Explore France

France offers a vast array of great escapes, regions and cities to explore and world-leading visitor attractions. In this section you can find inspiration for everything from a grand day out to a holiday to remember.

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Brown cat and white cat on fallen tree in woods, brown cat is sitting looking up as white cat stretches over the top to pass

See France through the eyes of a cat

American cat lover Teresa Kaufman enjoys countryside walks and has spent 18 years travelling the country with her two cats

Photo of the month: Bonifacio, Corsica

Every month we will be sharing a photograph of a place in France. This month we take a look at Corsica.

Secret History of Buildings: Maisons sur l’Agout

From the 12th century to the 21st, these colourful houses in the Tarn town of Castres have been called home by residents on the lowest incomes

11 museums you may not have heard of

From the poster museum in Toulouse, to the glove museum in Millau, and not one but two tiny museums, Samantha David checks out some of the quirkier educational and informative venues in France

Why this small town in the Alps loves Mexico

Mexican roots run deep in Barcelonnette. Oliver Rowland explores why

Photo of the month: July... Place de la Concorde

Every month we will be sharing a photograph of a place in France. This month we take a look at Place de la Concorde in Paris.

Visit this award-winning Brittany garden in July

Trial, error, and an English-style striped lawn are a winning combination for this Jardin Ouvert

Secret History of Buildings: Notre Dame du Haut

The profoundly spiritual church on a hill that was designed by an atheist

Work to save tower fit for a king

The Cordouan lighthouse was conceived as a beacon and a palace. After centuries of saving lives, continuous work is needed to protect this historic monument

Photo of the month: June... Le Mont Saint-Michel

Every month we will be sharing a photograph of a place in France. This month we take a look at a rocky island commune with a towering gothic abbey, Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy was one of the earliest monuments to be crowned a Unesco World Heritage Site.

How to be a master gardener

The Château de Versailles and Marqueyssac, the most visited garden in Périgord, are among 2,300 public and private gardens all over France to open on June 2, 3 and 4 for the annual Rendez-vous aux Jardins. Jane Hanks spoke to their head gardeners

The Secret History of Buildings: The Bourse du Travail, Lyon

Rural Dordogne boasts very own ‘White House’

But, which came first - the Dordogne chicken, or the Washington DC egg?

Paris is a city for rose lovers in June

Celebrated rose tournament takes place in the grounds of the Château de Bagatelle every June

Charente-Maritime is France’s favourite summer destination

French holidaymakers go west for the summer, but the Var is most popular year-round

Photo of the month: May...Les Monts de L'Esterel

Every month we will be sharing a photograph of a place in France. This month we take a look at "Les Monts de L'Esterel", a Mediterranean coastal mountain range.

Secret History of Buildings: Clermont Ferrand's Basilica Notre Dame du Port

A short history of an unusually named historic French basilica

Love of books inspires student’s bike tours

Lyon literature lover hits the road for bikepacking adventures

Open Gardens scheme returns for a fifth season

200 gardens in 35 departments set to take part in this year's charity scheme - and we've selected three that are open in April

Hollande inaugurates Chambord’s restored gardens

Château de Chambord's French-style gardens are now open the the public

The happiness of the long-distance horse rider

Meet Emile Brager, whose love of long-distance riding has fuelled an industry to help riders explore France

The wheels on the piste go round and round

Alpine resorts in winter aren't all about the skiing...