Magazine explore

How ceramics saved one of the most beautiful places in France

Moustiers draws crowds of tourists every year, who come to experience its Provençal charm and see its faïence favoured by French nobility

Why this peaceful medieval village in Corrèze makes for a dramatic film location

Saint-Robert is one of ‘The Most Beautiful Villages in France’ with its fortified church and grand residences

Erbalunga: France’s hotspot for the earliest summer sunrise

Visit this Corsican fishing village in September for an unforgettable experience... just remember to set the alarm

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Fort de Brégançon: inside the presidential private island

President Macron is currently enjoying the secluded fortress on the Riviera which has welcomed French politicians for decades

Veules-les-Roses: a floral village home to the shortest river in France

This coastal Normandy village is dotted with thatched cottages, watermills and rambling roses

Peillon: a picturesque village perché in the south of France

Skip luxury shopping in the Côte d’Azur and travel back in time to this little village teetering on a nearby mountaintop

Plogoff: the 'Land’s End' of France

The residents of this westernmost Breton village won a historic victory against a nuclear power plant

Eguisheim: the French fairytale village that inspired Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Explore the enchanting streets and historic charm of this photogenic spot in France's Grand Est region

Orne of a kind: the ‘Cotswolds of France’ that remains a hidden gem

Often overlooked by tourists and second-homers, this region in north-west France has so much to offer

This French hilltop 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

Bordeaux: from port city to wine haven

Discover how this city in southwestern France transformed from a port to a vibrant wine tourism hub

Valjouffrey: our French village scores badly for 'quality of life' but we love it

Residents are 'happy' to live in this village on the western side of the Écrins Massif, despite the stats

Rodez: a tale of two small pink-tinted cities

Art historian Julia Faiers marvels at the cathedral and medieval treasures of this city in Aveyron (Occitanie), once split in two

Exploring Vienne's beautiful ancient towns: Chatellerault, Chauvigny and Montmorillon

Visit castles, admire medieval architecture, explore the local history, and uncover cultural gems

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

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

What you need to know before visiting the European Parliament in Strasbourg

Explore the heart of the EU in eastern France

Six quirky things to do in Strasbourg

Admire pastel-coloured timbered houses, visit a voodoo museum or take a bath... in beer

Ten top science museums to visit in France

Explore interactive exhibits and workshops offering engaging experiences and fun for all ages

Exploring Vulcania: France's volcanic adventure theme park

Discover the thrilling and unique blend of science and entertainment in Puy-de-Dôme

Martel: the medieval French town home to a 'truffle' train and lavender festival

The small town in the Lot offered refuge to an English throne heir until his death

Cherry blossoms galore: Europe's largest Japanese garden is in France

Picnic beneath pink trees and celebrate the tradition of Hanami at the Parc Oriental de Maulévrier

The Pyrenees village where Napoléon III and Victor Hugo went to bathe

The thermal spa village of Cauterets has a long history of welcoming France’s famous names, who came to relax and enjoy its stunning scenery

Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne: why pilgrims flock to this French beauty spot

Art historian Dr Julia Faiers marvels at the village known for its majestic Saint-Pierre abbey

Five facts about Nouvelle France

The five colonies of New France still influence modern day America through language, culture and place names

Discover the capital of comics books in the west of France

We hear from the advisers of Angoulême's museum ahead of the festival which runs from January 29 to February 2

The Alsace village of Kaysersberg offers views as far as Germany’s Black Forest

Explore the charms of this enchanting village near Colmar, complete with château, church and glass blowing workshop

Photos: Magical images as Lyon launches its 25th Fête des Lumières

Stunning light shows take place in the evenings at 32 different venues

All aboard! Visit the untouched beauty of the Cevennes by French steam train

Wild swimming, donkeys, bamboo parks, and more gems of the secluded Cevennes National Park

Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer: Visit the Brittany village of abbeys, birds and beaches

The little peninsula west of Saint-Malo is off the traditional tourist trail

Did you know: France has its own equivalent of America's 'flyover states’

The diagonale du vide stretches over low population zones with almost no accessibility to public commodities of urban life

Explore the idyllic Normandy village that inspired a tragic literary masterpiece

Shortlisted as one of France’s favourite villages, Ry was also the setting for Flaubert’s Madame Bovary

Explore the narrow streets and military history of France’s fortified mountain town

The Hautes-Alpes outpost of Briançon, which overlooks five valleys, is a Unesco World Heritage Site

Royan: visit this French sea town rebuilt with Brazil-inspired style

It was once known as the Pearl of the Atlantic but was ruined during World War Two. It has been redesigned in a new and innovative way

The charming French alpine village where goats roam free

Les Lindarets in the Haute-Savoie is an idyllic village full of history... and goats

Rosé: how a once-cheap wine became France's favourite

It has become more popular than red in recent years

Smashing it: Colombian-born Piñata maker brings joy to French children

Her unique studio lights up central Paris with a Latin American tradition

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: Musical mausoleum

In which of France's 13 regions was this photo taken?

Map of French accents: which do you prefer?

From the major division between north and south to the departments split in two - everywhere has one

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: Source of life in bloom

In which of France's 13 regions was this floral photo taken?

Did you know: Paris cemetery is home to a tomb promising fecundity

The famous burial plot honours a legendary martyr to Republicans and is a symbol of love and fertility

Only French village called Saint-Valentin embraces romantic links

The tiny village in Indre takes its name seriously with an annual festival for visiting lovers around Valentine’s Day

SEE: The medieval bastide villages of south-west France

Historian Dr Julia Faiers uncovers the story behind the grid streets and arcades that tourists love

Louis Braille’s life and legacy celebrated in French hometown Coupvray

Aged 15, Braille established a writing system that would transform the lives of sight-impaired people globally

Find Paris’s secret village hidden in the bustling Marais district

Wander around independent shops and tranquil courtyards in the maze-like Village Saint-Paul

Centre yourself in the wine-making, historical heart of France

We explore the central department of Cher, where visitors can step back in time in the medieval city of Bourges, mess about in boats, or sample some world-famous wine

Aix-en-Provence: the refined city full of French Christmas tradition

Watch santons figures being made, sample the sweet calissons or travel back to the 1960’s in elegant Aix

Whistlestop weekend in Paris makes perfect ‘memorial tour’ finale

On her final French trip in memory of late husband Patrick, writer Sally Ann Voak enjoys a boogie at a traditional guinguette , views repairs to Notre-Dame, and sleeps in Toulouse-Lautrec’s brothel

Remote French village reinvigorated by women farmers and Basque pigs

A new generation of dynamic young farmers is moving into Urepel, but the telephone reception is not quite as vigorous

Visit magical Marseille and swap snow for sun this Christmas

The vibrant Provençal city that offers 136 hours of December sunshine is full of festive spirit and a wonderful Christmas market

Collonges-la-Rouge: first to be crowned among the Plus Beaux Villages de France

This fairytale mountain village gets its name from the intense red bricks made with sand grains of the nearby Massif Central

Meet the French craft beer brewers taking wine drinkers by storm

We take you on a boozy tour of museums, fairs and micro-breweries where regional ‘terroir’ is still important

Ideas for autumn half-term holiday break with children in Toulouse

The cosmopolitan capital of Occitanie offers museums, adventures in space, play areas and cafés - we share money-saving tips

Armentières’ historic bridge and bawdy song make for inspiring visit

Journalist Sally Ann Voak continues working through her late husband’s travel bucket list by paying tribute to a beloved friend – and unpicking a saucy French legend

French legends part two: Giants and ghosts – stories from the east

We continue our myths and legends’ series with a look east to a mysterious mountain peak, a ghostly lady, a family of giants and a demonic horse

Five French towns for day trips into Spain, Switzerland and Germany

Walk over the Large Hadron collider or step into a different time zone, we share five places you can stroll from France to a foreign town

MAP: Dive into our 10 refreshing places to cool off in France

From beaches to glacier lakes to wine cellars, we pick out some refreshingly cool beauty spots in France

Saint-Véran: the quaint alpine village feels ‘how France used to be’

Hikers, astronomers and city-dwellers head to the highest village in France to reconnect with nature

Bucket list trip along French Riviera in memory of romantic husband

‘Sur le Pont d’Avignon’ via Nice, Monaco and Draguignan - Connexion writer Sally Ann Voak journeys through France to honour her late husband

Back to the classroom: visiting France’s school museums

Take a nostalgic trip around the country and pay a visit to the country’s finest museums dedicated to the history of education

Lavoirs: How these communal wash houses changed French culture

Though they are no longer used, you still come across them, typically on the fringe of a village or town

How passionate farmers are reviving Menton’s iconic lemon

The town’s annual lemon festival, which takes places this month, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors but has to rely on imported fruits after the local industry fell into decline

Marseille: The cultural melting pot of France’s south

In her series on the cultural history of France, art historian Dr Julia Faiers traces the fascinating past of this Mediterranean port city through three of its historic buildings

A tour of France's spectacular clocks

From Paris to Rouen, Bordeaux to Blois, France is home to some extraordinary ‘timepieces’, from the country’s oldest in Paris to restored gems off the beaten track. In no time you will be fascinated

What does the French sign ‘sauf riverains’ mean?

A 'Riverain' is someone who lives or owns land or property near a river, but these signs often appear where there is no river nearby?

The French village whose pocket knives are a cut above

The plateau-perched village of Laguiole in the south of France is where knives and cheese keeps its small economy booming

France's love of slow VW camper van holidays continues to grow

From VW lovers of a certain vintage to a new generation of tourists who love slow paced holidays, camper van rentals in France are hugely popular

Musée des Maisons Comtoises: See how people used to live in France

An open-air museum of traditional houses dating from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries shows how locals adapted their architecture to the conditions they were living in

A tour of French perfumes from Paris to Provence

The Provençal town of Grasse holds a special place in perfumery history. Join us on a fragrant tour of some special spots to immerse yourself in the industry

5,000 perfumes in the world’s largest archive in Versailles

The Osmothèque, founded in 1990, is the world’s largest archive of perfumes, even houses Napoléon's (recreated) scent

Exploring mountain refuges and cabins in France

Mountain refuges are simple lodges designed for hikers so you will need to walk to them. The rewards are total peace and quiet, plus stunning views

The French hills are just the tonic after a bustling summer

Autumn is the perfect time to explore the hidden villages and charming cities, mountain vistas and outdoor activities of France’s main magnificent and varied mountain ranges

City portrait of Nantes: Past is fused with present and machines rule

Nantes is shedding its skin to re-emerge greener in every sense of the word. We highlight what not to miss in this intriguing and constantly evolving Pays de la Loire city

Explore the Côte d’Azur in miniature in France's latest exhibition

Miniature worlds are made as realistic as possible, using multiple wall projectors, speakers and emissions of various scents to create a fully-immersive experience

Beautiful private gardens open for Autumn visits in France

The association Open Gardens/Jardins Ouverts, which raises funds for charity, has a colourful array of green spaces and floral corners to visit this autumn

A guide to fishing in France

From its fêtes and exhibitions to treasured angling spots, France is a country mad on fishing. Here is how to cast out and enjoy just like a local 'pêcheur'