The Most Beautiful Places in France

Sénanque Abbey, Provence

The seemingly endless stretches of lavender make Provence one of the prettiest (and best-smelling) places in France. One of the most scenic spots to enjoy the flower fields is Sénanque Abbey, a twelfth-century church near the village of Gordes. The gentle heather-gray color of the abbey looks custom-made for its surroundings, particularly in the summer when the acres around it bloom into a sea of purple.


Gardens of Marqueyssac, Dordogne

The famous Gardens of Marqueyssac make up one of the most stunning landscapes in France—and the world. The 150,000 bubbly boxwood trees and hedges wrap around a seventeenth-century chateau that overlooks the Dordogne valley. The entire vista looks like an illustration from a Perrault fairytale.


Cliffs of Étretat, Normandy

Located along France's Alabaster Coast, these cliffs offer more than just steep walls. Climb to the top and you'll have views of arched rock formations, as well as scenery that inspired Claude Monet. At various points along the cliffs' 80-mile stretch, you can spot natural sculptures that are said to resemble an elephant, among other things. 


Château de Chambord

While Versailles and Fontainebleau are probably the best-known French palaces, Château de Chambord may be the loveliest. Located inside a wooded park in the Loire Valley, the majestic building brings plenty of drama to the landscape—and that’s before you have a chance to see the swirled staircase, intricate ceilings, and seventeenth- and eighteenth-century furnishings on the inside.


The Camargue, Provence

The Camargue is a marshy delta between the Mediterranean and the two branches of the Rhône that feels like another continent. Visitors can take jeep tours deep into the wilderness punctuated with briny ponds, red salt flats, and wind-whipped reeds and grasses. You'll also see the Camargue's trademark free-roaming white horses and some of its 400 bird species, including herons. If you're lucky, you might even spot flamingos.


Côte de Granit Rose, Brittany

Perhaps nowhere in northwestern Brittany is quite as breathtaking as the Côte de Granit Rose (or the Pink Granite Coast), a coastline dotted with spectacular granite rock formations. The geology ranges from massive rose gold boulders to eroded pink sand, all contrasted beautifully against the gray foam of the sea.


Champagne-Ardenne

As its name suggests, Champagne-Ardenne is the birthplace of bubbly and one of the most beautiful regions in France. The area is covered with idyllic valleys and vineyards, of course, but also ancient castles, chateaus, and abbeys. Make sure to visit the capital city Troyes for splendid churches from the Middle Ages, and Reims for underground wine cellars and the masterpiece Cathédrale Notre-Dame.


Colmar, Alsace

Walt Disney would surely approve of Colmar, with its timber-framed houses, colorful facades, and flower-lined canal. The commune is a delight to take in, whether its strolling the cobblestoned streets or taking a canoe trip down the water. Along with Kayersberg and Strasbourg, this provincial town is a trademark of the beautiful and charming Alsace region, located in northeastern France near Germany and Switzerland.


The French Riviera

Nothing captures the glitz and glamor of France quite like the French Riviera. The Mediterranean coast has long been a playground for luxurious vacationers, whether it's the yacht-filled ports of Saint-Tropez, the rose-scented winds of Grasse, or the limestone cliffs and turquoise waters of Cassis. No matter the specific destination, the entire Cote d’ Azur guarantees vibrant sites and a wonderfully warm climate all year.


Albi Cathedral

The Gothic Albi Cathedral is a place of superlatives, both inside and out: It is one of the largest brick buildings in the world, and the frescoes on the vaulted ceiling comprise the biggest Italian Renaissance painting in France. Indeed, whether you're admiring the cathedral's white gargoyles or rounded buttresses from afar, or royal blue surfaces and intricate pipe organ inside, Albi's most famous building is one of the best in the country.


Mont Blanc, Chamonix

The roof of western Europe is the birthplace of alpinism and home to one of today's most vibrant mountain sports communities, so it's a given that Mont Blanc and its subsidiary peaks needn't bow to any mountains, anywhere. It's needlelike, Gothically-drawn skyline is the kind that inspires poets and painters. 


Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy

Rising up from vast sandbanks and powerful tides, the rocky island of Mont Saint-Michel gives off an otherworldly appearance in its position off France's northwestern coast in Normandy. A small medieval village, complete with winding streets and tiny houses, sits on the island, but the crown jewel is undoubtedly the Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel. The incredibly abbey was build in 708 A.D., and was the inspiration behind the castle in Disney's Tangled.


Nice

Any trip to the Côte d'Azur should include an extended visit in Nice, a perfect combination of a relaxed Mediterranean resort and a modern cosmopolitan city. A climb up to Castle Hill will give you an overview of the town's crown jewels, like the Promenade des Anglais and Baie des Anges. The picture-perfect Old Town district is bustling with colorful markets and cafes in pastel pinks and yellows.


Giverny

Giverny is a small village on the border of Normandy most famous for being the site of Claude Monet's cherished riverside house and garden, both of which are open to the public today. The pastel pink house is pretty as a picture, with spring green shutters and ivy crawling up every surface. And the gardens are like an impressionist painting come to life, with water lilies, weeping willows, wisterias, and the famous green Japanese bridge.


Corsica

An island southeast of France, Corsica is thoroughly French with an Italian flair. Although it’s best known as Napoleon’s birthplace, the island is worth visiting for its stunning protected nature areas. Gaze at the rocky cliffs and outcroppings, bright bluish-green waters, and more than 100 species of aquatic birds. The Gulf of Porto, with its connected series of islets and caves, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and painstakingly maintained.


Dune du Pilat

The Dune du Pilat is the largest sand dune in Europe, and well worth a day trip from Bordeaux. Pack your bag with some local oysters, climb the 360-foot staircase to the top, and enjoy the magnificent sites for hours: You'll see blue ocean on one side, green pine forest on the other, and paragliders lilting in every direction above.


Palace of Versailles

An enduring symbol of the peaks of luxury, Louis XIV's eighteenth-century residence is one of the more impressive combined displays of art, architecture, interior design, and landscaping in the world. It houses a sumptuously decorated chapel and a full opera house. Don't miss the Queen's bedchambers, a masterpiece of over-the-top-ness; the legendary Hall of Mirrors, still used by the French government today to receive heads of state; or the three square miles of gardens.


Gorges du Verdon

Gorge du Verdon is often referred to as the "Grand Canyon of France." And although it might be smaller than its American counterpart, it certainly doesn't fall short in terms of beauty. The 2,300-feet-deep valley was formed by the Alpine Verdon River, a dazzling turquoise stream that flows into the artificial Lac de Sainte-Croix. Hiking and horseback riding trails weave throughout the vertical limestone cliffs, connecting tiny villages and offering once-in-a-lifetime views.


Millau Viaduct

Located over in southern France, the Millau Viaduct in the Aveyron region is one of the country's greatest engineering achievements. It also happens to be the tallest bridge in the world at 1,125 feet. Opened in 2004, the four-lane bridge is now a major route connecting France with Spain and offers beautiful views of the valley of the River Tarn.


Paris

There’s a reason the word flaner can’t be translated perfectly into English—the idea of a long, aimless stroll taken simply to soak up the scenery seems utterly French. And in Paris, there’s always something to stroll past. Walk the Promenade Plantee, considered the world’s first elevated park, stock up on cheese and wine for a picnic in Luxembourg Gardens, and end the day watching the sun set behind the Eiffel Tower.