Where to start when it comes to planning a trip to France? After all, the country is an unapologetically gourmet, cultural and artistic titan of Europe – and the world. From vertiginous peaks and narrow valleys in the French Alps and Pyrenees to sun-spangled blue vistas and chiseled cliffs along the country’s 4853km (3015 miles) of coastline, l’Hexagone (as the French call their six-sided country, which borders eight neighbors in western Europe) is endowed with remarkable natural treasures. Pair this with an astonishing range of human creations – ancient Roman towns, art-rich cities, a capital that is the last word in romance, and rural, jack-in-the-box hilltop villages – and you’d need years to really see it all. To ensure a sweet taste of French art de vivre, count on moving slowly between map pins – by train, bicycle or car in rural regions. Spend days rather than just hours in each place, and factor in ample time for perusing open-air markets, dégustation (tasting) with growers and endless lunch lazing. In between sightseeing and activities, here are the 3 of the best places to do just that.
Lorraine
Best for history geeks (and for something different)
Few linger in Lorraine in northeastern France, an industrial region with ample contemporary allure. History buffs naturally gravitate to Verdun’s WWI battlefields and the well-marked Remembrance Circuit, a 25km (15-mile) driving and cycling route along the Somme River, where one of WWI’s bloodiest battles was fought in 1916.
But there’s so much more here that enthralls and thrills. Art-loving types can admire the striking Centre Pompidou in Metz, and Nancy’s wondrous art nouveau architecture and neoclassical central square, best soaked up over alfresco coffee or an early evening apéro (predinner drink). Take an after-dark guided tour Parc du Haut Fourneau U4 ironworks in Uckange (we’d forgive you for thinking you’re in a sci-fi movie), and experience bucolic green escapes in the gloriously people-empty Hautes-Vosges mountains. Embrace the quiet – and difference.
Rocamadour
Best for a hilltop-village family adventure
The Luberon in Provence is renowned for its flush of hilltop villages (gourmet favorite Bonnieux, château-capped Lacoste, and the scenic hike from lavender-stitched Abbaye de Sénanque to eagle-nest Gordes are undeniably gorgeous). Yet moving west, it is the less-fabled Lot where the tourist horde suddenly dissipates, and the natural grandeur and majesty of medieval villages strategically perched atop vertical crags and outcrops take rightful center stage.
Cliff-hanger Rocamadour, an ancient stop on the epic pilgrimage route from Rome to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, has the epicurean bonus of producing its own eponymous cheese. It’s crafted on goat farms such as La Borie d’Imbert, which opens its doors to the fromage-curious and goat-loving kids. Pair with tree trampolining (yes, really) at Saute-Mouton and wild swimming from pebble beaches along the frisky Lot and Dordogne rivers for a guaranteed, no-holds-barred family adventure.
Bordeaux
Best region for wine tasting
Dégustation (tasting) is an essential part of daily life in France’s celebrated wine regions: Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Alsace, the Loire and Rhône Valleys, Provence and Languedoc. But it’s the handsome wine city of Bordeaux – where in the 15th century English merchants rolled barrels of claret (red wine) from quayside to ship, and winegrowers stunned the world with mind-blowing Médoc and St-Émilion reds three centuries on – that pairs top-drawer vintages with easily accessible visits around ancestral estates.
Memorable stops on a tasting grand tour around Bordeaux include the “Guggenheim of wine,” La Cité du Vin; a wine flight at the superlative Bar à Vin, inside Maison du Vin de Bordeaux; and backstage cellar tours at Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion in the city, and out of town at Château Lynches-Bages.
Planning tip: Reserve cellar tours and lunch tables well in advance. In St-Émilion, you can dine among sun-soaked vines at Château Troplong-Mondot’s Les Belles Perdrix vineyard restaurant. In the Médoc, Nomade is the wine lover’s gourmet secret.