good reason. The tourist attractions alone provide days upon days of entertainment. It’s true, you may wait in line to ascend the Eiffel Tower, but you’ll be surrounded by beguiling views of Champs de Mars and the stately ambiance of the Palais de Chaillot. Once you get to the top, the city of Paris is yours for drinking in.

The museums in Paris are numerous and famed throughout the world, including the Louvre and the M... Read More

The museums in Paris are numerous and famed throughout the world, including the Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay. After a trip to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, unwind with a cafe in the enchanting Jardin de Tuileries. The Orsay sits not too far from the banks of the Seine, along which you can pick up a book at the scattered bouquiniste stalls along the river, journey via the Bateau Mouche to Notre Dame Cathedral, and grab a pain au chocolat (or two) in the lively Latin Quarter, humming with colorful markets and student life. From there, should the spirit move you, why not swing by the Sorbonne and take in the Pantheon? Or the Luxembourg Gardens, or the Paris Zoo, or the spooky catacombs, or a high-end shopping spree in the Marais—the possibilities are plentiful.

The 20 arrondisements of Paris each embody a unique sensibility. From the rolling hills of Montmartre topped by the magnificent Sacre Coeur, to the posh Ile Saint Louis lingering in between the right and left bank, the glamour of the Champs Elysees to the quieter, residential spots, hidden beauty is everywhere to discover.

Travel a few hours south of the capital on the high-speed rail to Lyon, the beating heart of French gastronomy. Lyon is the gateway to the Alpine region, and you’ll find it’s both a buzzing metropolis and a charming village stopped in time. After picking up a few souvenirs in the bustling Place Bellecour, ascend the heights of the city with a quick funicular ride for another one of France’s indelible views.

Sample Lyon’s namesake bouchons, corner bistros featuring French-style comfort food. After a day touring breathtaking churches, hip neighborhood like La Croix-Rousse, and wandering the picturesque streets of Vieux Lyon, have a Kir Royale and relax.

While Lyon is great for tasting classic French cuisine and seeing city sights, just a few hours away are snow-capped villages that will take your breath away. If you’re looking for a quaint ski town, France is an ideal destination: escape to a city surrounded by resort options like Grenoble or wake up practically in the powder in Chamonix. Other Alpine retreats to write home about include Annecy, a postcard town with picture-book vistas. While these escapes shimmer in the snow, the spirit of outdoor adventure thrives all year round with plenty of hiking, biking, paddle boating for adventurers of any level.

And then there’s the South of France. These words conjure a timeless myth of easy luxury and captivating beauty. But this region isn’t purely for the glitz and glam of the jetset scene. Provence possesses a wild, natural beauty, and a landscape sprinkled with soaring cypress trees and imbued with a light so special, it drew painters like Van Gogh and Gaugin to reap inspiration. The cuisine of the South is typically less cheese-heavy and more Mediterranean (fear not, there is still plenty of cheese and bread to be found in the regions’ sumptuous open air markets). Olive oil and ratatouille are two Provençal trademarks, as are calissons, small almond candies that are the official sweet of the region’s largest city, Aix-en-Provence.

Travel farther south and behold the incomparable blue of the Mediterranean Sea. When some people think of France, these are the sights that leap to mind: languidly strolling along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, past the Hotel Negresco; gazing upon the impossibly ritzy cars lining the streets leading to the casino in Monte Carlo and the exclusive beach clubs of St. Tropez. Yes, vacationing in the South of France can come with a hefty price tag, but it can also be done on a budget. Savor the socca in the sprawling Place Massena in Nice, pick up some of France’s most delicious gelato at Fenocchio, and sample fresh seafood from Vieux Port in Marseille. Also be sure to take advantage of the less-expensive regional train line offering views that will remain with you for a lifetime.

While the France’s eastern coast might be iconic, the homey, charming southwestern coast has plenty to offer. Southwestern France, closer to Spain and Basque Country, provides plenty of locales that aren’t quite as busy as the tourist hubs. Warm up with a bowl of cassoulet in Toulouse, the “Pink City” (La Ville Rose). Not far from the canals of the Garonne are Biarritz and Bordeaux, sun-soaked cities that bring a sophisticated panache to the region.

In the north, many treasures abound. History buffs flock to the beaches of Normandy, and Brittany is known for its distinctive regional cuisine—it’s where crepes got their start. Castles and chateaux are treasures that inspired fairy tales over the years. In the Loire Valley, the Chateau d’Usse is supposedly Sleeping Beauty’s castle, while the Alsatian town of Colmar is the rumored real-life setting of Beauty and the Beast.

The regions of France are a diverse patchwork. Stay in chic Paris, visit the bucolic countryside, ski in the Alps, kayak in the Calanques, the list goes on and on.

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Paris

Paris is one of the most beautiful cities on earth, a truth easily appreciated on a stroll that could yield one stunning vista after another...

Provence

Wander past the canopied café terraces, wizened olive groves, and austere cypresses of Provence and you’ll start to realize you can’t shake off a sense...

The French Riviera

This sprawl of pebble beaches and zillion-dollar houses has always captivated sun lovers and socialites. Today's admirers know not to miss the Côte d'Azur's textbook...

Nice and the Eastern Cote d'Azur

With the Alps and pre-Alps playing bodyguard against inland winds, and the sultry Mediterranean warming the sea breezes, the eastern slice of the Côte d'Azur...

Aix, Marseille, and the Central Coast

When you cross the imaginary border into Provence for the first time, you may experience a niggling sense of déjà vu. The sun-drenched angular red...

The Vaucluse

For many, the Vaucluse is the only true Provence—one vast Cézanne masterpiece, where sun-bleached hills and fields are tapestries of green-and-black grapevines and silver-gray olives...

Lyon and the Alps

Lyon and the Alps are as alike as chocolate and broccoli. Lyon is fast, congested, and saturated with culture. In the bustling city—often called the...

Toulouse and the Languedoc

Like the most celebrated dish of this area, cassoulet, the southwestern region of France is made up of diverse ingredients. Just as it would be...

Brittany

Wherever you wander in Brittany—along jagged coastal cliffs, through cobbled seaport streets, into time-burnished cider pubs—you'll hear the primal pulse of Celtic music. Made up...

The Alpilles, Arles, and the Camargue

...

Side Trips from Paris

Just what is it that makes the Ile-de-France so attractive, so comfortingly familiar? Is it its proximity to the great city of Paris—or perhaps that...

Normandy

Normandy—shaped roughly like a jigsaw puzzle piece—sprawls across France’s northwestern corner. Due to its geographic position, this region is blessed with a stunning natural beauty...

The Loire Valley

A fairy-tale realm par excellence, the Loire Valley is studded with storybook villages, time-burnished towns, and—bien sûr—the famous châteaux de la Loire. These postcard staples...

Burgundy

Producing a rarefied concentration of what many consider the world's greatest wines and harboring a sigh-worthy collection of magnificent Romanesque abbeys, Burgundy hardly needs to...

Alsace-Lorraine

Only the Rhine separates Germany from Alsace-Lorraine, a region that often looks German and even sounds German. But its heart—just to prove how deceptive appearances...

The Western Cote d'Azur

...

Corsica

"The best way to know Corsica," according to Napoléon, "is to be born there." Not everyone has had his luck, so chances are you'll be...

The Dordogne

Want to smile happily ever after? Linger in a fantasyland full of castles, clifftop châteaux, and storybook villages? Join the club. Since the 1990s the...

Lyon

The city's setting at the confluence of the Saône and the Rhône is a spectacular riverine landscape overlooked from the heights to the west by...

The Basque Country, Gascony, and Hautes-Pyrenees

Several years back, a mayor in the province of Soule welcomed a group of travelers with the following announcements: the Basque Country is the most...

Bordeaux and the Wine Country

When travelers arrive here, Bordeaux's countryside enchants them without their quite knowing why: what the French call la douceur de vivre (the sweetness of living)...

Champagne Country

As you head toward Reims, the landscape loosens and undulates, and the hills tantalize with French vineyards that—thanks to la méthode champenoise—produce the world's antidote...

Toulouse

Ebullient Toulouse is the capital of the Midi-Pyrénées and the fourth-largest city in France. Just 100 km (60 miles) from the border with Spain, Toulouse...

Bordeaux

Bordeaux as a whole, rather than any particular points within it, is what you'll want to visit in order to understand why Victor Hugo described...

Dijon

You may never have been to Dijon but you've certainly tasted it. Many of the gastronomic specialties that originated here are known worldwide. They include...

Ajaccio

Considered Corsica’s primary commercial and cultural hub, the largest city and regional capital of Ajaccio is situated on the west coast of the island, approximately...

Strasbourg

Although it’s in the heart of Alsace, 490 km (304 miles) east of Paris, and draws appealingly on Alsatian gemütlichkeit (coziness), Strasbourg is a cosmopolitan...

Versailles

It's hard to tell which is larger at Château de Versailles—the world-famous château that housed Louis XIV and 20,000 of his courtiers, or the mass...

Nancy

For architectural variety, few French locales match this one in the heart of Lorraine, 300 km (190 miles) east of Paris. Medieval ornamentation, 18th-century grandeur...

Nantes

The writer Stendhal remarked of 19th-century Nantes, "I hadn't taken 20 steps before I recognized a great city." Since then, the river that flowed around...

Rouen

“O Rouen, art thou then to be my final abode!" was the agonized cry of Joan of Arc as the English dragged her out to...

Grenoble

Capital of the Dauphiné region, Grenoble sits at the confluence of the Isère and Drac rivers and lies within three massifs (mountain ranges): La Chartreuse...

Biarritz

Biarritz may no longer lay claim to the title "the resort of kings and the king of resorts," but there's no shortage of deluxe hotel...

Montpellier

The vibrant capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, Montpellier (pronounced "monh-pell-yay") has been a center of commerce and learning since the Middle Ages, when it was...

Rennes

Rennes (pronounced "wren") is the capital of and traditional gateway to this region. It’s also one of Brittany’s liveliest cities, thanks to the 40,000-odd students...

Reims

Behind a facade of austerity, Champagne’s largest city remains one of France's richest tourist sites, thanks especially to the fact that it sparkles with some...

Colmar

Forget that much of Colmar's architecture is modern (because of the destruction wrought by World Wars I and II): its Vieille Ville heart—an atmospheric maze...

Bastia

Notably more Italianate than the French-influenced Ajaccio, Bastia is quintessentially Corsican. The Baroque coastal town has a historic center that retains the timeless, salty flavor...

St-Malo

Thrust out into the sea and bound to the mainland only by tenuous man-made causeways, romantic St-Malo has built a reputation as a breeding ground...

Beaune

Beaune is sometimes considered the wine capital of Burgundy because it is at the heart of the region's vineyards, with the Côte de Nuits to...

Perpignan

Salvador Dalí once called Perpignan's train station "the center of the world." That may not be true, but the city certainly is the capital hub...

Tours

Home to about 150,000 residents, Tours is the region's largest city and its commercial center. Vacationers concerned only with the quaint may be put off...

Albi

Toulouse-Lautrec's native Albi is a busy, beautifully preserved provincial market town. In its heyday Albi was a major center for the Cathars, members of a...

Annecy

Sparkling Annecy is on crystal clear Lac d'Annecy, surrounded by snow-tipped peaks. Though the canals, flower-decked bridges, and cobbled pedestrian streets are filled with shoppers...

Orleans

Surrounded by locales renowned for their beauty, it’s little wonder that Orléans once suffered from an inferiority complex. A century ago ham-fisted urban planners razed...

Bonifacio

The ancient fortress town of Bonifacio occupies a spectacular clifftop aerie above a harbor carved from limestone cliffs. It's 13 km (8 miles) from Sardinia...

Caen

Basically a modern commercial and administrative center with a vibrant student scene, Caen—the capital of Lower Normandy—is very different from the coastal resorts. Atmospheric castles...

Calvi

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Quimper

Quimper (pronounced "cam-pair") owes its strange name to its site at the confluence (kemper in Breton) of the Odet and Steir Rivers. A traditional crowd-puller...

Chartres

If Versailles is the climax of French secular architecture, Chartres is its religious apogee. All the descriptive prose and poetry that have been lavished on...

Troyes

The inhabitants of Troyes would be dismayed if you mistook them for Burgundians. After all, Troyes is the historic capital of the counts of Champagne...

Carcassonne

Poised atop a hill overlooking lush green countryside and the Aude River, Carcassonne’s fortified upper town, known as La Cité, looks lifted from the pages...

St-Émilion

Suddenly the sun-fired flatlands of Pomerol break into hills and send you tumbling into St-Émilion. This jewel of a town has old buildings of golden...

Sarlat-la-Canéda

Tucked among hills adorned with corn and wheat, Sarlat is a well-preserved medieval town that has managed to retain some of its true character, despite...

Deauville-Trouville

Divided only by the River Touques, the twin beach towns of Deauville and Trouville are distinctly different in character. The latter, arguably France’s oldest seaside...

Pau

The stunning views, mild climate, and elegance of Pau—the historic capital of Béarn, a state annexed to France in 1620—make it a lovely place to...

Nuits-St-Georges

Wine has been made in Nuits-St-Georges since Roman times; its "dry, tonic, and generous qualities" were recommended to Louis XIV for medicinal use. But this...

Corte

Set amid spectacular cliffs and gorges at the confluence of the Tavignano, Restonica, and Orta Rivers, Corte is the spiritual heart and soul of Corsica...

Amboise

It is hardly surprising that this hub town is considered a must-see on any Val de Loire itinerary. Crowned by a royal château that’s soaked...

Blaye

The impressive UNESCO-listed Blaye Citadel, built in the 17th century by Louis XIV's star engineer, Sébastien Vauban, is one of the three forts that make...

Conflans-Sainte-Honorine

In the case of picturesque Conflans Sainte-Honorine, set at the confluence of the Oise and Seine Rivers, geography and destiny are inextricably linked. The town's...

Les Andelys

Set on a curvacious bend in the Seine, 25 miles from Rouen, historically rich Les Andelys is crowned by the spectacular ruins of King Richard...

Les Eyzies-de-Tayac

Sitting comfortably under a limestone cliff, Les Eyzies is the doorway to the prehistoric capital of France. Early Homo sapiens (the species to which we...

Lille

Born from the ancient marshes that gave its name (from the Latin "insula" for island), Lille is the 10th largest city in France and sports...

Saumur

You'll find putting up with the locals’ legendary snobisme well worth it once you get a gander at Saumur's centre historique, a camera-ready quarter studded...

Dinard

The most elegant resort town on this stretch of the Brittany coast, Dinard enjoys a picture-book perch on the Rance Estuary opposite the walled town...

Mont-St-Michel

Mont-St-Michel is the third-most-visited sight in France, after the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. This beached mass of granite, rising some 400 feet, was begun...

Honfleur

Honfleur, the most picturesque of the Côte Fleurie's seaside towns, is a time-burnished place with a surplus of half-timber houses and cobbled streets that are...

Prades

It may be easy to bypass Prades en route to the region's high peaks, but to do so would mean missing out on this authentic...

Senlis

Senlis is an exceptionally well-preserved medieval town with a crooked maze of streets dominated by the svelte, soaring spire of its Gothic cathedral. For a...

Viviers

The lovely pale-stone buildings of Viviers, presided over by a graceful hilltop cathedral, create a dreamlike vision from the vantage point of the river on...

Lourdes

The mountain town of Lourdes is arguably the most famous Catholic pilgrimage site in the world, but its origins are decidedly humble and its renown...

Collioure

The fishing village where famed painters Henri Matisse, André Derain, and the Fauvists committed chromatic mayhem in the early 20th century, Collioure is still the...

Cherbourg

Perhaps best known for Michel Legrand's haunting theme from the 1960s film musical Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg), Cherbourg-Octeville is no longer...

Belle-Ile-en-Mer

Covering 84 square km (32 square miles), Belle-Ile is the largest of Brittany's islands; and, as its name implies, it is beautiful. Being less commercialized...

Vienne

If you do nothing but head up to this town's famed Roman Theater and look out over the red-tile roofs of the Rhône Valley, you'll...

Chamonix–Mont-Blanc

Chamonix is the oldest and biggest of the French winter-sports resort towns and was the site of the first Winter Olympics, held in 1924. As...

Fontainebleau

Like Chambord in the Loire Valley or Compiègne to the north, Fontainebleau was a favorite spot for royal hunting parties long before the construction of...

Giverny

The small village of Giverny (pronounced "jee-vair-knee"), just beyond the Epte River, which marks the boundary of the Ile-de-France, has become a place of pilgrimage...

Cahors

Just an hour north of Toulouse (southwestern France's main city), Cahors makes a fine base for exploring the Lot River valley. Less touristy and populated...

Périgueux

For anyone tired of bucolic delights, even a short visit to the region’s capital can provide a restorative urban fix. Since Périgueux is the commercial...

Rocamadour

A medieval village that seems to defy the laws of gravity, Rocamadour surges out of a cliff 1,500 feet above the Alzou River gorge—an awe-inspiring...

St-Jean-de-Luz

Back in 1660, Louis XIV chose this tiny fishing village as the place to marry the Infanta Maria Teresa of Spain. Ever since, travelers have...

St-Germain-en-Laye

Encircled by forest and perched behind Le Nôtre's Grande Terrace overlooking the Seine, this idyllic town has lost little of its original cachet—despite the invasion...

Vézelay

In the 11th and 12th centuries Vézelay was one of the most important places of pilgrimage in the Christian world. Today the hilltop village is...

Pont-Aven

This lovely village sits astride the Aven River as it descends from the Montagnes Noires to the sea, turning the town's mills along the way...

Fecamp

Founded in the 10th century as a fishing port (the name is a Germanic form of "fish"), Fécamp still relies on the sea for its...

Cadillac

The remnants of Cadillac's medieval fortifications still surround parts of this picturesque port town, founded in 1280, but the star attraction is the stately Château...

Chantilly

Celebrated for lace, cream, and the most beautiful medieval manuscript in the world—Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry—romantic Chantilly has a host of...

Amiens

Although Amiens showcases some pretty brazen postwar reconstruction, epitomized by Auguste Perret's 340-foot Tour Perret (a soaring concrete stump by the train station), the city...

Obernai

Many visitors begin their trip down the Route du Vin at Obernai, a thriving, colorful Renaissance market town named for the patron saint of Alsace...

Bergerac

Yes, this is the Bergerac of Cyrano de Bergerac fame—but not exactly. The real satirist and playwright Cyrano (1619–55), who inspired Edmond Rostand's long-nose swashbuckler...

Autun

One of the most richly endowed villes d'art in Burgundy, Autun is a great draw for fans of both Gallo-Roman and Romanesque art. The name...

Béziers

Béziers—centerpiece of the Canal du Midi and the Languedoc's capital du vin (crowds flock in for tastings during the October wine harvest festival)—owes its reputation...

Rambouillet

Haughty Rambouillet, once favored by kings and dukes, is now home to affluent gentry and, occasionally, the French president...

Blois

Perched on a steep hillside overlooking the Loire, the bustling big town of Blois is a convenient base, well served by train and highway. A...

Bayonne

Located at the confluence of the Adour and Nive Rivers, Bayonne was a Roman castrum (fort) in the 4th century and an English colony from...

Angers

The bustling city of Angers, on the banks of the Maine River just north of the Loire, has a fine Gothic cathedral, a tempting selection...

Chinon

Chinon—the birthplace of author François Rabelais (1494–1553)—is dominated by a 12th-century castle, perched imposingly above the River Vienne. But its leading photo op is the...

Bayeux

Bayeux makes a fine starting point for excursions to nearby World War II sites. Despite being close to scenes of such destruction, Bayeux itself was...

The D-Day Beaches

History set its sights along the coasts of Normandy at 6:30 am on June 6, 1944, as the 135,000 men and 20,000 vehicles of the...

Bourg sur Gironde

Built on a rocky promontory where the Dordogne River splits off from the mighty Garonne, this picturesque town's narrow alleyways and ancient buildings—all hewn from...

Narbonne

In Roman times, bustling, industrial Narbonne was the second-largest town in Gaul (after Lyon) and an important port, though today little remains of its Roman...

Méribel

No building can be taller than the surrounding trees in this mountainside village, so Méribel feels tucked away in the forest. All the architecture must...

Sare

The much-prized and picturesque village of Sare, described by author Pierre Loti in his Ramuntxo as a virtually autonomous Eden, is built around a large...

Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris is probably not what you've traveled to France for. But if you have a child in tow, the promise of a day with...

Ribeauville

The beautiful half-timber town of Ribeauvillé, surrounded by rolling vineyards and three imposing châteaux, produces some of the best wines in Alsace. (The Trimbach family...

Cancale

Nothing says Brittany like seafood and nothing says seafood like this fishing village, one of the most picturesque in the region. Renowned for its offshore...

Valence

...

Beauvais

Beauvais and its neighbor Amiens have been rivals since the 13th century, when they locked horns over who could build the bigger cathedral. Beauvais lost—gloriously...

Étretat

Midway along Normandy's Alabaster Coast, Étretat might not at first seem worthy of a detour. However, its end-of-the-world location, its spectacular stone formations famously immortalized...

Cordes-sur-Ciel

A must-stop for many travelers, the picture-book hilltop town of Cordes-sur-Ciel appears to hover in midair when mists steal up from the Cérou Valley below...

Épernay

Although Reims loudly proclaims itself to be the last word in Champagne production, Épernay—on the south bank of the Marne—is really the center of the...

Dinan

During the frequent wars that devastated other cities in the Middle Ages, the merchants who ruled Dinan got rich selling stuff to whichever camp had...

Chambord

The "Versailles" of the 16th century and the largest of the Loire châteaux, the Château de Chambord is the kind of place William Randolph Hearst...

Megève

The smartest of the Mont Blanc stations, idyllic Alpine Megève is not only a major ski resort but also a chic winter watering hole that...

La Baule

La Baule is a popular resort town that once rivaled Biarritz. Today it leans toward the tacky rather than the sophisticated, but you still can’t...

Val Thorens

Skiing is this bustling resort town's raison d'être, so it's no surprise that lifts and gondolas fan out in every direction and that many of...

Pauillac

Pauillac lays claim to three of the five Bordeaux grands crus—Lafite Rothschild, Latour, and Mouton Rothschild. It's said that Pauillac wines are textbook Bordeaux in...

Céret

The "Barbizon of Cubism," Céret achieved immortality when leading artists found the small Catalan town irresistible at the beginning of the 20th century. Here in...

Eugénie-les-Bains

Empress Eugénie popularized the region's thermal baths at the end of the 19th century, and in return the villagers named this town after her. Then...

Laon

Thanks to its awe-inducing hilltop site and the forest of towers sprouting from its ancient cathedral, lofty Laon basks in the title of the "Crowned...

Porticcio

Between the sea and mountain, this upscale resort town a short scenic drive from the capital benefits from unforgettable views and a palette of nautical...

Courchevel

The gondolas here are covered with ads for Chanel—your first clue that Courchevel caters to an upscale clientele. The gently curving streets are lined with...

Fontevraud-l'Abbaye

A refreshing break from the worldly grandeur of châteaux, the small village of Fontevraud is crowned with the largest abbey in France—a magnificent complex of...

Bourg-en-Bresse

Cheerful, flower-festooned Bourg-en-Bresse is esteemed among gastronomes for its chickens—the striking-looking poulet de Bresse, with plump white bodies, bright blue feet, and red combs (adding...

Auvers-sur-Oise

The tranquil Oise River valley retains much of the charm that attracted Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne, Camille Corot, Charles-François Daubigny, and Berthe Morisot to Auvers-sur-Oise...

Porto Vecchio

With a compact Old Town of cobblestone streets lined with charming buildings, a modern marina teeming with yachts, and white-sand beaches lapped by turquoise water...

Beynac-et-Cazenac

One of the most picturesque sights in the Dordogne is the medieval castle that sits atop the wonderfully restored town of Beynac...

Compiegne

This bustling town of some 40,000 people sits at the northern limit of the Forêt de Compiègne (Compiègne Forest). The former royal hunting lodge here...

St-Jean-Pied-de-Port

St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a fortified town on the Nive River, got its name from its position at the foot (pied) of the mountain pass (port) of Roncevaux...

Chablis

The pretty village of Chablis is poised amid the hillside vineyards that produce its famous white wine on the banks of the River Serein and...

Cluny

The village of Cluny is legendary for its medieval abbey, once the center of a vast Christian empire. Although most of the complex was destroyed...

Auxerre

Auxerre is an evocative, architecturally interesting town with a trio of imposing churches perched above the Yonne River and an ample supply of antique houses...

Sens

Pretty Sens enjoys a "four-leaf" ranking as a ville fleurie, or floral city—and you’ll understand why when you see the Moulin à Tan (a gorgeous...

Vannes

Scene of the declaration of unity between France and Brittany in 1532, Vannes is one of the few towns in the region to have been...

Le Havre

Considering it was bombarded 146 times during World War II, you might think there’d be little left to see in Le Havre—France's second-largest port (after...

Concarneau

Concarneau may be an industrial town known for sardine packaging, but its 17th-century Vauban-designed Ville Close ranks among the most picturesque sites in Brittany...

Saulieu

Saulieu's reputation belies its size: it's renowned for good food (Rabelais, that roly-poly 16th-century man of letters, extolled its gargantuan hospitality) and for Christmas trees...

Vitre

There's still a feel of the Middle Ages about the formidable castle, tightly packed half-timber houses, remaining ramparts, and dark alleyways of Vitré (pronounced "vee-tray")...

Beaujolais Wine Route

Not all Beaujolais wine is promoted as vin nouveau (new wine), despite the highly successful marketing campaign that has made Beaujolais Nouveau synonymous with French...

Soissons

Although this was a major city in medieval times, the ravages of the French Revolution and World War I left little of it intact. Nowadays...

Sélestat

Sélestat, midway between Strasbourg and Colmar, is a lively, historic town with a Romanesque church and a library of medieval manuscripts (the latter of which...

Tournon-Sur-Rhone

Located on the banks of the Rhone, Tournon-Sur-Rhône has a long history that stretches back to 817, when written mention of the town "Turnone" was...

Carnac

At the north end of Quiberon Bay, Carnac is known for its expansive beaches and its ancient stone monuments: "standing stones," called menhirs, that were...

Châlons-en-Champagne

The administrative capital of the Marne and the Champagne region is famous for its Blanc de Blancs vineyards. The town center, crisscrossed with canals and...

Val d'Isère

Men's downhill racing was held in Val d'Isère during the 1992 Winter Olympics, and since then it's been a must-see for skiers wanting to challenge...

Gavarnie

Geologists point to the natural wonder that is the Cirque de Gavarnie as one of the world's most formidable examples of the effects of glacial...

Ainhoa

The Basque village of Ainhoa, officially selected by the national tourist ministry as one of the prettiest in France, is a showcase for the Labourd...

Monpazier

Built in ocher-color stone by English king Edward I in 1284 to protect the southern flank of his French possessions, Monpazier, on the tiny Dropt...

Lascaux

Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, Lascaux is one of the world's great galleries of Paleolithic art, a mysterious remnant that scientists still...

Barbizon

On the western edge of the 62,000-acre Forest of Fontainebleau, the village of Barbizon retains its time-stained allure despite the intrusion of art galleries, souvenir...

St-Cirq-Lapopie

Poised on the edge of a cliff 330 feet up, sublime St-Cirq (pronounced "san-seer") looks as though it could slide right into the Lot River...

Azay-le-Rideau

A largish town surrounding a sylvan dell on the banks of the River Indre, pleasant Azay-le-Rideau is famed for its white-wall Renaissance pleasure palace, called...

Chaumont-sur-Loire

Once belonging to Catherine de' Medici, this dramatic hilltop château combines Gothic fortifications with Renaissance style. After touring the stunning interior, be sure to explore...

Clos de Vougeot

The reason to come to Vougeot is to see its grange viticole (wine-making barn) surrounded by its famous vineyard—a symbolic spot for all Burgundy aficionados...

Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte

A manifesto for French 17th-century splendor, the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte was built between 1656 and 1661 by finance minister Nicolas Fouquet. The construction program was...

Trébeurden

Trébeurden is one of the highlights of the Côtes d'Armor. A pleasant fishing village that’s popular with summer vacationers, it offers access to the rosy...

Brantôme

When the reclusive monks of the abbey of Brantôme decided the inhabitants of the village were getting too inquisitive, they dug a canal between themselves...

Cheverny

Though not always included on the list of the upper-echelon Loire Valley superstars, the Château de Cheverny is a rare and beautiful example of early-17th-century...

Lorient

France’s most exotically named town was founded by Jean-Baptiste Colbert in 1666 as a base for the Compagnie des Indes, which sent ships from here...

Douarnenez

Douarnenez is a quaint old fishing town with quayside paths and zigzagging narrow streets. Boats come in from the Atlantic to unload their catches of...

Margaux

Margaux is home to the eponymous appellation that landed more châteaux in the original wine classification of 1855 than any other in Bordeaux. The appellation...

Riquewihr

With its unique once-upon-a-timeliness, Riquewihr is the Wine Road's pièce de résistance and a living museum of old Alsace's quaint architecture. Its steep main street...

Épinal

On the Moselle River at the feet of the Vosges, Épinal, a printing center since 1735, is famous throughout France for boldly colored prints, popular...

Arromanches-les-Bains

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Granville

Proud locals like to call Granville the "Monaco of the North" for its seawater therapy center and casino, but gambling aside, Granville still has a...

St-Lo

St-Lô, perched dramatically on a rocky spur above the Vire Valley, was a key communications center that suffered so badly in World War II it...

Chambéry

As for centuries—when it was the crossroads for merchants from Germany, Italy, and the Middle East—elegant old Chambéry remains the region's shopping hub. Townspeople congregate...

Vernet-les-Bains

Many notables—including English writer Rudyard Kipling—have come to take the cure at this long-established spa town, which is dwarfed by imposing Mont Canigou...

Chenonceaux

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Monbazillac

The hilltop village of Monbazillac provides spectacular views of the sweet-wine–producing vineyards tumbling toward the Dordogne River...

Usse-Rigny

The Loire Valley is blessed with an abundance of eye-popping châteaux, but the fairest of them all is here. The Château d'Ussé, inspiration for Charles...

Villandry

The Château de Villandry is one of the best examples of Renaissance-era garden design in France...

Maintenon

The beautiful Château de Maintenon was the home of Louis XIV's unacknowledged second wife. Its splendid Le Nôtre–designed gardens and graceful aqueduct are as pretty...

Domme

Stunning views aside, the clifftop village of Domme offers a hefty dose of history. Some of its fortified walls and doors, dating back to 1280...

Courances

Set within one of the most lavish water gardens in Europe, the Château de Courances is a byword for beauty and style...

Pas de Roland

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L'Épine

Legend has it that in the Middle Ages some shepherds herding their flock down from pasture found a statue of the Virgin in a burning...

Montbard

Attractions in this modest town on the banks of the Brenne River include an Ursuline convent that’s been converted into a Musée des Beaux-Arts and...

Pontoise

A pleasant old town on the banks of the Oise, Pontoise is famous for its link with the Impressionists...

Vernon

The Vieille Ville of Vernon, on the Seine, has a medieval church, which Monet painted from across the river, and several fine timber-frame houses (the...

Pierrefonds

Dominating the attractive lakeside village of Pierrefonds, a former spa resort, is its immense ersatz medieval castle...

Meung-sur-Loire

This tiny, sleepy village's maze of medieval streets and charming half-timbered houses have a literary past. Described by Alexandre Dumas in The Three Musketeers, this...

Paimpol

Paimpol is one of the liveliest fishing ports in the area and a good base for exploring the pink-granite rocks that have made this part...

Pérouges

With its medieval houses and narrow cobbled streets surrounded by ramparts, wonderfully preserved Pérouges is only 200 yards across. Handweavers first brought it prosperity; but...

Montlouis-sur-Loire

Montlouis—like Vouvray, its sister town on the north side of the Loire—is noted for white wines, and you can learn all about the vintages produced...

Combourg

The pretty lakeside village of Combourg is dominated by Château de Combourg, the boyhood home of Romantic writer Viscount René de Chateaubriand (1768–1848)...

Sache

A crook in the road, a Gothic church, the centuries-old Auberge du XIIe Siècle, an Alexander Calder stabile (the great American sculptor created a modern...

L'Isle-Adam

Despite its actual proximity, this exclusive residential enclave feels far removed from Paris. The town has a sandy beach along one stretch of the River...

Andlau

This small, yet important, wine town in the Andlau River valley is surrounded by the Vosges mountains. Its historic center has several noteworthy houses dating...

Domremy-la-Pucelle

Joan of Arc was born in a cottage here in either 1411 or 1412. You can see her birthplace, as well as the church where...

La Roque-Gageac

Across the Dordogne from Domme, in the direction of Beynac, one of the best-restored villages in the valley is huddled romantically beneath a cliff. Crafts...

Ste-Mère Église

Sainte-Mère's symbolic importance as the first French village to be liberated from the Nazis is commemorated by the Borne 0 (Zero) outside the town hall—a...

Cauterets

Cauterets—which derives from the word for hot springs in the local bigourdan dialect—is a spa resort town set high in the Pyrénées. It has been...

Cliousclat

...

Hautefort

The reason to come to Hautefort is its castle, which presents a forbiddingly arrogant face to the world...

Pigna

The village of Pigna is dedicated to bringing back traditional Corsican music and crafts. Here you can listen to folk songs in cafés, visit workshops...

Thoiry

Thoiry is most famous for its 16th-century château, with beautiful gardens, a wild-animal preserve, and a gastronomy museum. The village makes an excellent day trip...

Rueil-Malmaison

Rueil-Malmaison is a slightly dreary western suburb of Paris, but the memory of Napoléon and Joséphine still haunts its neoclassical château...

Salses

Salses has a history of sieges. History relates that Hannibal stormed through the town with his elephants on his way to the Alps in 218...

Tanlay

Built along the banks of the Canal de Bourgogne, Tanlay is a sleepy village that’s best known for the Renaissance-style château that sits slap-bang in...

Haut-Koenigsbourg

One of the most popular spots in Alsace is the romantic, crag-top castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg, originally built as a fortress in the 12th century...

Dambach-la-Ville

Dambach-la-Ville—the largest wine-producing village along the Alsace Wine Road—is protected by ramparts and three imposing 13th-century gateways. It's particularly rich in high-roof, half-timber houses from...

Port-Grimaud

Although much of the coast has been targeted with new construction of extraordinary ugliness, this modern architect's version of a Provençal fishing village works. A...

Barr

Surrounded by vineyards that harvest some of the finest vintages of Sylvaner and Gewürztraminer wines, Barr is a thriving, semi-industrial town that has some charming...

Château-Thierry

Château-Thierry is best known as the birthplace of the French fabulist Jean de La Fontaine (1621–95). Built along the Marne River beneath the ruins of...

Dampierre

The unspoiled village of Dampierre is adorned with one of the most elegant family seats in the Ile-de-France...

Ste-Anne-la-Palud

One of the biggest draws on the Breton events calendar is the celebration of a religious festival known as a village pardon, replete with banners...

Vaucouleurs

Above the modest main street in the market town of Vaucouleurs, you can see ruins of Robert de Baudricourt's medieval castle and the Porte de...

Ancy-le-Franc

It may be strange to find a textbook example of the Italian Renaissance in Ancy-le-Franc, but in mid-16th-century France the court had taken up this...

Biron

Dominated by the graceful Château de Biron, this time-burnished town offers a glimpse of life in the past lane...

Langeais

Sometimes unjustly overlooked, the Château de Langeais—a castle in the true sense of the word—will particularly delight those who dream of knights in shining armor...

Villars-les-Dombes

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Auray

The ancient town of Auray grew up along the banks of the Loch River and is best admired from the Promenade du Loch overlooking the...

Château de Sully

This magnificent château is landmarked by four lantern-topped corner towers that loom over a romantic moat filled with the waters of the River Drée. Birthplace...

Bourg-St-Maurice

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Abbaye de Fontenay

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Hauterives

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La Scala di Santa Regina

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Privas

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Centuri

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Meaux

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Erbalunga

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Filitosa

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Lama

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La Porta

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Sauveterre-de-Bearn

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Rochecorbon

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Thonon-les-Bains

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St-Florent

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Vaux-le-Vicomte

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Cateri

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L'Ile Rousse

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Marmoutier

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Annonay

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Grande Chartreuse

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Porto and Calanches di Piana (Calanques de Piana)

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Quenza

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Chateau de Chenonceaux

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Beaugency

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Ars-sur-Formans

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Moret-sur-Loing

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Morosaglia

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L'Arbresle

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Murato

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Montelimar

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Sartene

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Montfort-L'Amaury

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Ste-Lucie-de-Tallano

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Medan

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Corps

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Marly-le-Roi

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Asco and Haut-Asco

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Maisons-Laffitte

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Aleria

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Dreux

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Provins

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Aix-les-Bains

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Évian-les-Bains

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Serrieres

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Houdan

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Saverne

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Ota

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Mont-Ste-Odile

Rising 2,500 feet, Mont-Ste-Odile has been an important religious and military site for 3,000 years...

Patrimonio

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Breteuil

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Nonza

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San Martino di Lota

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Poissy

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Calenzana

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Piedicroce

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Albertville

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Ermenonville

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Paris

Paris is one of the most beautiful cities on earth, a truth easily appreciated on a stroll that could yield one stunning vista after another...

Provence

Wander past the canopied café terraces, wizened olive groves, and austere cypresses of Provence and you’ll start to realize you can’t shake off a sense...

The French Riviera

This sprawl of pebble beaches and zillion-dollar houses has always captivated sun lovers and socialites. Today's admirers know not to miss the Côte d'Azur's textbook...

Nice and the Eastern Cote d'Azur

With the Alps and pre-Alps playing bodyguard against inland winds, and the sultry Mediterranean warming the sea breezes, the eastern slice of the Côte d'Azur...

Aix, Marseille, and the Central Coast

When you cross the imaginary border into Provence for the first time, you may experience a niggling sense of déjà vu. The sun-drenched angular red...

The Vaucluse

For many, the Vaucluse is the only true Provence—one vast Cézanne masterpiece, where sun-bleached hills and fields are tapestries of green-and-black grapevines and silver-gray olives...

Lyon and the Alps

Lyon and the Alps are as alike as chocolate and broccoli. Lyon is fast, congested, and saturated with culture. In the bustling city—often called the...

Toulouse and the Languedoc

Like the most celebrated dish of this area, cassoulet, the southwestern region of France is made up of diverse ingredients. Just as it would be...

Brittany

Wherever you wander in Brittany—along jagged coastal cliffs, through cobbled seaport streets, into time-burnished cider pubs—you'll hear the primal pulse of Celtic music. Made up...

The Alpilles, Arles, and the Camargue

...

Side Trips from Paris

Just what is it that makes the Ile-de-France so attractive, so comfortingly familiar? Is it its proximity to the great city of Paris—or perhaps that...

Normandy

Normandy—shaped roughly like a jigsaw puzzle piece—sprawls across France’s northwestern corner. Due to its geographic position, this region is blessed with a stunning natural beauty...

The Loire Valley

A fairy-tale realm par excellence, the Loire Valley is studded with storybook villages, time-burnished towns, and—bien sûr—the famous châteaux de la Loire. These postcard staples...

Burgundy

Producing a rarefied concentration of what many consider the world's greatest wines and harboring a sigh-worthy collection of magnificent Romanesque abbeys, Burgundy hardly needs to...

Alsace-Lorraine

Only the Rhine separates Germany from Alsace-Lorraine, a region that often looks German and even sounds German. But its heart—just to prove how deceptive appearances...

The Western Cote d'Azur

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Corsica

"The best way to know Corsica," according to Napoléon, "is to be born there." Not everyone has had his luck, so chances are you'll be...

The Dordogne

Want to smile happily ever after? Linger in a fantasyland full of castles, clifftop châteaux, and storybook villages? Join the club. Since the 1990s the...

Lyon

The city's setting at the confluence of the Saône and the Rhône is a spectacular riverine landscape overlooked from the heights to the west by...

The Basque Country, Gascony, and Hautes-Pyrenees

Several years back, a mayor in the province of Soule welcomed a group of travelers with the following announcements: the Basque Country is the most...

Bordeaux and the Wine Country

When travelers arrive here, Bordeaux's countryside enchants them without their quite knowing why: what the French call la douceur de vivre (the sweetness of living)...

Champagne Country

As you head toward Reims, the landscape loosens and undulates, and the hills tantalize with French vineyards that—thanks to la méthode champenoise—produce the world's antidote...

Toulouse

Ebullient Toulouse is the capital of the Midi-Pyrénées and the fourth-largest city in France. Just 100 km (60 miles) from the border with Spain, Toulouse...

Bordeaux

Bordeaux as a whole, rather than any particular points within it, is what you'll want to visit in order to understand why Victor Hugo described...

Dijon

You may never have been to Dijon but you've certainly tasted it. Many of the gastronomic specialties that originated here are known worldwide. They include...

Ajaccio

Considered Corsica’s primary commercial and cultural hub, the largest city and regional capital of Ajaccio is situated on the west coast of the island, approximately...

Strasbourg

Although it’s in the heart of Alsace, 490 km (304 miles) east of Paris, and draws appealingly on Alsatian gemütlichkeit (coziness), Strasbourg is a cosmopolitan...

Versailles

It's hard to tell which is larger at Château de Versailles—the world-famous château that housed Louis XIV and 20,000 of his courtiers, or the mass...

Nancy

For architectural variety, few French locales match this one in the heart of Lorraine, 300 km (190 miles) east of Paris. Medieval ornamentation, 18th-century grandeur...

Nantes

The writer Stendhal remarked of 19th-century Nantes, "I hadn't taken 20 steps before I recognized a great city." Since then, the river that flowed around...

Rouen

“O Rouen, art thou then to be my final abode!" was the agonized cry of Joan of Arc as the English dragged her out to...

Grenoble

Capital of the Dauphiné region, Grenoble sits at the confluence of the Isère and Drac rivers and lies within three massifs (mountain ranges): La Chartreuse...

Biarritz

Biarritz may no longer lay claim to the title "the resort of kings and the king of resorts," but there's no shortage of deluxe hotel...

Montpellier

The vibrant capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, Montpellier (pronounced "monh-pell-yay") has been a center of commerce and learning since the Middle Ages, when it was...

Rennes

Rennes (pronounced "wren") is the capital of and traditional gateway to this region. It’s also one of Brittany’s liveliest cities, thanks to the 40,000-odd students...

Reims

Behind a facade of austerity, Champagne’s largest city remains one of France's richest tourist sites, thanks especially to the fact that it sparkles with some...

Colmar

Forget that much of Colmar's architecture is modern (because of the destruction wrought by World Wars I and II): its Vieille Ville heart—an atmospheric maze...

Bastia

Notably more Italianate than the French-influenced Ajaccio, Bastia is quintessentially Corsican. The Baroque coastal town has a historic center that retains the timeless, salty flavor...

St-Malo

Thrust out into the sea and bound to the mainland only by tenuous man-made causeways, romantic St-Malo has built a reputation as a breeding ground...

Beaune

Beaune is sometimes considered the wine capital of Burgundy because it is at the heart of the region's vineyards, with the Côte de Nuits to...

Perpignan

Salvador Dalí once called Perpignan's train station "the center of the world." That may not be true, but the city certainly is the capital hub...

Tours

Home to about 150,000 residents, Tours is the region's largest city and its commercial center. Vacationers concerned only with the quaint may be put off...

Albi

Toulouse-Lautrec's native Albi is a busy, beautifully preserved provincial market town. In its heyday Albi was a major center for the Cathars, members of a...

Annecy

Sparkling Annecy is on crystal clear Lac d'Annecy, surrounded by snow-tipped peaks. Though the canals, flower-decked bridges, and cobbled pedestrian streets are filled with shoppers...

Orleans

Surrounded by locales renowned for their beauty, it’s little wonder that Orléans once suffered from an inferiority complex. A century ago ham-fisted urban planners razed...

Bonifacio

The ancient fortress town of Bonifacio occupies a spectacular clifftop aerie above a harbor carved from limestone cliffs. It's 13 km (8 miles) from Sardinia...

Caen

Basically a modern commercial and administrative center with a vibrant student scene, Caen—the capital of Lower Normandy—is very different from the coastal resorts. Atmospheric castles...

Calvi

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Quimper

Quimper (pronounced "cam-pair") owes its strange name to its site at the confluence (kemper in Breton) of the Odet and Steir Rivers. A traditional crowd-puller...

Chartres

If Versailles is the climax of French secular architecture, Chartres is its religious apogee. All the descriptive prose and poetry that have been lavished on...

Troyes

The inhabitants of Troyes would be dismayed if you mistook them for Burgundians. After all, Troyes is the historic capital of the counts of Champagne...

Carcassonne

Poised atop a hill overlooking lush green countryside and the Aude River, Carcassonne’s fortified upper town, known as La Cité, looks lifted from the pages...

St-Émilion

Suddenly the sun-fired flatlands of Pomerol break into hills and send you tumbling into St-Émilion. This jewel of a town has old buildings of golden...

Sarlat-la-Canéda

Tucked among hills adorned with corn and wheat, Sarlat is a well-preserved medieval town that has managed to retain some of its true character, despite...

Deauville-Trouville

Divided only by the River Touques, the twin beach towns of Deauville and Trouville are distinctly different in character. The latter, arguably France’s oldest seaside...

Pau

The stunning views, mild climate, and elegance of Pau—the historic capital of Béarn, a state annexed to France in 1620—make it a lovely place to...

Nuits-St-Georges

Wine has been made in Nuits-St-Georges since Roman times; its "dry, tonic, and generous qualities" were recommended to Louis XIV for medicinal use. But this...

Corte

Set amid spectacular cliffs and gorges at the confluence of the Tavignano, Restonica, and Orta Rivers, Corte is the spiritual heart and soul of Corsica...

Amboise

It is hardly surprising that this hub town is considered a must-see on any Val de Loire itinerary. Crowned by a royal château that’s soaked...

Blaye

The impressive UNESCO-listed Blaye Citadel, built in the 17th century by Louis XIV's star engineer, Sébastien Vauban, is one of the three forts that make...

Conflans-Sainte-Honorine

In the case of picturesque Conflans Sainte-Honorine, set at the confluence of the Oise and Seine Rivers, geography and destiny are inextricably linked. The town's...

Les Andelys

Set on a curvacious bend in the Seine, 25 miles from Rouen, historically rich Les Andelys is crowned by the spectacular ruins of King Richard...

Les Eyzies-de-Tayac

Sitting comfortably under a limestone cliff, Les Eyzies is the doorway to the prehistoric capital of France. Early Homo sapiens (the species to which we...

Lille

Born from the ancient marshes that gave its name (from the Latin "insula" for island), Lille is the 10th largest city in France and sports...

Saumur

You'll find putting up with the locals’ legendary snobisme well worth it once you get a gander at Saumur's centre historique, a camera-ready quarter studded...

Dinard

The most elegant resort town on this stretch of the Brittany coast, Dinard enjoys a picture-book perch on the Rance Estuary opposite the walled town...

Mont-St-Michel

Mont-St-Michel is the third-most-visited sight in France, after the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. This beached mass of granite, rising some 400 feet, was begun...

Honfleur

Honfleur, the most picturesque of the Côte Fleurie's seaside towns, is a time-burnished place with a surplus of half-timber houses and cobbled streets that are...

Prades

It may be easy to bypass Prades en route to the region's high peaks, but to do so would mean missing out on this authentic...

Senlis

Senlis is an exceptionally well-preserved medieval town with a crooked maze of streets dominated by the svelte, soaring spire of its Gothic cathedral. For a...

Viviers

The lovely pale-stone buildings of Viviers, presided over by a graceful hilltop cathedral, create a dreamlike vision from the vantage point of the river on...

Lourdes

The mountain town of Lourdes is arguably the most famous Catholic pilgrimage site in the world, but its origins are decidedly humble and its renown...

Collioure

The fishing village where famed painters Henri Matisse, André Derain, and the Fauvists committed chromatic mayhem in the early 20th century, Collioure is still the...

Cherbourg

Perhaps best known for Michel Legrand's haunting theme from the 1960s film musical Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg), Cherbourg-Octeville is no longer...

Belle-Ile-en-Mer

Covering 84 square km (32 square miles), Belle-Ile is the largest of Brittany's islands; and, as its name implies, it is beautiful. Being less commercialized...

Vienne

If you do nothing but head up to this town's famed Roman Theater and look out over the red-tile roofs of the Rhône Valley, you'll...

Chamonix–Mont-Blanc

Chamonix is the oldest and biggest of the French winter-sports resort towns and was the site of the first Winter Olympics, held in 1924. As...

Fontainebleau

Like Chambord in the Loire Valley or Compiègne to the north, Fontainebleau was a favorite spot for royal hunting parties long before the construction of...

Giverny

The small village of Giverny (pronounced "jee-vair-knee"), just beyond the Epte River, which marks the boundary of the Ile-de-France, has become a place of pilgrimage...

Cahors

Just an hour north of Toulouse (southwestern France's main city), Cahors makes a fine base for exploring the Lot River valley. Less touristy and populated...

Périgueux

For anyone tired of bucolic delights, even a short visit to the region’s capital can provide a restorative urban fix. Since Périgueux is the commercial...

Rocamadour

A medieval village that seems to defy the laws of gravity, Rocamadour surges out of a cliff 1,500 feet above the Alzou River gorge—an awe-inspiring...

St-Jean-de-Luz

Back in 1660, Louis XIV chose this tiny fishing village as the place to marry the Infanta Maria Teresa of Spain. Ever since, travelers have...

St-Germain-en-Laye

Encircled by forest and perched behind Le Nôtre's Grande Terrace overlooking the Seine, this idyllic town has lost little of its original cachet—despite the invasion...

Vézelay

In the 11th and 12th centuries Vézelay was one of the most important places of pilgrimage in the Christian world. Today the hilltop village is...

Pont-Aven

This lovely village sits astride the Aven River as it descends from the Montagnes Noires to the sea, turning the town's mills along the way...

Fecamp

Founded in the 10th century as a fishing port (the name is a Germanic form of "fish"), Fécamp still relies on the sea for its...

Cadillac

The remnants of Cadillac's medieval fortifications still surround parts of this picturesque port town, founded in 1280, but the star attraction is the stately Château...

Chantilly

Celebrated for lace, cream, and the most beautiful medieval manuscript in the world—Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry—romantic Chantilly has a host of...

Amiens

Although Amiens showcases some pretty brazen postwar reconstruction, epitomized by Auguste Perret's 340-foot Tour Perret (a soaring concrete stump by the train station), the city...

Obernai

Many visitors begin their trip down the Route du Vin at Obernai, a thriving, colorful Renaissance market town named for the patron saint of Alsace...

Bergerac

Yes, this is the Bergerac of Cyrano de Bergerac fame—but not exactly. The real satirist and playwright Cyrano (1619–55), who inspired Edmond Rostand's long-nose swashbuckler...

Autun

One of the most richly endowed villes d'art in Burgundy, Autun is a great draw for fans of both Gallo-Roman and Romanesque art. The name...

Béziers

Béziers—centerpiece of the Canal du Midi and the Languedoc's capital du vin (crowds flock in for tastings during the October wine harvest festival)—owes its reputation...

Rambouillet

Haughty Rambouillet, once favored by kings and dukes, is now home to affluent gentry and, occasionally, the French president...

Blois

Perched on a steep hillside overlooking the Loire, the bustling big town of Blois is a convenient base, well served by train and highway. A...

Bayonne

Located at the confluence of the Adour and Nive Rivers, Bayonne was a Roman castrum (fort) in the 4th century and an English colony from...

Angers

The bustling city of Angers, on the banks of the Maine River just north of the Loire, has a fine Gothic cathedral, a tempting selection...

Chinon

Chinon—the birthplace of author François Rabelais (1494–1553)—is dominated by a 12th-century castle, perched imposingly above the River Vienne. But its leading photo op is the...

Bayeux

Bayeux makes a fine starting point for excursions to nearby World War II sites. Despite being close to scenes of such destruction, Bayeux itself was...

The D-Day Beaches

History set its sights along the coasts of Normandy at 6:30 am on June 6, 1944, as the 135,000 men and 20,000 vehicles of the...

Bourg sur Gironde

Built on a rocky promontory where the Dordogne River splits off from the mighty Garonne, this picturesque town's narrow alleyways and ancient buildings—all hewn from...

Narbonne

In Roman times, bustling, industrial Narbonne was the second-largest town in Gaul (after Lyon) and an important port, though today little remains of its Roman...

Méribel

No building can be taller than the surrounding trees in this mountainside village, so Méribel feels tucked away in the forest. All the architecture must...

Sare

The much-prized and picturesque village of Sare, described by author Pierre Loti in his Ramuntxo as a virtually autonomous Eden, is built around a large...

Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris is probably not what you've traveled to France for. But if you have a child in tow, the promise of a day with...

Ribeauville

The beautiful half-timber town of Ribeauvillé, surrounded by rolling vineyards and three imposing châteaux, produces some of the best wines in Alsace. (The Trimbach family...

Cancale

Nothing says Brittany like seafood and nothing says seafood like this fishing village, one of the most picturesque in the region. Renowned for its offshore...

Valence

...

Beauvais

Beauvais and its neighbor Amiens have been rivals since the 13th century, when they locked horns over who could build the bigger cathedral. Beauvais lost—gloriously...

Étretat

Midway along Normandy's Alabaster Coast, Étretat might not at first seem worthy of a detour. However, its end-of-the-world location, its spectacular stone formations famously immortalized...

Cordes-sur-Ciel

A must-stop for many travelers, the picture-book hilltop town of Cordes-sur-Ciel appears to hover in midair when mists steal up from the Cérou Valley below...

Épernay

Although Reims loudly proclaims itself to be the last word in Champagne production, Épernay—on the south bank of the Marne—is really the center of the...

Dinan

During the frequent wars that devastated other cities in the Middle Ages, the merchants who ruled Dinan got rich selling stuff to whichever camp had...

Chambord

The "Versailles" of the 16th century and the largest of the Loire châteaux, the Château de Chambord is the kind of place William Randolph Hearst...

Megève

The smartest of the Mont Blanc stations, idyllic Alpine Megève is not only a major ski resort but also a chic winter watering hole that...

La Baule

La Baule is a popular resort town that once rivaled Biarritz. Today it leans toward the tacky rather than the sophisticated, but you still can’t...

Val Thorens

Skiing is this bustling resort town's raison d'être, so it's no surprise that lifts and gondolas fan out in every direction and that many of...

Pauillac

Pauillac lays claim to three of the five Bordeaux grands crus—Lafite Rothschild, Latour, and Mouton Rothschild. It's said that Pauillac wines are textbook Bordeaux in...

Céret

The "Barbizon of Cubism," Céret achieved immortality when leading artists found the small Catalan town irresistible at the beginning of the 20th century. Here in...

Eugénie-les-Bains

Empress Eugénie popularized the region's thermal baths at the end of the 19th century, and in return the villagers named this town after her. Then...

Laon

Thanks to its awe-inducing hilltop site and the forest of towers sprouting from its ancient cathedral, lofty Laon basks in the title of the "Crowned...

Porticcio

Between the sea and mountain, this upscale resort town a short scenic drive from the capital benefits from unforgettable views and a palette of nautical...

Courchevel

The gondolas here are covered with ads for Chanel—your first clue that Courchevel caters to an upscale clientele. The gently curving streets are lined with...

Fontevraud-l'Abbaye

A refreshing break from the worldly grandeur of châteaux, the small village of Fontevraud is crowned with the largest abbey in France—a magnificent complex of...

Bourg-en-Bresse

Cheerful, flower-festooned Bourg-en-Bresse is esteemed among gastronomes for its chickens—the striking-looking poulet de Bresse, with plump white bodies, bright blue feet, and red combs (adding...

Auvers-sur-Oise

The tranquil Oise River valley retains much of the charm that attracted Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne, Camille Corot, Charles-François Daubigny, and Berthe Morisot to Auvers-sur-Oise...

Porto Vecchio

With a compact Old Town of cobblestone streets lined with charming buildings, a modern marina teeming with yachts, and white-sand beaches lapped by turquoise water...

Beynac-et-Cazenac

One of the most picturesque sights in the Dordogne is the medieval castle that sits atop the wonderfully restored town of Beynac...

Compiegne

This bustling town of some 40,000 people sits at the northern limit of the Forêt de Compiègne (Compiègne Forest). The former royal hunting lodge here...

St-Jean-Pied-de-Port

St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a fortified town on the Nive River, got its name from its position at the foot (pied) of the mountain pass (port) of Roncevaux...

Chablis

The pretty village of Chablis is poised amid the hillside vineyards that produce its famous white wine on the banks of the River Serein and...

Cluny

The village of Cluny is legendary for its medieval abbey, once the center of a vast Christian empire. Although most of the complex was destroyed...

Auxerre

Auxerre is an evocative, architecturally interesting town with a trio of imposing churches perched above the Yonne River and an ample supply of antique houses...

Sens

Pretty Sens enjoys a "four-leaf" ranking as a ville fleurie, or floral city—and you’ll understand why when you see the Moulin à Tan (a gorgeous...

Vannes

Scene of the declaration of unity between France and Brittany in 1532, Vannes is one of the few towns in the region to have been...

Le Havre

Considering it was bombarded 146 times during World War II, you might think there’d be little left to see in Le Havre—France's second-largest port (after...

Concarneau

Concarneau may be an industrial town known for sardine packaging, but its 17th-century Vauban-designed Ville Close ranks among the most picturesque sites in Brittany...

Saulieu

Saulieu's reputation belies its size: it's renowned for good food (Rabelais, that roly-poly 16th-century man of letters, extolled its gargantuan hospitality) and for Christmas trees...

Vitre

There's still a feel of the Middle Ages about the formidable castle, tightly packed half-timber houses, remaining ramparts, and dark alleyways of Vitré (pronounced "vee-tray")...

Beaujolais Wine Route

Not all Beaujolais wine is promoted as vin nouveau (new wine), despite the highly successful marketing campaign that has made Beaujolais Nouveau synonymous with French...

Soissons

Although this was a major city in medieval times, the ravages of the French Revolution and World War I left little of it intact. Nowadays...

Sélestat

Sélestat, midway between Strasbourg and Colmar, is a lively, historic town with a Romanesque church and a library of medieval manuscripts (the latter of which...

Tournon-Sur-Rhone

Located on the banks of the Rhone, Tournon-Sur-Rhône has a long history that stretches back to 817, when written mention of the town "Turnone" was...

Carnac

At the north end of Quiberon Bay, Carnac is known for its expansive beaches and its ancient stone monuments: "standing stones," called menhirs, that were...

Châlons-en-Champagne

The administrative capital of the Marne and the Champagne region is famous for its Blanc de Blancs vineyards. The town center, crisscrossed with canals and...

Val d'Isère

Men's downhill racing was held in Val d'Isère during the 1992 Winter Olympics, and since then it's been a must-see for skiers wanting to challenge...

Gavarnie

Geologists point to the natural wonder that is the Cirque de Gavarnie as one of the world's most formidable examples of the effects of glacial...

Ainhoa

The Basque village of Ainhoa, officially selected by the national tourist ministry as one of the prettiest in France, is a showcase for the Labourd...

Monpazier

Built in ocher-color stone by English king Edward I in 1284 to protect the southern flank of his French possessions, Monpazier, on the tiny Dropt...

Lascaux

Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, Lascaux is one of the world's great galleries of Paleolithic art, a mysterious remnant that scientists still...

Barbizon

On the western edge of the 62,000-acre Forest of Fontainebleau, the village of Barbizon retains its time-stained allure despite the intrusion of art galleries, souvenir...

St-Cirq-Lapopie

Poised on the edge of a cliff 330 feet up, sublime St-Cirq (pronounced "san-seer") looks as though it could slide right into the Lot River...

Azay-le-Rideau

A largish town surrounding a sylvan dell on the banks of the River Indre, pleasant Azay-le-Rideau is famed for its white-wall Renaissance pleasure palace, called...

Chaumont-sur-Loire

Once belonging to Catherine de' Medici, this dramatic hilltop château combines Gothic fortifications with Renaissance style. After touring the stunning interior, be sure to explore...

Clos de Vougeot

The reason to come to Vougeot is to see its grange viticole (wine-making barn) surrounded by its famous vineyard—a symbolic spot for all Burgundy aficionados...

Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte

A manifesto for French 17th-century splendor, the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte was built between 1656 and 1661 by finance minister Nicolas Fouquet. The construction program was...

Trébeurden

Trébeurden is one of the highlights of the Côtes d'Armor. A pleasant fishing village that’s popular with summer vacationers, it offers access to the rosy...

Brantôme

When the reclusive monks of the abbey of Brantôme decided the inhabitants of the village were getting too inquisitive, they dug a canal between themselves...

Cheverny

Though not always included on the list of the upper-echelon Loire Valley superstars, the Château de Cheverny is a rare and beautiful example of early-17th-century...

Lorient

France’s most exotically named town was founded by Jean-Baptiste Colbert in 1666 as a base for the Compagnie des Indes, which sent ships from here...

Douarnenez

Douarnenez is a quaint old fishing town with quayside paths and zigzagging narrow streets. Boats come in from the Atlantic to unload their catches of...

Margaux

Margaux is home to the eponymous appellation that landed more châteaux in the original wine classification of 1855 than any other in Bordeaux. The appellation...

Riquewihr

With its unique once-upon-a-timeliness, Riquewihr is the Wine Road's pièce de résistance and a living museum of old Alsace's quaint architecture. Its steep main street...

Épinal

On the Moselle River at the feet of the Vosges, Épinal, a printing center since 1735, is famous throughout France for boldly colored prints, popular...

Arromanches-les-Bains

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Granville

Proud locals like to call Granville the "Monaco of the North" for its seawater therapy center and casino, but gambling aside, Granville still has a...

St-Lo

St-Lô, perched dramatically on a rocky spur above the Vire Valley, was a key communications center that suffered so badly in World War II it...

Chambéry

As for centuries—when it was the crossroads for merchants from Germany, Italy, and the Middle East—elegant old Chambéry remains the region's shopping hub. Townspeople congregate...

Vernet-les-Bains

Many notables—including English writer Rudyard Kipling—have come to take the cure at this long-established spa town, which is dwarfed by imposing Mont Canigou...

Chenonceaux

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Monbazillac

The hilltop village of Monbazillac provides spectacular views of the sweet-wine–producing vineyards tumbling toward the Dordogne River...

Usse-Rigny

The Loire Valley is blessed with an abundance of eye-popping châteaux, but the fairest of them all is here. The Château d'Ussé, inspiration for Charles...

Villandry

The Château de Villandry is one of the best examples of Renaissance-era garden design in France...

Maintenon

The beautiful Château de Maintenon was the home of Louis XIV's unacknowledged second wife. Its splendid Le Nôtre–designed gardens and graceful aqueduct are as pretty...

Domme

Stunning views aside, the clifftop village of Domme offers a hefty dose of history. Some of its fortified walls and doors, dating back to 1280...

Courances

Set within one of the most lavish water gardens in Europe, the Château de Courances is a byword for beauty and style...

Pas de Roland

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L'Épine

Legend has it that in the Middle Ages some shepherds herding their flock down from pasture found a statue of the Virgin in a burning...

Montbard

Attractions in this modest town on the banks of the Brenne River include an Ursuline convent that’s been converted into a Musée des Beaux-Arts and...

Pontoise

A pleasant old town on the banks of the Oise, Pontoise is famous for its link with the Impressionists...

Vernon

The Vieille Ville of Vernon, on the Seine, has a medieval church, which Monet painted from across the river, and several fine timber-frame houses (the...

Pierrefonds

Dominating the attractive lakeside village of Pierrefonds, a former spa resort, is its immense ersatz medieval castle...

Meung-sur-Loire

This tiny, sleepy village's maze of medieval streets and charming half-timbered houses have a literary past. Described by Alexandre Dumas in The Three Musketeers, this...

Paimpol

Paimpol is one of the liveliest fishing ports in the area and a good base for exploring the pink-granite rocks that have made this part...

Pérouges

With its medieval houses and narrow cobbled streets surrounded by ramparts, wonderfully preserved Pérouges is only 200 yards across. Handweavers first brought it prosperity; but...

Montlouis-sur-Loire

Montlouis—like Vouvray, its sister town on the north side of the Loire—is noted for white wines, and you can learn all about the vintages produced...

Combourg

The pretty lakeside village of Combourg is dominated by Château de Combourg, the boyhood home of Romantic writer Viscount René de Chateaubriand (1768–1848)...

Sache

A crook in the road, a Gothic church, the centuries-old Auberge du XIIe Siècle, an Alexander Calder stabile (the great American sculptor created a modern...

L'Isle-Adam

Despite its actual proximity, this exclusive residential enclave feels far removed from Paris. The town has a sandy beach along one stretch of the River...

Andlau

This small, yet important, wine town in the Andlau River valley is surrounded by the Vosges mountains. Its historic center has several noteworthy houses dating...

Domremy-la-Pucelle

Joan of Arc was born in a cottage here in either 1411 or 1412. You can see her birthplace, as well as the church where...

La Roque-Gageac

Across the Dordogne from Domme, in the direction of Beynac, one of the best-restored villages in the valley is huddled romantically beneath a cliff. Crafts...

Ste-Mère Église

Sainte-Mère's symbolic importance as the first French village to be liberated from the Nazis is commemorated by the Borne 0 (Zero) outside the town hall—a...

Cauterets

Cauterets—which derives from the word for hot springs in the local bigourdan dialect—is a spa resort town set high in the Pyrénées. It has been...

Cliousclat

...

Hautefort

The reason to come to Hautefort is its castle, which presents a forbiddingly arrogant face to the world...

Pigna

The village of Pigna is dedicated to bringing back traditional Corsican music and crafts. Here you can listen to folk songs in cafés, visit workshops...

Thoiry

Thoiry is most famous for its 16th-century château, with beautiful gardens, a wild-animal preserve, and a gastronomy museum. The village makes an excellent day trip...

Rueil-Malmaison

Rueil-Malmaison is a slightly dreary western suburb of Paris, but the memory of Napoléon and Joséphine still haunts its neoclassical château...

Salses

Salses has a history of sieges. History relates that Hannibal stormed through the town with his elephants on his way to the Alps in 218...

Tanlay

Built along the banks of the Canal de Bourgogne, Tanlay is a sleepy village that’s best known for the Renaissance-style château that sits slap-bang in...

Haut-Koenigsbourg

One of the most popular spots in Alsace is the romantic, crag-top castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg, originally built as a fortress in the 12th century...

Dambach-la-Ville

Port-Grimaud

Although much of the coast has been targeted with new construction of extraordinary ugliness, this modern architect's version of a Provençal fishing village works. A...

Barr

Surrounded by vineyards that harvest some of the finest vintages of Sylvaner and Gewürztraminer wines, Barr is a thriving, semi-industrial town that has some charming...

Château-Thierry

Château-Thierry is best known as the birthplace of the French fabulist Jean de La Fontaine (1621–95). Built along the Marne River beneath the ruins of...

Dampierre

The unspoiled village of Dampierre is adorned with one of the most elegant family seats in the Ile-de-France...

Ste-Anne-la-Palud

One of the biggest draws on the Breton events calendar is the celebration of a religious festival known as a village pardon, replete with banners...

Vaucouleurs

Above the modest main street in the market town of Vaucouleurs, you can see ruins of Robert de Baudricourt's medieval castle and the Porte de...

Ancy-le-Franc

It may be strange to find a textbook example of the Italian Renaissance in Ancy-le-Franc, but in mid-16th-century France the court had taken up this...

Biron

Dominated by the graceful Château de Biron, this time-burnished town offers a glimpse of life in the past lane...

Langeais

Sometimes unjustly overlooked, the Château de Langeais—a castle in the true sense of the word—will particularly delight those who dream of knights in shining armor...

Villars-les-Dombes

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Auray

The ancient town of Auray grew up along the banks of the Loch River and is best admired from the Promenade du Loch overlooking the...

Château de Sully

This magnificent château is landmarked by four lantern-topped corner towers that loom over a romantic moat filled with the waters of the River Drée. Birthplace...

Bourg-St-Maurice

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Abbaye de Fontenay

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Hauterives

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La Scala di Santa Regina

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Privas

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Centuri

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Meaux

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Erbalunga

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Filitosa

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Lama

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La Porta

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Sauveterre-de-Bearn

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Rochecorbon

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Thonon-les-Bains

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St-Florent

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Vaux-le-Vicomte

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Cateri

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L'Ile Rousse

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Marmoutier

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Annonay

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Grande Chartreuse

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Porto and Calanches di Piana (Calanques de Piana)

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Quenza

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Chateau de Chenonceaux

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Beaugency

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Ars-sur-Formans

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Moret-sur-Loing

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Morosaglia

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L'Arbresle

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Murato

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Montelimar

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Sartene

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Montfort-L'Amaury

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Ste-Lucie-de-Tallano

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Medan

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Corps

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Marly-le-Roi

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Asco and Haut-Asco

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Maisons-Laffitte

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Aleria

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Dreux

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Provins

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Aix-les-Bains

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Évian-les-Bains

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Serrieres

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Houdan

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Saverne

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Ota

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Mont-Ste-Odile

Rising 2,500 feet, Mont-Ste-Odile has been an important religious and military site for 3,000 years...

Patrimonio

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Breteuil

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Nonza

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San Martino di Lota

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Poissy

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Calenzana

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Piedicroce

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Albertville

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Ermenonville

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Paris

Paris is one of the most beautiful cities on earth, a truth easily appreciated on a stroll that could yield one stunning vista after another...

Lyon

The city's setting at the confluence of the Saône and the Rhône is a spectacular riverine landscape overlooked from the heights to the west by...

Toulouse

Ebullient Toulouse is the capital of the Midi-Pyrénées and the fourth-largest city in France. Just 100 km (60 miles) from the border with Spain, Toulouse...

Bordeaux

Bordeaux as a whole, rather than any particular points within it, is what you'll want to visit in order to understand why Victor Hugo described...

Dijon

You may never have been to Dijon but you've certainly tasted it. Many of the gastronomic specialties that originated here are known worldwide. They include...

Versailles

It's hard to tell which is larger at Château de Versailles—the world-famous château that housed Louis XIV and 20,000 of his courtiers, or the mass...

Ajaccio

Considered Corsica’s primary commercial and cultural hub, the largest city and regional capital of Ajaccio is situated on the west coast of the island, approximately...

Strasbourg

Although it’s in the heart of Alsace, 490 km (304 miles) east of Paris, and draws appealingly on Alsatian gemütlichkeit (coziness), Strasbourg is a cosmopolitan...

Nancy

For architectural variety, few French locales match this one in the heart of Lorraine, 300 km (190 miles) east of Paris. Medieval ornamentation, 18th-century grandeur...

Nantes

The writer Stendhal remarked of 19th-century Nantes, "I hadn't taken 20 steps before I recognized a great city." Since then, the river that flowed around...

Rouen

“O Rouen, art thou then to be my final abode!" was the agonized cry of Joan of Arc as the English dragged her out to...

Grenoble

Capital of the Dauphiné region, Grenoble sits at the confluence of the Isère and Drac rivers and lies within three massifs (mountain ranges): La Chartreuse...

Biarritz

Biarritz may no longer lay claim to the title "the resort of kings and the king of resorts," but there's no shortage of deluxe hotel...

Montpellier

The vibrant capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, Montpellier (pronounced "monh-pell-yay") has been a center of commerce and learning since the Middle Ages, when it was...

Rennes

Rennes (pronounced "wren") is the capital of and traditional gateway to this region. It’s also one of Brittany’s liveliest cities, thanks to the 40,000-odd students...

Reims

Behind a facade of austerity, Champagne’s largest city remains one of France's richest tourist sites, thanks especially to the fact that it sparkles with some...

Colmar

Forget that much of Colmar's architecture is modern (because of the destruction wrought by World Wars I and II): its Vieille Ville heart—an atmospheric maze...

Bastia

Notably more Italianate than the French-influenced Ajaccio, Bastia is quintessentially Corsican. The Baroque coastal town has a historic center that retains the timeless, salty flavor...

St-Malo

Thrust out into the sea and bound to the mainland only by tenuous man-made causeways, romantic St-Malo has built a reputation as a breeding ground...

Beaune

Beaune is sometimes considered the wine capital of Burgundy because it is at the heart of the region's vineyards, with the Côte de Nuits to...

Perpignan

Salvador Dalí once called Perpignan's train station "the center of the world." That may not be true, but the city certainly is the capital hub...

Albi

Toulouse-Lautrec's native Albi is a busy, beautifully preserved provincial market town. In its heyday Albi was a major center for the Cathars, members of a...

Tours

Home to about 150,000 residents, Tours is the region's largest city and its commercial center. Vacationers concerned only with the quaint may be put off...

Bonifacio

The ancient fortress town of Bonifacio occupies a spectacular clifftop aerie above a harbor carved from limestone cliffs. It's 13 km (8 miles) from Sardinia...

Orleans

Surrounded by locales renowned for their beauty, it’s little wonder that Orléans once suffered from an inferiority complex. A century ago ham-fisted urban planners razed...

Annecy

Sparkling Annecy is on crystal clear Lac d'Annecy, surrounded by snow-tipped peaks. Though the canals, flower-decked bridges, and cobbled pedestrian streets are filled with shoppers...

Calvi

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Caen

Basically a modern commercial and administrative center with a vibrant student scene, Caen—the capital of Lower Normandy—is very different from the coastal resorts. Atmospheric castles...

Chartres

If Versailles is the climax of French secular architecture, Chartres is its religious apogee. All the descriptive prose and poetry that have been lavished on...

Troyes

The inhabitants of Troyes would be dismayed if you mistook them for Burgundians. After all, Troyes is the historic capital of the counts of Champagne...

Quimper

Quimper (pronounced "cam-pair") owes its strange name to its site at the confluence (kemper in Breton) of the Odet and Steir Rivers. A traditional crowd-puller...

Carcassonne

Poised atop a hill overlooking lush green countryside and the Aude River, Carcassonne’s fortified upper town, known as La Cité, looks lifted from the pages...

Pau

The stunning views, mild climate, and elegance of Pau—the historic capital of Béarn, a state annexed to France in 1620—make it a lovely place to...

Sarlat-la-Canéda

Tucked among hills adorned with corn and wheat, Sarlat is a well-preserved medieval town that has managed to retain some of its true character, despite...

Deauville-Trouville

Divided only by the River Touques, the twin beach towns of Deauville and Trouville are distinctly different in character. The latter, arguably France’s oldest seaside...

Amboise

It is hardly surprising that this hub town is considered a must-see on any Val de Loire itinerary. Crowned by a royal château that’s soaked...

Corte

Set amid spectacular cliffs and gorges at the confluence of the Tavignano, Restonica, and Orta Rivers, Corte is the spiritual heart and soul of Corsica...

St-Émilion

Suddenly the sun-fired flatlands of Pomerol break into hills and send you tumbling into St-Émilion. This jewel of a town has old buildings of golden...

Nuits-St-Georges

Wine has been made in Nuits-St-Georges since Roman times; its "dry, tonic, and generous qualities" were recommended to Louis XIV for medicinal use. But this...

Les Andelys

Set on a curvacious bend in the Seine, 25 miles from Rouen, historically rich Les Andelys is crowned by the spectacular ruins of King Richard...

Conflans-Sainte-Honorine

In the case of picturesque Conflans Sainte-Honorine, set at the confluence of the Oise and Seine Rivers, geography and destiny are inextricably linked. The town's...

Blaye

The impressive UNESCO-listed Blaye Citadel, built in the 17th century by Louis XIV's star engineer, Sébastien Vauban, is one of the three forts that make...

Les Eyzies-de-Tayac

Sitting comfortably under a limestone cliff, Les Eyzies is the doorway to the prehistoric capital of France. Early Homo sapiens (the species to which we...

Saumur

You'll find putting up with the locals’ legendary snobisme well worth it once you get a gander at Saumur's centre historique, a camera-ready quarter studded...

Prades

It may be easy to bypass Prades en route to the region's high peaks, but to do so would mean missing out on this authentic...

Dinard

The most elegant resort town on this stretch of the Brittany coast, Dinard enjoys a picture-book perch on the Rance Estuary opposite the walled town...

Mont-St-Michel

Mont-St-Michel is the third-most-visited sight in France, after the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. This beached mass of granite, rising some 400 feet, was begun...

Senlis

Senlis is an exceptionally well-preserved medieval town with a crooked maze of streets dominated by the svelte, soaring spire of its Gothic cathedral. For a...

Honfleur

Honfleur, the most picturesque of the Côte Fleurie's seaside towns, is a time-burnished place with a surplus of half-timber houses and cobbled streets that are...

Lille

Born from the ancient marshes that gave its name (from the Latin "insula" for island), Lille is the 10th largest city in France and sports...

Lourdes

The mountain town of Lourdes is arguably the most famous Catholic pilgrimage site in the world, but its origins are decidedly humble and its renown...

Viviers

The lovely pale-stone buildings of Viviers, presided over by a graceful hilltop cathedral, create a dreamlike vision from the vantage point of the river on...

St-Germain-en-Laye

Encircled by forest and perched behind Le Nôtre's Grande Terrace overlooking the Seine, this idyllic town has lost little of its original cachet—despite the invasion...

Fontainebleau

Like Chambord in the Loire Valley or Compiègne to the north, Fontainebleau was a favorite spot for royal hunting parties long before the construction of...

Cahors

Just an hour north of Toulouse (southwestern France's main city), Cahors makes a fine base for exploring the Lot River valley. Less touristy and populated...

Collioure

The fishing village where famed painters Henri Matisse, André Derain, and the Fauvists committed chromatic mayhem in the early 20th century, Collioure is still the...

Périgueux

For anyone tired of bucolic delights, even a short visit to the region’s capital can provide a restorative urban fix. Since Périgueux is the commercial...

Vienne

If you do nothing but head up to this town's famed Roman Theater and look out over the red-tile roofs of the Rhône Valley, you'll...

Giverny

The small village of Giverny (pronounced "jee-vair-knee"), just beyond the Epte River, which marks the boundary of the Ile-de-France, has become a place of pilgrimage...

Chamonix–Mont-Blanc

Chamonix is the oldest and biggest of the French winter-sports resort towns and was the site of the first Winter Olympics, held in 1924. As...

Cherbourg

Perhaps best known for Michel Legrand's haunting theme from the 1960s film musical Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg), Cherbourg-Octeville is no longer...

Rocamadour

A medieval village that seems to defy the laws of gravity, Rocamadour surges out of a cliff 1,500 feet above the Alzou River gorge—an awe-inspiring...

St-Jean-de-Luz

Back in 1660, Louis XIV chose this tiny fishing village as the place to marry the Infanta Maria Teresa of Spain. Ever since, travelers have...

Obernai

Many visitors begin their trip down the Route du Vin at Obernai, a thriving, colorful Renaissance market town named for the patron saint of Alsace...

Béziers

Béziers—centerpiece of the Canal du Midi and the Languedoc's capital du vin (crowds flock in for tastings during the October wine harvest festival)—owes its reputation...

Fecamp

Founded in the 10th century as a fishing port (the name is a Germanic form of "fish"), Fécamp still relies on the sea for its...

Cadillac

The remnants of Cadillac's medieval fortifications still surround parts of this picturesque port town, founded in 1280, but the star attraction is the stately Château...

Amiens

Although Amiens showcases some pretty brazen postwar reconstruction, epitomized by Auguste Perret's 340-foot Tour Perret (a soaring concrete stump by the train station), the city...

Vézelay

In the 11th and 12th centuries Vézelay was one of the most important places of pilgrimage in the Christian world. Today the hilltop village is...

Pont-Aven

This lovely village sits astride the Aven River as it descends from the Montagnes Noires to the sea, turning the town's mills along the way...

Autun

One of the most richly endowed villes d'art in Burgundy, Autun is a great draw for fans of both Gallo-Roman and Romanesque art. The name...

Rambouillet

Haughty Rambouillet, once favored by kings and dukes, is now home to affluent gentry and, occasionally, the French president...

Blois

Perched on a steep hillside overlooking the Loire, the bustling big town of Blois is a convenient base, well served by train and highway. A...

Chantilly

Celebrated for lace, cream, and the most beautiful medieval manuscript in the world—Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry—romantic Chantilly has a host of...

Bergerac

Yes, this is the Bergerac of Cyrano de Bergerac fame—but not exactly. The real satirist and playwright Cyrano (1619–55), who inspired Edmond Rostand's long-nose swashbuckler...

Méribel

No building can be taller than the surrounding trees in this mountainside village, so Méribel feels tucked away in the forest. All the architecture must...

Narbonne

In Roman times, bustling, industrial Narbonne was the second-largest town in Gaul (after Lyon) and an important port, though today little remains of its Roman...

Bayonne

Located at the confluence of the Adour and Nive Rivers, Bayonne was a Roman castrum (fort) in the 4th century and an English colony from...

Angers

The bustling city of Angers, on the banks of the Maine River just north of the Loire, has a fine Gothic cathedral, a tempting selection...

Bourg sur Gironde

Built on a rocky promontory where the Dordogne River splits off from the mighty Garonne, this picturesque town's narrow alleyways and ancient buildings—all hewn from...

Chinon

Chinon—the birthplace of author François Rabelais (1494–1553)—is dominated by a 12th-century castle, perched imposingly above the River Vienne. But its leading photo op is the...

Bayeux

Bayeux makes a fine starting point for excursions to nearby World War II sites. Despite being close to scenes of such destruction, Bayeux itself was...

Cordes-sur-Ciel

A must-stop for many travelers, the picture-book hilltop town of Cordes-sur-Ciel appears to hover in midair when mists steal up from the Cérou Valley below...

Céret

The "Barbizon of Cubism," Céret achieved immortality when leading artists found the small Catalan town irresistible at the beginning of the 20th century. Here in...

Megève

The smartest of the Mont Blanc stations, idyllic Alpine Megève is not only a major ski resort but also a chic winter watering hole that...

Beauvais

Beauvais and its neighbor Amiens have been rivals since the 13th century, when they locked horns over who could build the bigger cathedral. Beauvais lost—gloriously...

Chambord

The "Versailles" of the 16th century and the largest of the Loire châteaux, the Château de Chambord is the kind of place William Randolph Hearst...

Ribeauville

The beautiful half-timber town of Ribeauvillé, surrounded by rolling vineyards and three imposing châteaux, produces some of the best wines in Alsace. (The Trimbach family...

La Baule

La Baule is a popular resort town that once rivaled Biarritz. Today it leans toward the tacky rather than the sophisticated, but you still can’t...

Valence

...

Étretat

Midway along Normandy's Alabaster Coast, Étretat might not at first seem worthy of a detour. However, its end-of-the-world location, its spectacular stone formations famously immortalized...

Épernay

Although Reims loudly proclaims itself to be the last word in Champagne production, Épernay—on the south bank of the Marne—is really the center of the...

Dinan

During the frequent wars that devastated other cities in the Middle Ages, the merchants who ruled Dinan got rich selling stuff to whichever camp had...

Sancerre

You'll recognize this quaint medieval town, hewn from local white sandstone and set on a hilltop overlooking gentle rolling vineyards, by the wine that bears...

Cancale

Nothing says Brittany like seafood and nothing says seafood like this fishing village, one of the most picturesque in the region. Renowned for its offshore...

Val Thorens

Skiing is this bustling resort town's raison d'être, so it's no surprise that lifts and gondolas fan out in every direction and that many of...

Sare

The much-prized and picturesque village of Sare, described by author Pierre Loti in his Ramuntxo as a virtually autonomous Eden, is built around a large...

Pauillac

Pauillac lays claim to three of the five Bordeaux grands crus—Lafite Rothschild, Latour, and Mouton Rothschild. It's said that Pauillac wines are textbook Bordeaux in...

Chablis

The pretty village of Chablis is poised amid the hillside vineyards that produce its famous white wine on the banks of the River Serein and...

Bourg-en-Bresse

Cheerful, flower-festooned Bourg-en-Bresse is esteemed among gastronomes for its chickens—the striking-looking poulet de Bresse, with plump white bodies, bright blue feet, and red combs (adding...

Cluny

The village of Cluny is legendary for its medieval abbey, once the center of a vast Christian empire. Although most of the complex was destroyed...

Vannes

Scene of the declaration of unity between France and Brittany in 1532, Vannes is one of the few towns in the region to have been...

Sens

Pretty Sens enjoys a "four-leaf" ranking as a ville fleurie, or floral city—and you’ll understand why when you see the Moulin à Tan (a gorgeous...

Fontevraud-l'Abbaye

A refreshing break from the worldly grandeur of châteaux, the small village of Fontevraud is crowned with the largest abbey in France—a magnificent complex of...

Laon

Thanks to its awe-inducing hilltop site and the forest of towers sprouting from its ancient cathedral, lofty Laon basks in the title of the "Crowned...

Eugénie-les-Bains

Empress Eugénie popularized the region's thermal baths at the end of the 19th century, and in return the villagers named this town after her. Then...

Beynac-et-Cazenac

One of the most picturesque sights in the Dordogne is the medieval castle that sits atop the wonderfully restored town of Beynac...

Porticcio

Between the sea and mountain, this upscale resort town a short scenic drive from the capital benefits from unforgettable views and a palette of nautical...

St-Jean-Pied-de-Port

St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a fortified town on the Nive River, got its name from its position at the foot (pied) of the mountain pass (port) of Roncevaux...

Porto Vecchio

With a compact Old Town of cobblestone streets lined with charming buildings, a modern marina teeming with yachts, and white-sand beaches lapped by turquoise water...

Auxerre

Auxerre is an evocative, architecturally interesting town with a trio of imposing churches perched above the Yonne River and an ample supply of antique houses...

Courchevel

The gondolas here are covered with ads for Chanel—your first clue that Courchevel caters to an upscale clientele. The gently curving streets are lined with...

Auvers-sur-Oise

The tranquil Oise River valley retains much of the charm that attracted Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne, Camille Corot, Charles-François Daubigny, and Berthe Morisot to Auvers-sur-Oise...

Le Havre

Considering it was bombarded 146 times during World War II, you might think there’d be little left to see in Le Havre—France's second-largest port (after...

Compiegne

This bustling town of some 40,000 people sits at the northern limit of the Forêt de Compiègne (Compiègne Forest). The former royal hunting lodge here...

Monpazier

Built in ocher-color stone by English king Edward I in 1284 to protect the southern flank of his French possessions, Monpazier, on the tiny Dropt...

Lascaux

Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, Lascaux is one of the world's great galleries of Paleolithic art, a mysterious remnant that scientists still...

Sélestat

Sélestat, midway between Strasbourg and Colmar, is a lively, historic town with a Romanesque church and a library of medieval manuscripts (the latter of which...

Gavarnie

Geologists point to the natural wonder that is the Cirque de Gavarnie as one of the world's most formidable examples of the effects of glacial...

St-Cirq-Lapopie

Poised on the edge of a cliff 330 feet up, sublime St-Cirq (pronounced "san-seer") looks as though it could slide right into the Lot River...

Tournon-Sur-Rhone

Located on the banks of the Rhone, Tournon-Sur-Rhône has a long history that stretches back to 817, when written mention of the town "Turnone" was...

Val d'Isère

Men's downhill racing was held in Val d'Isère during the 1992 Winter Olympics, and since then it's been a must-see for skiers wanting to challenge...

Azay-le-Rideau

A largish town surrounding a sylvan dell on the banks of the River Indre, pleasant Azay-le-Rideau is famed for its white-wall Renaissance pleasure palace, called...

Saulieu

Saulieu's reputation belies its size: it's renowned for good food (Rabelais, that roly-poly 16th-century man of letters, extolled its gargantuan hospitality) and for Christmas trees...

Soissons

Although this was a major city in medieval times, the ravages of the French Revolution and World War I left little of it intact. Nowadays...

Châlons-en-Champagne

The administrative capital of the Marne and the Champagne region is famous for its Blanc de Blancs vineyards. The town center, crisscrossed with canals and...

Vitre

There's still a feel of the Middle Ages about the formidable castle, tightly packed half-timber houses, remaining ramparts, and dark alleyways of Vitré (pronounced "vee-tray")...

Carnac

At the north end of Quiberon Bay, Carnac is known for its expansive beaches and its ancient stone monuments: "standing stones," called menhirs, that were...

Beaujolais Wine Route

Not all Beaujolais wine is promoted as vin nouveau (new wine), despite the highly successful marketing campaign that has made Beaujolais Nouveau synonymous with French...

Concarneau

Concarneau may be an industrial town known for sardine packaging, but its 17th-century Vauban-designed Ville Close ranks among the most picturesque sites in Brittany...

Barbizon

On the western edge of the 62,000-acre Forest of Fontainebleau, the village of Barbizon retains its time-stained allure despite the intrusion of art galleries, souvenir...

Ainhoa

The Basque village of Ainhoa, officially selected by the national tourist ministry as one of the prettiest in France, is a showcase for the Labourd...

Lorient

France’s most exotically named town was founded by Jean-Baptiste Colbert in 1666 as a base for the Compagnie des Indes, which sent ships from here...

Arromanches-les-Bains

...

Cheverny

Though not always included on the list of the upper-echelon Loire Valley superstars, the Château de Cheverny is a rare and beautiful example of early-17th-century...

Chaumont-sur-Loire

Once belonging to Catherine de' Medici, this dramatic hilltop château combines Gothic fortifications with Renaissance style. After touring the stunning interior, be sure to explore...

Margaux

Margaux is home to the eponymous appellation that landed more châteaux in the original wine classification of 1855 than any other in Bordeaux. The appellation...

Clos de Vougeot

The reason to come to Vougeot is to see its grange viticole (wine-making barn) surrounded by its famous vineyard—a symbolic spot for all Burgundy aficionados...

Trébeurden

Trébeurden is one of the highlights of the Côtes d'Armor. A pleasant fishing village that’s popular with summer vacationers, it offers access to the rosy...

Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte

A manifesto for French 17th-century splendor, the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte was built between 1656 and 1661 by finance minister Nicolas Fouquet. The construction program was...

Riquewihr

With its unique once-upon-a-timeliness, Riquewihr is the Wine Road's pièce de résistance and a living museum of old Alsace's quaint architecture. Its steep main street...

Douarnenez

Douarnenez is a quaint old fishing town with quayside paths and zigzagging narrow streets. Boats come in from the Atlantic to unload their catches of...

Brantôme

When the reclusive monks of the abbey of Brantôme decided the inhabitants of the village were getting too inquisitive, they dug a canal between themselves...

Tain-l'Hermitage

As you approach Tain-l'Hermitage by car or train, you can't help but notice the steep vine-clad hills on either side of the Rhône sporting enormous...

Épinal

On the Moselle River at the feet of the Vosges, Épinal, a printing center since 1735, is famous throughout France for boldly colored prints, popular...

Chambéry

As for centuries—when it was the crossroads for merchants from Germany, Italy, and the Middle East—elegant old Chambéry remains the region's shopping hub. Townspeople congregate...

Granville

Proud locals like to call Granville the "Monaco of the North" for its seawater therapy center and casino, but gambling aside, Granville still has a...

Vernet-les-Bains

Many notables—including English writer Rudyard Kipling—have come to take the cure at this long-established spa town, which is dwarfed by imposing Mont Canigou...

Suresnes

...

Maintenon

The beautiful Château de Maintenon was the home of Louis XIV's unacknowledged second wife. Its splendid Le Nôtre–designed gardens and graceful aqueduct are as pretty...

St-Lo

St-Lô, perched dramatically on a rocky spur above the Vire Valley, was a key communications center that suffered so badly in World War II it...

Monbazillac

The hilltop village of Monbazillac provides spectacular views of the sweet-wine–producing vineyards tumbling toward the Dordogne River...

Domme

Stunning views aside, the clifftop village of Domme offers a hefty dose of history. Some of its fortified walls and doors, dating back to 1280...

Chenonceaux

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Usse-Rigny

The Loire Valley is blessed with an abundance of eye-popping châteaux, but the fairest of them all is here. The Château d'Ussé, inspiration for Charles...

Villandry

The Château de Villandry is one of the best examples of Renaissance-era garden design in France...

Pérouges

With its medieval houses and narrow cobbled streets surrounded by ramparts, wonderfully preserved Pérouges is only 200 yards across. Handweavers first brought it prosperity; but...

Courances

Set within one of the most lavish water gardens in Europe, the Château de Courances is a byword for beauty and style...

Pigna

The village of Pigna is dedicated to bringing back traditional Corsican music and crafts. Here you can listen to folk songs in cafés, visit workshops...

Andlau

This small, yet important, wine town in the Andlau River valley is surrounded by the Vosges mountains. Its historic center has several noteworthy houses dating...

Hautefort

The reason to come to Hautefort is its castle, which presents a forbiddingly arrogant face to the world...

Ste-Mère Église

Sainte-Mère's symbolic importance as the first French village to be liberated from the Nazis is commemorated by the Borne 0 (Zero) outside the town hall—a...

Paimpol

Paimpol is one of the liveliest fishing ports in the area and a good base for exploring the pink-granite rocks that have made this part...

Montbard

Attractions in this modest town on the banks of the Brenne River include an Ursuline convent that’s been converted into a Musée des Beaux-Arts and...

L'Isle-Adam

Despite its actual proximity, this exclusive residential enclave feels far removed from Paris. The town has a sandy beach along one stretch of the River...

Combourg

The pretty lakeside village of Combourg is dominated by Château de Combourg, the boyhood home of Romantic writer Viscount René de Chateaubriand (1768–1848)...

Domremy-la-Pucelle

Joan of Arc was born in a cottage here in either 1411 or 1412. You can see her birthplace, as well as the church where...

Sache

A crook in the road, a Gothic church, the centuries-old Auberge du XIIe Siècle, an Alexander Calder stabile (the great American sculptor created a modern...

Montlouis-sur-Loire

Montlouis—like Vouvray, its sister town on the north side of the Loire—is noted for white wines, and you can learn all about the vintages produced...

Cliousclat

...

Vernon

The Vieille Ville of Vernon, on the Seine, has a medieval church, which Monet painted from across the river, and several fine timber-frame houses (the...

La Roque-Gageac

Across the Dordogne from Domme, in the direction of Beynac, one of the best-restored villages in the valley is huddled romantically beneath a cliff. Crafts...

Cauterets

Cauterets—which derives from the word for hot springs in the local bigourdan dialect—is a spa resort town set high in the Pyrénées. It has been...

Pontoise

A pleasant old town on the banks of the Oise, Pontoise is famous for its link with the Impressionists...

Pierrefonds

Dominating the attractive lakeside village of Pierrefonds, a former spa resort, is its immense ersatz medieval castle...

Pas de Roland

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L'Épine

Legend has it that in the Middle Ages some shepherds herding their flock down from pasture found a statue of the Virgin in a burning...

Meung-sur-Loire

This tiny, sleepy village's maze of medieval streets and charming half-timbered houses have a literary past. Described by Alexandre Dumas in The Three Musketeers, this...

Rueil-Malmaison

Rueil-Malmaison is a slightly dreary western suburb of Paris, but the memory of Napoléon and Joséphine still haunts its neoclassical château...

Dampierre

The unspoiled village of Dampierre is adorned with one of the most elegant family seats in the Ile-de-France...

Salses

Salses has a history of sieges. History relates that Hannibal stormed through the town with his elephants on his way to the Alps in 218...

Port-Grimaud

Although much of the coast has been targeted with new construction of extraordinary ugliness, this modern architect's version of a Provençal fishing village works. A...

Dambach-la-Ville

Haut-Koenigsbourg

One of the most popular spots in Alsace is the romantic, crag-top castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg, originally built as a fortress in the 12th century...

Vaucouleurs

Above the modest main street in the market town of Vaucouleurs, you can see ruins of Robert de Baudricourt's medieval castle and the Porte de...

Thoiry

Thoiry is most famous for its 16th-century château, with beautiful gardens, a wild-animal preserve, and a gastronomy museum. The village makes an excellent day trip...

Ancy-le-Franc

It may be strange to find a textbook example of the Italian Renaissance in Ancy-le-Franc, but in mid-16th-century France the court had taken up this...

Ste-Anne-la-Palud

One of the biggest draws on the Breton events calendar is the celebration of a religious festival known as a village pardon, replete with banners...

Tanlay

Built along the banks of the Canal de Bourgogne, Tanlay is a sleepy village that’s best known for the Renaissance-style château that sits slap-bang in...

Villars-les-Dombes

...

Biron

Dominated by the graceful Château de Biron, this time-burnished town offers a glimpse of life in the past lane...

Château-Thierry

Château-Thierry is best known as the birthplace of the French fabulist Jean de La Fontaine (1621–95). Built along the Marne River beneath the ruins of...

Langeais

Sometimes unjustly overlooked, the Château de Langeais—a castle in the true sense of the word—will particularly delight those who dream of knights in shining armor...

Auray

The ancient town of Auray grew up along the banks of the Loch River and is best admired from the Promenade du Loch overlooking the...

Barr

Surrounded by vineyards that harvest some of the finest vintages of Sylvaner and Gewürztraminer wines, Barr is a thriving, semi-industrial town that has some charming...

Piedicroce

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Montfort-L'Amaury

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Beaugency

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Calenzana

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Ste-Lucie-de-Tallano

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Erbalunga

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Meaux

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Albertville

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Porto and Calanches di Piana (Calanques de Piana)

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Privas

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Quenza

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Sauveterre-de-Bearn

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San Martino di Lota

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Sartene

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Moret-sur-Loing

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Aix-les-Bains

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Provins

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L'Arbresle

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St-Florent

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Ars-sur-Formans

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Patrimonio

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Filitosa

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Ota

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Centuri

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Serrieres

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Cateri

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Dreux

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Asco and Haut-Asco

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Hauterives

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Aleria

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Nonza

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Murato

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Rochecorbon

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Medan

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Maisons-Laffitte

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Breteuil

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Poissy

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Marly-le-Roi

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Abbaye de Fontenay

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Morosaglia

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Annonay

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Thonon-les-Bains

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L'Ile Rousse

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La Scala di Santa Regina

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Saverne

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Houdan

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Marmoutier

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La Porta

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Bourg-St-Maurice

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Mont-Ste-Odile

Rising 2,500 feet, Mont-Ste-Odile has been an important religious and military site for 3,000 years...

Grande Chartreuse

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Évian-les-Bains

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Vaux-le-Vicomte

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Lama

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Montelimar

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Ermenonville

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Corps

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Paris

Paris is one of the most beautiful cities on earth, a truth easily appreciated on a stroll that could yield one stunning vista after another...

Lyon

The city's setting at the confluence of the Saône and the Rhône is a spectacular riverine landscape overlooked from the heights to the west by...

Toulouse

Ebullient Toulouse is the capital of the Midi-Pyrénées and the fourth-largest city in France. Just 100 km (60 miles) from the border with Spain, Toulouse...

Bordeaux

Bordeaux as a whole, rather than any particular points within it, is what you'll want to visit in order to understand why Victor Hugo described...

Dijon

You may never have been to Dijon but you've certainly tasted it. Many of the gastronomic specialties that originated here are known worldwide. They include...

Versailles

It's hard to tell which is larger at Château de Versailles—the world-famous château that housed Louis XIV and 20,000 of his courtiers, or the mass...

Ajaccio

Considered Corsica’s primary commercial and cultural hub, the largest city and regional capital of Ajaccio is situated on the west coast of the island, approximately...

Strasbourg

Although it’s in the heart of Alsace, 490 km (304 miles) east of Paris, and draws appealingly on Alsatian gemütlichkeit (coziness), Strasbourg is a cosmopolitan...

Nancy

For architectural variety, few French locales match this one in the heart of Lorraine, 300 km (190 miles) east of Paris. Medieval ornamentation, 18th-century grandeur...

Nantes

The writer Stendhal remarked of 19th-century Nantes, "I hadn't taken 20 steps before I recognized a great city." Since then, the river that flowed around...

Rouen

“O Rouen, art thou then to be my final abode!" was the agonized cry of Joan of Arc as the English dragged her out to...

Grenoble

Capital of the Dauphiné region, Grenoble sits at the confluence of the Isère and Drac rivers and lies within three massifs (mountain ranges): La Chartreuse...

Biarritz

Biarritz may no longer lay claim to the title "the resort of kings and the king of resorts," but there's no shortage of deluxe hotel...

Montpellier

The vibrant capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, Montpellier (pronounced "monh-pell-yay") has been a center of commerce and learning since the Middle Ages, when it was...

Rennes

Rennes (pronounced "wren") is the capital of and traditional gateway to this region. It’s also one of Brittany’s liveliest cities, thanks to the 40,000-odd students...

Reims

Behind a facade of austerity, Champagne’s largest city remains one of France's richest tourist sites, thanks especially to the fact that it sparkles with some...

Colmar

Forget that much of Colmar's architecture is modern (because of the destruction wrought by World Wars I and II): its Vieille Ville heart—an atmospheric maze...

Bastia

Notably more Italianate than the French-influenced Ajaccio, Bastia is quintessentially Corsican. The Baroque coastal town has a historic center that retains the timeless, salty flavor...

St-Malo

Thrust out into the sea and bound to the mainland only by tenuous man-made causeways, romantic St-Malo has built a reputation as a breeding ground...

Beaune

Beaune is sometimes considered the wine capital of Burgundy because it is at the heart of the region's vineyards, with the Côte de Nuits to...

Perpignan

Salvador Dalí once called Perpignan's train station "the center of the world." That may not be true, but the city certainly is the capital hub...

Albi

Toulouse-Lautrec's native Albi is a busy, beautifully preserved provincial market town. In its heyday Albi was a major center for the Cathars, members of a...

Tours

Home to about 150,000 residents, Tours is the region's largest city and its commercial center. Vacationers concerned only with the quaint may be put off...

Bonifacio

The ancient fortress town of Bonifacio occupies a spectacular clifftop aerie above a harbor carved from limestone cliffs. It's 13 km (8 miles) from Sardinia...

Orleans

Surrounded by locales renowned for their beauty, it’s little wonder that Orléans once suffered from an inferiority complex. A century ago ham-fisted urban planners razed...

Annecy

Sparkling Annecy is on crystal clear Lac d'Annecy, surrounded by snow-tipped peaks. Though the canals, flower-decked bridges, and cobbled pedestrian streets are filled with shoppers...

Calvi

...

Caen

Basically a modern commercial and administrative center with a vibrant student scene, Caen—the capital of Lower Normandy—is very different from the coastal resorts. Atmospheric castles...

Chartres

If Versailles is the climax of French secular architecture, Chartres is its religious apogee. All the descriptive prose and poetry that have been lavished on...

Troyes

The inhabitants of Troyes would be dismayed if you mistook them for Burgundians. After all, Troyes is the historic capital of the counts of Champagne...

Quimper

Quimper (pronounced "cam-pair") owes its strange name to its site at the confluence (kemper in Breton) of the Odet and Steir Rivers. A traditional crowd-puller...

Carcassonne

Poised atop a hill overlooking lush green countryside and the Aude River, Carcassonne’s fortified upper town, known as La Cité, looks lifted from the pages...

Pau

The stunning views, mild climate, and elegance of Pau—the historic capital of Béarn, a state annexed to France in 1620—make it a lovely place to...

Sarlat-la-Canéda

Tucked among hills adorned with corn and wheat, Sarlat is a well-preserved medieval town that has managed to retain some of its true character, despite...

Deauville-Trouville

Divided only by the River Touques, the twin beach towns of Deauville and Trouville are distinctly different in character. The latter, arguably France’s oldest seaside...

Amboise

It is hardly surprising that this hub town is considered a must-see on any Val de Loire itinerary. Crowned by a royal château that’s soaked...

Corte

Set amid spectacular cliffs and gorges at the confluence of the Tavignano, Restonica, and Orta Rivers, Corte is the spiritual heart and soul of Corsica...

St-Émilion

Suddenly the sun-fired flatlands of Pomerol break into hills and send you tumbling into St-Émilion. This jewel of a town has old buildings of golden...

Nuits-St-Georges

Wine has been made in Nuits-St-Georges since Roman times; its "dry, tonic, and generous qualities" were recommended to Louis XIV for medicinal use. But this...

Les Andelys

Set on a curvacious bend in the Seine, 25 miles from Rouen, historically rich Les Andelys is crowned by the spectacular ruins of King Richard...

Conflans-Sainte-Honorine

In the case of picturesque Conflans Sainte-Honorine, set at the confluence of the Oise and Seine Rivers, geography and destiny are inextricably linked. The town's...

Blaye

The impressive UNESCO-listed Blaye Citadel, built in the 17th century by Louis XIV's star engineer, Sébastien Vauban, is one of the three forts that make...

Les Eyzies-de-Tayac

Sitting comfortably under a limestone cliff, Les Eyzies is the doorway to the prehistoric capital of France. Early Homo sapiens (the species to which we...

Saumur

You'll find putting up with the locals’ legendary snobisme well worth it once you get a gander at Saumur's centre historique, a camera-ready quarter studded...

Prades

It may be easy to bypass Prades en route to the region's high peaks, but to do so would mean missing out on this authentic...

Dinard

The most elegant resort town on this stretch of the Brittany coast, Dinard enjoys a picture-book perch on the Rance Estuary opposite the walled town...

Mont-St-Michel

Mont-St-Michel is the third-most-visited sight in France, after the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. This beached mass of granite, rising some 400 feet, was begun...

Senlis

Senlis is an exceptionally well-preserved medieval town with a crooked maze of streets dominated by the svelte, soaring spire of its Gothic cathedral. For a...

Honfleur

Honfleur, the most picturesque of the Côte Fleurie's seaside towns, is a time-burnished place with a surplus of half-timber houses and cobbled streets that are...

Lille

Born from the ancient marshes that gave its name (from the Latin "insula" for island), Lille is the 10th largest city in France and sports...

Lourdes

The mountain town of Lourdes is arguably the most famous Catholic pilgrimage site in the world, but its origins are decidedly humble and its renown...

Viviers

The lovely pale-stone buildings of Viviers, presided over by a graceful hilltop cathedral, create a dreamlike vision from the vantage point of the river on...

St-Germain-en-Laye

Encircled by forest and perched behind Le Nôtre's Grande Terrace overlooking the Seine, this idyllic town has lost little of its original cachet—despite the invasion...

Fontainebleau

Like Chambord in the Loire Valley or Compiègne to the north, Fontainebleau was a favorite spot for royal hunting parties long before the construction of...

Cahors

Just an hour north of Toulouse (southwestern France's main city), Cahors makes a fine base for exploring the Lot River valley. Less touristy and populated...

Collioure

The fishing village where famed painters Henri Matisse, André Derain, and the Fauvists committed chromatic mayhem in the early 20th century, Collioure is still the...

Périgueux

For anyone tired of bucolic delights, even a short visit to the region’s capital can provide a restorative urban fix. Since Périgueux is the commercial...

Vienne

If you do nothing but head up to this town's famed Roman Theater and look out over the red-tile roofs of the Rhône Valley, you'll...

Giverny

The small village of Giverny (pronounced "jee-vair-knee"), just beyond the Epte River, which marks the boundary of the Ile-de-France, has become a place of pilgrimage...

Chamonix–Mont-Blanc

Chamonix is the oldest and biggest of the French winter-sports resort towns and was the site of the first Winter Olympics, held in 1924. As...

Cherbourg

Perhaps best known for Michel Legrand's haunting theme from the 1960s film musical Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg), Cherbourg-Octeville is no longer...

Rocamadour

A medieval village that seems to defy the laws of gravity, Rocamadour surges out of a cliff 1,500 feet above the Alzou River gorge—an awe-inspiring...

St-Jean-de-Luz

Back in 1660, Louis XIV chose this tiny fishing village as the place to marry the Infanta Maria Teresa of Spain. Ever since, travelers have...

Obernai

Many visitors begin their trip down the Route du Vin at Obernai, a thriving, colorful Renaissance market town named for the patron saint of Alsace...

Béziers

Béziers—centerpiece of the Canal du Midi and the Languedoc's capital du vin (crowds flock in for tastings during the October wine harvest festival)—owes its reputation...

Fecamp

Founded in the 10th century as a fishing port (the name is a Germanic form of "fish"), Fécamp still relies on the sea for its...

Cadillac

The remnants of Cadillac's medieval fortifications still surround parts of this picturesque port town, founded in 1280, but the star attraction is the stately Château...

Amiens

Although Amiens showcases some pretty brazen postwar reconstruction, epitomized by Auguste Perret's 340-foot Tour Perret (a soaring concrete stump by the train station), the city...

Vézelay

In the 11th and 12th centuries Vézelay was one of the most important places of pilgrimage in the Christian world. Today the hilltop village is...

Pont-Aven

This lovely village sits astride the Aven River as it descends from the Montagnes Noires to the sea, turning the town's mills along the way...

Autun

One of the most richly endowed villes d'art in Burgundy, Autun is a great draw for fans of both Gallo-Roman and Romanesque art. The name...

Rambouillet

Haughty Rambouillet, once favored by kings and dukes, is now home to affluent gentry and, occasionally, the French president...

Blois

Perched on a steep hillside overlooking the Loire, the bustling big town of Blois is a convenient base, well served by train and highway. A...

Chantilly

Celebrated for lace, cream, and the most beautiful medieval manuscript in the world—Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry—romantic Chantilly has a host of...

Bergerac

Yes, this is the Bergerac of Cyrano de Bergerac fame—but not exactly. The real satirist and playwright Cyrano (1619–55), who inspired Edmond Rostand's long-nose swashbuckler...

Méribel

No building can be taller than the surrounding trees in this mountainside village, so Méribel feels tucked away in the forest. All the architecture must...

Narbonne

In Roman times, bustling, industrial Narbonne was the second-largest town in Gaul (after Lyon) and an important port, though today little remains of its Roman...

Bayonne

Located at the confluence of the Adour and Nive Rivers, Bayonne was a Roman castrum (fort) in the 4th century and an English colony from...

Angers

The bustling city of Angers, on the banks of the Maine River just north of the Loire, has a fine Gothic cathedral, a tempting selection...

Bourg sur Gironde

Built on a rocky promontory where the Dordogne River splits off from the mighty Garonne, this picturesque town's narrow alleyways and ancient buildings—all hewn from...

Chinon

Chinon—the birthplace of author François Rabelais (1494–1553)—is dominated by a 12th-century castle, perched imposingly above the River Vienne. But its leading photo op is the...

Bayeux

Bayeux makes a fine starting point for excursions to nearby World War II sites. Despite being close to scenes of such destruction, Bayeux itself was...

Cordes-sur-Ciel

A must-stop for many travelers, the picture-book hilltop town of Cordes-sur-Ciel appears to hover in midair when mists steal up from the Cérou Valley below...

Céret

The "Barbizon of Cubism," Céret achieved immortality when leading artists found the small Catalan town irresistible at the beginning of the 20th century. Here in...

Megève

The smartest of the Mont Blanc stations, idyllic Alpine Megève is not only a major ski resort but also a chic winter watering hole that...

Beauvais

Beauvais and its neighbor Amiens have been rivals since the 13th century, when they locked horns over who could build the bigger cathedral. Beauvais lost—gloriously...

Chambord

The "Versailles" of the 16th century and the largest of the Loire châteaux, the Château de Chambord is the kind of place William Randolph Hearst...

Ribeauville

The beautiful half-timber town of Ribeauvillé, surrounded by rolling vineyards and three imposing châteaux, produces some of the best wines in Alsace. (The Trimbach family...

La Baule

La Baule is a popular resort town that once rivaled Biarritz. Today it leans toward the tacky rather than the sophisticated, but you still can’t...

Valence

...

Étretat

Midway along Normandy's Alabaster Coast, Étretat might not at first seem worthy of a detour. However, its end-of-the-world location, its spectacular stone formations famously immortalized...

Épernay

Although Reims loudly proclaims itself to be the last word in Champagne production, Épernay—on the south bank of the Marne—is really the center of the...

Dinan

During the frequent wars that devastated other cities in the Middle Ages, the merchants who ruled Dinan got rich selling stuff to whichever camp had...

Sancerre

You'll recognize this quaint medieval town, hewn from local white sandstone and set on a hilltop overlooking gentle rolling vineyards, by the wine that bears...

Cancale

Nothing says Brittany like seafood and nothing says seafood like this fishing village, one of the most picturesque in the region. Renowned for its offshore...

Val Thorens

Skiing is this bustling resort town's raison d'être, so it's no surprise that lifts and gondolas fan out in every direction and that many of...

Sare

The much-prized and picturesque village of Sare, described by author Pierre Loti in his Ramuntxo as a virtually autonomous Eden, is built around a large...

Pauillac

Pauillac lays claim to three of the five Bordeaux grands crus—Lafite Rothschild, Latour, and Mouton Rothschild. It's said that Pauillac wines are textbook Bordeaux in...

Chablis

The pretty village of Chablis is poised amid the hillside vineyards that produce its famous white wine on the banks of the River Serein and...

Bourg-en-Bresse

Cheerful, flower-festooned Bourg-en-Bresse is esteemed among gastronomes for its chickens—the striking-looking poulet de Bresse, with plump white bodies, bright blue feet, and red combs (adding...

Cluny

The village of Cluny is legendary for its medieval abbey, once the center of a vast Christian empire. Although most of the complex was destroyed...

Vannes

Scene of the declaration of unity between France and Brittany in 1532, Vannes is one of the few towns in the region to have been...

Sens

Pretty Sens enjoys a "four-leaf" ranking as a ville fleurie, or floral city—and you’ll understand why when you see the Moulin à Tan (a gorgeous...

Fontevraud-l'Abbaye

A refreshing break from the worldly grandeur of châteaux, the small village of Fontevraud is crowned with the largest abbey in France—a magnificent complex of...

Laon

Thanks to its awe-inducing hilltop site and the forest of towers sprouting from its ancient cathedral, lofty Laon basks in the title of the "Crowned...

Eugénie-les-Bains

Empress Eugénie popularized the region's thermal baths at the end of the 19th century, and in return the villagers named this town after her. Then...

Beynac-et-Cazenac

One of the most picturesque sights in the Dordogne is the medieval castle that sits atop the wonderfully restored town of Beynac...

Porticcio

Between the sea and mountain, this upscale resort town a short scenic drive from the capital benefits from unforgettable views and a palette of nautical...

St-Jean-Pied-de-Port

St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a fortified town on the Nive River, got its name from its position at the foot (pied) of the mountain pass (port) of Roncevaux...

Porto Vecchio

With a compact Old Town of cobblestone streets lined with charming buildings, a modern marina teeming with yachts, and white-sand beaches lapped by turquoise water...

Auxerre

Auxerre is an evocative, architecturally interesting town with a trio of imposing churches perched above the Yonne River and an ample supply of antique houses...

Courchevel

The gondolas here are covered with ads for Chanel—your first clue that Courchevel caters to an upscale clientele. The gently curving streets are lined with...

Auvers-sur-Oise

The tranquil Oise River valley retains much of the charm that attracted Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne, Camille Corot, Charles-François Daubigny, and Berthe Morisot to Auvers-sur-Oise...

Le Havre

Considering it was bombarded 146 times during World War II, you might think there’d be little left to see in Le Havre—France's second-largest port (after...

Compiegne

This bustling town of some 40,000 people sits at the northern limit of the Forêt de Compiègne (Compiègne Forest). The former royal hunting lodge here...

Monpazier

Built in ocher-color stone by English king Edward I in 1284 to protect the southern flank of his French possessions, Monpazier, on the tiny Dropt...

Lascaux

Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, Lascaux is one of the world's great galleries of Paleolithic art, a mysterious remnant that scientists still...

Sélestat

Sélestat, midway between Strasbourg and Colmar, is a lively, historic town with a Romanesque church and a library of medieval manuscripts (the latter of which...

Gavarnie

Geologists point to the natural wonder that is the Cirque de Gavarnie as one of the world's most formidable examples of the effects of glacial...

St-Cirq-Lapopie

Poised on the edge of a cliff 330 feet up, sublime St-Cirq (pronounced "san-seer") looks as though it could slide right into the Lot River...

Tournon-Sur-Rhone

Located on the banks of the Rhone, Tournon-Sur-Rhône has a long history that stretches back to 817, when written mention of the town "Turnone" was...

Val d'Isère

Men's downhill racing was held in Val d'Isère during the 1992 Winter Olympics, and since then it's been a must-see for skiers wanting to challenge...

Azay-le-Rideau

A largish town surrounding a sylvan dell on the banks of the River Indre, pleasant Azay-le-Rideau is famed for its white-wall Renaissance pleasure palace, called...

Saulieu

Saulieu's reputation belies its size: it's renowned for good food (Rabelais, that roly-poly 16th-century man of letters, extolled its gargantuan hospitality) and for Christmas trees...

Soissons

Although this was a major city in medieval times, the ravages of the French Revolution and World War I left little of it intact. Nowadays...

Châlons-en-Champagne

The administrative capital of the Marne and the Champagne region is famous for its Blanc de Blancs vineyards. The town center, crisscrossed with canals and...

Vitre

There's still a feel of the Middle Ages about the formidable castle, tightly packed half-timber houses, remaining ramparts, and dark alleyways of Vitré (pronounced "vee-tray")...

Carnac

At the north end of Quiberon Bay, Carnac is known for its expansive beaches and its ancient stone monuments: "standing stones," called menhirs, that were...

Beaujolais Wine Route

Not all Beaujolais wine is promoted as vin nouveau (new wine), despite the highly successful marketing campaign that has made Beaujolais Nouveau synonymous with French...

Concarneau

Concarneau may be an industrial town known for sardine packaging, but its 17th-century Vauban-designed Ville Close ranks among the most picturesque sites in Brittany...

Barbizon

On the western edge of the 62,000-acre Forest of Fontainebleau, the village of Barbizon retains its time-stained allure despite the intrusion of art galleries, souvenir...

Ainhoa

The Basque village of Ainhoa, officially selected by the national tourist ministry as one of the prettiest in France, is a showcase for the Labourd...

Lorient

France’s most exotically named town was founded by Jean-Baptiste Colbert in 1666 as a base for the Compagnie des Indes, which sent ships from here...

Arromanches-les-Bains

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Cheverny

Though not always included on the list of the upper-echelon Loire Valley superstars, the Château de Cheverny is a rare and beautiful example of early-17th-century...

Chaumont-sur-Loire

Once belonging to Catherine de' Medici, this dramatic hilltop château combines Gothic fortifications with Renaissance style. After touring the stunning interior, be sure to explore...

Margaux

Margaux is home to the eponymous appellation that landed more châteaux in the original wine classification of 1855 than any other in Bordeaux. The appellation...

Clos de Vougeot

The reason to come to Vougeot is to see its grange viticole (wine-making barn) surrounded by its famous vineyard—a symbolic spot for all Burgundy aficionados...

Trébeurden

Trébeurden is one of the highlights of the Côtes d'Armor. A pleasant fishing village that’s popular with summer vacationers, it offers access to the rosy...

Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte

A manifesto for French 17th-century splendor, the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte was built between 1656 and 1661 by finance minister Nicolas Fouquet. The construction program was...

Riquewihr

With its unique once-upon-a-timeliness, Riquewihr is the Wine Road's pièce de résistance and a living museum of old Alsace's quaint architecture. Its steep main street...

Douarnenez

Douarnenez is a quaint old fishing town with quayside paths and zigzagging narrow streets. Boats come in from the Atlantic to unload their catches of...

Brantôme

When the reclusive monks of the abbey of Brantôme decided the inhabitants of the village were getting too inquisitive, they dug a canal between themselves...

Tain-l'Hermitage

As you approach Tain-l'Hermitage by car or train, you can't help but notice the steep vine-clad hills on either side of the Rhône sporting enormous...

Épinal

On the Moselle River at the feet of the Vosges, Épinal, a printing center since 1735, is famous throughout France for boldly colored prints, popular...

Chambéry

As for centuries—when it was the crossroads for merchants from Germany, Italy, and the Middle East—elegant old Chambéry remains the region's shopping hub. Townspeople congregate...

Granville

Proud locals like to call Granville the "Monaco of the North" for its seawater therapy center and casino, but gambling aside, Granville still has a...

Vernet-les-Bains

Many notables—including English writer Rudyard Kipling—have come to take the cure at this long-established spa town, which is dwarfed by imposing Mont Canigou...

Suresnes

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Maintenon

The beautiful Château de Maintenon was the home of Louis XIV's unacknowledged second wife. Its splendid Le Nôtre–designed gardens and graceful aqueduct are as pretty...

St-Lo

St-Lô, perched dramatically on a rocky spur above the Vire Valley, was a key communications center that suffered so badly in World War II it...

Monbazillac

The hilltop village of Monbazillac provides spectacular views of the sweet-wine–producing vineyards tumbling toward the Dordogne River...

Domme

Stunning views aside, the clifftop village of Domme offers a hefty dose of history. Some of its fortified walls and doors, dating back to 1280...

Chenonceaux

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Usse-Rigny

The Loire Valley is blessed with an abundance of eye-popping châteaux, but the fairest of them all is here. The Château d'Ussé, inspiration for Charles...

Villandry

The Château de Villandry is one of the best examples of Renaissance-era garden design in France...

Pérouges

With its medieval houses and narrow cobbled streets surrounded by ramparts, wonderfully preserved Pérouges is only 200 yards across. Handweavers first brought it prosperity; but...

Courances

Set within one of the most lavish water gardens in Europe, the Château de Courances is a byword for beauty and style...

Pigna

The village of Pigna is dedicated to bringing back traditional Corsican music and crafts. Here you can listen to folk songs in cafés, visit workshops...

Andlau

This small, yet important, wine town in the Andlau River valley is surrounded by the Vosges mountains. Its historic center has several noteworthy houses dating...

Hautefort

The reason to come to Hautefort is its castle, which presents a forbiddingly arrogant face to the world...

Ste-Mère Église

Sainte-Mère's symbolic importance as the first French village to be liberated from the Nazis is commemorated by the Borne 0 (Zero) outside the town hall—a...

Paimpol

Paimpol is one of the liveliest fishing ports in the area and a good base for exploring the pink-granite rocks that have made this part...

Montbard

Attractions in this modest town on the banks of the Brenne River include an Ursuline convent that’s been converted into a Musée des Beaux-Arts and...

L'Isle-Adam

Despite its actual proximity, this exclusive residential enclave feels far removed from Paris. The town has a sandy beach along one stretch of the River...

Combourg

The pretty lakeside village of Combourg is dominated by Château de Combourg, the boyhood home of Romantic writer Viscount René de Chateaubriand (1768–1848)...

Domremy-la-Pucelle

Joan of Arc was born in a cottage here in either 1411 or 1412. You can see her birthplace, as well as the church where...

Sache

A crook in the road, a Gothic church, the centuries-old Auberge du XIIe Siècle, an Alexander Calder stabile (the great American sculptor created a modern...

Montlouis-sur-Loire

Montlouis—like Vouvray, its sister town on the north side of the Loire—is noted for white wines, and you can learn all about the vintages produced...

Cliousclat

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Vernon

The Vieille Ville of Vernon, on the Seine, has a medieval church, which Monet painted from across the river, and several fine timber-frame houses (the...

La Roque-Gageac

Across the Dordogne from Domme, in the direction of Beynac, one of the best-restored villages in the valley is huddled romantically beneath a cliff. Crafts...

Cauterets

Cauterets—which derives from the word for hot springs in the local bigourdan dialect—is a spa resort town set high in the Pyrénées. It has been...

Pontoise

A pleasant old town on the banks of the Oise, Pontoise is famous for its link with the Impressionists...

Pierrefonds

Dominating the attractive lakeside village of Pierrefonds, a former spa resort, is its immense ersatz medieval castle...

Pas de Roland

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L'Épine

Legend has it that in the Middle Ages some shepherds herding their flock down from pasture found a statue of the Virgin in a burning...

Meung-sur-Loire

This tiny, sleepy village's maze of medieval streets and charming half-timbered houses have a literary past. Described by Alexandre Dumas in The Three Musketeers, this...

Rueil-Malmaison

Rueil-Malmaison is a slightly dreary western suburb of Paris, but the memory of Napoléon and Joséphine still haunts its neoclassical château...

Dampierre

The unspoiled village of Dampierre is adorned with one of the most elegant family seats in the Ile-de-France...

Salses

Salses has a history of sieges. History relates that Hannibal stormed through the town with his elephants on his way to the Alps in 218...

Port-Grimaud

Although much of the coast has been targeted with new construction of extraordinary ugliness, this modern architect's version of a Provençal fishing village works. A...

Dambach-la-Ville

Haut-Koenigsbourg

One of the most popular spots in Alsace is the romantic, crag-top castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg, originally built as a fortress in the 12th century...

Vaucouleurs

Above the modest main street in the market town of Vaucouleurs, you can see ruins of Robert de Baudricourt's medieval castle and the Porte de...

Thoiry

Thoiry is most famous for its 16th-century château, with beautiful gardens, a wild-animal preserve, and a gastronomy museum. The village makes an excellent day trip...

Ancy-le-Franc

It may be strange to find a textbook example of the Italian Renaissance in Ancy-le-Franc, but in mid-16th-century France the court had taken up this...

Ste-Anne-la-Palud

One of the biggest draws on the Breton events calendar is the celebration of a religious festival known as a village pardon, replete with banners...

Tanlay

Built along the banks of the Canal de Bourgogne, Tanlay is a sleepy village that’s best known for the Renaissance-style château that sits slap-bang in...

Villars-les-Dombes

...

Biron

Dominated by the graceful Château de Biron, this time-burnished town offers a glimpse of life in the past lane...

Château-Thierry

Château-Thierry is best known as the birthplace of the French fabulist Jean de La Fontaine (1621–95). Built along the Marne River beneath the ruins of...

Langeais

Sometimes unjustly overlooked, the Château de Langeais—a castle in the true sense of the word—will particularly delight those who dream of knights in shining armor...

Auray

The ancient town of Auray grew up along the banks of the Loch River and is best admired from the Promenade du Loch overlooking the...

Barr

Surrounded by vineyards that harvest some of the finest vintages of Sylvaner and Gewürztraminer wines, Barr is a thriving, semi-industrial town that has some charming...

Piedicroce

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Montfort-L'Amaury

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Beaugency

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Calenzana

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Ste-Lucie-de-Tallano

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Erbalunga

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Meaux

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Albertville

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Porto and Calanches di Piana (Calanques de Piana)

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Privas

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Quenza

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Sauveterre-de-Bearn

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San Martino di Lota

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Sartene

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Moret-sur-Loing

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Aix-les-Bains

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Provins

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L'Arbresle

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St-Florent

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Ars-sur-Formans

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Patrimonio

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Filitosa

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Ota

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Centuri

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Serrieres

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Cateri

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Dreux

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Asco and Haut-Asco

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Hauterives

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Aleria

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Nonza

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Murato

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Rochecorbon

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Medan

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Maisons-Laffitte

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Breteuil

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Poissy

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Marly-le-Roi

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Abbaye de Fontenay

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Morosaglia

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Annonay

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Thonon-les-Bains

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L'Ile Rousse

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La Scala di Santa Regina

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Saverne

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Houdan

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Marmoutier

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La Porta

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Bourg-St-Maurice

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Mont-Ste-Odile

Rising 2,500 feet, Mont-Ste-Odile has been an important religious and military site for 3,000 years...

Grande Chartreuse

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Évian-les-Bains

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Vaux-le-Vicomte

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Lama

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Montelimar

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Ermenonville

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Corps

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Provence

Wander past the canopied café terraces, wizened olive groves, and austere cypresses of Provence and you’ll start to realize you can’t shake off a sense...

The French Riviera

This sprawl of pebble beaches and zillion-dollar houses has always captivated sun lovers and socialites. Today's admirers know not to miss the Côte d'Azur's textbook...

Nice and the Eastern Cote d'Azur

With the Alps and pre-Alps playing bodyguard against inland winds, and the sultry Mediterranean warming the sea breezes, the eastern slice of the Côte d'Azur...

Aix, Marseille, and the Central Coast

When you cross the imaginary border into Provence for the first time, you may experience a niggling sense of déjà vu. The sun-drenched angular red...

The Vaucluse

For many, the Vaucluse is the only true Provence—one vast Cézanne masterpiece, where sun-bleached hills and fields are tapestries of green-and-black grapevines and silver-gray olives...

Lyon and the Alps

Lyon and the Alps are as alike as chocolate and broccoli. Lyon is fast, congested, and saturated with culture. In the bustling city—often called the...

Toulouse and the Languedoc

Like the most celebrated dish of this area, cassoulet, the southwestern region of France is made up of diverse ingredients. Just as it would be...

Brittany

Wherever you wander in Brittany—along jagged coastal cliffs, through cobbled seaport streets, into time-burnished cider pubs—you'll hear the primal pulse of Celtic music. Made up...

The Alpilles, Arles, and the Camargue

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Side Trips from Paris

Just what is it that makes the Ile-de-France so attractive, so comfortingly familiar? Is it its proximity to the great city of Paris—or perhaps that...

Normandy

Normandy—shaped roughly like a jigsaw puzzle piece—sprawls across France’s northwestern corner. Due to its geographic position, this region is blessed with a stunning natural beauty...

The Loire Valley

A fairy-tale realm par excellence, the Loire Valley is studded with storybook villages, time-burnished towns, and—bien sûr—the famous châteaux de la Loire. These postcard staples...

Burgundy

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Alsace-Lorraine

Only the Rhine separates Germany from Alsace-Lorraine, a region that often looks German and even sounds German. But its heart—just to prove how deceptive appearances...

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Corsica

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The Dordogne

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The Basque Country, Gascony, and Hautes-Pyrenees

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Champagne Country

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Provence

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The French Riviera

This sprawl of pebble beaches and zillion-dollar houses has always captivated sun lovers and socialites. Today's admirers know not to miss the Côte d'Azur's textbook...

Nice and the Eastern Cote d'Azur

With the Alps and pre-Alps playing bodyguard against inland winds, and the sultry Mediterranean warming the sea breezes, the eastern slice of the Côte d'Azur...

Aix, Marseille, and the Central Coast

When you cross the imaginary border into Provence for the first time, you may experience a niggling sense of déjà vu. The sun-drenched angular red...

The Vaucluse

For many, the Vaucluse is the only true Provence—one vast Cézanne masterpiece, where sun-bleached hills and fields are tapestries of green-and-black grapevines and silver-gray olives...

Lyon and the Alps

Lyon and the Alps are as alike as chocolate and broccoli. Lyon is fast, congested, and saturated with culture. In the bustling city—often called the...

Toulouse and the Languedoc

Like the most celebrated dish of this area, cassoulet, the southwestern region of France is made up of diverse ingredients. Just as it would be...

Brittany

Wherever you wander in Brittany—along jagged coastal cliffs, through cobbled seaport streets, into time-burnished cider pubs—you'll hear the primal pulse of Celtic music. Made up...

The Alpilles, Arles, and the Camargue

...

Side Trips from Paris

Just what is it that makes the Ile-de-France so attractive, so comfortingly familiar? Is it its proximity to the great city of Paris—or perhaps that...

Normandy

Normandy—shaped roughly like a jigsaw puzzle piece—sprawls across France’s northwestern corner. Due to its geographic position, this region is blessed with a stunning natural beauty...

The Loire Valley

A fairy-tale realm par excellence, the Loire Valley is studded with storybook villages, time-burnished towns, and—bien sûr—the famous châteaux de la Loire. These postcard staples...

Burgundy

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Alsace-Lorraine

Only the Rhine separates Germany from Alsace-Lorraine, a region that often looks German and even sounds German. But its heart—just to prove how deceptive appearances...

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Corsica

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The Dordogne

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The Basque Country, Gascony, and Hautes-Pyrenees

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Bordeaux and the Wine Country

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Champagne Country

As you head toward Reims, the landscape loosens and undulates, and the hills tantalize with French vineyards that—thanks to la méthode champenoise—produce the world's antidote...

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Belle-Ile-en-Mer

Covering 84 square km (32 square miles), Belle-Ile is the largest of Brittany's islands; and, as its name implies, it is beautiful. Being less commercialized...

Belle-Ile-en-Mer

Covering 84 square km (32 square miles), Belle-Ile is the largest of Brittany's islands; and, as its name implies, it is beautiful. Being less commercialized...

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Bonifacio
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Calvi
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Erbalunga
Filitosa
Lama
La Porta
La Scala di Santa Regina
L'Ile Rousse
Morosaglia
Murato
Nonza
Ota
Patrimonio
Piedicroce
Pigna
Porticcio
Porto and Calanches di Piana (Calanques de Piana)
Porto Vecchio
Quenza
San Martino di Lota
Sartene
Ste-Lucie-de-Tallano
St-Florent

Lyon and the Alps

Normandy

Paris

Provence

Side Trips from Paris

The Basque Country, Gascony, and Hautes-Pyrenees

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Morosaglia
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Porto and Calanches di Piana (Calanques de Piana)
Porto Vecchio
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The Basque Country, Gascony, and Hautes-Pyrenees

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The Dordogne

The Loire Valley

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Ajaccio
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Asco and Haut-Asco
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Morosaglia
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Porto and Calanches di Piana (Calanques de Piana)
Porto Vecchio
Quenza
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Sartene
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St-Florent

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