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Where to go

Places to visit in France

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

A panoramic daytime view of the historic town of Saint-Émilion, featuring its iconic limestone buildings, terracotta roofs, and the prominent spire of the Monolithic Church (Église monolithe) under a partly cloudy sky; no visible signage or text i

Aquitaine

Saint-emilion

UNESCO medieval village and heart of Bordeaux wine region
The Boulevard des Pyrénées in Pau with its palms and flags

Aquitaine

Pau

Gateway to the Pyrenees with royal castle and sunny climate
The image shows the ornate Gothic stone portal of a church, featuring a pointed arch doorway with carved tympanum and archivolt, flanked by pinnacles and topped by a large triangular gable with intricate tracery and stained glass windows.

Normandy

Caen

Historic Norman capital with D-Day heritage and William the Conqueror's legacy
The image shows the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) of Vannes, France, a grand Beaux-Arts style building with a central clock tower, flanked by four flagpoles flying the Breton flag, French tricolor, EU flag, and a red municipal flag, with a statue of

Brittany

Vannes

Medieval walled city in Brittany with half-timbered houses
Palais Saint-Georges, Rennes, Aug 2010

Brittany

Rennes

Capital of Brittany with medieval center and vibrant student life
The twin spires of Quimper's Saint-Corentin Cathedral rising above the old town and a footbridge over the Odet river.

Brittany

Quimper

Historic capital of Finistère with cathedral and faience pottery
A wide river scene with a white pedestrian bridge on the left, a boat on the water, and a hilltop fortress (Château-Vieux) overlooking the town in the background under an overcast sky.

Aquitaine

Bayonne

Basque capital with medieval ramparts and chocolate heritage
The image shows the illuminated exterior of a large Gothic cathedral at dusk, featuring prominent flying buttresses, a polygonal apse with rose windows, and a square bell tower on the left side, set against a dark blue sky with trees and garden li

Centre-Val de Loire

Bourges

Medieval capital of Berry with UNESCO Gothic cathedral
A Romanesque church in the old centre of Poitiers

Aquitaine

Poitiers

Medieval city of bell towers and major university in western France
The image shows the exterior of a large, classical-style stone building with a red-tiled roof, arched ground-floor windows, and a distinctive modern clock sculpture on its facade, situated in a paved public square with people and young trees.

Franche-Comté

Besancon

Historic fortified city on a loop of the Doubs River
Painted façades and café terraces on the Place de la Réunion, Mulhouse

Alsace

Mulhouse

Industrial heritage city with world-class automotive and railway museums
Panoramic view of Ajaccio, Corsica, showing the city coastline, harbor, and distant mountains.

Corsica

Ajaccio

Birthplace of Napoleon on Corsica's scenic western coast

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