Skip to content

Where to go

Places to visit in France

132 towns, cities and natural areas we have written up, with our picks first.

A riverside view of a French town with stone buildings lining the Quai Vaveix along the Creuse river, featuring traditional architecture, a metal railing, and a hillside in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Limousin

Aubusson

Historic tapestry center in the Creuse department of Limousin
The Pont Joly and the towers of Semur-en-Auxois lit at night

Burgundy

Semur-en-auxois

Medieval town on a granite promontory in Burgundy
Entrance gate of Vauban's fortified town of Mont-Dauphin

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Mont-Dauphin

Vauban fortress town above the meeting of the Guil and Durance
The Cuisance tumbling past old houses in Arbois

Franche-Comté

Arbois

Historic Jura town and capital of Arbois wine region
A large medieval stone castle (Château de Clisson) situated on a rocky bank above a river, with a stone bridge crossing the water in the foreground and a church tower visible in the town behind.

Pays de la Loire

Clisson

Italianate river town of Muscadet country, rebuilt after the Vendée wars
Moulin du Grand Poulguin, a stone mill building on the river Aven in Pont-Aven, Brittany, France.

Brittany

Pont-aven

Historic artistic village on the Aven River in Brittany
A hillside town with terracotta-roofed stone buildings, a prominent church tower, and distant mountains under a blue sky; no visible signage or text identifying the location.

Corsica

Sartene

Authentic Corsican hilltop town with medieval streets and traditions
The Kiosque Peynet bandstand and flower beds in Valence

Rhône-Alpes

Valence

Historic Drôme prefecture on the Rhône with Pre-Alps views
A scenic view of a historic French town skyline featuring a prominent Gothic cathedral with a tall bell tower, reflected in the calm waters of a river in the foreground.

Burgundy

Nevers

Historic Loire town known for pottery and ducal heritage
A view through a stone gateway onto a cobblestone driveway leading to a large chateau surrounded by vineyards, with informational plaques mounted on the gateway pillars.

Burgundy

Vougeot

Small Côte de Nuits village around the walled Clos de Vougeot
A stone bridge spans a calm river, flanked by traditional buildings with sloped roofs and lush green trees in the background.

Franche-Comté

Ornans

Birthplace of Courbet in the Jura foothills on the Loue River
A low-angle shot of a historic stone building with a distinctive conical-roofed turret, white shutters, and a wooden door, situated on a paved street in a village with similar stone architecture under a clear blue sky.

Auvergne

Salers

Medieval village on volcanic plateau known for cheese and cattle

Book your stay