I think my passion for languages and travelling really started when I was studying for my French GCSE. Around that time, I visited the south of France and Monaco (as well as Montréal) with my family, and I made it my goal to become fluent in French and dreamed of living in
France someday. I also developed an interest in learning about foreign languages and countries in general, but the French language and France were what fascinated me the most.
Now I've achieved my goal of becoming fluent in French (though I'm a bit out of practice now!) and although I was never officially resident in France, I spent about three months of
my Year Abroad there, so I do kind of feel like I've lived there. Those months were actually a bit of a wake-up call for me, making me realise that France wasn't quite the perfect, wonderful country I had previously thought it was. Although I had a great time studying at a language school in Montpellier, my "dream job"
au pairing in the south of France turned out to be a nightmare, as did the job I got at an animal park in Brittany. And given the choice, I can't say I would have chosen to spend the majority of
the French part of my Year Abroad in
Rouen, a city in the north of France that didn't really seem all that different to
England apart from the language.
But even though my dreams of spending an amazing few months living in Paris or the south of France didn't quite become reality, my time in France was definitely a useful experience that I learned a lot from. I was also lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit lots of interesting places around the country, and I have great memories of those trips.
France is the country that receives the highest amount of tourists, and when you visit, it's easy to see why. Not only does it have one of the most beautiful capital cities in the world, it also has plenty of mountains, scenic countryside landscapes, fairytale castles and great beaches. So in this post, I've compiled a list of ten places I've visited around the Hexagon which offer all these things and more!
Montpellier
Montpellier in
the Occitanie region is quite possibly my favourite city in France. Its architecture is beautiful, and it has great museums and a really relaxed vibe. Oh and it's only a short distance from the beach! The few weeks I spent there were so much fun. I'll definitely try to go back at some point in the future...
Read more here!
Nîmes
A short distance away from Montpellier, you can find Nîmes, a city filled with Roman architecture. With highlights including the Temple of Diana, the Arena and Maison Carrée, it's a very attractive place to explore. I recommend finding the crocodile statue and touching its nose, which is said to bring good luck!
Read more here!
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
This enchanting village in the valley of the Gellone river is considered one of the prettiest places in all of France. It's also rich in history and culture; not only is it located along el Camino de Santiago (or le Chemin de Saint Jacques as it's known there), but its monastery is believed to have once held a piece of Jesus's cross. My personal favourite sight there was the mountaintop castle overlooking the village. Legend has it that a giant lives in it!
Read more here!
Sète
Mont Saint Clair in Sète, with its statues of the cross and the Virgin Mary overlooking the sea and the rest of the city, is rather reminiscent of
South America to me. However, down at sea level, you can see why Sète is known as the Venice of France, due to its series of canals that you can take a boat trip around. And you'll be glad to know it's a lot less expensive and crowded than
the real Venice!
Read more here!
Cap d'Agde
Like the four previous places I've listed, Cap d'Agde is located in
the southern region of Occitanie. However, unlike the others, this is less of a place for exploring and more of a place for relaxing. Known for its volcanic sand, it's a great destination for a day at the beach. But be warned that part of the town is a nudist resort! I'm glad that I went on a guided tour that just took us to the beaches where people wear clothes!
Read more here!
Avignon
Now I'm moving on from Occitanie to Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and the city of Avignon. Avignon is very popular with tourists thanks to Palais des Papes, the former papal residence, and Pont Saint-Bénézet (pictured above), the bridge from the famous song "Sur le pont d'Avignon"! The city centre is so beautiful that it has been designated as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Read more here!
Nice
My first trips to France were all to the French Riviera, as my granddad lives in the area. In this part of the country, there are plenty of glamorous, showbizzy places, such as Cannes and the microstate of Monaco. Visiting those places is definitely an interesting experience, but I personally prefer the more relaxed city of Nice. Its historic centre is a beautiful place to explore, and Promenade des Anglais (pictured) is an impressive sight to see. (Excuse the fuzzy picture - I took it many years ago!)
Read more here!
Le Havre
Now I'm moving on to talk about the north of France and
the region of Normandy, where I spent
several weeks of my Year Abroad. I've got to admit that I much preferred being in the south of France, but I still found it interesting to visit places around Normandy, such as Le Havre. Le Havre's art gallery, Musée Malraux, has a great collection of paintings, including many impressionist works. I also recommend taking a look at the city centre's architecture, including the cathedral (pictured above).
Read more here!
Dieppe
Dieppe was probably my favourite place that I went to in Normandy, mainly because of its fairytale-esque hilltop castle! Inside the castle is the Dieppe museum, where you can see various historical artefacts as well as paintings depicting scenic views of the town.
Obviously no list of places to visit in France would be complete without mentioning Paris. Even though my attempts to find work and accommodation there during my Year Abroad didn't work out, it still remains one of my favourite cities in the world. Everyone knows about the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, but I particularly love the neighbourhood of Montmartre, where you can find the Moulin Rouge, the Sacré Cœur Basilica (pictured above) and the café from the film "Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain"!
Read more here!
Of course this is by no means a definitive list of places to visit in France! It is limited to the places where I've been, which by coincidence happen to all be either in the far north or the far south of the country. Although
Chile turned out to be the country that stole my heart during my Year Abroad (in more ways than one!), I'm sure I'll still return to France at some point in the future. I'm interested in visiting Strasbourg, Marseille and Carcassonne, as well as some of the châteaux of the Loire Valley. And I definitely wouldn't say no to a trip to Tahiti!
Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here!
