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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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

This Normandy village is home to a 1,200 year old oak tree

The famous oak tree is so large that it houses two chapels and is 'central to the village in every sense'

France off the beaten path: Beaucaire's majestic fortress chateau

Just north of the Camargue in southern France, the fortress/chateau of Beaucaire - often called 'Sleeping Beauty' - is a commanding formation above its quiet town

Paris speed limit set to 30kph across most of capital

The limit, which already applied to 60% of the city centre roads, will extend across the majority of routes except for some major boulevards and the périphérique

Watching the Tour de France 2021 in person: Route and rules

The fourth stage from Redon to Fougères in Brittany is now underway. Here's what you need to know if you plan to watch the race pass through your town this year

Explore France by rail: Tour of the country's steam trains

If you are an enthusiast, do not hesitate to get in touch with your local steam train association. They do not care if newbies do not speak much French, as long as they speak ‘train’!

Saint-Malo: Exploring Brittany’s city of corsairs

Saint-Malo has a long love affair with privateering, so what exactly is the difference between a pirate, a corsair and a privateer?

The French photography project that captures oddball constructions

‘Atlas des Régions Naturelles’ captures architectural curiosities throughout France and it will eventually contain 50 photos of each of France’s 50 ‘régions naturelles’

Explore Château Royal de Blois and its trio of architectural styles

Château Royal de Blois is the perfect chance to take in and understand the changing architectural styles of France in a single glance

This bijou French village perches majestically between rock and river

La Roque-Gageac in Dordogne is a micro-village with micro-climate, with traces of human habitation dating back to 25-35,000 BC

A tour of circular villages in the south of France

The round villages of the Hérault, Aude and Gard departments in the south of France are first examples of mathematical medieval town planning in Europe

Hidden face of abbey at Mont-Saint-Michel gets a facelift

€7million restoration work expected to last until 2023

Explore the Alpine village in France where winter is only just ending

The picturesque village of Bonneval-sur-Arc near the Italian border endures eight winter months out of twelve

Jardin des Cinq Sens: Yvoire’s magical lakeside garden

A brief history of a special French medieval garden on the banks of Lake Geneva in Haute-Savoie

Cordes-sur-Ciel: The pretty French town in the clouds

A tour through time into the long history of one of southwest France’s earliest revolutionary ‘bastide’ towns

Abandoned, not forgotten: Urbex trend and the lure of French châteaux

Raphaël Lopez and Marie de La Roche have travelled to 15 European countries exploring empty buildings in the peaceful but unlawful ‘pastime’ of Urban Exploration

Jardins ouverts: Explore a magical Mediterranean garden in Hérault

Catriona McLean and her husband Charles from Scotland transformed open uncultivated vineyard land into Le Jardin des Rossignols

Discover the sumptuous Hôtel de Beauharnais in Paris

The historic Empire style townhouse has a rich and illustrious history and today serves as the German Ambassador to France's luxurious residence

This French village sits between heaven and earth

Art historian Julia Faiers unpicks the threads that weave together the Roman and medieval settlements of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges in the Pyrenees

€180million facelift for WW1 bombarded French basilica

Notre-Dame de Brebières basilica in the Somme was hit by 2,000 bombs but its golden statue held true to 'prophecies' not to fall until the war ended

More to Champagne region in France than a glass of bubbles

From museums and historic buildings to grape-picking, the famous la Champagne that lies east of the Paris region has something for everyone

Rooftop snapper reveals private Paris

Connexion's Samantha David meets an amateur lensman whose images of rooftops and residents are an internet smash