With 26 regions to explore, holidays in France can focus on the Mediterranean south, the Atlantic coast or mountainous heartland. Book a French hotel in the cities and dine on haute cuisine, or savour the serenity of the lavender-swathed countryside.
Get your bearings
France’s Mediterranean coastline is bordered by Italy and Spain. Crammed within is a cultural mix of cities and beguiling blend of natural beauty. The northern flatlands bordering Belgium run south to the river-etched
Ile de France, with
Paris at its heart. West are the dairy fields of
Normandy and turreted chateaux of the
Loire Valley. The vineyard valleys of
Burgundy and
Champagne flow east to the Germanic villages of
Alsace-Lorraine. The
Alps share Lake Geneva’s shores with Switzerland. The distinctly French landscapes of
Provence, with their lonely chateaux and endless fields of lavender, are familiar from paintings by Cézanne.
Vibrant cities
Holidays in France begin in the classically elegant capital,
Paris, with the Louvre Museum and Notre Dame Cathedral. There are royal insights at Louis XIV’s palace of
Versailles and
Reims Cathedral where French kings were crowned. The half-timbered buildings of
Strasbourg’s Petite France have a fairytale beauty, and
Nancy is deservedly proud of its neoclassical place Stanislas.
Lyon is a cultural powerhouse and gourmand’s paradise. Snow-capped Alps and a 16th- century fort overlook
Grenoble. French hotels in harbourside
Nice make a great base for exploring the French Riviera.
Great outdoors
Cycle along the
Canal de Bourgogne towpath in Burgundy or catch the best views of the
Loire Valley chateaux from a hot-air balloon. The mountain drive through the
Route des Grandes Alpes is panoramic from Evian to Nice. The
Camargue’s reed-filled wetlands lure thousands of bird-watchers through the season.
Chamonix is best for off-piste skiing or summertime mountainbiking along steep valley trails. There’s wild hiking and white-water rafting in Provence’s
Gorges du Verdon canyon and mountain trekking along the GR20 route in island
Corsica. Gentle boating on the meandering
Dordogne River passes craggy limestone cliffs topped with red-roofed towns.
Food-lovers’ France
French cuisine is defined by regional and seasonal flavours. Cider and
Calvados apple brandy quench the thirst in French hotels in Normandy, and red-wine
beef bourguignon fills the belly in Burgundy. Lyon’s
sausages are legendary, as is
foie gras from Périgord,
mustard from Dijon, and bean and meat cassoulet from
Toulouse. Famous dishes like
coq au vin and
tarte Tatin originated in the Loire Valley, and
sauerkraut and pork pronounce German influence in Alsace. The famous
olive oil of Provence features in seafood
bouillabaisse from Marseille. Enjoy the tastes of France with white
riesling from Alsace and the Rhône’s syrah and
grenache
wines.
Art and architecture
France’s long love affair with art began around 20,000 years ago with prehistoric hunting scenes daubed on the
Lascaux Caves in the Dordogne. The ancient theatres in
Orange and
Nîmes are reminders of Roman Gaul, and the cathedrals of
Chartres and
Reims are prime examples of Gothic architecture. Decorative rococo paintings by Watteau and Fragonard enrich Paris’
Louvre Museum, along with the sturdy neoclassicism of Delacroix and Ingres. The inspiration for Monet’s water- lily paintings is preserved at his home in
Giverny, while the
Matisse Museum is a highlight in Nice. Paris’ postmodern
Pompidou Centre brings the story of art up to date.
