


Sites like Château de Chenonceau and the 16 th-century Château de Chambord, both in the Loire Valley, Castelnaud La Chapelle and the military fortress of Bonaguil in Perigord, the imposing Fougères Castle in Brittany and Bordeaux’s Roquetaillade, draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.įor our money, though, the place to head if you like a good castle is the Languedoc’s Carcassonne – because it’s so much more than just a castle. The Dordogne is spectacular from the 12 th-century Château de Beynac, perched majestically on top of a limestone cliff dominating the town and the north bank of the Dordogne River, to the evocative, beautiful ruins of the Château de Commarque, west of Les Eyzies in the Beune Valley.įurther west lies the unmissable medieval honeycomb jewel that is Sarlat-la-Canéda, which looks for all the world like a film set.īut then, the whole of France is stuffed with impressive chateaux, churches and castles spanning centuries and numerous architectural styles. Breathtaking chateaux, castles and churches Along it, 250km of paths take in a double isthmus running to the Presqu'île de Giens peninsula, the Vieux Salins salt marshes and the island national park of Port-Cros (pictured).Ģ. There’s a sweet medieval quarter too, and easy access to 400km of coast.
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Hyères was a favourite of Queen Victoria, Robert Louis Stevenson, Edith Wharton and Man Ray, who were drawn not just by the lovely beaches of this coast but also a series of architectural beauties sited along palm-lined streets clustered with palaces, opulent Belle Epoque houses and oriental-style villas.

But don't forget less-busy treasures like the Normandy shore Corsica’s southern shores around Porto-Vecchio and the Languedoc's Mediterranean coast for beach holidays.Ī personal favourite is the Var region of Provence, and one spot in particular. Yes, the calm waters of the Cote d’Azur and surftastic pounders of the Bay of Biscay are backed by some of Europe’s best beaches.
