If you ask most people to sum up France in a few words they’d probably say; ‘good food, nice wine and the home of champagne’. Whilst all of this is true – and the country does arguably produce some of the best wine in the world – it just doesn’t do this fantastic country justice.
Images by HGruber
When I’ve visited the country on many occasions over the last decade, I’ve always headed down to the south of the country where the climate has a more Mediterranean feel and the scenery is simply beautiful. The wine producing regions of Bordeaux and Languedoc are particularly scenic, with rolling green hills covered in vines and picturesque little villages which will keep your camera busy (don’t forget to do some wine tasting at one of the many vineyards).
You’ll also find lots of evidence of the Roman era throughout the country (particularly in Arles which has a fantastic arena) and visiting Paris is an absolute must (if only to climb up the Eiffel Tower or visit the spectacular Louvre Museum).
You could literally spend years exploring this fabulous country as there are over 550,000 square kilometres to keep you busy. To make it that little bit easier, here are my top 5 highlights:
Paris
Even if you only get to spend a few days in Paris, it’ll be well worth the visit as the city is home to some of the country’s most iconic tourist attractions; the Louvre Museum, the Eiffel Tower and the spectacular Notre Dame Cathedral.
You could take a romantic stroll alongside the River Seine, or take a boat trip at night time when you’ll get views of the Eiffel Tower lit up in all its glory, and you’ll might also enjoy visiting the setting of the popular Hollywood blockbuster ‘The Da Vinci Code’ if you’re a big Dan Brown fan like me.
The French Alps
France also makes the perfect destination for a winter sports holiday and the excellent Mont Blanc Mountain in the Alps makes for an excellent skiing location whether you’re a complete beginner or experienced winter sports fanatic (it’s actually the highest mountain in Western Europe at 4808 metres in height).
If you don’t fancy some winter sports I’d still recommend a visit to the French Alps at any time of year as the scenery is simply stunning. You’ll find plenty of photo opportunities with beautiful tree filled valleys nestling around glistening lakes and all manner of flora and fauna.
Bordeaux
If you like your wine like me, you’ll want to add Bordeaux to your itinerary so you can visit some of the excellent vineyards and taste some of the excellent wines the area produces (you’ll also get the chance to purchase wines that you won’t find on the shelf in your local supermarket).
Bordeaux is also an excellent place to do some shopping and the city has vibrant musical and cultural heritage (there are plenty of places to party the night away). It’s also a thoroughly modern place and you’ll find that the Bordelais are very relaxed and welcoming (just don’t talk to them about Parisians as there’s a long running feud between the peoples of the two cities). There’s a large pedestrian area and the city has excellent public transport in the form of an electric bus service and 3 tram lines. You can also rent a bike for the day or two so you can enjoy the 580km of cycle tracks (and get fit in the process).
Pyrénées National Park
If you take a trip to the bottom of France you’ll find the Pyrénées on the border France shares with Spain. The Pyrénées National Park is made up of 6 beautiful valleys with more of that spectacular mountain scenery that you’ll have found in the French Alps. The lakeside scenery is truly spectacular and you can even take a trip on the ‘Tiny Railway’ which travels through the park at an altitude of 6,000 feet (reached by a cable car) along a 6 mile stretch with some amazing photo opportunities along the way.
You’ll find over 70 species of animals in the park (including the few remaining brown bears in the area) and there are plenty of opportunities to go hiking, climbing or skiing (or simply take a stroll through some of France’s most beautiful scenery).
Arles
This has to be one of the most interesting places that I’ve visited in France because the city is quite literally packed with ancient Roman architecture and culture galore; it was even home to the world famous painter, Vincent Van Gogh for a year and you’ll still find traces of him here (including a rather macabre death mask featured on a memorial to him). You can even visit the hospital where he stayed after he cut off his earlobe (now renamed to ‘Espace Van Gogh’) and see the garden that featured in one of his paintings (which has been restored to how it would have looked at the time).
You’ll also find the spectacular Roman arena (mentioned above) which was featured in the film ‘Ronin’ starring Robert De Niro and the French actor Jean Reno. If you’re mad on your Roman ruins like me then you’ll find a preserved stretch of a Roman aqueduct with watermill and even examples of the impressive abodes of the Roman leaders who lived in the area during the height of the Roman Empire.
[box type=”note”]If you get the chance to visit the places I’ve highlighted above, you’re sure to be smitten with this amazing country and want to return many times over. Before you jet off though, don’t forget to purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy to make sure you are covered for any unlikely events that could put an untimely end to your holiday. [/box]
