France receives 89 million visitors a year, and most of them go to Paris, the Riviera, and the Loire Valley. These eight destinations are the France that exists beyond the guidebooks, unusual, under-visited, and unforgettable.
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1. The Auvergne Volcanoes
A chain of 80 dormant volcanoes in central France. The Puy de Dôme is the most famous, the summit reached by a cog railway. The landscape is more like Iceland than France.
2. The Pink Granite Coast, Brittany
The Côte de Granit Rose. Massive boulders of rose-coloured granite, sculpted by wind and sea into shapes that look deliberate. The Sentier des Douaniers coastal path runs for miles.
3. Rocamadour, Lot
A medieval village built into a cliff face. The sanctuaries, the Black Madonna, the sword of Roland embedded in the cliff. A pilgrimage site since the 12th century.
4. The Camargue
The Rhône delta, a wetland of salt flats, flamingos, and white horses. The cowboys, the gardians, still herd the black bulls. The town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is the base.
5. Colmar, Alsace
A town of half-timbered houses, canals, and the Isenheim Altarpiece, Matthias Grünewald’s 16th-century masterpiece. Colmar looks like a fairy tale and the tourists have not yet overwhelmed it.
6. The Cirque de Gavarnie, Pyrenees
A natural amphitheatre of limestone cliffs rising 1,500 metres from the valley floor. The waterfall is the highest in France. Victor Hugo called it “the Colosseum of nature.”
7. Nîmes
The best-preserved Roman temple in the world, the Maison Carrée, and a Roman amphitheatre still used for bullfighting and concerts. Nîmes is Roman France without the crowds of Arles or Orange.
8. The Jura Mountains
The Jura between France and Switzerland is the France that the Alps forgot. The cross-country skiing in winter, the hiking in summer, the Comté cheese, the vin jaune. The landscape is softer than the Alps and the prices are lower.
The Dune du Pilat, Arcachon Bay
The Dune du Pilat is the tallest sand dune in Europe, rising 110 metres above sea level on the coast of Arcachon Bay. This shifting mountain of sand covers an area of 120 hectares and moves inland at a rate of several metres per year. Climbing to the summit requires effort, but the reward is a breathtaking panorama of the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the pine forests of the Landes region on the other. The dune is a natural wonder that feels more like the Sahara than southwestern France. Below the dune, the beaches of the Côte d’Argent stretch for miles, offering excellent surfing and swimming. The nearby town of Arcachon is a charming Belle Époque resort with excellent seafood restaurants specialising in local oysters.
The Canal du Midi, Languedoc
The Canal du Midi is a seventeenth-century engineering marvel that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Stretching 240 kilometres from Toulouse to the Étang de Thau, the canal is lined with plane trees and passes through vineyards, medieval villages, and Roman ruins. The best way to experience the Canal du Midi is by hiring a canal boat, which requires no boating experience and allows you to travel at a leisurely pace of around six kilometres per hour. You can stop at any village along the way for wine tasting, local markets, or a swim in the canal. The locks, bridges, and tunnels designed by Pierre-Paul Riquet are masterpieces of classical engineering, and the entire waterway is a UNESCO World heritage site. Cycling along the towpath is another excellent way to explore this unique corner of France.
The Gorges du Verdon, Provence
The Gorges du Verdon is often called the Grand Canyon of Europe, and for good reason. This spectacular river gorge in Provence is up to 700 metres deep and stretches for 25 kilometres through limestone cliffs of breathtaking scale. The turquoise waters of the Verdon River wind through the canyon floor, creating swimming holes and kayaking routes of extraordinary beauty. The most dramatic way to experience the gorge is by driving the Route des Crêtes, which follows the rim with viewpoints that will stop your heart. Hiking trails of varying difficulty descend into the canyon, and rock climbers from around the world come to test themselves on the vertical walls. The nearby hilltop villages of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and Castellane provide charming bases for exploration, with local pottery, lavender fields, and Provencal cuisine adding to the appeal.
Which corner of France surprised you, the one that was nothing like the France you thought you knew?
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