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Savoring Life in Pont-Aven—The City of Artists

Artsy Sightseeing, Destinations, France, Get Inspired carolcram Leave a Comment on Savoring Life in Pont-Aven—The City of Artists

Last updated on October 14th, 2023 at 02:08 pm

We’ve come to beautiful little Pont-Aven in southern Brittany for six days. The works created by painters of the Pont-Aven School, most notably Paul Gauguin, Emile Bernard and Paul Sérusier, has long intrigued my husband Gregg Simpson. These artists—plus many more over the past century—have found the light and landscape of this corner of Brittany inspiring. Gregg wants to find out if inspiration will also hit him. (Spoiler alert: it does!).

I’m toying with an idea for a character who comes from a provincial French town and makes her way to Paris during the Belle Époque. Why not have her come from Pont-Aven? I resolve to spend the week soaking in the atmosphere and the vistas, and learning what I can about what life was like here in the 1880s.

Tuesday, October 2

Morning in Rennes

After breakfast at our hotel in Rennes (Hôtel Anne de Bretagne—a good choice for a one-night stay), we set off to explore the medieval streets of Rennes, the capital of Brittany. The city allegedly has the greatest number of half-timbered medieval houses still standing in France—360 houses in total. We don’t think we’ll have time to see all 360, but I’m determined to see a goodly portion of them. Armed with a route I mapped out from various blog posts about Rennes and its medieval architecture, we set off.

There are few people on the streets on the fine and sunny Tuesday morning. We walk about ten minutes, retracing our steps from our post-dinner stroll the night before, then turn a corner and voilà! We come face to face with the famed Rennes medieval houses—well, a few of them at least.

Half-Timbered Houses in Rennes

They are gorgeous! Half-timbered, often painted, some crooked and leaning out into the street. It takes a very small leap of the imagination to see myself back in the 1400s so long as I keep my gaze upwards to avoid looking at the modern storefronts at ground level.

After a while, we notice that ghostly images of what we think are white ferrets fill the windows of many of the half-timbered buildings. These are the buildings that must be in the process of being preserved because instead of storefronts at the bottom, there are … ferrets. We quickly become obsessed with snapping pictures of these rather creepy guys!

En Route to Pont-Aven: A Stop in Josselin

We leave Rennes and take our time driving to Pont-Aven. According to our navigation system, it’s just two hours away, and since we can’t check into the house we rented until 4 pm, there’s no need to rush.

On our way, we stop in Josselin. I had no idea it would be as pretty as it turned out to be. I was looking on Google Maps for a good place to break our journey. A click on Josselin showed it had a château. I’m always up for checking out a château, so we set the navigation system for Josselin.

Wow! Josselin is adorable! Its half-timbered houses have been meticulously renovated and restored, many painted in bright colors.

The town is small—really more of a village, so it doesn’t take long to walk along its cobbled streets and down toward the river where stands the château. It opens in an hour, but we won’t wait to go in. In my experience, most French châteaux are pretty much empty inside, and according to the website, the château at Josselin is no exception. We opt instead to walk down by the river and snap photos in the glorious October sunshine.

Arrival in Pont-Aven

Then it’s back in the car and onwards to Pont-Aven. At 4 pm, we enter Pont-Aven, our home for the next six nights. We’ve visited the town twice before—first in 1995 when Gregg discovered its association with several of the painters he admires, and again in 2013 when we spent a night there during a short jaunt to Brittany. Both times, we loved the picturesque little town and hoped it hadn’t changed.

The navigation system wants to take us across what looks like a pedestrian plaza. We balk and opt for the long way around that ends in a very sharp turn up a very steep driveway marked privé. But the address is correct and so Gregg barrels up the road and makes a second very sharp turn into the parking area.

Although I’d seen pictures of the place on booking.com, I am not prepared for just how stunning it is, perched on a ridge with a view across the boat-choked inlet. Called Le Fusain, the house itself is large and modern with a massive kitchen, a large living/dining area, a master bedroom with attached bathroom downstairs, and two smaller bedrooms and another bathroom upstairs. It’s too big for us but we don’t mind. And it’s an incredible bargain, compared to what we paid in Paris and Amsterdam.

The person who manages the place shows us around and then leaves us to get acquainted with our new digs. We both stake out our work areas—me at the modern dining room table in the living room (left) Gregg at the large wooden table in the kitchen (right), and resolve to use a lot of our time to get stuck into some work.

First Stroll Into Pont-Aven

But first, we must check out Pont-Aven and buy food for dinner. We set off down the hill for our first of what will be several forays into exquisite little Pont-Aven. I can’t stop snapping pictures!

Eventually, we end up at the Intermarché near the edge of town, load up on provisions, and head back up the hill to our beautiful domain. That night, we enjoy a light dinner of crêpes stuffed with ham and cheese. Divine (and also so much cheaper than eating out!).


Overview of Pont-Aven

Henry Bacon, an American artist, “discovered” Pont-Aven in the 1860s. Many more artists began flocking to the area, attracted by the light and the beauty of the town and the surrounding landscape. Painters came from Scandinavia, England, and the United States, but were all called the Americans by the locals. Pont-Aven‘s reputation as a mecca for artists was cemented in 1886 when Paul Gauguin arrived. Other artists in the Impressionist and Synthetist school soon followed, including Émile Bernard and Paul Sérusier. Their work became known worldwide as the “School of Pont-Aven”. Their likenesses are painted on a wall in Pont-Aven. From left to right – Sérusier, Bernard, and Gauguin.

Check out my post on the Musée d’Orsay for some of the most famous examples of their work.

Wednesday, October 4

Pont-Aven weaves its magic spell around us and we can’t get enough of enjoying its many vistas. We set off mid-morning for our first real exploration. Pont-Aven is located at the end of a very long inlet. It’s a good 90-minute walk along a wooded sentier to get to the sea. Back in the day, the town was a popular fishing port, apparently attracting so many French sailors that locals tended to speak French rather than Breton as did most of the people in the surrounding towns and villages.

Bois d’Amour

We head first to the tourist information office and pick up a map of the area and directions to the Bois d’Amour—the Wood of Love, a delightful walk alongside the river where Paul Gauguin and Paul Sérusier first “discovered” abstraction. Well, that’s the legend, anyway. The very spot where Gauguin apparently told Sérusier how to use color vibrantly is marked with a plaque as well as the painting that Sérusier created, entitled Le Talisman.

We are entranced by the beauty of the walk as well as the almost complete absence of other people. A visit in October is just the ticket to avoid crowds. The area is very popular with holidaymakers during the summer months.

Pont-Aven is tiny and yet boasts 60 art galleries! Pretty much every shop on the four main streets that make up the town is an art gallery of some sort. Most of the art in the galleries is of the sailboat landscape variety, competently done but not that interesting.

Thursday, October 5

After a morning walk into town for coffee and croissants followed by catching up on writing (me) and doing some drawing (Gregg), we head out at 4 pm to explore the area by car. Our first goal is to find the sea! We know we’re close—we can smell it and hear the seagulls, but so far we haven’t yet seen it. That changes pretty quickly after we leave Pont-Aven and drive along beautifully winding country roads to emerge onto our first beach. It’s wide and windy and absolutely stunning. It’s also empty.

For the next two hours, we swoop and swerve along the country roads, stopping every so often to admire yet another sea view of blue ocean and rocks tortured into weird shapes.

Visit to Concarneau

At close to 6 pm, we drive into Concarneau, a relatively large town that consists of a modern portion on the mainland and then a walled old city across a bridge in the harbor. We arrive just in time to watch the merchants closing up their shops. Here’s a shot of the old town from the new town. One of the flags is a Canadian flag!

I had thought we’d eat dinner in the old town but nope. The drawbridge comes down at 6:30! We have a quick walk around and then go in search of restaurant on the street facing the harbor. We are the first people in at 7:15 and ushered upstairs to a table with a lovely view over the harbor (see below).

The server is attentive and friendly. He happily speaks English and laughs good-humoredly at our attempts to order in French. While we eat, the place fills to capacity. Ours is the only server and I watch fascinated as he deftly and efficiently attends to the many tables.

We order steak and both have too large a piece to finish. I ask the server for a box and he brings me a large plastic container into which I unselfconsciously stow our leftovers. It will make a perfect dinner the next day.  I remember a time when asking for a “doggie bag” just wasn’t done in France, but fortunately all that’s changed, and a request to pack up leftovers doesn’t even elicit an eyebrow raise.

Friday, October 6

We decide to stay close to home and make a visit to the Musée Pont-Aven our priority. Good call! The museum is wonderful! After four days in Pont-Aven, I’m getting plenty of inspiration for my WIP (Work in Progress) and have decided that an American artist must play a role, preferably a female American artist. Were there any?

Musée Pont-Aven

The museum provides the answer! The oldest painting by a female artist visiting Pont-Aven was done in 1883 by Marie Luplau, a Danish artist and ardent feminist. Apparently, many women artists came to the town to paint during the period, including Emily Carr at the beginning of the 20th century. Marie’s painting is of the Bois d’Amour, where we walked the day before.

Ideas ping and pong off each other as I wander the beautifully curated displays at the museum. In the first room, I take a picture of every single frame of a short slide show about Pont-Aven in the 19th century when it first started attracting artists. Pictures of people at the time in which an historical novel is set provide a wealth of information about what people looked like, what they wore, what the houses were like, and so on.

What strikes me most is how little Pont-Aven has changed. Although now attracting thousands of tourists a year, the town has kept its original buildings and flavor so that photographs taken in the 19th century don’t look all that much different from photographs taken today. Here are just two of the many photos I snapped.

I also learn that local people wore wooden shoes—a nice detail to file away for future reference.

The museum includes works by all the main School of Pont-Aven artists, including the “Big Three”: Gauguin, Sérusier, and Bernard. Here are some highlights.

Les Porcelets by Paul Sérusier

This delightful piece beautifully combines cold blues in the background and warm yellows in the foreground and, while not abstract, definitely shows tendencies towards favoring shapes over realism. It’s a good example of the aesthetic of the Pont-Aven School in its use of simplified lines, bright colors and unusual framing that cuts off the top of the woman’s body.

La Grammaire by Paul Sérusier

This painting represents Sérusier’s interest in the sibyls, ancient prophetesses, but his version is a contemporary Pont-Aven woman. I love the simple shapes and flat planes of the piece, and also how the woman’s hand clasps the book. She looks like she’s just come in from milking the cows, so having her writing in a book like she’s a scholar is both jarring and intriguing.

Special Exhibition

We check out the special exhibition on the second floor and are blown away to discover it’s an exhibition of women artists and photographers who documented their travels in the 19th century. These were some pretty intrepid women—traveling all over the world to paint and photograph local landscapes and people. The exhibition is a great example of how, finally, artwork made by women is being showcased in major exhibitions.

Saturday, October 7

Quick Trip into Quimper

We set off mid-morning for a day trip to Quimper followed by another country drive, this time in search of prehistoric sites. Quimper is the oldest city in France and is known for its cathedral and its many beautifully preserved half-timbered houses. We arrive and park, then make our way into the delightful town. The central area is compact, with plenty of attractive houses to photograph and lots of shops selling local delicacies. We wander around, stop for a good lunch at a café overlooking the cathedral, buy Gregg more art supplies, and then set out in search of prehistory.

Menez Dregan

A thirty-minute drive takes us to the coast to a site called Menez Dregan, a paleolithic site of major importance. We are suckers for paleolithic sites (see my post about Prehistory Sites in Europe) and are astonished to discover that evidence found in the oldest layers of the rock at the site show that it was inhabited around 465,000 years B.C.

Excavations have uncovered flint tools, bones (especially from large mammals like perissodactyls, and an elephant’s tooth) and hearths, making the site one of the oldest in the world where fire is known to have been used. It’s beautifully situated. We sit on a rock and look out to sea, imagining our distant ancestors pausing in their work to gaze out at the same sea on a warm October afternoon.

Getting Lost in Brittany

We leave Menez Dregan and for the first time on the trip, our navigation system lets us down! The main road back to Pont-Aven is blocked but nobody told Madame GPS with the soothing English accent. As a result, she keeps trying to take us to the same exit over and over again. Finally, I tell Gregg to take another exit that leads in the opposite direction and try to plot a route using my phone’s Google Maps across country back to Pont-Aven. We end up driving a good hour longer than we should have, but we do eventually make it home. Fortunately, the bucolic Brittany countryside we drove through made the extra time fly by.

Sunday, October 8

Our last day in Pont-Aven is just as warm and beautiful as each of the days we’ve spent here. The weather is eerily warm for this time of year—high twenties every day. We decide to spend most of the day at our place, finishing up work and generally relaxing before setting out on another road trip the next day.

We walk down to the town and have a delicious lunch of crêpes and salad. Pont-Aven on a warm October day is hopping—the busiest we’ve seen it all week. We end the day with a final stroll down to the inlet to get rid of our garbage. Because our house is on a private road, there is no garbage pickup. As a result, we need to take our garbage down the hill and across the bridge to some public poubelles in a park. I’m not sure what people do if they have a lot of garbage! But after just under a week, we can easily transport our two bags.

And then it’s back up the hill one last time. We’ll miss this little corner of heaven in Pont-Aven. There’s even a cross on a rock alongside the little private road leading to “our” house.

En Route to La Rochelle

After saying good-bye to the manager of the house, we set off for Carnac on our way south to La Rochelle, our destination for the night. We’ve resolved on this trip to never drive more than three or four hours in a day. La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast is about four hours south of Pont-Aven and four hours north of our next destination in Les Eyzies in the Dordogne, so it’s a good choice for a break.

We’ve visited Carnac twice over the past thirty years and both times been blown away by the sheer number of stones in the famous alignments. They really are remarkable! And what were they for? No one really knows.

We park and share a picnic lunch, then check out a few of the largest stones. These days, people are not allowed into the alignments. Thirty years ago, Gregg walked up to a gate and asked a farmer if he could go in to take some pictures, and the farmer was happy to open the gate and usher him in. That wouldn’t happen now!

And finally, a rare photo of the two of us! An obliging hiker was walking by as Gregg was taking a picture of me in front of the alignments and asked if we’d like one of us together.

Touring Brittany

Brittany is a very large department, so choose an area to home base in. We’ve spent time in northern Brittany on the spectacular Côte Granite Rose and in the Gulf of Morbihan area. Here are other posts on Artsy Traveler about various areas in Brittany:

And here are some tours of Brittany you may want to consider.

Six Sensational Days in Paris for an Artsy Traveler

Artsy Sightseeing, Destinations, France, Get Inspired carolcram Leave a Comment on Six Sensational Days in Paris for an Artsy Traveler

Last updated on October 11th, 2023 at 04:53 pm

This post presents a day-by-day account of six days I spent in Paris in September 2023. During our stay, my husband Gregg Simpson mounted an exhibition of his paintings at a small ‘pop-up’ gallery on the Left Bank. While he sat the gallery, I visited my favorite museums and took a cooking class.

Overview

I’ve visited Paris many times, starting with my first visit at the age of 14 with my mom. I didn’t much like Paris then, nor was I much entranced during the next trip when I was about 20 in 1976. In those days, people were not friendly, men were constantly cat-calling, and the whole place felt a bit grubby. But fortunately, I haven’t let my earliest impressions of Paris prevent me from returning many times during the last four decades, starting with a marvelous family trip in 1994.

On each trip, I discover something new, and on each trip, I love Paris even more. I even set my fourth novel there—Love Among the Recipes—about a cookbook author who comes to Paris and rediscovers love in all its flavors.

Day 1: Arrival in Paris

We leave lovely little Ghent around 10 am for the pleasant three-hour drive to the Porte d’Ivry in the south of Paris where we will park our car for the duration of our stay in Paris.

Parking with Parclick

On our last trip to Europe in 2022, I discovered Parclick. It’s an awesome parking app that finds parking wherever you want to go. Enter the location into the app (or on the website) to view a list of all the parking lots in the area that accept Parclick customers. The prices range, from exorbitant to park in the center of any city to incredibly reasonable to park on the outskirts. And price is not the only consideration. Most European cities severely restrict vehicular traffic. This means you risk a fine if you drive into a city without a permit or fail to register your presence if you do have a permit.

Several weeks before our trip, I booked a parking place at the Comfort Hotel near Porte d’Ivry, which is just off the Périphérique—the massive ring road that circles Paris and is always, at least in our experience, plugged solid with traffic. Parking for a week costs 53 euros, which is a pretty darned good deal compared to what parking in the center of Paris would cost—and without the hassle of actually driving into Paris, which is a nightmare. We know because, unfortunately, we’ve driven into the center of Paris a few times over the years and yeah, it’s not easy.

We quickly find the Comfort Hotel thanks to our car’s excellent GPS system. After receiving a code from reception, we drive into the super-dark underground parking lot, park our car and emerge into the sunlight to call an Uber. Yes, Paris has Uber, which is a godsend (well, it starts out as a godsend –more on that later!). The Comfort Hotel is in quite an obscure location, and we have a lot of luggage. It’s unlikely we’d have easily found a taxi in the vicinity.

Uber into Paris

The Uber driver arrives and cheerfully helps load our luggage into his car and whisks us through Paris to our apartment on rue de Sèvres on the Left Bank. We chose the apartment because, although ridiculously expensive, it wasn’t quite as expensive as apartments closer to the gallery where Gregg will be exhibiting. It’s about a ten-minute Mètro or bus ride followed by a 10-minute walk to the gallery. The area is well serviced with restaurants, food shops, and some swanky department stores such as the Bon Marché.

Entry to our Apartment

We are early and so wait in front of the place until our contact arrives at 4 pm. She leads us through a long and involved gamut of locked doors and courtyards to our apartment. First, we use a fob to open the heavy outdoor gate. We then walk through a large courtyard to a set of stairs. After hauling our heavy suitcases up the stairs, we use the fob to get into one of the buildings that is part of the large, sixties-built apartment complex. We walk through that building to another set of doors that leads out to another courtyard. After crossing that courtyard, we go through a third set of doors that are fortunately open and then blip the fob again to enter our corridor. We walk down the long, darkly paneled corridor to the end and finally use the one key to open it.

Or, as we discover later, we could have just entered via the front of the building, used the fob twice and walked a quarter of the way. I still haven’t figured out why she took us in the back way.

Our Apartment on rue de Sèvres

Our apartment is modern and very spacious—almost ridiculously spacious! We have an enormous living room with two enormous couches and a dining table, a kitchen equipped with everything we could possibly need and a large entrance area that includes a desk. In addition, we have a bathroom with a bathtub (a rarity these days), a toilet room, a walk-in closet and finally a bedroom. I spend the first day getting lost, particularly in the middle of the night when searching for the toilet.

It’s certainly a comfortable place, which, considering the cost, it should be. Mind you, a hotel room that is a quarter the size costs the same, so I could say the place is a bargain. We’ve stayed in many apartments in Paris and this one ranks as the most comfortable. It is not charming, but I will take modern conveniences and a ground floor place over an 18th-century loft up five flights of twisting stairs any day.

Why Choose the Center of Paris

You can certainly find cheap rooms on the outskirts of Paris, like those at the Comfort Hotel where we parked. However, I don’t recommend doing so unless your budget is really tight. You’ll end up spending a lot of time on the Mètro to get into the center of Paris, where the vast majority of the best sightseeing is located. After your day of sightseeing, you’ll return to a neighborhood that is often dreary and devoid of the Parisian charm you’ve traveled so far to find. A few times, for various reasons, we’ve stayed near or just beyond the Périphérique and will never do so again if we can help it.

After getting settled, we decide to walk to the gallery to meet the person who will let us in. After walking for about 5 minutes, we realize we’ll never make it in time and so get an Uber. We arrive at the gallery to meet our contact after being stuck in traffic a few times.

She leads us through the complex protocol for accessing the gallery. First, we enter a code to open the huge wooden door next to the gallery. We then use the fob to get through the next door and one of the four keys provided to get through a squat red door that leads into a passageway that looks like it hasn’t changed since the Middle Ages. I imagine people cowering under the low ceiling while citizens during the Revolution scour the area for people to send to the guillotine. I must turn on my phone flashlight to get down the passage, my head ducked. Gregg has to bend almost double.

We reach a slightly open area where yet another door awaits. This one requires a special key that must be inserted in exactly the right way, turned and then the door shoved hard. This door leads into the back of the gallery. But we’re not done yet! We must use the round key to unlock the massive metal grate protecting the window. With a great clanking and grinding, the metal grate rolls up and up, finally coming to rest with a satisfying clunk. Then and only then can we use the fourth key to open the front door of the gallery.

The gallery is gorgeous! What a relief! We rented a gallery in 2022 from the same outfit and were disappointed because although the space itself was functional, the location was not. This gallery is smack dab in the middle of gallery land. And most of the art in the galleries is modern art. Gregg’s work will look right at home.

First Meal in Paris

With the gallery keys secured and the instructions on my phone, we head out for our first meal in Paris. I booked a posh place for our first dinner—Le Christine just a few meters away from the gallery on rue Christine. The place is comfortable and full of both French people and tourists. The servers bend over backwards to give us a memorable experience.

We start with a shared appetizer—an interesting concoction of zucchini, green onions, and a bunch of other ingredients swimming in a crispy puff pastry crust. It goes down easy.

For the main course, Gregg has a fillet of cod cooked with all sorts of tastes and even a smattering of foam. I opt for the lamb with chanterelles—succulent and rich. We each have a glass of wine but decide against dessert. The prices are a bit above my comfort zone although because it’s Tuesday, we are getting a 20% discount on the main courses. Still, the bill comes to 117 Euros, which in Canadian terms isn’t that bad considering the incredible quality of the food, but it’s certainly not bargain basement.

Day 2 in Paris: Visit to the Louvre

Paris teems with eight-million-plus Parisians, who all seem to know exactly where they are going and why. Interposed with the fast-walking, forward-facing French people are plenty of tourists, eyes fixed on phones as they navigate the back streets of the Left Bank.

In the morning, we take the Métro to the gallery and I leave Gregg to wait for the shippers to deliver his boxes of paintings while I make my way across the Pont des Arts to the Louvre. Although I’ve visited many times, I decide to give it one more try. To be honest, it’s a bit of a mistake. The Louvre is over-crowded, over-hot, and over-amped. I give it the old college try but eventually have to admit defeat and leave.

Louvre Highlights

Here are two of the highlights, only scratching the surface of what’s available if you have the stamina. Most of the really famous pieces by artists such as Delacroix, David, and Ingres are so large that they can’t be photographed effectively, and I quickly lost heart, mostly because every room I entered looked like this:

The Three Muses

This Roman copy of a Greek statue of the three muses catches my eye. The three women are symbols of beauty, the arts and fertility.

St. Jerome in His Study

My attention is caught by this piece, an oil on panel painted around 1450 by Colantonio, an artist of the Naples school. He is famous for his meticulous depiction of objects–and no wonder. Check out how he renders the books and other objects to give the impression of a somewhat messy but productive office. There are even paper notes tacked to the wall. And then there’s the sad, patient look on the lion’s face. The scene has a wonderful immediacy, as if St. Jerome is at his desk writing, then breaks off to attend to the lion who has just limped in. As soon as he gets the thorn out of the lion’s paw, St. Jerome will return to his work–turning the page of the book on the desk, reaching for one of the other books to look something up, carrying on with his studies as if nothing untoward had happened.

St. Jerome in his study--painting in the Louvre in Paris

Louvre Suggestions

If you do visit the Louvre, buy your ticket in advance and go as early as you can to avoid the crowds. Check the map provided and plan in advance which paintings and sculptures you want to see. Avoid wandering aimlessly through the Louvre—that way lies madness (along with sore feet and frayed nerves).

Also, don’t bother checking out the Mona Lisa. You’ll not get within ten yards of her and you’re in danger of getting pick-pocketed. I did actually wander into her room, but only to take a picture of the crowds!

Crowds in front of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in paris

Après Louvre

I stop for a crêpe from a street vendor and watch, fascinated, as he carefully pours the crêpe batter onto a large circular griddle, then uses a tool like a windshield wiper to spread the batter into a perfect circle. With incredible care and precision, he lifts the edges to reveal a crisp brown, then deftly flips the crêpe over and sprinkles it with cheese. Finally, he performs a complicated set of maneuvers with his flipper to create a cone-shaped crêpe that he slides into a paper and hands to me.

I eat it sitting at the edge of one of the fountains next to the Louvre pyramid while watching the tourists flow past. It’s delicious and a bargain at just 5 euros.

In the late afternoon, I treat myself to a glass of wine and a very nice slab of paté in a café very close to the gallery. The outdoor patio is bigger than most and I find a table in a corner. Unfortunately, next to me is a group of young Frenchmen who are extremely loud. Every so often, they burst into raucous laughter, making me jump. It’s a tad annoying and also unusual. In my experience, Europeans are generally much quieter in restaurants than North Americans.

As usual, the servers leave me strictly alone once they’ve brought my order, which is fine by me because they also don’t mind how long you stay. But when I do want to go, it’s almost impossible to get their attention!

I pick up Gregg at the gallery and we catch the bus along the Seine to the Grand Palais where we are to see an exhibition of art nouveau. Alas, we arrive at the Grand Palais to find it completely boarded up. I check the ticket and realize that the exhibition is sponsored by the Grand Palais but is actually being held way across town near Place de la Bastille—a good 40 minutes away by Métro. Since the exhibition closes at 8 pm and it’s already 7:30, we decide to pass. C’est la vie!

We’re not too bothered since both of us are exhausted—Gregg after spending half the day putting up his show and me slogging through the long, long galleries at the Louvre.

Day 3 in Paris: Musée d’Orsay & Vernissage

Today we’ll be hosting the vernissage at the gallery, but that’s not until the late afternoon, so after walking with Gregg to the gallery, I take myself off to the Musée d’Orsay. I’m hoping my experience will be more positive than it was at the Louvre. Fortunately, it is, and then some. There is no line-up, even for people without tickets. I waltz in and go directly to the 5th floor and have lunch. I want to be well fortified before being confronted with some of the world’s most famous Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings.

Read all about my favorites at the Musée d’Orsay.

I decide to walk back to the gallery, arriving with a few hours to spare before the vernissage starts. Gregg and I have a late lunch/early dinner at a nearby café where I treat myself to escargots and French onion soup. Gregg chooses a robust-looking croque monsieur served with some of the best French fries I’ve eaten for a long time.

There are few things more charming than sitting at a sidewalk café in Paris and watching the world go by. I feel myself finally slowing down and just being in Paris, not worrying about schedules and to-do lists. My most pressing problem is how to get the escargot from the shell. I fumble with the tool provided and the waiter kindly comes over and shows me how to hold the clamp in my left hand, pick up the shell, then fish out the escargot with a tiny fork held in my right hand.

After our late lunch, I buy some wine and pretzels for the vernissage. It turns out to be a quiet affair. We connect with a very old friend that Gregg played music with forty years ago and whom I also knew, so that’s fun. A few associates from the various French surrealist groups also drift in and I have an interesting conversation with a woman who teaches at York University in Toronto and is also a novelist. We had hoped that because the gallery is in an area with many galleries that we’d get some foot traffic, but it wasn’t to be.

Still, the exhibition looks amazing.

Day 4 in Paris: Cooking Class at Le Cuisine Paris

I’m up bright and early to catch the bus across the Seine to the Hotel de Ville where I’m taking a three-hour cooking class with Le Cuisine Paris. Back in 2013, when we stayed in Paris for a month, I took a market class with them that I thoroughly enjoyed. This time, I’ve booked a sauce-making class.

Along with seven other people (all Americans), I troop downstairs to the basement kitchen where Chef Philippe teaches us how to make eleven sauces over the course of three hours. It’s intense, practical, and very tasty.

We start with the sweet sauces. Philippe hands me a metal bowl half full of chocolate lozenges and instructs me to whisk while he pours in hot cream. Within minutes, I have a smooth, velvety chocolate sauce that Philippe tells us can be used in a multitude of ways—for dipping, drizzling, mixing with other flavors, etc. Next up are two versions of a simple caramel sauce. We learn how to boil the sugar and what to look for (no candy thermometers here) and how to slightly darken the boiled sugar to make a more robust caramel sauce. Philippe adds some salt et voilà! The resulting salted caramel sauce is divine.

We move on to salad dressings—vinaigrettes to start and then creamy dressings. I learn about the 1-1-5 ratio—one part each vinegar and mustard to five parts oil. Philippe suggests experimenting with combinations of olive oil and sunflower oil.

Next up are creamy béchamel sauces—one with cheese and one without. We learn how to cook the flour and milk together for long enough to get rid of the floury taste and then how to vigorously whisk in the liquid.

There is a lot of whisking required in this class! I find that it takes practice to sustain a good, vigorous whisking action, and need to stop several times to rest my aching wrist. I’m not quite ready for chef school yet.

From béchamel sauces, we progress to wine sauces. The red wine sauce Philippe teaches us to make is to die for. He also makes a green peppercorn sauce that he flambés with cognac—a process I catch on video. Very dramatic!

Finally, we learn how to make a béarnaise sauce with butter, egg yolks, vinegar, tarragon and chervil. A lot of whisking is required to mix the egg yolks with the butter, but the resulting sauce is worth the effort. Philippe demonstrates how a chef whisks!

The three hours fly by and before we know it, Philippe passes out plates and hands around all the savory sauces we’ve made, adding a dollop of each to our plates. We are then invited to mop up the sauces with bread, potatoes, carrot sticks and salad.

After we’re done, Philippe gives each of us a beautifully plated dessert, drizzled with the chocolate and two caramel sauces we created at the beginning of the class.

I highly recommend taking a class at Le Cuisine Paris. The staff there are friendly and the prices are reasonable for an educational and fun cooking experience. They offer a wide range of classes—from making macarons and croissants to creating a full menu in one of their market classes.

Notre-Dame Cathedral & Shakespeare and Company

After my class, I wander across the river to the Île de la Cité and sit for a while in the bleachers set up in front of the building site that encloses Notre-Dame Cathedral. Fortunately, the façade was not affected by the fire so from some angles I can almost believe the cathedral is still intact. Hundreds of tourists are gathered on the bleachers snapping photos of the façade and generally relaxing in the glorious late September sunshine.

I walk across the bridge back to the Left Bank and visit Shakespeare and Company—the famous English bookstore that was the haunt of the likes of James Joyce and Hemingway. I buy a copy of David McClaughin’s book about American artists and writers visiting Paris in the mid-to-late 19th century—part of my research for a novel I’m thinking about setting in Paris during La Belle Époque.

Back at the gallery, I hang out with Gregg for a while and then take the bus back to our apartment. I love taking the bus in Paris. It’s so much easier than taking the Métro—less walking, often faster, and you get to see Paris instead of a dark tunnel. The Métro is great for long rides, but for short hops, the bus is my first choice every time.

Paris now uses a Navigo card rather than the iconic green tickets we’ve used for years. They were phased out at the end of 2022. I rather miss them but must admit that the new Navigo card is much more convenient. Instead of fishing in my pocket for an unused green ticket, I just whip out my Navigo card and tap it on the reader at the front of the bus or at the entrance to the Métro. I can load up the card for more trips any time I wish at a Métro station.

Day 5 in Paris: Visit to the Eiffel Tower

On Saturday morning, we take a leisurely walk to the Luxembourg Gardens, the scene of many good memories over the years. On our first visit to Paris as a family in 1994, we discovered the children’s playground at the Luxembourg Gardens. Julia loved it there, and so on our trip in 1995 when she was nine, we spent a lot of time sitting in front of the playground sipping coffees while she played. I set an important scene in the Luxembourg Gardens in Love Among the Recipes.

We check out an exhibition about Gertrude Stein and Picasso at the Musée de Luxembourg that is okay, but not particularly impressive. I snap some photos of a few of the more memorable pieces, but in truth, there aren’t many.

Afterwards, we sit a spell next to the large pool in the center of the gardens and watch the world go by. Since it’s Saturday, the park is thronged with families, people getting fit (there’s a lot of jogging in this park!), and groups doing Tai Chi under the trees. It’s all very civilized and wholesome.

I spend a relaxing afternoon back at the apartment while Gregg sits the gallery, then take the bus to the Eiffel Tower where I’ve booked a tour that I think will take me to the very tippy top.

Touring the Eiffel Tower

I arrive at the Eiffel Tower with moments to spare before the tour is to begin only to discover I’m in the wrong place. I run to where the guide is allegedly supposed to be, arriving ten minutes late to find her waiting and not at all worried. After joining her and eight other people, we set off at a brisk pace back to the base of the Eiffel Tour where we wait a good thirty minutes (at least less than the 90 minutes for people without tickets) to ride the elevator to the second stage. I ask if we’re going to the top.

No.

Oh well. I guess I misread the description.

I enjoy her commentary which I’m sure she appreciates since I’m the only one in the group who appears to speak English. The rest of the people are not listening to her which makes me pay even more attention. I’m considering setting a novel during the time of the building of the Eiffel Tower in the late 1880s so my tour is part of my research. I’ve visited the tower many times over the years, first in 1970. And it also plays an important role in Love Among the Recipes.

The view from the second stage is fine but not particularly breathtaking. In truth, spending a large part of a visit to Paris waiting to go up the Eiffel Tower is a waste of vacation time in my opinion. Go once if you’ve never gone, but try to go very early in the morning, or go after dark when the lights are twinkling. It really is a lot of fuss and a lot of waiting for what is essentially an elevator ride. Here’s a view to the south.

A Memorable Taxi Ride

After the tour, I descend to the bottom and snap lots of photos in the beautiful golden light, then go in search of a bus. I can’t find the right stop and finally admit defeat and hail a taxi. The traffic is practically gridlocked. I could probably walk it faster. The driver entertains me with a lot of voluble French commentary about the shocking state of the circulation in Paris, the bicycles, the other cars, the stupid pedestrians, etc. As the fare creeps up over 20 euros (I have a 20-euro bill clutched in my hand), I reach for my wallet. He gestures for me to put it away. Non, non, Madame. Il est vingt. He waves away the number on the meter as if to make it disappear. I gather he’s not going to charge me more than the 20 I had ready to pay him because the traffic is so bad. That’s very kind of him!

He drops me in front of the gallery, takes the twenty and wishes me a bonne soirée. I’ve yet to meet the fabled rude French people that Paris is supposed to contain in abundance. In my experience over many trips to Paris, the Parisians are almost uniformly helpful, friendly, and good-humored. They frequently like to make jokes. For example, the night before, we asked the clerk at the supermarket the way out. He shook his head and told us gravely that there was no way out, that we will have to stay all night. He then led us to the exit and efficiently scanned our items while telling us all about his brother who is moving to Calgary.

Dinner on the Left Bank

Gregg and I set out to find a place for dinner. We settle on a crowded place (all the places are crowded!) on the lively rue de Seine very close by. It’s a hopping place on a Saturday night!

Day 6 in Paris: Cluny Museum

On our last full day in Paris, I spend the morning at the recently renovated Cluny Museum. While the entrance is much more spacious and accessible, I rather miss the old version with its twisting stairwells and dark corridors.

I spend a goodly amount of time in the room housing the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. They never lose their appeal for me. I really can just stare at them for hours.

Lady and the Unicorn tapestry at Cluny Museum in Paris

The Cluny is filled with treasures from the Middle Ages—lots of stonework, woodwork, porcelain, and some paintings. My favorite painting is still there, although hidden away in a smaller room. Painted in 1445, it depicts a large family of sons and daughters dressed in attire befitting their role in life. Mom and Dad (first picture) are followed by eleven children. Two of the daughters are nuns, two of the sons are archbishops and two of the daughters wear elaborate headdresses signfiying their high status. The other boys are knights. It’s a pretty fine-looking family!

After the Cluny, I wander through the atmospheric streets near Saint Michel to reach the gallery, then spend a few hours writing and sipping coffee at a nearby café. Gregg arrives with two friends, and we catch up over drinks.

And then it’s time, finally, to take down the show! With me helping, Gregg gets packed up in record time. The walls are again bare and all that is left of the beautiful exhibition are three taped-up crates at the front of the gallery waiting for pick-up the next day. Gregg lowers the iron grating for the last time.

We catch the bus “home” and opt for an easy dinner in for our last night. Paris is wonderful, but we’re tired and ready for a new adventure.

Day 7 in Paris – Leaving

But before our new adventure can begin, we need to get ourselves out of Paris. This proves to be more of a challenge than we anticipated. We must first get ourselves and our luggage from our apartment on the rue de Sèvres to the gallery, then pick up the boxes of paintings at the gallery, then get us, our luggage and three boxes up to the shippers in the north of Paris and finally get us and our luggage and two boxes all the way back to the very south of Paris where our car is parked. Easy! 

Not so much! 

We intend to use Uber but it lets us down spectacularly. We attempt several times to order an Uber for the first leg to the gallery and finally must admit defeat when one driver cancels, another drives by and doesn’t stop and then cancels, and the Uber app informs us that there are no drivers. Fine. We hail a taxi. So far so good.

At the gallery on the VERY narrow Left Bank street, we leave the taxi and pile all the luggage in front of the gallery while Gregg goes in through the multiple doors to get the boxes. One of the boxes is far too big too carry and the other two contain glass and must be handled carefully. We have to have a ride; taking public transport is completely out of the question.

While Gregg negotiates the ins and outs of the gallery for the last time, I start ordering another Uber (a van this time) to take us north to the shipping place. Nope. Nada. Uber gets our hopes up multiple times only to let us down an equal number of times.

Driver not available. Try again.

Trying not to panic, I download a taxi app and struggle to enter credit card information so that we can be registered. I then use the taxi app to order a van. No dice. No vans. We are just about on the point of despair when I look down the street and what do I see? A regular taxi van with its green light on coming straight for us. I almost don’t flag him down, thinking its presence at that exact time is too good to be true. Fortunately, I come to my senses and wave frantically, only just stopping short of stepping into the street so he has to stop. 

Can you take us to rue de Cardinet in the north? I say in execrable French.

Le dixseptième arrondissement?

Oui!

I actually have no idea if it’s in the 17th, but I’m desperate. Meanwhile, Gregg is saying C’est une emergency!

Fortunately, the driver, who speaks no English, agrees to take us. Perhaps he takes pity on us. I’ll never know but I wish I knew his name because I owe him a large debt of gratitude. Out he jumps and helps us load the luggage and boxes into his capacious van. Phew!

On our way to the shippers, we ask him if he would arrête pour cinq minutes while we unload the big box at the shippers and then take us to Porte d’Ivry where our voiture is parked.

Oui, Madame!

Oh joy!! We sit back,  hearts pounding, and watch Paris fly by as Monsieur expertly maneuveres his van around bikes (there are a LOT of bikes in Paris) and other cars, buses, and pedestrians. We arrive at the shippers, and he helps Gregg unload, then smoothly gets us to our final destination, even checking the back seat after I’d gotten out and finding my pack that I’d left behind (the one with the computer!). Many, many mercis later and a pretty hefty tip, and we were retrieving our car and on our way to Rennes.

Phew! Never a dull moment.

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Best of France: Ten Day Itinerary for Paris and the South

Destinations, France, Get Inspired carolcram Leave a Comment on Best of France: Ten Day Itinerary for Paris and the South

Last updated on March 8th, 2023 at 05:13 am

This short itinerary works well if you have a limited time and you want to explore, at a reasonably leisurely pace, two of France’s most iconic areas–Paris and the south of France, specifically the Riviera and Provence.

France is a large country and best savored by spending at least two days in each place you plan to visit.

Itinerary Overview

Here’s an overview of an itinerary that provides you with a taste of fabulous Paris (just enough to make you want to return!), four days split between two of the most scenic areas of Provence, and finally two days of sun and fun on the Riviera.

  • Days 1 to 3: Arrive in Paris on Day 1 and spend three nights in Paris, leaving on the morning of Day 4.
  • Days 4 and 5: Take the TGV to Avignon, pick up a rental car at the TGV station and drive east into the Luberon. Spend two nights in Rousillon or Gordes for a super Provence hit.
  • Days 6 and 7: Drive to Aix-en-Provence and spend two nights there; explore nearby Arles, Les Baux-de-Provence, or the Camargue.
  • Days 8 to 10: Drive to the coast and spend two nights in Antibes, Vence, or Cannes. Drop off the car at Nice airport and fly home.

Following are my suggestions for what to see in Paris and the South (particularly artsy sites!) and some recommendations for accommodations.

Itinerary Map

Map thanks to Wanderlog, a road trip planner on iOS and Android

Paris

Three days in Paris is nowhere near long enough to fully enjoy one of the world’s most fabulous cities, but it is long enough to explore most of the big bang sites. I’ll get to sightseeing suggestions in a minute, but first, consider where you wish to put down temporary Parisian roots. To my mind, making sure you stay in an interesting part of Paris is almost as important as seeing the sights.

Find an interesting Parisian neighborhood to settle in, even if only for a few days

Choosing Your Parisian Neighborhood

Before and after you go touring around the city, you want to be able to walk to great restaurants and cafes, enjoy people-watching, and have quick access to the Seine for long, leisurely evening strolls to see the lights.

My preferred neighborhoods to stay in Paris are either the fifth or the sixth arrondisements on the Left Bank. Yes, you can save money by getting a hotel near the péripherique (the multi-lane ring road that circles Paris) and then taking the Métro into Paris for sightseeing, but don’t succumb to the temptation unless your budget is really tight.

A few times over the years, I’ve stayed at soulless chain hotels on the edges of Paris, and each time it was a mistake. I may have saved a few Euros, but I also wasted too many hours getting to and from the cool areas of Paris. Instead of ending each evening watching the illuminated bateau mouches glide along the Seine with the sparkling Eiffel Tower in the distance before tumbling a few minutes later into a warm bed, I endured long, rattling Métro rides followed by quick walks through some pretty sketchy neighborhoods.

Like all major cities, Paris has its fair share of dreary, and sometimes even unsafe areas, I’m sorry to say, and while you can still find some nice places to eat and enjoy Parisian street life out by the péripherique, I’d stick with the arrondisements closest to the river and the Île de la Cité.

If you’re in Paris for longer than a few days, consider renting an apartment. I’ve stayed in some great apartments in Montparnasse, the Marais, and Saint-Germain. But for short stays, I almost always head for the fifth and sixth arrondisements on the Left Bank.

Where to Stay on the Left Bank

For short visits, here are three of my faves.

Hotel de L’Universite

This reasonably-priced (for Paris) hotel is on a quiet side street in the sixth arrondisement, a few blocks from the lively area around rue Bonaparte and Boulevard Saint-Germain. We stayed there for three nights and loved the neighborhood, which is quintessentially Parisian and not too touristy. I spent many happy hours writing and people-watching at a cafe on the corner of the Boulevard Saint-Germain and Rue du Bac (where there’s also a convenient Metro station) about a three-minute walk from the hotel. The staff was great, the beds comfy, and the location quiet but still central.

Sixth Arrondisement

Sometimes referred to as Luxembourg because it contains the Luxembourg Gardens, the sixth arrondisement is probably still the area in Paris I most like to stay in. In recent years, it’s gotten very chi-chi and can be a bit touristy and expensive, but I still love wandering its narrow streets, window shopping and finding great little cafés to while away an afternoon. I like the area so much that I had the heroine of my novel Love Among the Recipes rent an apartment on rue Bonaparte right across the street from Les Deux Magots, one of the most famous cafés in Paris.

Back in the day, French intellectuals such as Simone de Bouvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre discussed philosophy in Les Deux Magots and its equally historic neighbor the Café de Flore. Nowadays the prices for a café crème at either place might make you weep, so walk a few blocks toward the Luxembourg Gardens and you’ll find more reasonable and less crowded alternatives.

Montparnasse

A little farther south past the Luxembourg Gardens is Montparnasse, another cool and less touristy area to stay. Back in the 1920s, Montparnasse was the haunt of artists, including Giorgio de Chirico, Amedeo Modigliani, Vassili Kandinsky, Max Ernst, Joan Miró, and Alberto Giacometti. For that reason alone, we enjoy staying in Montparnasse. It’s a few Métro stops away from the Seine, but within walking distance of the Luxembourg Gardens. The area abounds with cool restaurants such as La Rotunde on Boulevard Montparnasse where many artists and intellectuals congregated back in the day. Hotel prices can also be a little bit more reasonable in this area.

Hôtel A La Villa des Artistes

I also recommend the Hôtel A La Villa des Artistes, which is the first hotel we stayed in on our first trip to Paris as a family when our daughter was eight years old. Located close to the Vavin Metro, the hotel is also a short walk to the Luxembourg Gardens where our daughter spent many happy hours in a smartly designed playground.

Hôtel Le Clos Médicis

I also enjoy staying in the fifth arrondisement near the Boulevard Saint Michel. Like the sixth, the fifth is one of the oldest areas of Paris with plenty of winding side streets and one of my favorite museums, the Cluny (sadly still closed until 2023). We’ve stayed at the Hôtel Le Clos Médicis which has a great location about a block from the Luxembourg Gardens near the Boulevard Saint Michel. The rooms are pricey and quite small but very well-appointed and comfortable.

Comfortable lobby in Hôtel Le Clos Médicis

Search for more hotels in Paris. Also check out my post about finding accommodation in France for general tips about finding good places to stay.

What to See in Paris

Where to start? On a three-day visit to Paris, I recommend the sites described below. I suggest checking out two or at the most three each day and then leaving plenty of time for wandering around your new neighborhood, sipping coffee in cafés and going out for dinner.

Eiffel Tower

Yes, it’s touristy and over-priced and super crowded, but you have to go up the Eiffel Tower at least once. I recommend going at night when the crowds are considerably less and the views are just as breath-taking. Buy tickets in advance from the official website.

The Louvre

The Louvre is massive, over-crowded, expensive, and magnificent. The key to visiting the Louvre with ease is to focus on one or two areas at most. There’s a great deal of art in the Louvre, and while all of it is amazing, some pieces are more amazing than others.

A visit to the Louvre is a must-do in Paris for art lovers

When you enter the pyramid and descend the escalator to the center of the Louvre, you’re faced with three wings: Sully, Richelieu, and Denon. Most visitors make a beeline for the Denon wing because that’s where some of the most famous artworks in the world are displayed, including the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. Unless you have a burning desire to stand in a massive crowd bristling with pickpockets so you can peer over the tops of heads to see a tiny, glass-enclosed painting on a single wall, I’d give Mona a miss. If you do want to see her, arrive early, or drop by just before the museum closes.

Suggested Way to Enjoy the Louvre

A better and less headache-inducing option is to head for the far end of the Denon wing and work your way back. You’ll pass several remarkable pieces, including The Raft of the Medusa by Géricault, Autumn by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix, Saint John the Baptist by Leonardo da Vinci, and La Grande Odalisque by Ingres (one of my faves).

Depending on your interests, you may also want to take a quick walk through the Greek, Roman, and Egyptian Antiquities in the Sully wing. The key to enjoying the Louvre is to pace yourself. You absolutely cannot see all of it in one visit.

Visiting the Louvre

You must book a time-slot to visit the Louvre. Check the website for details. The museum is open from 9 am to 6 pm daily except Tuesdays.

Sainte-Chapelle

The exquisite Sainte-Chapelle on the Île de la Cité is still one of my all-time favorite Parisian sites. I make time for a visit every time I go to Paris. Its other-worldly beauty will literarlly stop you in your tracks. Guaranteed.

The best way to see and really enjoy Sainte-Chapelle is to get tickets for a concert. You’ll experience its awesomeness without crowds while soaring to the heavens on the wings of sublime music. For me, a perfect Parisian evening starts with a 7 pm concert at Sainte Chapelle followed by a walk across Île de la Cité to enjoy dinner on medieval Île Saint Louis. Check out this website to buy concert tickets.

And for more about Sainte-Chapelle, check out my post about the top cathedrals in Europe.

I’d usually include Note Dame Cathedral in my list of must-sees in Paris, but unfortunately it is undergoing repairs after the devastating fire in 2019.

The soaring stained glass windows on the second level of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, France
The upper chapel in Sainte-Chapelle

Sainte-Chapelle is open from 11 am to 7 pm and reservations are required. Get tickets for priority access.

The Musée d’Orsay

I love visiting the Musée d’Orsay maybe even more than the Louvre. It’s a little less crowded and not nearly so large. It also displays some of the most-loved works of art by Manet, Morisot, van Gogh, Monet, and a lot more. To avoid the crowds, buy your tickets in advance and go early in the day. Head first for the fifth floor so you can enjoy the most popular paintings accompanied in relative peace.

Take your time wandering from room to room and then stop by the café behind the large clock–the original from when the Musée d’Orsay was a train station.

The Musée d’Orsay is on the Left Bank in Paris

The Pompidou

If you are a fan of mid twentieth-century modern art, then the fourth floor of the Pompidou Centre is your happy place. Room after room after room displays masterpieces by modern painters including Matisse, Pollock, Miro, and a lot more. The area around the Pompidou Centre is also fun, particularly the Stravinsky Fountain. Linger for awhile to people watch.

Stravinsky Fountain near the Pompidou Centre

Buy tickets in advance to avoid line-ups to the Pomipdou Centre, which is open every day except Tuesdays from 11 am to 8 pm.

Quai Branly Museum

Also know as the Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac, the Musée Quai Branly deserves a place on your Paris itinerary if you are interested in art and objects created by indigenous cultures from around the world. The collection is displayed in four distinct areas representing Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. Read more about the Musée du Quai Branly in my post Paris for Art Lovers: Cool Art Museums You May Not Know.

Plan to visit the Branly on the day you visit the Eiffel Tower. It’s within walking distance and is one of the few other noteworthy sites in the Eiffel Tower area. If you’re in Paris on a Thursday, visit the museum around 6 or 7 pm (it’s open until 10:00 on Thursdays), go up the Eiffel Tower to see the sunset and the lights (depending on the time of year), and end with dinner at a restaurant in the area. There are not a huge number of restaurants in that area, so check before you go and make reservations to avoid long, hungry walks up and down the relatively restaurant-free streets.

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 am to 7:00 pm (Thursdays until 10:00 pm). Get tickets in advance to book your time slot and avoid lines.

The Orangerie

Monet’s waterlily paintings take center stage at The Orangerie and are well worth a visit (go early or late to avoid crowds). The Orangerie makes a nice stop after spending a few hours in the Tuileries Gardens watching the world go by. Get tickets in advance.

Tuileries near the Orangerie in Spring

Paris has many more amazing museums in addition to the Big Three (Louvre, d’Orsay and Pompidou). If you have time, you’ll be spoiled for choice. My post on Paris Art Museums provides you with some ideas.

And for even more details about my suggested sites and their tie-ins with Love Among the Recipes, along with descriptions of dozens of other things to see in Paris, check out my post on Paris Sightseeing.

To the South

After three full days of touring Paris, you’ll be ready for a relaxing morning riding the TGV, France’s high speed train, to the south of France. You catch the TGV to Avignon from Gare Montparnasse. Check the SCNF website to buy tickets.

I love riding the TGV. It’s so smooth and fast! Within about four hours, you’ll arrive at the sleek, modern train station in Avignon and step into the warm southern air.

I suggest renting a car for pick-up at Avignon station. The traffic around the station isn’t too frenetic, and very quickly you’ll be on your way east to the Luberon. For information and tips about driving in Europe, see my post Top Tips for Driving in Europe.

The Luberon

Made famous by Peter Mayle’s book A Year in Provence, the Luberon region of Provence has been thoroughly discovered. But it’s still a magical area and one which I visit as often as possible. I never tire of driving around the little villages, taking walks through the glorious countryside, eating fabulous al fresco meals and poking around the little shops. I always come away with a bag full of lavender and honey soaps.

The villages I like best are Gordes, Rousillon (an absolute must-see) and Bonnieux. I suggest settling into a country hotel in the area and taking day trips to explore the villages and just soak up the Provençal vibe. Other attractive villages are Menerbes, Lacoste, and Saignon where we stayed for two weeks back in the nineties.

Rousillon deserves a special mention. Not only is the village itself delightful with plenty of good restaurants and shopping, it is close to Le Sentier des Ocres, which is reopening on April 9. This area of stunning ocher cliffs and pathways is an easy walk from the village. For more information, check out this post.

Ocher cliffs in the Sentier des Ocres near Rousillon

Here are two highly recommended hotels in the Luberon, one in Roussillon and one in Gordes.

Les Sables d’Ocre

A 15-minute walk from the village of Roussillon, this place sets the bar for what a country-style, family-run, low-key, easy-on-the-budget place should be. Book one of the rooms that includes a terrace. You’ll have your own private outdoor space and be steps from the pool.

Domain de l’Enclos 

This place close to Gordes–one of the most beautiful hill towns in the area–is wonderful. We snagged a room with a terrace which Gregg made use of to do some drawing. The views from the garden over the Luberon are spectacular.

Gregg drawing outside at our hotel near Gordes in the Luberon

Avignon

On your way to Aix-en-Provence from the Luberon, consider stopping for an afternoon to see Avignon. I loved touring the Pope’s Palace (the Palais des Papes) where back in the 14th century, several popes lived when the papacy was moved from Rome to Avignon. The palace is one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe.

Palace of the Popes in Avignon

The town of Avignon is pleasant and compact, and it’s always fun to see the famous pont d’Avignon that stretches only halfway across the Rhone River.

The Pont d’Avignon made famous in the song

Aix-en-Provence and Arles

You could choose to home base either in Aix-en-Provence or Arles. Both have their charms and both are within easy driving distance of plenty of fabulous Provence landscapes.

Consider spending a day in the Camargue, where you’ll see flamingos, bulls, and the Mediterranean; wander Arles in the footsteps of van Gogh; and enjoy a meal on the picturesque and car free Le Cours Mirabeau, the main drag in Aix-en-Provence. The key to enjoying this area is just to relax and soak up the atmosphere.

The main drag in Aix-en-Provence

For an off-the-beaten track adventure, check out Château La Coste in the hills north of Aix-en-Provence. It’s a vineyard and sculpture park with a great restaurant. I write about our visit here.

The Riviera

Drive east from Aix-en-Provence and within two hours, you’ll see signs to Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Menton and Monte Carlo. You’re on the fabled Riviera! Ts:

Enjoying the high life in Monaco on the French Riviera

There is a lot to do on the French Riviera so I suggest finding a home base and then taking day trips. Here are just a few of the highlights.

Antibes

Visit the Picasso Museum and wander the picturesque back streets. Enjoy great views of the Mediterranean and watch the boats.

A view of the Picasso Museum (the tower) in Antibes

Cannes

Promenade along the famous seaside and mingle with the beautiful people, enjoy a cocktail on the terrace of the famed Carlton Cannes Hotel, then check out the high class shops.

Along the waterfront in swishy Cannes

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild 

Located on Cap Ferrat just to the east of Nice, the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is worth a visit for the gardens alone (and the house is no slouch either). The nearby Greek Villa Kerylos is also fun to visit, particularly for the spectacular views of the Mediterranean.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on Cap Ferrat

Nice

Nice is a large and bustling city and although a bit iffy in some areas, is a great place to home base. Avoid the areas near the train station. Spend an afternoon and evening exploring the narrow streets of Old Nice to sample great food and just get all your senses stimulated.

Menton

Menton is a great choice for a town that is less crowded than some of its more famous cousins. I’ve spent several afternoons in Menton and can’t wait to go back. Its old town is charming and its beach long and sandy.

Harbor in Menton

Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Located in the hills above Cannes, the enchanting (achingly so!) village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence is truly delightful, even it is has in recent years become very upscale. We’ve enjoyed some good meals there overlooking spectacular views. Saint-Paul-de-Vence is also very close to the Fondation Maeght, a modern art museum set in gorgeous gardens with very cool sculptures.

The lovely village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Vence

A few kilometers past Saint-Paul-de-Vence and closer to the mountains that buttress the French Riviera is Vence, one of our favorite places to relax away from the hubbub on the coast. The pedestrian-only medieval streets of this walled town are peaceful and shady with plenty of restaurants are available. Vence feels like a place where people actually live.

If you’re a fan of Matisse, a visit to the Matisse Chapel (the Chapelle du Rosaire) a fifteen-minute walk from Vence is a must. Matisse designed every detail of the chapel. The interior is very spare and modern with stunning stained glass windows.

Tour Options on the French Riviera

Here are some options for touring the French Riviera. A boat trip would be fun!

Accommodation Options on the Riviera

Nice or Cannes both make good home bases on the Mediterranean. You’ll find lots of hotels here, some on the waterfront.

Another option is to home base in a village like Saint-Paul-de-Vence or Vence and then drive to the towns on the Mediterrenean. One drawback of this plan is that the traffic can be horrendous the closer to the waterfront you get. On the other hand, the villages above the Riviera are so spectacular that it would be shame not to spend some time there.

Here are some options:

La Petite Maison: This two-story apartment has a spectacular view over Saint-Paul-de-Vence and the Mediterranean beyond. You are also within easy walking distance of the village.

Village of Saint Paul-de-Vence from the terrace of Le Petite Maison in the south of France
Gregg surveying Saint Paul-de-Vence from the terrace of Le Petite Maison

Hôtel Marc Hély: We enjoyed a room with a view over Saint Paul-de-Vence and a tasty breakfast in the courtyard. This is a great choice in La Colle-sur-Loup, which is about a ten-minute drive from the Fondation Maeght.

Miramar: This hotel is in Vence, which is just up the hill from Saint-Paul-de-Vence and a larger town with more services. FYI, we had the best pizza in an outdoor café in the Old Town of Vence! The Miramar is a reasonably-priced and well-located property that is great for drivers.

Search other hotels in Vence.

Search other hotels in Saint-Paul-de-Vence.

Eating in France

Enjoying French cuisine in the thousands of small restaurants all over France is a huge highlight. You can get a bad meal in France (and we’ve endured some doozies), but that’s usually the exception. Check online reviews of the restaurants in the area you’re traveling to and make dinner reservations.

Check out my general tips on dining well on a budget in Europe.

Conclusion

One of the best things about traveling in France is just being in France. People are friendly and helpful, particularly if you attempt to speak French, the food is almost always wonderful, and a great deal of the French countryside is drop-dead gorgeous.

Most of our fondest memories of our travels in France are of great meals we’ve shared and the scenic drives and walks we’ve taken through the countryside. Slow down, make time to smell the lavender, and enjoy!

Here are some more posts about traveling in France:

Top Ten Artsy Novels to Read in Europe

Destinations, England, France, Germany, Get Inspired, Italy, Netherlands, Spain carolcram 3 Comments on Top Ten Artsy Novels to Read in Europe

Last updated on May 3rd, 2022 at 12:32 am

Do you enjoy reading novels set in the places you are traveling to? I know I do. I love curling up at the end of a long day of sightseeing and reading a novel that helps me revisit the places I’ve seen. My preference is historical novels because I love history, which is one of the many reasons that I’m drawn to traveling in Europe. I enjoy wandering cobbled back alleys and imagining myself swishing my long skirts through the dust. No doubt the reality was a lot less romantic and much smellier, but imagination can be a wonderful thing!

I’ve chosen my top ten novels based on two criteria. First, the novel needs to evoke a sense of the place in which it was set, and second, it needs to relate in some way to the arts. You’re sure to find some new-to-you reads to take along on your next trip, or even to stay at home with.

England

Entertaining Mr Pepys by Deborah Swift

Entertaining Mr Pepys is the third novel in Deborah Swift’s “Women of Pepys’ Diary” series. All three novels are worth taking along if you are spending time in London and want a fascinating glimpse of what life was like in the 1660s. Famed diarist Samuel Pepys is at the center of this and the first two novels (Pleasing Mr Pepys and A Plague on Mr Pepys), each following a different woman who knew Samuel and was mentioned in his diary. In Entertaining Mr Pepys, the actress Elizabeth (Bird) Carpenter takes center stage as she navigates the world of the theater when women were finally allowed on stage as actresses. If you enjoy impeccably researched historical novels with plenty of intrigue, then the “Women of Pepys’ Diary” series is for you.

The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett

While traveling in England, plan on touring some of its awesome cathedrals (don’t miss York Minster, Salisbury Cathedral, and Durham Cathedral to name just three of my faves!) and then settle down with The Lost Book of the Grail. The setting is an ancient cathedral in the fictional town of Barchester. Flashback chapters open with succinct descriptions of cathedral areas such as cloisters, the nave, chapels, and more that I found fascinating. Through a series of clever flashbacks, you navigate the history of the cathedral from its founding by a martyred saint through the Norman invasion, Reformation, Civil War, Victorian era, World War II, and modern times. The plot’s twists and turns provide enough mystery to make the denouement both surprising and satisfying.

France

Drawing Lessons by Patricia Sands

Are you taking a trip to Provence? Then pack or download a copy of Drawing Lessons, a delicious novel set in Arles that follows a woman’s quest to redefine herself after the death of her husband. Patricia Sands evokes the sensuous delights of Provence so beautifully that you’ll feel like you are there. And if, indeed, you are there, you’ll have the sights and smells that surround you confirmed in the story.

The Paris Hours by Alex George

This is the novel to read when you’re spending time in Paris. The Paris Hours tells the stories of four “ordinary” people during one day in Paris in 1927. Along the way, they encounter an extraordinary panoply of luminaries including Hemingway, Proust, Picasso, Gertrude Stein, Ravel, Josephine Baker, and even Sylvia Beach, the proprietor of Paris’s most famous English bookstore, Shakespeare & Company. Alex George brings the ambience, and the people, of Paris to life as he takes readers through streets and parks they can still walk through today. Surprises and twists abound in one of the most cleverly plotted and exquisitely written novels I’ve read in a long while.

Germany

And After the Fire by Lauren Belfer

I am a huge fan of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach (check out my visit to the Bach Museum in Leipzig) and so And After the Fire was the novel for me. It tells the fascinating story of a lost Bach manuscript with a disturbing message. The story spans over two hundred years, from Berlin in the 18th century through the Holocaust to New York in contemporary times. Inspired by historical events, the compelling narrative of this deeply researched and evocative novel resonates with emotion and immediacy.

Chasing the Wind by C. C. Humphreys

Heading for Berlin? Take along Chasing the Wind, a rollicking good adventure that mixes a Bruegel masterpiece, a female aviator, espionage, and the 1936 Berlin Olympics. It’s a page-turner, so make sure you’ve finished your sightseeing for the day before reading it, else you may decide to stay in your hotel room and read rather than go out to sample Berlin’s many museums (check out Booming Berlin: Your Artsy Guide for suggestions about what to do during a three-day visit to Berlin).

Italy

Raphael, Painter in Rome by Stephanie Storey

No trip to Rome is complete without experiencing the art of Raphael, Michelangelo and da Vinci. And the perfect novel to accompany you is Raphael, Painter in Rome  by Stephanie Storey, and her other novel Oil and Marble. Both chronicle the lives of three of the most renowned artists in western Europe: Raphael in Raphael, Painter in Rome and Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci in Oil and Marble. Even in the 21st century, there are parts of old Rome in which only a small leap of the imagination is needed to be transported back to the Renaissance when intrigue lurked around every corner and the smell of oil paint was heavy in the air. Raphael. Painter in Rome takes you deep into the heart of a Rome that may be long gone but still lingers in the imagination after dark.

Netherlands

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

One of the things I love about touring the Netherlands is how the light often reminds me of an Old Master painting. One of the most famous is Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. So, the perfect read for fans of his work is the novel of the same name by Tracy Chevalier. Set in 17th-century Delft, Girl with a Pearl Earring is a richly-imagined portrait of the young woman who inspired the painting. I love how Chevalier seamlessly merges history and fiction in this and many of her other novels set in Europe, including The Lady and the Unicorn (14th-century France), Burning Bright (late 18th-century London), Falling Angels (early 20th-century London), A Single Thread (1930s England), and Remarkable Creatures (early 19th-century England).

Spain

The Return by Victoria Hislop

I picked up a copy of The Return in a second-hand bookstore while wandering the back streets of Antibes seeking shade at the height of the 2019 heat wave (la canicule, as the French called it). It was the perfect novel to read while traveling west into Spain. It takes place both in the present and during the Spanish Civil War, a time in history about which I knew very little.  The story of a flamenco guitar player (a tocadores) and a flamenco dancer (a bailaora) who fall in love in 1930s Granada and are separated during the terrible excesses of the Spanish Civil War will stay with you long after you leave Spain.  

The Miramonde Trilogy by Amy Maroney

For a book lover, few things are more enchanting than enjoying a novel and then discovering that it’s the first in a trilogy. I had that experience after reading The Girl from Oto, the first offering in Amy Maroney’s trilogy about a female artist in Renaissance Spain, the other two novels being Mira’s Way and A Place in the World. I read all three not long after I traveled through the Pyrenees where much of the story takes place. Amy Maroney brings the region to life wonderfully—its wildlife and independent mountain people, the sweeping landscapes and harsh weather, and the turbulent history during the time when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were on the throne.

What’s your favorite artsy novel set in Europe? Share your recommendations with other Artsy Travelers in the Comments below.

Six Favorite Regions in France

Destinations, France, Get Inspired carolcram Leave a Comment on Six Favorite Regions in France

Last updated on April 19th, 2022 at 05:04 pm

I’ve traveled in almost every region of France and each has much to offer. But if I had to narrow down my choices to just six regions that I recommend to artsy-inclined travelers, I’d choose Normandy, Brittany, Loire, Dordogne (part of Aquitaine), Provence/Côte d’Azur, and of course Paris.

Map of France showing recommended regions to explore in France
Recommended regions to explore in France

This post presents an overview of my six favorite regions with links to more detailed posts. If you want to really explore these regions, consider renting a car. My post on Driving in Europe gives you some pointers gleaned from our three decades of experience exploring Europe by car.

Normandy

Rolling fields, picture-perfect villages, and searing World War II history make Normandy an awesome destination.

We lived for two months at an artist-in-residence place a few years ago. When we weren’t being artists in residence, we spent several happy days exploring this under-touristed area.

Recommended must-sees include the World War II beaches, the charming towns of Honfleur (Satie Museum) and Bayeux (Bayeux tapestry), Mont St. Michel, and the far-off-the-beaten track region of the Perche.

View of the stunning white chalk cliffs of Étretat in Normandy
The stunning area of Étretat was a favorite of Monet’s

Consider visiting Normandy on a guided tour from Paris. Tours include the Normandy D-Day Beaches and the Abbaye du Mont Saint-Michel.

For more details about what to see and do in Normandy, see Top Normandy Sights for Art & History Lovers. I also include Honfleur on the Normandy coast in my post on 17 Awesome Places in France You Might Not Know.

Top Normandy Sights to Excite Art & History Lovers

Top Normandy Sights to Excite Art & History Lovers

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Brittany

Gregg and I adore Brittany. We just do! Every time we visit France, we say We really ought to spend more time in Brittany.

I recommend visiting Brittany in the summer when the weather is pleasantly warm rather than torrid like it is farther south. Beautiful sandy beaches vie for your attention with craggy coves and spectacular rock formations.

Visit beautiful Saint-Malo, hear snippets of the Breton language that is still spoken in the far west, and search out prehistoric stone circles.

Côte de granit rose in northern Brittany
Côte de granit rose in northern Brittany

In addition to being physically gorgeous, Brittany is also home to France’s most concentrated collection of Celtic and prehistoric sites. Standing stones abound in this history-steeped region. Check out my post on Prehistory Sites in Europe that includes several places in Brittany.

Consider at least a week’s stay or better still, three or four days on the north coast around Trégastel and three or four days on the south coast near Carnac.

The Loire Valley

Châteaux are exceedingly thick on the ground in the Loire Valley thanks to the Loire Atlantique region being the playground for the kings of France until kings rather suddenly went out of fashion.

Château of Chenonceau in the Loire Valley
Château of Chenonceau in the Loire Valley

Spend a week here to tour not only the big (and crowded) blockbuster châteaux like Chambord and Chenonceau, but also the more intimate, even quirky ones like Villandry and Azay-Le-Rideau.

In addition to châteaux-hopping, consider an extended stay in the Loire Valley because, let’s face it, the region is drop-dead gorgeous. Rent a bike or go on a walking tour to immerse yourself in the fairy tale landscape. Also, the food in the Loire is exceptional (and that’s saying something!).

If your time is limited, consider a day trip from Paris to tour at least a few of the châteaux.

The Dordogne Valley

The Dordogne is an excellent choice for two reasons: prehistoric caves and amazing food. Don’t miss the cave art sites scattered throughout the region including the super-famous (and justifiably so) Caves of Lascaux. I talk about them in more depth (ha, ha!) in my post on Prehistory Sites in Europe.

If you have a hankering for gorgeous scenery mixed with compelling prehistory sightseeing followed by long, slow dinners where duck often plays a role, then meander down to the Dordogne.

Red-roofed village in the Dordogne region of France
Gorgeous villages are waiting to be explored in the Dordogne

Provence

I dare you to say Provence without sighing!

Ah, Provence! See?

Lavender fields in the Luberon region of Provence
Enjoy lavender fields like this in the Luberon region of Provence

Like Tuscany, Provence has earned its reputation as one of Europe’s most beautiful regions. Settle in for a good long visit to discover why so many artists made their homes here (Picasso, van Gogh, Renoir, Cezanne, Lèger, Matisse, and I’m sure I’m forgetting a bunch).

I think it has a lot to do with the light. Every time Gregg and I visit Provence, Gregg is inspired by the unique way in which light floods a landscape of sharp contrasts—soft greens and lavenders, hard whites and ochers, startling blues.

Provence is big enough to deserve a two-week stay, or at least a week divided in two. I suggest enjoying the Luberon region for a week and then driving down to the Riviera to hang with the beautiful people (and see a ton of art).

View of blue water and mountains on the Cote d'Azur in the south of France
Spend some time on the fabled Riviera in the south of France

In recent years, the Luberon has become rather “chichi”, as in scores of well-heeled people driving nice cars and living in lavender-coated villas, but the food is still wonderful, the weather warm, and the landscape stunning.

Provence is home to the Fondation Maeght, one of my favorite small art museums in Europe. Read about it in my post on Top Ten Modern Art Museums in Europe. My post on Six Single-Artist Museums in Europe also includes two single-artist museums in France–the Fondation Vasarely and the Musée National Fernand Léger in Biot.

Seven Super Single-Artist Museums in Europe You Should Visit

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Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain, one of the top ten modern art museums in Europe

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Paris

If you’re planning your first visit to France, Paris will likely be on your itinerary. It’s a must-see city in Europe if you are in any way artsy inclined.

Paris is home to dozens of art museums and galleries in addition to the big-ticket sights like the Eiffel Tower (go early or late to avoid the crowds), the Arc de Triomphe, and the Champs-Élysées.

View of the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River in Paris
Le Tour Eiffel–see it early or late to avoid crowds

To truly appreciate Paris, rent an apartment and settle in for the long haul. For the entire month of March one year, Gregg and I stayed in an apartment in Montparnasse. We spent our mornings painting (him) and writing (me) before setting out almost every afternoon to explore the artsy delights of Paris.

We never ran out of things to see then or on subsequent trips. In fact, a stopover in Paris has been on our itinerary for almost all of our dozen-plus trips to Europe. Here are four posts related to Paris.

Love Among the Recipes: Paris Sights & Bistro Dishes

Love Among the Recipes: Paris Sights & Bistro Dishes

I love Paris so much that I set my fourth novel there. Love Among the Recipes is about a cookbook author who ...
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Paris for Art Lovers: Nine of the Best Small Museums in Paris

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And here are some suggestions for things to see, skip-the-line tickets, and tours in Paris.

What Regions of France are Your Favorites?

Do you have a favorite region of France that I’ve left out? Please let us know and if you have any

Woman reading a book with the Eiffel Tower in the background

Compelling Novels Set in France Perfect for the Artsy Traveler

Destinations, France, Get Inspired carolcram 1 Comment on Compelling Novels Set in France Perfect for the Artsy Traveler

Last updated on January 15th, 2024 at 09:20 pm

When I travel in France, I enjoy reading novels that are set in France and that relate in some way to the arts. Do you enjoy reading novels set in the places you travel to? In this post, I feature a selection of novels that are not only set in France, but also relate in some way to the arts. I also share some of my favorite France guidebooks.

Villa America by Liza Klaussmann

In the 1920s, a dazzling cast of characters including Pablo Picasso, Cole Porter, Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos and F. Scott Fitzgerald gather at a villa in Cap d’Antibe.

Leaving Van Gogh by Carol Wallace

The mysteries surrounded the death of Vincent van Gogh in the summer of 1890 and an indelible portrait of his final day are meticulously explored in this riveting novel.

The Last Collection by Jeanne Mackin

An American woman living in Paris as WWII looms becomes entangled in the intense rivalry between iconic fashion designers Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli.

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

Monsieur Perdu runs a bookshop on a barge in the Seine in Paris. He can prescribe the perfect book for a broken heart. But can he fix his own?

Paris 7 a.m. by Liza Wieland

The story of what happened to poet Elizabeth Bishop during three life-changing weeks spent in Paris amidst the imminent threat of World War II

Drawing Lessons by Patricia Sands

The author of the Love in Provence series returns with a poignant portrait of a woman who must learn how to create a new life for herself.

Becoming George Sand by Rosalind Brackenbury

This richly detailed dural-time novel explores past and present, the personal and the historic, and sensuality, responsibility and the mystery of love through the lens of the life story of George Sand, the maverick French novelist whose many lovers included the composer Frederic Chopin.

Love Among the Recipes by Carol M. Cram

Discover love in all its flavors in this fun, food-infused romp through Paris that is as crisp, sweet, and smooth as the perfect macaron. To follow the main character’s journey through Paris, check out this post.

The Postmistress of Paris by Meg Waite Clayton

Listed in the Photography category on Art In Fiction, The Postmistress of Paris revisits the dark early days of the German occupation in France and is inspired by the real-life Chicago heiress Mary Jayne Gold.

Love Letters from Montmartre by Nicolas Barreau

For fans of Nina George, Elena Ferrante, and Valentina Cebeni, a charming, uplifting novel about a man who sets out to fulfil his dead wife’s last wish.

The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan

A charming epistolary novel about the love of books and magical ability they have to bring people together. When Anne-Lise Briard reserves a room at the Beau Rivage Hotel for her vacation on the Brittany coast, she has no idea this trip will start her on the path to unearthing a mystery.

The Paris Hours by Alex George

Paris of the 1920s and 30s teems with artists, writers, and musicians, a shining crucible of creative genius. But amidst the sparkling creativity of the city’s most famous citizens, four ordinary people each search for something they’ve lost.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

An historical novel based on the true story of the American Library in Paris. In Paris in 1939, Odile Souchet stands to lose everything she holds dear—including her beloved library. After the Nazis march into the City of Light and declare a war on words, Odile and her fellow librarians join the Resistance with the best weapons they have: books.

The Paris Apartment by Kelly Bowen

2017, London: When Aurelia Leclaire inherits a lavish Paris apartment, she is shocked to discover her grandmother’s treasure trove of famous art and couture gowns. One obscure painting leads her to Gabriel Seymour, a highly respected art restorer with his own mysterious past. Together they attempt to uncover the truths concealed within the apartment’s walls.

Guidebooks on France

My preferred guidebook writer, hands down, is Rick Steves. I’m not alone in my admiration for Rick’s thoughtfully organized and thorough travel guides. I’ve often seen travelers with one of Rick’s blue and yellow books tucked under their arms, spurring more than a few good conversations when we’ve discovered our mutual admiration for Rick. Here’s a link to Rick’s latest guidebook on France.

Have you read a novel set in France, particularly an arts-inspired one? Do you have a favorite guidebook? Share your recommendations with other Artsy Travelers in the Comments below.

Here are some more posts to enjoy as you plan your adventures in France:

Love Among the Recipes: Paris Sights & Bistro Dishes

Artsy Sightseeing, Destinations, France, Get Inspired carolcram 3 Comments on Love Among the Recipes: Paris Sights & Bistro Dishes

Last updated on March 13th, 2023 at 12:21 am

I love Paris so much that I set my fourth novel there. Love Among the Recipes is about a cookbook author who reinvents herself by moving to Paris. The novel is also my love letter to Paris–one of my favorite cities in the world.

In Love Among the Recipes, cookbook author Genna McGraw writes a cookbook/guidebook that matches Parisian sights such as the Eiffel Tower with recipes for bistro-style French dishes such as steak haché.

The next time you visit Paris, use this post to visit the places featured in Love Among the Recipes. Included are descriptions of the sights along with links to their matched recipes.

COVID-19 NOTICE: At the time of writing, many of the museums and attractions listed in this post are closed. Check the museum websites for updates.

Monuments in Love Among the Recipes

Eiffel Tower

No visit to Paris is complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower! This iconic monument symbolizes the City of Light. For the most romantic experience, ascend the Eiffel Tower at night.

In Love Among the Recipes, the Eiffel Tower is the first sight Genna visits soon after her arrival in Paris. From the second level, she enjoys both the view and the passing parade of tourists. She also comes up with the idea for the first recipe for her cookbook/guidebook–Steak Haché et Frites.

Here’s how Genna describes this staple of the menu enfant–the children’s menu:

One beef patty, grilled and crispy, accompanied by a mound of light, hot, salty, and crunchy french fries—the best fries in the world. Steak haché et frites was as basic as cooking got in France.

Check out this recipe for steak haché and frites on the BBC goodfood website.

The Eiffel Tower on the banks of the Seine River in beautiful Paris
The Eiffel Tower–the most iconic structure in Paris

Get tickets to the Eiffel Tower in advance to avoid very long lines. The Eiffel Tower is open year round from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm (9:30 am to 11:45 pm from June 1 to September 1).

Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe stands proudly in the middle of the Place Charles de Gaulle (formerly known as the Place de l’Étoile), oblivious to the traffic swirling around it. I know whereof I speak. In the days before Google Maps and GPS, we took a wrong turn and were swept into the Place Charles de Gaulle. Gregg had to circumnavigate the unusually large roundabout (twelve exits!) numerous times before finally crossing a frightening number of lanes to reach our exit. I still break out into a cold sweat when I think of that drive.

Begun in 1806, the Arc de Triomphe honors soldiers who fought in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Directly under the arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier who was killed in World War I.

In Love Among the Recipes, Genna has a poignant reason for pairing the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with Lamb Shanks with Caramelized Onions. Here is a recipe for a similar dish: Fall-Apart Lamb Shanks Braised with Mustard and Mint from the Serious Eats website.

You can wander around and under the Arc de Triomphe for free, but you’ll pay to climb the stairs to the top. The glorious view of the Place Charles de Gaulle, Champs-Élysées, the Tuileries, and the Eiffel Tower in the distance is well worth the price. WARNING: Don’t even think about trying to cross the Place Charles de Gaulle! Use the pedestrian tunnels located around its perimeter to lead you safely under the traffic.

The Arc de Triomphe at sunset in Paris
The Arc de Triomphe marooned in the middle of a river of speeding cars

L’abbaye de Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Dating from the 6th century, the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés is the oldest church in Paris and contains some notable frescoes. The current church was built in the 12th century, with the distinctive spire added in the 19th century. The abbey is also where the heart of philosopher René Descartes is buried.

In Love Among the Recipes, Genna rents an apartment on the top floor of a building steps from the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. I modeled her apartment on one I stayed in with my family in 1995. The needlepoint reproduction of La Grande Odalisque by Ingres that hangs in Genna’s apartment was inspired by a similar (and equally hideous) version that hung in the apartment we rented.

Close to the church are two famous cafés in which several scenes take place: Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore. While sitting at a table overlooking the church, Genna decides to pair it with a recipe for French Onion Soup. This version comes from My Parisian Kitchen.

The tower with its distinctive grey spire of the Church of Saint-Germain-des-Pres in Paris
The Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Les Invalides

Napoleon’s mammoth tomb and an impressive military museum (Musée de l’Armée) is housed in Les Invalides and is worth a look for Napoleon buffs.

When life starts to go sideways for Genna in Love Among the Recipes, she makes a tearful visit to her grizzled but kindly landlord and most loyal taste-tester. After pouring her heart out to him while savoring shots of fine Napoleon brandy, Genna pairs Les Invalides and its Napoleonic associations with Steak Diane Flambéed in Brandy. This recipe is created by Emeril Lagasse and comes from the Food & Wine website.

Les Invalides with its beautiful golden dome, the location of the tomb of Napoleon
Les Invalides, home to the tomb of Napoleon

Les Invalides is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm, except for January 1, May 1, and December 25. Get priority entrance tickets here.

Notre-Dame Cathedral

The partial destruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral in 2019 broke the hearts of many cathedral lovers, including me. Some of my most memorable moments in Paris were spent in the vicinity of Notre-Dame. Several times, I attended music concerts in the cathedral and was blown away by the sublime sound and medieval atmosphere.

In Love Among the Recipes, which is set several years prior to the fire, Genna matches Notre-Dame Cathedral with Lemon Sole with Butter Sauce. Here’s the description she wrote for her cookbook/guidebook:

A visit to Notre-Dame Cathedral takes you into the heart and soul of France. Emerging from a recent cleaning, the cream-colored stone glows in the spring sunshine, much as it did when it was first built a millennium ago. The cathedral sits on an island in the middle of the Seine, until modern times the principal artery for commerce. For centuries, fish from the river nourished the well-fed clerics who kept the great cathedral running. From soul to sole, this recipe for grilled lemon sole swims in a light cream sauce made tart by thin slices of melted lemon. Serve with a fluffy rice pilaf studded with pistachio nuts for a heavenly experience.

This recipe for Lemon Sole with Butter comes from the French Cooking Academy

The Artsy Traveler, Carol Cram, in front of a floodlit Notre Dame Cathedral at night in beautiful Paris, France
Me in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral on a spring evening

Rose Window in Notre-Dame Cathedral

The rose window at Notre-Dame Cathedral is one of Europe’s most stunning examples of Gothic stained glass. Miraculously, the rose window survived the 2019 fire. In Love Among the Recipes, Genna pairs a classic Strawberry Tart with the rose window. This recipe comes from Recipe Girl.

The Rose Window in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France

Sainte-Chapelle

Sainte-Chapelle on the Île de la Cité ranks as my all-time favorite religious structure. I first visited when I was 14 years old while on my epic trip around Europe with my mom, and I always pop in every time I’m in Paris. The joyful release I experience when stepping from the dark, winding staircase into the bright and airy stained-glass heaven of the upper chapel never gets old. I include Sainte-Chapelle in my post about the top cathedrals in Europe.

In Love Among the Recipes, Genna has a meltdown right in the middle of Sainte-Chapelle while she’s there with big, bluff Bill Turner who may–or may not–become a love interest. Later, while she and Bill enjoy a sumptuous lunch at a restaurant on the Île Saint-Louis, Genna matches Sainte-Chapelle with a Pavlova filled with Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries. This recipe comes from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

The soaring stained glass windows on the second level of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, France
The upper chapel in Sainte-Chapelle

Sainte-Chapelle is open from 11 am to 7 pm and reservations are required. Get tickets for priority access.

Tour Saint-Jacques

Located in the 4th arrondissement, the Tour Saint-Jacques is a fabulous example of the flamboyant Gothic style. It was originally part of a church built in the 16th century which was destroyed during the French Revolution. I always enjoy catching sight of the statue-encrusted Tour Saint-Jacques while walking around the area. The tower’s connection to butchers (the original church was called Eglise Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie) inspires Genna to pair it with homemade sausages.

Here’s an excerpt from Love Among the Recipes:

Genna liked the contrast of the ornate tower with the lowly sausage, a dish perfect for an everyday dinner. She could include directions for making the actual sausage. A homemade sausage made from freshly ground meats in the cook’s own kitchen and blended with a rich mix of seasonings was surely one of life’s great gastronomic pleasures.

Find a selection of homemade sausage recipes on allrecipes.com.

The Tour Saint Jacques near the Marais district of Paris in the 4th arrondisement
Tour Saint-Jacques

Museums in Love Among the Recipes

Musée de L’Orangerie – Monet’s Les Nymphéas

Viewing the eight giant canvases Claude Monet painted of the water lilies in his garden at Giverny never fails to exhilarate me. Two purpose-built rooms contain four canvases each. Stepping into the rooms is like stepping to the edge of a tranquil pond in a cool forest glade.

In Love Among the Recipes, the water lily paintings have a particularly dramatic effect on Marsha, a young woman whom Genna befriends from her French class. While Marsha blisses out in front of the paintings (collectively called Les Nymphéas), Genna settles onto a bench and thinks about Vichyssoise. Here’s what she writes:

Made with tender young leeks, pale yellow potatoes, heavy cream, and black pepper, a bowl of chilled Vichyssoise on a hot summer day will transport you to Monet’s world, where your soul receives the solace that only nature can supply.

This recipe for Vichyssoise comes from the French Cooking Academy.

A detail from a painting of water lilies in the Gardens at Giverny by Claude Monet
Detail from a painting of water lilies by Claude Monet

Musée de Cluny

As I’ve written in my post Paris for Art Lovers: Cool Art Museums You May Not Know, the Cluny (otherwise known as Musée national du Moyen Âge) is my favorite art museum in Paris. I spend at least a few hours of every trip to Paris wandering through the dark rooms overflowing with medieval treasures. That’s my idea of paradise–that and stopping for a glass of wine at a local bistro after my visit.

Genna also loves the Cluny, particularly the stunning Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. While enjoying coffee with Parisian hottie Pierre Leblanc, Genna’s description of why she paired the famous tapestries with Duck Confit comes replete with some seriously suggestive double entendres.

This recipe for Duck Confit to match with the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries comes from Serious Eats.

The Lady and the unicorn Desire

The sixth tapestry: À mon seul désir Photo: Wikipedia

The Cluny Museum is open every day except Monday from 9:30 am to 6:15 pm. Ticket office closes at 5:30 pm. Evacuation of the rooms begins at 5:45 pm.

Musée Delacroix

The Musée Delacroix is housed in Delacroix’s former home and is considered a rare gem in the heart of the 6th arrondissement. The collection includes over a thousand artworks by Delacroix along with objects that belonged to him, and artworks created by artists who admired him.

In Love Among the Recipes, Genna visits the Musée Delacroix the day before she hosts a dinner party for her new friend Marsha and Marsha’s insufferable boyfriend. She pairs the Musée Delacroix with a rich and flavorful Bœuf Bourguignon:

The idea for bœuf bourguignon came to her as she was touring rooms that once housed Delacroix’s living quarters and studio. When she thought of Delacroix, she thought of clutter and heat, of fallen soldiers and distressed maidens densely painted in browns and ochers and reds. Delacroix’s large canvases were too big, too full, too heroic—and a good match for the richness of a well-cooked bœuf bourguignon.

This recipe for Bœuf Bourguignon comes from Café Delites.

View of the exterior of the Musee Delacroix in the sixth arrondisement in Paris, France
From the Musée Delacroix website

The museum is open Wednesday to Monday, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with a night opening until 9 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month.

Musée d’Orsay

I never tire of visiting the Musée d’Orsay. It teems with masterpieces created between 1848 and 1914, and includes scores of great paintings by Manet, Morisot, Monet and more. Genna matches three recipes to various aspects of the venerable museum.

To avoid the crowds, buy your tickets in advance and go early in the day. Head first for the fifth floor so you can enjoy the most popular paintings accompanied by few visitors. Take your time wandering from room to room and then stop by the café behind the large clock–the original from when the Musée d’Orsay was a train station.

Musée d’Orsay as a Whole

When Genna visits the Musée d’Orsay with her daughter, Becky, she pairs cassoulet with the museum. She explains her choice to Becky, who has arrived unexpectedly in Paris, bringing with her an attitude and a secret:

“I was watching all the people crowding into the galleries and I couldn’t help thinking of them as so many ball bearings all rolling along together, one indistinguishable from the next. Then from there I went to beans—white haricot beans that are smooth and round and meaty. And from there, I thought of richness—the paintings, which led me to think of chunks of homemade garlic sausage and duck confit legs simmered in wild garlic and . . .”

“Stop!” Becky held up her hand. “I get the picture. The cassoulet mixes all kind of colors and textures with herbs and beans, just like the museum combines paintings and people.”

“Exactly!” At this rate, they’d start wearing matching stretch pants and pink T-shirts with Mother on one and Daughter on the other.

Here’s a recipe for cassoulet, a tasty recipe from southwest France, on Jo Cooks.

Mère et enfant sur fond vert, Musée d’Orsay

Becky is fascinated by the painting Mère et enfant sur fond vert by Mary Cassatt. Later in the novel, Genna pairs the painting with clafoutis, a delicious and simple fruit pudding suitable for serving to children. This recipe comes from My Parisian Kitchen.

Painting titled Mere et enfant sur fond vert by Mary Cassatt exhibited in the Musee d'Orsay in Paris
Mère et enfant sur fond vert by Mary Cassatt from Musée d’Orsay

Great Clock at the Musée d’Orsay

Genna pairs the great clock that dominates the façade of the Musée d’Orsay with a classic French apple tart–a tarte aux pommes. This recipe for Apple Tart comes from My Parisian Kitchen.

The large, ornate clock in the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, France
The clock in the Musée d’Orsay

Make sure to buy tickets to visit the Musée d’Orsay in advance so you can skip the line-up. The museum is open from 9:30 am to 6 pm daily except Mondays.

Musée du Louvre

The Louvre is massive, over-crowded, expensive, and magnificent. The key to visiting the Louvre with ease is to focus on one or two areas at most. There’s a great deal of art in the Louvre, and while all of it is amazing, some pieces are more amazing than others.

In Love Among the Recipes, Genna pairs recipes with three different parts of the Louvre: the Denon wing, La Grande Odalisque by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, and a charming terra cotta piece from the antiquities exhibits in the Sully wing.

Denon Wing

When you enter the pyramid and descend the escalator to the center of the Louvre, you’re faced with three wings: Sully, Richelieu, and Denon. Most visitors make a beeline for the Denon wing because that’s where some of the most famous artworks in the world are displayed, including the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. Unless you have a burning desire to stand in a massive crowd bristling with pickpockets so you can peer over the tops of heads to see a tiny, glass-enclosed painting on a single wall, I’d give Mona a miss. If you do want to see her, arrive early, or drop by just before the museum closes.

Instead, head for the far end of the Denon wing and work your way back. You’ll pass several remarkable pieces, including:

The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Autumn by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix, Public domain, via Wikipedia Commons
Saint John the Baptist by Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The rich, deep-red walls of the Denon wing inspire Genna to match it with a recipe for Shrimp-Stuffed Salmon. When she serves the dish at a party, the consequences are devastating–and a pivotal moment in Love Among the Recipes. Here’s a link to a recipe for a similar dish on Jamie Oliver’s website.

La Grande Odalisque by Ingres

Your stroll through the French masterpieces in the Denon wing also takes you past La Grande Odalisque by Ingres. The enigmatic image of the nude courtesan plays a prominent role in Love Among the Recipes. In one of the final scenes of the novel, Genna matches the painting with a recipe for tagine–a warm and spicy Moroccan dish of lamb cooked with apricots and nuts. This recipe for Tagine and Couscous comes from Easy Peasy Foodie.

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Greek, Roman, and Egyptian Antiquities

While perusing the fabulous collection of antiquities in the Sully wing, Genna comes across a small terra-cotta carving depicting a row of bakers:

Genna trailed past glass cases brimming with cooking pots and spear tips, wrought gold bracelets and bronze helmets. Her attention was arrested by a roughly hewn terra-cotta piece showing a row of figures seated at a bench, kneading what appeared to be dough. Thanks to her progress in French class, she easily deciphered the description. The object represented bakers making bread. The preparation of food was rarely represented in art, and almost never in the art of antiquity. Genna tried to imagine the artisan who had sculpted the little piece and for what reason. It was neither well-formed nor beautiful. A child with Plasticine could have done better. But at over 2,500 years old, the piece was remarkable.

The row of bakers inspires Genna to develop a recipe for a heavy country loaf–the kind of bread made for mopping up a thick stew on a frosty night. This recipe for a country loaf of bread studded with walnuts and figs comes from Dinner with Julie.

From the Louvre website

Take virtual tours of the Louvre. Make sure to buy tickets to visit the Louvre in advance so you can skip the line-up. The museum is open from 9 am to 6 pm daily except Tuesdays.

Quai Branly Museum

Also know as the Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac, the Musée Quai Branly deserves a place on your Paris itinerary, particularly if you enjoy art and objects created by indigenous cultures from around the world. The collection is displayed in four distinct areas representing Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. Read more about the Musée du Quai Branly in my post Paris for Art Lovers: Cool Art Museums You May Not Know.

Genna visits the Branly with Becky, just after Becky inadvertently shares news of a seriously life-altering event. While prowling the dimly lit exhibits, Genna decides on a recipe for Chocolate Mousse. This one comes from My Parisian Kitchen.

Here’s what Genna writes:

No one who has gazed awestruck at an intricately carved exorcism mask from Sri Lanka or the complex geometric rugs woven by Berber tribeswomen could doubt that the objects on display in the Musée du Quai Branly represent human ingenuity in all its diverse glory. Intrepid visitors glide from the Congo to the Sahara, across India and around Polynesia, into the vast lands of Asia and on across the Pacific to the plains of North America and the secret jungles of Brazil. A delicately constructed chocolate mousse should explode with flavor with the same intensity so richly captured in the Branly’s dark passageways.

Display in the Africa area in the Musée Quai Branly

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 am to 7:00 pm (Thursdays until 10:00 pm). Get tickets in advance to avoid lines.

Musée Picasso

The Musée National Picasso-Paris draws from over 5,000 works in a comprehensive collection that includes paintings, sculptures, and engravings. Read more in my post Paris for Art Lovers: Cool Art Museums You May Not Know.

Situated in the trendy Marais district, the Musée Picasso is close to the apartment Marsha buys in Love Among the Recipes. When Marsha takes Genna to see the apartment, Genna is bowled over by its size and elegance, while poor Marsha is distraught.

Genna pairs a recipe for bouillabaisse, the classic Mediterranean fish stew, with the museum devoted to the work of Picasso, who was born in Málaga on Spain’s Mediterranean coast. Her decision to include bouillabaisse in her cookbook/guidebook prompts her to host a dinner party for the new friends she’s made in Paris. The events at this party lead to the climax of the novel.

This recipe for Bouillabaisse comes from Serious Eats.

The Picasso Museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 10.30 am to 6 pm and weekends from 9.30 am to 6 pm. The museum is popular, so buy tickets in advance.

Musée Rodin

The classy and manageable Musée Rodin in the 7th arrondissement is another one of my favorite small art museums in Paris. Read more in my post Paris for Art Lovers: Cool Art Museums You May Not Know.

When Genna visits the Musée Rodin, she is entranced by the many large and small versions of Rodin’s famous Kiss sculpture and by the sophisticated beauty of the museum and its grounds. She contemplates The Thinker, admires the sculptures in the sumptuously appointed chandeliered rooms, and comes up with crème brûlée to match with the museum. Here’s what she writes:

A silky crème brûlée topped with a sheen of caramelized sugar cracked open by one smart rap of the spoon made the perfect ending to a meal. It combined hard and soft together in one dish, like one of Rodin’s sculptures. The cold marble came alive with the heat generated by the two bodies wrapped around each other. What looked solid became malleable and alive.

This recipe for Crème Brûlée comes from the French Cooking Academy.

Statue of The Thinker outside the Musée Rodin

The Musée Rodin is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6:30 pm. Buy tickets in advance and skip the lines.

Pompidou Centre

The fourth floor of the Pompidou Centre houses an incredible collection of early-to-mid-20th-century modern art. It’s one of my husband Gregg’s favorite art museums. As a painter, he loves admiring the work of the artists who have inspired him–from Max Ernst to Matisse to Pollock.

In Love Among the Recipes, Genna pairs the Pompidou Centre with the canapés she serves at her climactic dinner party. Tapenade Noire comes from My Parisian Kitchen, Anchoïade from Serious Eats, Caviar d’Aubergine from the French Cooking Academy, and Grapes Stuffed with Goat Cheese from Food52.

Pompidou Centre is the most visited museum in Paris

Buy tickets to the Pompidou Centre in advance to avoid line-ups, open every day except Tuesdays from 11 am to 8 pm.

Stravinsky Fountain, Centre Pompidou

Adjacent to the Pompidou Centre is one of the most striking and fun fountains I’ve ever seen. Created by Niki de Saint Phalle, the Stravinsky fountain was a huge favorite with my daughter, Julia, when she was a child.

In Love Among the Recipes, Genna remembers her own children enjoying the fountain:

Immediately before her rose the whimsical Stravinsky Fountain—a favorite of her children on their family trip to Paris. Sixteen sculptures, including a treble clef, a pair of swollen red lips, and various brightly painted amorphous shapes, rotated, swiveled, and shot water at odd angles. Genna defied anyone to stand next to Niki de Saint Phalle’s extraordinary creation on a hot summer’s day and not smile.

The quirky, colorful cheeriness of the Stravinsky Fountain inspires Genna to pair it with a scrumptious fruit flan that she describes as: Slices of yellow peaches, green kiwis, and creamy white pears, glistening blueberries, and rosy-red strawberries and raspberries and cherries would be arranged in perfect spirals on top of a custard filling spread over a crunchy sugar crust, the whole creation bathed in a glaze of equal parts sherry and Cointreau.

This recipe for fruit flan comes from House of Nash Eats.

Me at the Stravinsky Fountain near the Pompidou Centre

Parks in Love Among the Recipes

Les Jardin des Plantes

The Jardin des Plantes in the 5th arrondissement is a marvelous place to spend an afternoon. If you enjoy prowling through natural history museums (as I do), then allocate a day to explore the Gallery of Evolution, the Gallery of Mineralogy and Geology, the Gallery of Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy, and the Gallery of Botany.

Genna’s recipe for Leeks Braised in Wine to pair with the Jardin des Plantes comes from Serious Eats.

Le Jardin des Plantes

Le Jardin des Plantes is open from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm, with most of the galleries opening at 10 am.

Luxembourg Gardens

The Luxembourg Gardens holds a special place in the hearts of my family. We spent many happy hours at the awesome playground when our daughter was young, and in recent years have always enjoyed strolling through its shaded walkways and lounging by the round pool.

Genna also has very positive associations with the Luxembourg Gardens and goes there with her daughter, Becky. The variety of facilities within the gardens inspire Genna to create a recipe for pot-au-feu. This version comes from the French Cooking Academy.

Fountain at the Luxembourg Gardens

Monet’s Garden at Giverny

An hour outside Paris is Giverny and the house that artist Claude Monet lived in for several decades. The garden he created–depicted in many of his paintings–attracts millions of visitors every year.

In Love Among the Recipes, Genna visits Giverny with Bill Turner. The first glimmer of romance is sparked amid the leafy green walkways and dreamy views of water-lily-studded ponds. While gazing over one of these ponds, Genna decides on a light and fluffy asparagus soufflé. This recipe comes from Simply Recipes.

One of the charming green bridges in Monet’s garden at Giverny

Parc Buttes Chaumont

This wonderful neighborhood park in the 19th arrondissement is the fifth largest park in Paris and almost completely bypassed by tourists. Wander several kilometers of pathways and admire the evocative Temple de la Sibylle perched on a cliff overlooking the lower garden.

In Love Among the Recipes, Genna pairs the park–a favorite with families–with a family-friendly recipe for Chicken & 40 Cloves of Garlic that she serves to an appreciative Monsieur Leblanc, her landlord. This version comes from Jo Cooks.

Temple de la Sibylle in Parc Buttes Chaumont

Parc de la Villette

This massive park, also in the 19th arrondissement, is full of interesting things to see and do. It’s home to one of the largest concentrations of cultural venues in Paris, including the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, Europe’s largest science museum; three major concert venues, including the Philharmonie de Paris; and La Géode, an Omnimax theater. Also in the park are ten themed gardens, including the Jardin du Dragon, along with 26 follies–large, bright red metal sculptures.

In Love Among the Recipes, Genna visits Parc de la Villette with Pierre Leblanc and later tells him she’s pairing the park with a Pork Terrine with Roasted Red Peppers and Hazelnuts. Here’s an excerpt from her conversation with Pierre:

“A layered terrine of pork pâté with roasted red peppers and a layer or two of nuts all pressed into a perfect rectangle. When you cut the terrine into thick slices, all the layers are exposed.”

“Like the structures of the park in nature.”

“Exactly!” Genna put down her fork and grinned at Pierre. “You are an amazing inspiration, Pierre. That’s the second good connection I’ve made, thanks to you.”

This recipe for a pork and hazelnut terrine comes from BBC Food.

Three of the follies in Parc de la Villette

Parc Monceau

This delightful park in the 8th arrondissement contains a number of interesting follies, including a miniature ancient Egyptian pyramid, a Roman colonnade, antique statues, a pond full of water lilies, a Dutch windmill, a minaret, and an enchanted grotto. Far off the tourist path, the Parc Monceau is the perfect place for an after-lunch stroll.

In Love Among the Recipes, Genna pairs Parc Monceau with Coq Au Vin, a classic dish to match the classic elements in the park. This recipe comes from Jo Cooks.

Roman colonnade in Parc Monceau

Miscellaneous Sights in Love Among the Recipes

Paris Métro

The Paris Métro is efficient, fast, and cheap. You can’t beat it as the quickest way to cross the city when you don’t want to take a taxi driven by a French driver with a death wish. If you have more time to get where you’re going, take busses so that you can watch the passing parade of Parisian sights and people. But if you’re in a hurry, descend to the Métro, check your route on the illuminated maps, and enjoy the ride.

While waiting in the Métro, Genna is struck by its relationship to the humble pissaladière, a pizza-like flatbread criss-crossed with anchovies and studded with olives. This recipe comes from Serious Eats.

Île de la Cité

Before fire devastated Notre-Dame Cathedral in 2019, one of my favorite things to do on a warm evening was to stroll around the magical Île de la Cité. Repairs to the cathedral are progressing, but we likely won’t see the cathedral in all its floodlit glory for quite some time.

In Love Among the Recipes, Genna pairs Île de la Cité with Rainbow Trout as a result of a tip from the irascible but kind-hearted and seriously committed foodie, Monsieur Leblanc. The recipe is from Dinner with Julie.

Near the Île de la Cité on a chilly spring day

L’Opéra Bastille

I was fortunate to see a performance of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung at L’Opéra Bastille a few years ago. A remarkable structure, the opera house in the Place de la Bastille in the 12th arrondissement was inaugurated in 1989 and is the home of the Paris National Opera.

In Love Among the Recipes, Genna is inspired by the wrapped and layered exterior of the opera house to create a recipe for veal cutlets in parchment (Escalopes de veau en papillote). This recipe comes from myrecipes.com.

L’Opéra Bastille

Les Halles

Back in the day (and as recently as 1971), Les Halles was Paris’s central fresh-food market. Now, the market is part of a massive underground shopping mall. Les Halles is usually an area I traverse through long tunnels when changing lines at the Châtelet–Les Halles Métro stop. It’s one of the largest underground stations in the world that connects three of five RER lines and five of the sixteen Métro lines.

Thanks once again to the refined palate of Monsieur Leblanc, Genna pairs Les Halles with a recipe for Rabbit in Mustard Sauce. This recipe comes from the French Cooking Academy.

Plaza above Les Halles

Montmartre

Montmartre overlooks Paris atop a large hill in the 18th arrondisement. It’s dominated by the ice-cream-cone domes of the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur and includes plenty of charming cafés and an artsy atmosphere. However, each time I’ve visited, the crowds have been intense and so I usually haven’t stayed long. On the other hand, the views across the Paris skyline from Sacré-Cœur are magnificent, and I do remember our daughter at the age of nine enjoying the carousel at the base of the basilica.

In Love Among the Recipes, Genna pairs Moules Marinières with Montmartre. This recipes comes from Serious Eats.

Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur with the carousel at its base

Place du Tertre in Montmartre

The Place du Tertre teems with sidewalk cafés, street artists, locals, and tourists. At the beginning of the 20th century, the area was home to many famous painters, including Picasso and Modigliani. The home and studio of Renoir and Suzanne Valadon are also nearby.

The lively and cheerful area is a perfect match for macarons–the crispy, chewy, gloriously colorful confections that take pride of place in every French patisserie. This recipe comes from Serious Eats.

Place du Tertre in Montmartre

Place de la Concorde

The busy Place de la Concorde symbolizes monumental Paris. Stand in the middle of it and you can see many of the most famous sites in Paris, from the giant Ferris wheel to the Egyptian obelisk to the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Genna chooses the elegant French cookies called madeleines to pair with the Place de la Concorde. This recipe comes from the French Cooking Academy

Place de la Concorde

Tuileries Gardens 

After trudging through the Louvre in search of great art, nothing beats taking some “me” time in one of the metal chairs arranged around fountains in the Tuileries Gardens. The flower beds overflow with color, the crowds swish past, and all is right with the world.

In Love Among the Recipes, Genna and Bill relax in the Tuileries before heading across the river to the Right Bank and Bill’s posh hotel on the Rue Saint-Honoré. Before they leave the gardens, Genna matches the Tuileries Gardens with Salade Niçoise, a hearty salad brimming with fresh anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, green beans, tuna, tomatoes, and potatoes. As Genna says, “every bite is a new combination of salty and crunchy.” This recipe comes from Serious Eats.

Gregg relaxing in one of the metal chairs in the Tuileries Gardens

Versailles

Versailles, the sumptuous palace of French kings and queens, is worth the day trip from Paris, but arrive early to avoid the crowds! Tour the palace first and then spend the rest of your time wandering around the grounds. You can easily walk all day and not come close to exploring all 2,000-plus acres of what is considered the world’s largest royal domain.

I find the interior of Versailles too over the top and opulent for my taste, but it is worth seeing. I remember experiencing terrible claustrophobia trapped in a heaving mass of tourists in the famous Hall of Mirrors, which is why I suggest getting to the palace as soon as it opens. Outside the palace, the grounds and fountains are truly spectacular. Schedule your visit on a day when the fountains are playing. Check the Versailles website for times.

Genna visits Versailles with Pierre Leblanc, and together they come up with Caesar Salad as the perfect dish to pair with the royal residence. This recipe comes from Serious Eats.

Hall of Mirrors in Versailles

Book your tickets well in advance and skip the line for the Palace of Versailles. The Palace is open every day except Monday from 9 am.

Have you read Love Among the Recipes? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below.

17 Must-See Places to Visit in France You Should Know About

Artsy Sightseeing, Destinations, France, Get Inspired carolcram 5 Comments on 17 Must-See Places to Visit in France You Should Know About

Last updated on March 5th, 2023 at 12:24 am

As the largest country in western Europe, France has more than its fair share of amazing places to visit.

I’ve been going to France since 1970 when, at the age of 14, I traveled around Europe with my mother on a budget of about $10 a day (you can read about that trip in My Story. This amount covered our hotels, city tours, meals, and probably even our Eurail passes. I don’t remember exactly because I wasn’t paying the bill.

Pin describing the blog post 17 Must-See Places to Visit in France You Should Know About

Since then, I’ve returned to France numerous times—both alone and with Gregg (usually with Gregg). In the past ten years, we’ve visited France together eight times, bringing my lifetime total to 17 visits.

So if you’re wondering why I’m listing 17 places to visit in France, now you know! I want to celebrate my 17 visits to France by listing my 17 quirky, fascinating, amazing favorites. Each holds special memories for me that I want to share with other artsy travelers.

Carol Cram in Normandy countryside
In the Normandy countryside about an hour south of Honfleur, one of my 17 Awesome Places in France

Map of France Showing My 17 Choices

The map below shows my 17 choices in the order in which I mention them, starting with Honfleur (#1) and ending with the Fontainebleau Forest (#17). If you have wheels, you could easily string together an around-France itinerary using these 17 places as stop-over points.

I also include a Google map showing the location of each individual place following its description in the post.

Making the List

You may not have heard of all of theses places to visit in France, but each is worth a visit.

For a place to make my list, it needed to have an artsy component, be beautiful (not hard to do in France), and be off the beaten path. As a result, you won’t find the big name places like Paris, Nice, and Lyon on the list (fabulous though they are).

Ready to check out my 17 favorite places to visit in France? Here they are, starting with Honfleur on the Normandy coast northwest of Paris and going in a more or less counter-clockwise direction to take in Brittany, the Loire Valley, the Dordogne, the south of France, the east of France and ending at the Fontainebleau Forest just south of Paris.

#1: Honfleur, Normandy

A few years ago, Gregg and I were fortunate to be artists-in-residence at a gallery located in the Perche region of central Normandy. For two months when we weren’t painting (Gregg) and writing (me), we explored this beautiful and untrammeled area. Although close to Paris, peaceful rural Normandy feels like another country.

On one trip, we went north to the gorgeous little town of Honfleur on the Normandy coast. To our delight, Honfleur was packed with artsy sites.

What is Special About Honfleur as Place to Visit in France?

Art Galleries in Honfleur

First of all, if you’re looking to purchase art, Honfleur is renowned for its galleries. You can spend many happy hours browsing the offerings in the galleries lining the streets leading to the harbor.

From an architectural perspective, Honfleur has much to offer. The Church of St. Catherine on the town square was built entirely of wood in the late 15th century by shipwrights. Wander through the church to view its many decorative details.

Church of St. Catherine in Honfleur, Normandy. Honfleur is one of my 17 recommended places to visit in France.
Church of St. Catherine in Honfleur, Normandy

The Vieux-Bassin

You’ll eventually end up at the harbor (the vieux-bassin), surely one of the most stunning sights in Normandy. The distinctive high and narrow timber-frame houses are reflected in the still water of the boat-filled harbor.

We spent quite a bit of time walking along the harborfront enjoying the gorgeous views and stopping for a dinner of moules et frites (mussels and fries) along with local wine.

The Vieux-Bassin in Honfleur harbor is lined with wonderful cafés. It's one of my recommended places to visit in France
The Vieux-Bassin in Honfleur harbor is lined with wonderful cafés.

Museums in Honfleur

Two museums in Honfleur are particularly attractive to the Artsy Museum.

First up is the Musée Eugène Boudin, named after the painter Boudin who was born in Honfleur. The museum exhibits an impressive collection of Boudin’s paintings along with works by other artists who have visited or are closely associated with Honfleur, including some big names: Courbet, Dufy, and Monet (you’ve probably heard of him!).

As a side note, Honfleur is not far from Étretat which we also visited. Courbet, Boudin and Monet each painted these cliffs.

Alabaster Coast at Etretat. Aval cliff. Normandy, France, one of my recommended places to visit in France
Alabaster Coast at Étretat. Aval cliff. Normandy, France.

But our favorite of the two museums we visited in Honfleur is the entrancingly eccentric Maisons Satie. Housed in the birthplace of the composer and darling of the Dadaists, Erik Satie (1866-1925), the museum takes you on an interactive tour of Satie’s music.

Armed with an audio guide, you prowl through dark rooms and activate various musical themes from Satie’s work. It’s a playhouse for music-loving grownups that puts the q in quirky.

If you love Satie’s music (Gymnopedies and Gnossienne are his most famous works), then don’t miss this wacky, wonderful museum.

Getting to Honfleur

Map showing location of Honfleur northwest of Paris
Location of Honfleur northwest of Paris

Honfleur is about a two-hour drive northwest of Paris. The Normandy coast from Honfleur in the northeast to Mont St. Michel in the southwest on the border with Brittany is worth a good long stay.

In addition to Étretat, two other highlights of this fascinating section of coastline are the D-Day beaches and Bayeux. Both places witnessed invasions, a millennium apart.

D-Day Beaches in Normandy Near Honfleur

At the D-Day beaches, I was struck by the spectacular beauty of this stretch of coastline. That it was the scene of so much death and destruction in 1944 is sobering. We visited the marvelous museum and memorial at Juno Beach where the Canadians landed. The Caen Memorial Museum near Caen south of the beaches is also worth a visit.

You can take a guided tour of the area from Paris.

Omaha Beach in Normandy
Omaha Beach
Portion of the Bayeux tapestry showing Edward the Confessor who is looking a trifle bemused
Portion of the Bayeux tapestry showing Edward the Confessor who is looking a trifle bemused

Bayeux Tapestry

A millennium earlier, the French went in the opposite direction to invade England. At Bayeux, you can see the Bayeux tapestry that documents the invasion. The audio guide presentation of the tapestry is excellent–a definite must-see.

For more detailed information about recommended places to see in Normandy, check out Top Normandy Sights for Art & History Lovers.

Practical Tips for Your Visit to Honfleur

Honfleur makes a good home base for a few days while you tour the area. We stayed at the Hôtel L’Ecrin, a lovely old mansion house set in beautiful gardens that included a pool. Free parking was a bonus as was the location of the hotel, an easy stroll to the harbor.

Check the map below for other accommodation options in the area.

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For more about traveling around and enjoying Normandy, see my post Top Normandy Sights to Excite Art & History Lovers.

#2: Côte de Granit Rose, Brittany

Gregg and I have visited the spectacular Côte de Granit Rose twice and hope to return. Thanks to its many plages (beaches), the area is a popular destination in the summer for French families. But the area doesn’t feel touristy or crowded.

What is Special About the Côte de Granit Rose as a Place to Visit in France?

The thirty-kilometer stretch of pink granite rocks twisted into fantastic shapes is considered one of the most outstanding coastlines in Europe. The marriage of pink rocks with turquoise ocean has inspired many artists, notably the French surrealist artist Yves Tanguy (1900-1955).

The Côte de Granit Rose in northern Brittany is a delight for the senses and is one of my recommended places to visit in France
The Côte de Granit Rose in northern Brittany is a delight for the senses.

This area is perfect for walking and hiking. In fact, you can walk the sentier de douaniers, a former coastguard footpath, from Perros-Guirec via Ploumanac’h to Trégastel Plage. You’ll pass rocks that make you think of slabs of pink-tinted fudge huddled around invitingly sandy coves perfect for paddling in.

The last time we were in the area, a violent windstorm reminded us how nature is her own best artist, using wind and water to sculpt the rocks into such fantastic shapes.

Getting to the Côte de Granit Rose

Map showing the 30-kilometer stretch of coastline between Perros-Guirec and Tregastel is known as the Côte de Granit Rose.
The 30-kilometer stretch of coastline between Perros-Guirec and Trégastel is known as the Côte de Granit Rose.

You need a car to tour this area of northern Brittany. Consider allocating a week to enjoy two or three areas in Brittany–perhaps two nights in the Côte de Granit Rose, two nights farther west in Crozon in the Parc Naturel Regional d’Armorique, and then two nights farther south near Carnac.

View of Pointe de Pen-Hir on the Crozon peninsula in Brittany.
For even more amazing coastline, go farther west to the Pointe de Pen-Hir on the Crozon peninsula in Brittany.

But even a week isn’t long enough. You could easily spend two weeks!

In Brittany, driving is slow along small country roads, and Brittany itself is surprisingly large and varied. Take your time to explore both the northern and the western/southern coasts of this spectacular peninsula.

Did you know that in Brittany, people consider themselves Bretons first, French second? You will occasionally see signs written in Breton–a language related to the Celtic languages of the British isles. After all, Brittany is not far from Cornwall in England.

Practical Tips for Your Visit to the Côte de Granit Rose

We always found delightful small hotels in Brittany. Another option is to rent a house for an extended stay. And while you’re in Brittany, make sure you sample plenty of galettes–the Breton crepes.

Towns to stay at in the area include Trégastel, Perros-Guirec, and Saint-Guirec.

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#3: Gavrinis, Gulf of Morbihan, Brittany

Known as the island of ancient stones, tiny Gavrinis is located in the Gulf of Morbihan, renowned as one of the largest and most beautiful bodies of water in France.

In an area brimming with ancient burial sites, stone alignments, and other Neolithic sites, the burial chamber at Gavrinis is considered one of the most interesting.

What is Special about Gavrinis as a Place to Visit in France?

The Neolithic structure on the island of Gavrinis consists of a tumulus (earth mound) that covers a cairn (stone mound) that in turn covers a dolmen within which is the stone burial chamber. We were told that at Winter Solstice, the sun shines down the passageway and hits the back wall.

How did Neolithic people figure out how to do that? I haven’t a clue, but I love visiting neolithic sites, like Carnac in Brittany and of course, the big kahuna, Stonehenge in England, to try and find out.

What makes Gavrinis unique are the swirling patterns and symbols cut deep into 23 of the 29 rock slabs that form the 24-meter passageway leading to the burial chamber. The designs were cut into the stone over 5,500 years ago (3,500 BC) by some very artistic and amazing people.

Gavrinis passage, replica.Musée de Bougon

[CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]–Gavrinis passage. Replica in the “Musée des tumulus de Bougon” (Deux-Sèvres), France.

Who were they and why did they make the carvings? You’ll find out on the 90-minute guided tour (including the boat trip) required to view the burial chamber.

The carved patterns are startling in their modernity—zigzag lines, swirls, lozenges, and circles. Some of the shapes appear to be non-abstract objects, such as axes and horns.

Getting To Gavrinis

Gavrinis is located in the Gulf of Morbihan in the southern area of Brittany in western France – Map data @ 2019 Google

The island is accessible by a guided tour from the small town of Larmor-Baden. The boat trip across the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Morbihan makes the 90-minute tour especially enjoyable.

Boat trip across the Gulf of Morbihan to the island of Gavrinis , one of my 17 recommended places to visit in France.
Boat trip across the Gulf of Morbihan to the island of Gavrinis

Check the Brittany Tourism site for more information about touring Gavrinis.

Practical Tips for Your Visit to Gavrinis

The Gulf of Morbihan area is worth several days of your time so you can explore dozens more Neolithic sites and enjoy the marine scenery.

The island of Gavrinis is uninhabited and the village of Larmor-Baden where you catch the boat to tour Gavrinis doesn’t have much in the way of accommodations. However, you’ll find plenty of small, family-run hotels in the area. Zoom out the map below to find some options.

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#4: Chenonceau, Loire Valley

The Loire Valley is famous for its beauty, its wine, and its châteaux. It’s definitely a must-visit place in France! Even if you don’t have a week to explore, consider taking a day trip from Paris to at least see the highlights.

Back in the days before the French Revolution, kings and dukes and marquises and your basic blue-blood types built their summer cottages in the Loire Valley.

Chateau de Chenonceau is a french castle spanning the River Cher near Chenonceaux village, Loire valley in France. It's one of my 17 recommended places to visit in France.
Château de Chenonceau is a French castle spanning the River Cher near Chenonceaux village, Loire valley in France

Okay, cottages is maybe a bit of a misnomer. The number, variety, size, and awesomeness of the châteaux in the Loire is astonishing. You won’t run out of architectural wonders to gawk at, ornamental gardens to wander through, and history to learn.

What is Special about Chenonceau as a Place to Visit in France?

The Château de Chenonceau is my favorite Loire Valley château.

A series of graceful arches supports the château across the river Cher. In World War II, Vichy France was on one side of the river and Free France was on the other. I wonder how many people used the château to escape to freedom.

The first château dated from the 12th and 13th centuries, of which only the dungeon remains: the Tour des Marques. The château in its current form was built between 1513 and 1517.

Women have played an outsized role in the development of Chenonceau. Henry II gave the château to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, who, shortly after his death, was kicked out by his wife, Queen Catherine d’Medici. Catherine managed the Kingdom of France from her study, the Green Cabinet at Chenonceau.

In the 18th century, Louise Dupin, an exceptional woman who drafted a Code of Women’s Rights, entertained some of the biggest names of the Age of Enlightenment at Chenonceau.

During your visit through the sumptuous rooms, you’ll learn all about these remarkable women and a lot more. Also visit the formal gardens and imagine yourself in Renaissance dress taking your morning constitutional. There is even a maze!

If you had money back in those days, you sure had it made.

Getting to Chenonceau

Chenonceau is located on the Cher river 214 km west of Paris and 34 km east of Tours. If you don’t have time to stay in the Loire Valley, consider taking a tour from Paris. Here are some options.

Practical Tips for Your Visit to Chenonceau

Spend several days in the Loire Valley so you can visit more than one château, but limit yourself to two a day, at most. Château-visiting gets tiring after a while. Less is more.

To minimize driving, spend two or three days around Tours near Chenonceau and then another two or three days closer to Blois. You won’t run out of places to visit.

Another highlight of a visit to the Loire Valley and the area around Chenonceau is the opportunity to sample excellent wine and food. Of course, that’s true pretty much anywhere in France, but the Loire Valley is particularly blessed.

Zoom out the map below to find accommodation options in the Loire Valley.



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For more information about visiting Chenonceau, check the website.

#5: Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine

I chose Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil (Les Eyzies for short) because it’s smack in the middle of some of the Dordogne’s most compelling prehistory attractions.

Houses in the town of Les Eyzies, Dordogne, France under the shadow of overhanging limestone cliffs. It's one of my recommended places to visit in France.
Houses in the town of Les Eyzies, Dordogne, France under the shadow of overhanging limestone cliffs

Gregg and I are suckers for prehistory–cave paintings, dolmens, megalithic monuments, archeological museums, the lot. If it’s really old, we like it. And if you are also that way inclined, head for this area of the Dordogne around Les Eyzies.

What is Special about Les Eyzies as a Place to Visit in France?

It’s small and charming and is the location of the wonderful Musée National de Préhistoire. Start your exploration here to discover the rich paleolithic heritage of the Vézère Valley, also known as the European “Valley of Man.”

Statue of an early human outside the Musée National de Prehistoire in Les Eyzies
Musée National de Préhistoire in Les Eyzies

Not far from Les Eyzies is the Grotte de Font-de-Gaume where you can view over 800 engravings and drawings of prehistoric horses, bison, aurochs, lions, reindeer, and more.

The Font-de-Gaume is one of the few extensive prehistoric caves still open to the public. Check online for information and to buy tickets. Admission is limited so make sure you buy your tickets well in advance of your visit.

A virtual tour of the cave is also available.

You’ll find many more prehistoric sites in the area. Stay a few days around Les Eyzies and then drive about thirty minutes north to Montignac to visit Lascaux II. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit there and recommend it to anyone interested in prehistoric cave painting.

Yes, Lascaux II is a replica of 90% of the paintings found in the original cave, but it is still awe-inspiring. You must take the 40-minute guided tour. Check the website for information.

Getting to Les Eyzies

Les Eyzies is a two-hour drive east of Bordeaux in the Aquitaine region of southwest France. Consider staying for several days in the area. In addition to exploring prehistoric sites, châteaux. and super-charming villages, you will find many great restaurants.

We had one of the best meals we’ve enjoyed in France (and that’s saying something) at a restaurant overlooking a sleepy canal not far from Les Eyzies.

Carol Cram enjoying dinner next to a canal in the Dordogne
Dinner next to a canal in the Dordogne
Presentation of L'Escargots at a nice restaurant in France
L’Escargots

Practical Tips for Your Visit to Les Eyzies

You’ll find plenty of charming family-run places in the area. On one trip, we stayed in the tiny village of Thonac about halfway between Motignanc and Les Eyzies. The place was on the Vézère River, which we spent an afternoon canoeing down. Heavenly.

Zoom to see accommodation options in the Dordogne.



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#6: Albi, Midi-Pyrénées

Albi in southwest France is a charmingly walkable city with a wonderful red brick cathedral and the world-class Musée Toulouse-Lautrec. If you’re on your way to the Pyrénées, take a day out for Albi.

What is Special about Albi as a Place to Visit in France?

It’s just so darned pretty with its red bricks glowing in the evening light, good restaurants, panoramas over the River Tarn, and laid-back atmosphere.

I also like that it’s steeped in the history of the Cathars–the enlightened sect that practiced a form of proto-Protestantism and refused to recognize the authority of the Catholic church. That didn’t go down too well with the Church (no surprise there) and led to the Cathars being cruelly wiped out in the Albigensian Crusade (1209-1229).

Dominating the ridge above the Tarn River, the cathedral was built a few decades after the conflict and looks more like a fortress than a church. It’s the only large gothic cathedral built out of bricks (pink ones at that) rather than stone.

Here’s a view of the cathedral from our bed-and-breakfast across the river.

Cathedral at Albi seen from across the River Tarn; Albi is one of my recommended places to visit in France
Cathedral in Albi

In addition to the cathedral, the big attraction in Albi is the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec located in the also-pink-bricked medieval Palais de la Berbie next to the cathedral.

I include the museum in my post about Seven Super Single-Artist Museums in Europe.

Getting to Albi

Albi is located 85 km northeast of Toulouse. I recommend staying the night so you can wander around the narrow cobbled streets in the evening and watch the sun as it sets over the cathedral.

Map showing the location of Albi
Map showing the location of Albi in southwest France

Practical Tips for Your Visit to Albi

Albi makes a good stop either on your way east from the Dordogne or on your way west toward the Pyrenees and Spain. It’s far enough off the beaten track to retain its provincial feel while still maintaining good tourist services.

Zoom to find accommodation options in Albi.



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#7: Chaos of Montpellier-le-Vieux, Milau, Midi-Pyrénées 

If you like weird rock formations, you must pay a visit to the Chaos of Montpellier-le-Vieux. Situated in the heart of the Grand Causses Regional Natural Park about 15 km from Milau and south of the Ardeche area of southwest France, the Chaos is far off the beaten path. You’ll need to plan a special trip.

Panorama at the Chaos of Montepllier le Vieux, one of my recommended places to visit in France
Panorama at the Chaos of Montpellier-le-Vieux
Photo Credit: La Cité de Pierres

What is Special about Chaos of Montpellier- le-Vieux as a Place to Visit in France?

The Chaos is nature’s art gallery–a maze of canyons bristling with tortured limestone formations. You’ll find over 30 natural works of art, the result of centuries of erosion, with fanciful names such as The Great Sphinx, L’Arc de Triomphe, The Crocodile, The Cathedral, and the Chair of the Devil.

The most accessible rock formations are contained within a 120-hectare area called La Cité de Pierres. On the website, you’ll find information and pictures about the geology, the 30 natural works of “roc-Art”, the 12 rock shelters showing evidence of human habitation from the Neolithic period to the Middle Ages, and some beautiful panoramas.

Getting to Chaos of Montpellier-le-Vieux

It’s pretty remote! We visited while enroute from the city of Montpellier on the Mediterranean northwest toward Albi.

Map showing the location of the Chaos de Montpellier-le-Vieux in southwest France
Map showing the location of the Chaos de Montpellier-le-Vieux in southwest France

Practical Tips for Your Visit to Chaos of Montpellier-le-Vieux

The area is rugged with some of the most precipitous roads we’ve ever driven in Europe. Leave yourself plenty of time and consider staying the night in Milau.



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#8: Camargue, Provence

South of Arles and bordering on the Mediterranean Sea is Europe’s largest river delta–the vast, flat, and wildlife-teeming Camargue. Every time we visit, we declare that we really need to stay longer to explore the lakes and marshlands.

The Parc naturel régional de Camargue protects the area and provides visitors with facilities such as observation towers, information boards, themed trails, and guided tours.

What is Special about the Camargue as a Place to Visit in France?

The wild and flat scenery is beautiful, but for me the big attraction of the Camargue is its wildlife–horses, bulls, and especially flamingos. I don’t know why, but it feels very exotic to come across flocks of flamingos in Europe. Even from the road, you can see them standing serenely in the marshes, looking pink and delightful. If you’re into birds, the Camargue is a must-see with more than 400 species of birds.

Pink flamingos in the Camargue, one of my 17 recommended places to visit in France
Pink flamingos in the Camargue

On one trip to the beach, we were surprised to look across the marsh from where we’d parked the car and see several very large, very horned grazing bulls. We stayed clear! Shortly after seeing the bulls, Gregg dove into a foot of water (he thought it was deeper) and smacked his head on the sea bottom. Fortunately, it was sand, but the bruise persisted for many days!

Black Camarguais bulls in swamp, southern France
Black Camarguais bulls in swamp, southern France

And of course, if you’re lucky, you’ll see the famous Camargue horses galloping freely, white manes flowing. Riding stables are scattered throughout the area if you harbor fantasies of riding a horse along the beach. Here’s a TripAdvisor list of horseback riding tours accessible from Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.

White Camargue Horses running free
White Camargue horses running free

Getting to the Camargue

The Camargue is located between Montpellier in the west and Marseille in the east. Drive south from Arles and you’re in the Camargue.

Map showing the location of the Parc naturel régional de Camargue
Map showing the location of the Parc naturel régional de Camargue west of Marseille

A good strategy for exploring the area in a few days is to home base in either Arles or Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer. We like both places for different reasons. Arles has the Roman arena and, of course, its association with Vincent van Gogh. With its winding streets, good shopping, and outdoor cafes, it’s a very pleasant town to spend time in.

Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer is, as its name suggests, on the Mediterranean Sea. Bristling with boats, cute shops, and cafes, the town is well worth a visit. When we were last there, it was mid-springtime, and the place was virtually deserted.

Carol Cram on the beach near Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer, one of my recommended places to visit in France,
On the beach near Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer

Practical Tips for Your Visit to the Camargue

Two words: mosquito repellent! We got caught without any while taking a stroll through the Camargue wetlands in mid-summer and oh, dear. It was not pretty. I tried counting how many mosquito bites I got and had to give up.

We discovered a brand of mosquito repellent in France called Le Camargue. That tells you something.

Below are accommodation options in the area.



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#9: Carrières de Lumières, Les Baux-de-Provence

This relatively new attraction in a quarry near Les Baux-de-Provence brings you up close and personal with massive projections of artworks, particularly the art of Vincent van Gogh. Managed by CultureSpaces, the exhibition is a “digital immersive experience.”

Van Gogh Experience at Carrières de Lumières
Van Gogh Experience at Carrières de Lumières

We visited in June 2019 and saw two “experiences”: Van Gogh and Japanese Prints. Both ran about 30 minutes and were accompanied by music.

What is Special about Carrières de Lumières as a Place to Visit in France?

Digital immersive experiences are definitely becoming a thing. The CultureSpaces website list three digital art centres in France: The Carrières de Lumières in Les-Baux-de-Provence, the Atelier des Lumières in Paris, and the Bassins de Lumières in Bordeaux.

In the enormous interior space that was once a rock quarry, artworks are projected and duplicated. You are literally walking into the art. The experience is truly remarkable.

Here’s a video I took of the van Gogh performance when the sunflower paintings were being projected. The venue is dark, but you can get some idea of the scale of the projections.

Getting to Carrières de Lumières

The Carrières de Lumières is located 800 m from the Château des Baux-de-Provence, 15 km north-east of Arles and 30 km south of Avignon.

Map showing location of Carrières de Lumières near Les-Baux-de-Provence
Map showing the location of Carrières de Lumières near Les-Baux-de-Provence

Practical Tips for Your Visit to Carrières de Lumières

Purchase your tickets in advance. Admission to the Carrières is strictly
limited so if you don’t have advance tickets, you may be out of luck. Parking
near the venue is also very limited. Check the website for details.

Once you’ve toured the Carrières de Lumières, spend some time exploring
Les Baux-de-Provence, preferably in the late afternoon or early evening when the bus tours have pulled out. From the ramparts at the top of the village, you get a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside.

Each time we’ve stayed near Les Baux-de-Provence, we’ve found wonderful
rural properties with pools. Here’s a video I shot on the grounds of the Domaine du Mas Foucray situated near the small town of Maussane-les-Alpilles and within sight of Les-Baux-de-Provence. Billed as an aparthotel, our one-bedroom suite included a kitchen and sitting area and a private terrace. In early July when we were there, we picked fresh apricots off the trees.

For more options, see the map below.



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#10: Roussillon, Luberon, Provence

Roussillon has been a family favorite since we first discovered it 25 years ago. The red and ocher walls of the village houses distinguish it from other villages in the Luberon area.

The village itself is truly lovely in an area full of lovely villages, including Bonnieux, Ménerbes and Gordes. Pick any village in the Luberon and settle in for several days.

Colorful houses in the village of Roussillon. one of my recommended places to visit in France
Colorful houses in the village of Roussillon

What is Special about Roussillon as a Place to Visit in France ?

What really distinguishes Roussillon are the ochre cliffs situated about 200 meters from the entrance to the village. Trails that make up the Le Sentier des Ocres wind through this magical area where the vivid oranges, yellows and reds of the ochre cliffs contrast with the green trees and brilliant blue Provençal sky.

Ochre landscape at Roussillon in Provence, France, one of my 17 recommended places to visit in France
Ochre landscape at Roussillon in Provence, France

When you arrive in Roussillon, leave your car in the main parking area and walk to where Le Sentier des Ocres starts. Visit Roussillon late in the day, say, about an hour before the quarry closes. Then you can enjoy it relatively crowd-free and take spectacular photographs of the ochre cliffs in the afternoon sun. After your stroll through the quarry, wander around the village and have dinner at one of the local restaurants.

Several shops sell locally produced ceramics (I have a piece on my desk as I write) and other Provence-themed products. End the day by dining at one of the many restaurants in the village. Most have terraces and beautiful views.

Carol Cram at the Le Sentier des Ocres near Roussillon
At the Le Sentier des Ocres near Roussillon

Getting to Roussillon

Roussillon is about an hour’s drive east of Avignon. The main villages–Gordes, Ménerbes, and Bonnieux– are close by. You need a car to enjoy the area.

Map showing the location of Roussillon in the Luberon region of Provence
Map showing the location of Roussillon in the Luberon region of Provence

Practical Tips for Your Visit to Roussillon

Here are two highly recommended hotels in the Luberon, one in Roussillon and one in Gordes.

Les Sables d’Ocre – A 15-minute walk from the village of Roussillon, this place sets the bar for what a country-style, family-run, low-key, easy-on-the-budget place should be. Book a room that includes a terrace. You’ll have your own private outdoor space and be steps from the pool.

Domaine de l’Enclos – This place close to Gordes–one of the most beautiful hill towns in the area–is wonderful. We snagged a room with a terrace which Gregg made use of to do some drawing. The views from the garden over the Luberon are spectacular.

For more accommodation options, check the map below.



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#11: Château La Coste, Aix-en-Provence

On a beautiful May day in 2018, we drove into the hills behind Aix-en-Provence with no particular destination in mind. The day was gorgeous–fluffy white clouds, not too hot, fresh breeze. Perfection!

We hoped to stumble across a nice side-of-the-road restaurant to enjoy a hearty Provençal lunch, preferably overlooking the landscape that had inspired Cézanne.

Rounding a bend in the twisty secondary road, I saw a sign to Château La Coste. I didn’t know anything about the place, but in the vague hope that it would have a café attached to it, I told Gregg to turn left and follow the signs.

And so we discovered lovely and luscious Château La Coste with its gourmet lunch and, best of all, its several hectares of modern outdoor sculptures.

What is Special about Château La Coste as a Place to Visit in France?

Château La Coste is a vineyard that also features a fabulous art walk populated with modern sculpture. Artists and architects from around the world were invited to visit the domaine and choose a place in the landscape on which to create a sculpture or installation.

The resulting Art Walk is an eclectic array of pieces, many which move with the wind and can be pushed, sat upon, and walked through. The Art Walk is extensive and includes hills, so put on your walking shoes and bring water.

Here’s a selection of pieces we explored.

Gregg walking through a colorful sculpture
Gregg walking through a colorful sculpture
Sculpture by Calder at the entrance to the Chateau la Coste, one of my recommended places to visit in France
Sculpture by Calder at the entrance to the Château La Coste
Sculpture in front of the glorious Provence landscape at Chateau la Coste
Sculpture in front of the glorious Provence landscape at Château La Coste

Getting to Château La Coste

Château La Coste is about 15 km north of Aix-en-Provence along a beautiful winding secondary road with gorgeous views over the countryside. Drop in for lunch (the food was fabulous!), pick up a few bottles of wine, and do the Art Walk. You can easily spend an entire afternoon there.

Map showing the location of Château La Coste north of Aix-en-Provence
Map showing the location of Château La Coste north of Aix-en-Provence

Practical Tips for Your Visit to Château La Coste

You can go all out and spend a night (or three) at the Villa La Coste, billed as a luxury hotel and spa. It’s way out of our price range, but wow – it looks amazing!

Here are other options in the area.



Booking.com

#12: Seillans, Var, Provence

When you drive into Seillans, a hill town in the Var region of Provence, you are greeted by a sign announcing Seillans as among the Plus Beaux Villages de France; that is, one of the most beautiful villages in France.

You see these signs all over France at the entrance to villages. On the official website, 159 villages are currently listed. Follow the link above to view them. The website is in French, but the site includes plenty of pictures and maps.

What is Special about Seillans as a Place to Visit in France?

We don’t love Seillans because it’s beautiful (and it really is). We love it because of its association with Gregg’s favorite surrealist artist—Max Ernst.

From 1964 until his death in 1976, Max Ernst lived in Seillans with his wife, Dorothea Tanning, another noted surrealist artist. View a selection of their lithographs at the Seillans tourist office located in the main square about 100 meters from the parking area.

Large black-and-white photographs of Ernst are posted on the stone wall lining the cobbled street leading down to the square.

Max Ernst and Gregg just before Gregg hangs an exhibition of his paintings in Seillans
Max Ernst and Gregg, just before Gregg hangs an exhibition of his paintings in Seillans

Just past the square is the exhibition space—the Salle du Couvent (a former convent) in which Gregg has twice exhibited his work, most recently in June, 2019.

We spent two weeks in Seillans. While Gregg chatted with visitors to his exhibition, I wandered around Seillans, snapping pictures and communing with the ghosts of the centuries of humanity who made Seillans home.

Seillans was likely founded around 500 BC by the Saillens, a Celtic-Ligurian tribe. The village grew slowly with one of the oldest surviving structures, the castle from the 11th century, located at the top of the village.

You can only explore Seillans by foot. Drive up the steep road leading from the lower entrance to the village as far as you can go, then leave your car in the large and shady parking lot. From there, walk into the village to explore its quaint and shady streets.

Read more about The Fortified Hilltop Village of Seillans in the Var, Provence.


Getting To Seillans

Seillans is about a 30-minute drive from the A8 motorway that connects the Riviera with Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, and western France. You can choose to exit the motorway at two places. Coming from the west (Aix-en-Provence or Marseille), take Exit 36 and drive north toward Callas. You’ll pass gorgeous wineries sprawling across the rolling countryside.

Vineyards in the Var region of southern France, an area that is one of my fave places to visit in France
Vineyards in the Var region of southern France

Coming from the east (Nice or Cannes), take Exit 39 and drive alongside the stunning Lac de Saint-Cassien that is actually reservoir and accessible at several points for water sports.

Map showing the location of Seillans in the Var region of Provence in southern France about an hour drive from Nice
Map showing the location of Seillans in the Var region of Provence in southern France

Practical Tips for Your Visit to Seillans

Seillans is one of several appealing villages in the Var region of Provence. The region is perfect for a one-week stay to fully immerse yourself in the heat and beauty of this relatively under-touristed area. You are only about an hour from the glitz and galleries of the Cote d’Azur; about 40 minutes due south are Sainte-Raphael and Frejus where you can swim in the Mediterranean.

Overlooking the Mediterranean from Cap Esterel about 40 minutes south of Seillans, one of my recommended places to visit in France
Overlooking the Mediterranean from Cap Esterel about 40 minutes south of Seillans

And if you go to Seillans even for a short visit, stay overnight in the area and have dinner at one of Seillans’ wonderful small restaurants. We enjoyed a marvelous meal at Chez Hugo which perches on the edge of Seillans overlooking the bucolic Var countryside.

You’ll find small B&B’s in the area along with several homestay options. We rented a house for two weeks through HomeAway. The house was about a 30-minute walk to the village of Seillans along a lovely country road.

To find other accommodation options in the area, zoom out on the map below.

Booking.com

#13: Vence, Côte d’Azur

Over the years, we’ve stayed in a few towns in the hills above Cannes and Nice in the Côte d’Azur. Our favorite is still Vence. It’s big enough to feel like a real town and old and quaint enough to be enjoyable to stroll around.

Whenever we fantasize about living in the south of France, we inevitably agree that Vence would be the perfect location.

What is Special about Vence as a Place to Visit in France?

The town itself is the attraction. Perched high above the Mediterranean Sea, it feels a world away from the glitz and bustle of cities like Canne and Nice. The pedestrian-only medieval streets are quiet and relatively crowd-free, certainly compared to the towns bordering the sea.

Enjoy lunch or dinner in a café, do some shopping, and take in an art exhibition

A highlight of a trip to Vence is touring the Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence, otherwise known as the Matisse Chapel. The stained glass and murals are spare and modern. Matisse himself considered the chapel his masterpiece.

Getting to Vence

You need a car to really enjoy Vence and the surrounding areas. Drive farther north up the Col de Vence to enjoy stunning views of the countryside and the Mediterranean. Also visit Saint-Paul-de-Vence a few kilometers south. The Fondation Maeght is the big attraction there. Read about it in Top Ten Modern Art Museums in Europe.

Map showing the location of Vence between Cannes and Nice
Map showing the location of Vence between Cannes and Nice

Practical Tips for Your Visit to Vence

In all the years we’ve been visiting the area, we’ve never not found great, family-run hotels to stay in. Here are some options.



Booking.com

#14: Monte Carlo, Côte d’Azur

The last time we visited Monte Carlo (which I know is technically not in France), we did so by mistake. The house we’d rented way up in the hills above Monaco turned out to not be available when we arrived, and we were obliged to find alternative accommodations.

We rolled down the very steep hills to the Mediterranean and for three nights stayed right on the harbor in Monte Carlo. To Gregg’s delight, our hotel overlooked not only the boats in the harbor but also part of the route of the Monaco Grand Prix. Preparations were underway for the 2018 race while we were there.

Our splurgeworthy 4-star hotel room would shoot from a relatively affordable 200 euros per night to 2000 euros per night on race days!

Harbor at Monte Carlo in Monaco
Harbor at Monte Carlo in Monaco

What is Special about Monte Carlo as a Place to Visit in France?

I never expected to like Monte Carlo so much. I’d visited before but only for a short time–just long enough to see where the casino was but not to go in since we were traveling with Julia.

Monte Carlo and Monaco (they kind of blend together) are compact and easy to walk around. Stay for a few days and just wander the narrow streets and quiet squares. Monaco’s old town up on a bluff overlooking the harbor includes the palace and plenty of charming little streets to get lost in.

Carol Cram overlooking an interior harbor near the old town in Monaco
Overlooking an interior harbor near the old town in Monaco

A highlight for us was the car museum, especially for Gregg who is a racing car enthusiast. While in Monte Carlo, he completed this piece as a homage to the Monaco Grand Prix.

Colorful abstract drawing called Straightaway by Gregg Simpson
Straightaway by Gregg Simpson

Getting to Monte Carlo

The area around Monaco is very, very tight. If you don’t have to drive, take the train from Nice. If you’re driving, get to your hotel, park the car, and then walk. On one of our days in Monte Carlo, we caught the train to Menton to visit friends, a much easier way to travel. The traffic on the Côte d’Azur is pretty much always dreadful.

Map showing the location of Monte Carlo and Monaco
Map showing the location of Monte Carlo and Monaco

Practical Tips for Your Visit to Monte Carlo

We stayed in the fabulous Port Palace Hotel right on the harbor. It was a splurge but worth every penny. The staff were friendly and the room huge, with a view over the boats. Here are other options.



Booking.com

#15: Palais Idéal, Hauterives

In 1879, a postman named Ferdinand Cheval picked up a stone while on his rounds and over the next 33 years built a fantasy structure that can only be described as surreal. In fact, the surrealists led by André Breton consider postman Cheval’s Palais Idéal as the precursor of surrealistic architecture. Breton, along with other artists, including Max Ernst and Léonara Carington, visited and wrote about the Palais Idéal several times.

Palais Ideal Source: Wikipedia
Palais Idéal – Source: Wikipedia

The Palais Idéal is also considered a premier example of Naïve art. Ferdinand Cheval, who had no training in art or architecture, is recognized as a pioneer of Naïve art.

The Palais Idéal may be off the beaten track for many tourists, but it is well known to French people. In fact, the day we visited, I wouldn’t be surprised if we were the only English speakers there. It was mobbed by French families eagerly enjoying the quirky melange of cement and rock.

What is Special about Palais Idéal as a Place to Visit in France?

The Palais Idéal is quite simply remarkable. It looks like a cross between Angkor Wat and a strangely ornate wedding cake. You really have to see it and wander through its passageways to admire the incredible details.

You are awestruck by Cheval’s dedication and imagination. If you’re feeling at all cynical about the power of one person’s commitment to fulfilling a dream, visit the Palais Idéal and have your faith in human ingenuity restored.

Getting to Palais Idéal

The Palais Idéal is located about an hour south of Lyon in the village of Hauterives in the Drôme Department of southeast France. Combine a trip to Palais Idéal with a drive through this beautiful area west of the Alps.

Map showing the location of the Palais Ideal
Map showing the location of the Palais Idéal in the Drôme Department of southeast France

Practical Tips for Your Visit to Palais Idéal

Check the Palais Idéal website for detailed information about ticket prices and location.

Here are accommodation options in the area of Hauterives.



Booking.com

#16: Strasbourg

The city of Strasbourg is not really off the beaten track, but I include it because for us it was a surprise. The Petite France area is utterly charming, with its waterside cafés and Alsatian architecture.

As the chief city of Alsace and a major business center, Strasbourg is also the seat of a number of the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the European Court of Human Rights. It’s a hopping place.

What is Special about Strasbourg as a Place to Visit in France?

Strasbourg is the center of Alsatian culture–a unique combination of French and German reflecting a 2000-year history during which custody of Strasbourg frequently changed. The city is also drop-dead gorgeous, with its maze of narrow streets and a melange of architectural styles, including the distinctive half-timbered houses, lining the canals in the Petite France area.

Strasbourg la Petite France in Alsace half timbered houses
Half-timbered houses in Strasbourg, la Petite France in Alsace

The center of Strasbourg is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Another great attraction of Strasbourg is, predictably, the food! Alsatian cuisine is a unique and hearty combination of French and German, all accompanied with glasses of wine. Strasbourg is close to the Alsatian Wine Trail known for producing Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, and Riesling wines.

Also don’t miss Strasbourg Cathedral with its ornate Gothic facade framing a delicately stunning rose window.

Strasbourg Cathedral at sunrise, France
Strasbourg Cathedral at sunrise

Getting to Strasbourg

If you’re coming from or going to Germany, stop a day or two in Strasbourg.

Map showing the location of Strasbourg, France
Map showing the location of Strasbourg in Alsace in northeast France

Practical Tips for Your Visit to Strasbourg

Strasbourg’s status as the location for the European Parliament means that it’s very well served by transportation, including an international airport and a TGV train that whisks you to Paris in under two hours.

Here are accommodation options.



Booking.com

#17: Fontainebleau Forest

The Forêt de Fontainebleau is an easy day trip from Paris, but do yourself a favor and settle in for at least one or two nights. That way, you’ll have time to explore both the Château of Fontainebleau and the vast forest, once the hunting grounds of the kings of France and the second-largest national forest in France.

View on the palace of Fontainebleau with White Horse court
View of the palace of Fontainebleau with White Horse Court

Kilometers of trails criss-cross the forest, taking you past sunlit glades and strange rock formations, many resembling animals, such as elephants, tortoises, and crocodiles.

What is Special about Fontainebleau Forest as a Place to Visit in France?

The Forêt de Fontainebleau has been a mecca for artists since the 19th century when it was the headquarters for the Barbizon group of painters. Gregg was in good company when he created his own series of paintings inspired by the strangely evocative forest. Here are two of his large canvases completed after our first visit to Fontainebleau.

Large landscape painting called The Clearing by Gregg Simpson
66The Clearing by Gregg Simpson
Large landscape painting called Impressions of the Fontainebleau Forest by Gregg Simpson
Impressions of the Fontainebleau Forest by Gregg Simpson

In addition to spending time in the forest, you can’t miss the Palace at Fontainebleau. We were fortunate to visit it just after it opened in the morning and so were the first people to walk through its sumptuous rooms.

I enjoyed our visit to the palace much more than Versailles, which is overcrowded and overpriced. I’m not suggesting you give Versailles a miss—it’s definitely worth seeing. However, if you have time for only one day trip from Paris and you want to see a royal palace, consider the much less touristy, more authentic-feeling Palais de Fontainebleau.

Getting to Fontainebleau Forest

The last time we visited Fontainebleau, we took a train from the Gare de Lyon train station in Paris and then picked up our rental car near the train station at our destination. It’s much less stressful to pick up a rental car in a small town like Fontainebleau than in the middle of Paris (I don’t recommend doing that!).

After spending a day tootling around the forest, we headed south to begin our trip around France.

Allow forty minutes to take the train or drive from Paris to Fontainebleau.

Map showing the loation of Fontainebleau south of Paris
Map showing the location of Fontainebleau south of Paris

Practical Tips for Your Visit to Fontainebleau Forest

The charming town of Fontainebleau contains several of the type of small hotels we favor when traveling in France. Check options on the map below.



Booking.com

France Guides

Click the image below to discover lots more things to see and do in wonderful France.

Conclusion

Whew! That’s a lot of France! I hope you’ve discovered some new places to visit and re-acquainted yourself with some old favorites.

One of the many things I love about France is how incredibly diverse it is–from the rugged pink granite cliffs in Brittany to the pastoral, château-studded Loire Valley and south through the history-steeped Dordogne, the wild and wonderful chasms of the Cevennes and Ardeche, the rugged beauty of Provence and then back north alongside the Alps to the Germanic flavor of the Alsace, and finally to get royal in Fontainebleau.

I could easily write a post about another 17 awesome places, but these will do for now!

Have you visited any of the places featured in this post? Let other artsy travelers know about your experiences in the comments below.

Here are some more posts to read next to help you plan and enjoy your time in France:

Seven Super Single-Artist Museums in Europe You Should Visit

Artsy Sightseeing, Austria, Belgium, Destinations, France, Germany, Get Inspired, Spain carolcram 4 Comments on Seven Super Single-Artist Museums in Europe You Should Visit

Last updated on March 5th, 2023 at 05:04 am

One of the great joys of traveling in Europe as an Artsy Traveler is discovering amazing single-artist museums.

By single-artist museum, I mean a museum established to showcase the art of a specific artist, even if the museum also hosts exhibitions by other artists.

Europe is awash with great single-artist museums, many of which I’ve written about in other posts on Artsy Traveler, most notably Paris for Art Lovers: Nine of the Best Small Museums in Paris.

This post recommends lesser known single-artist museums in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain. I’ve visited all of them, with the exception of the Sorolla Museum in Madrid. Information about this luscious, single-artist museum comes from guest poster Liz Reding who visited the Sorolla Museum in March of 2020, just days before the pandemic shut down Europe.

Map of Europe Showing Museum Locations

The number assigned to each museum in this post corresponds to the number on the map below. For example #1, the Ernst Fuchs Museum is in Vienna (#1 on the map below).

Map courtesy of Wanderlog, a trip planner on iOS and Android

#1 Ernst Fuchs Museum in Vienna, Austria

Start in Austria with one of Europe’s weirdest single-artist museums!

If you’re in the mood for quirky and wonderful, then make your way to the Ernst Fuchs Museum in the Wien Hütteldorf, the 14th district of Vienna. You can drive there from central Vienna in about 25 minutes or hop on a bus.

Ernst Fuchs Museum near Vienna, Austria. Photo from the Ernst Fuchs Museum Website.
Exterior of the stunning Ernst Fuch Museum near Vienna.
Photo Credit: Ernst Fuchs Museum Website

Who is Ernst Fuchs?

Ernst Fuchs (1930-2015) was an extraordinarily prolific artist who created works infused with eroticism and myth. In the sixties, Fuchs became a style icon and designed architecture, furniture, tapestries, and jewelry. He was a founder of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism and was celebrated internationally.

History of the Ernst Fuchs Museum

Fuchs’s work is displayed in the fabulously restored Wagner House, designed and built in 1888 as a summer house by the renowned Jugendstil architect Otto Wagner. The place is, quite simply, spectacular. Inspired by Palladio, Wagner designed the house in the style of a Roman villa.

Back in the day, the design attracted international attention. The press wrote: “A strange allure is evoked by this peculiar villa . . .Completely deviating from the usual appearance of similar buildings, the frontal view of the house that sits on the flank of a hill only shows a large open hall between two side wings.”

Fuchs bought the villa in 1972 when it was derelict and scheduled for demolition. In two years, he restored the house to its original architectural glory and for many years used the house as his private studio. In 1988, the centenary of the building of the original villa, the Ernst Fuchs Museum opened.

Work of Ernst Fuchs

Fuchs’s work combines the fantastic with elements of the visionary and spiritual, all infused with a healthy dollop of sixties psychedelic and a lot of naked bodies.

You’ll find eroticism everywhere. Even if you’re not a big fan of the work, you will appreciate its complexity and awesome technique. You come away with a new appreciation for the heights made possible by the human imagination.

Although I wasn’t hugely taken by the overly florid and fantastical artworks, I loved the unique architecture, whimsical design elements, gorgeous mosaics, and above all, stunning stained-glass windows.

Images of Ernst Fuchs Museum

I highly recommend a visit to this unique museum that also includes beautifully landscaped gardens. Here are photographs of some of the rooms in the Ernst Fuchs Museum. Source: Ernst Fuchs official website.

Adolf Boehm Salon in the Ernst Fuchs Museum
Adolf Boehm Salon at the Ernst Fuchs Museum
Grand Salon at the Ernst Fuchs Museum
Grand Salon at the Ernst Fuchs Museum
Roman Bath at the Ernst Fuchs Museum
Roman Bath at the Ernst Fuchs Museum

Explore Ernst Fuchs Museum in 3D

This fantastic website allows you to walk through the museum and use your mouse to zoom in on every painting and design element. It’s one of the best virtual tours I’ve come across.

Visitor Information

The Ernst Fuchs Museum is located at Hüttelbergstraße 26, 1140 Wien and is from from Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. Tickets cost €11 for adults and €6 for students and seniors or €8 with the Wiencard. For more information, see the Ernst Fuchs Museum website.

#2: Musée Toulouse-Lautrec in Albi, France

Located in the charming town of Albi in southwest France, the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec is a total treat. If you’re in the area, put it on your list and leave yourself lots of time to tour the extensive collections.

Who is Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec?

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) was a leading French artist famous for capturing the personalities of his subjects in loose, free-flowing lines. Born into a wealthy family in Albi, Toulouse-Lautrec’s interest in art flourished following accidents to his legs in his childhood that incapacitated him and resulted in permanent damage.

In the mid-1880s in Paris, Toulouse-Lautrec began his lifelong association with the bohemian life of the cafés, cabarets, entertainers, and artists in Montmartre.

Henri Toulouse-Lautrec
Source: Wikipedia

History of the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec

The Musée Toulouse-Lautrec is housed in the Bishop’s Palace (Palais de la Berbie) next door to Albi Cathedral (also worth a visit). The original palace was built in the 13th-century as a fortress to house the bishops of Albi. The original medieval architecture has been maintained with high, thick walls, and a central courtyard.

Palais de la Berbie in Albi, France (Albi Cathedral to the left)
Palais de la Berbie in Albi, France (Albi Cathedral to the left)

From the Renaissance to the 18th century, the fortress was transformed into a pleasure palace that included sumptuous state rooms and landscaped formal gardens which you can still visit today.

Overlooking the gardens at the Palais de la Berbie that houses the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec in Albi, France
Overlooking the gardens at the Palais de la Berbie that houses the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec in Albi, France

When we visited the museum soon after it opened in the morning, we practically had the place to ourselves.

And it’s huge! Room after room feature the world’s largest public collection of Lautrec’s paintings, lithographs, drawings, and posters. The collection is laid out in chronological order, starting with Toulouse-Lautrec’s early work and leading to the massive posters for which he is most famous.

In addition to exhibiting Toulouse-Lautrec’s work, the museum includes a large collection of art from the early 20th century. You’ll also view a fine collection of art from earlier periods, displayed in the sumptuously restored palace rooms.

A visit to the museum includes access to the palace’s classical gardens and panoramic views over the Tarn River.

View over the Tarne River in Albi, France
View over the Tarn River in Albi, France

Work of Toulouse-Lautrec

I was fascinated with the looseness of Toulouse-Lautrec’s work. He uses freely handled lines and colors to convey the idea of movement and to infuse his subjects with personality. You can imagine meeting the same people on the streets of Paris today.

Here are two of the works you’ll see in the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec. Both pictures are taken from the website of the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec.

Painting called L'anglaise du star au havre" by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec
“L’anglaise du star au havre” (1899) by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec
Painting called "Femme qui tire son bras" by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec
“Femme qui tire son bras” (1894) by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec

You’ll likely recognize several of the posters that were used to advertise the Moulin Rouge and other popular entertainment venues in late-19th-century Paris.

Moulin Rouge: La Goulue (1981) by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec Photo: Wikipedia
Moulin Rouge: La Goulue (1981) by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec Photo: Wikipedia
Ambassadeurs – Aristide Bruant (1892) by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec Photo: Wikipedia
Ambassadeurs – Aristide Bruant (1892) by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec Photo: Wikipedia

Visitor Information

Tickets for adults cost €10 and €5 for students. The address for the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec is Palais de la Berbie, Place Sainte-Cécile. Find the cathedral and you’ll find the adjacent palace. Hours vary depending on the time of year, but for most of the year, the museum is open from 10 am to noon and 2 pm to 6 pm. From June 21 to September 30, the museum is open from 9 am to 6 pm.

Both the cathedral and the palace are built from bricks that glow pink in the setting sun. Here’s a shot of the cathedral from across the river where we stayed in a bed-and-breakfast.

Albi Cathedral in the setting sun
Albi Cathedral in the setting sun

#3: Musée National Fernand Léger in Biot, France

If you’re staying in the Côte d’Azur, put a visit to this museum on your list of must-sees. As the only museum in the world dedicated to the work of Fernand Léger, this purpose-built museum is truly delightful. You’ll see a fabulous collection of Léger’s paintings, sculptures, drawings, ceramics, and tapestries.

Musée National Fernand Léger
Musée National Fernand Léger Photo Credit: Hans G. Oberlack, Creative Commons

Who is Fernand Léger?

Fernand Léger (1881-1955) was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker known for his bright and colorful work–a personal form of cubism known as “tubism”. He often depicted industrial subjects and objects of the consumer age–an art ‘first’–and is considered the forerunner of the pop art movement.

Léger was born in Argentan in Normandy. I recently read that his childhood home is being turned into a museum. That will definitely be on our itinerary the next time we travel in northern France. Check out the article.

Photograph of artist Fernand Léger Source: Wikipedia
Fernand Léger
Source: Wikipedia

History of the Musée National Fernand Léger

In 1955, not long before his death, Léger purchased a villa on the property upon which the museum now stands. Supervised by his widow, construction of the museum began in 1957 with the museum opening to great fanfare in 1960.

The museum exhibits Léger’s work in chronological order, beginning with his realist early work and progressing to his “tubism” period prior to World War I with its emphasis on cylindrical forms and then to his “mechanical period” that was heavily influenced by his war experiences. The collection includes over 450 pieces.

In addition to the collection inside the museum, you’ll want to linger awhile on the grounds to enjoy Léger’s massive sculptures and especially to view the huge murals that cover the outside of the museum.

Sculpture on the grounds of the Musée National Fernand Léger Source: Abxhay - Creative Commons
Sculpture on the grounds of the Musée National Fernand Léger
Source: Abxhay – Creative Commons

If you’re traveling with children, the Léger Museum is an excellent stop.

We first visited the museum when Julia was nine years old. She loved it! I think her appreciation for modern art stems partially from that visit. Mind you, growing up surrounded by her dad’s work also likely played a role!

Work of Fernand Léger

Léger’s work is bright, bold, and beautiful. It’s impossible, I think, to tour this museum and not enjoy yourself. The more you study his work, the more you appreciate it.

Here are two works by Léger. Regrettably, I did not take pictures when I visited the museum, so these photos are from the WikiArt website.

"Contrast of Forms" by Fernand Léger (1918) Source: WikiArt
“Contrast of Forms” (1918) by Fernand Léger
Source: WikiArt

"The Man with the Cane" (1920) Source: WikiArt
“The Man with the Cane” (1920) by Fernand Léger
Source: WikiArt

Visitor Information

Visit the museum every day except Tuesdays, December 25, January 1, and May 1. From November to April, the museum is open from 10 am to 5 pm, and May to October from 10 am to 6 pm. Tickets cost €7.50. Admission is free on the first Sunday of the month. The museum is located at Chemin du Val de Pome, very close to Biot, a small village in the hills above the Côte d’Azur. If you’re traveling by car, you will find it easily. While you’re in the area, don’t miss several other wonderful museums showcasing the work of other 20th-century modern artists.

Two other single-artist museums—the Marc Chagall National Museum in Nice and the Musée National Pablo Picasso in Vallauris— are, like the Léger Museum, part of the network of French National museums in the Alpes-Maritimes department dedicated to 20th-century artists.

#4: Fondation Vasarely in Aix-en-Provence, France

On the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence (one of my favorite towns in the south of France), you’ll find the impressive and undervisited Fondation Vasarely. The museum showcases the massive artworks of Victor Vasarely, a Hungarian-French artist (1906-1997) considered the grandfather and leader of the op art movement.

Fernand Léger
Fondation Vasarely near Aix-en-Provence, France

Who is Victor Vasarely?

Victor Vasarely (1906-1997) was a French-Hungarian artist who used colorful geometric shapes to create compelling 3D optical illusions.

After settling in Paris in 1930, Vasarely experimented with Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism in the 1940s, then developed his hallmark checkerboard paintings.

Victor Vasarely Source: Wikipedia
Victor Vasarely
Source: Wikipedia

History of the Fondation Vasarely

The Fondation Vasarely was opened in 1976 by French president Georges Pompidou.

Each of the seven hexagonal galleries contains six monumental works of art. On our most recent trip there in 2018, some of the artworks were in need of restoration, which is a shame.

Help support the continuation of this stunning museum by paying it a visit when you’re in the area.

Visiting here is like walking through posters from the swinging sixties, which is hardly surprising since the 3D optical illusions that characterize Vasarely’s work have graced the dorm rooms of students for decades.

Work of Victor Vasarely

Here are some of the massive pieces you’ll see at the Fondation Vasarely.

Large op art piece by Vasarely at the Fondation Vasarely near Aix-en-Provence, France - blues and greens
Large op art piece by Vasarely at the Fondation Vasarely near Aix-en-Provence, France - blues and reds
Large op art piece by Vasarely at the Fondation Vasarely near Aix-en-Provence, France - reds and multi-colors
Large op art piece by Vasarely at the Fondation Vasarely near Aix-en-Provence, France - blues and greens

Visitor Information

Located at 1, Avenue Marcel Pagnol on the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence, the distinctive museum is easy to find. Admission is €9 for adults. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm.

#5: Max Ernst Museum near Cologne, Germany

The stylish Max Ernst Museum is located in Brühl, about a twenty-minute drive from Cologne on the way to Bonn. For Gregg, a visit there on a recent trip to the area was akin to a pilgrimage. Gregg has been a fan of surrealist Max Ernst for decades—pretty much since he first became an artist himself.

Gregg Simpson outside the Max Ernst Museum in Brühl near Cologne, Germany
Gregg outside the Max Ernst Museum in Brühl near Cologne, Germany

Who is Max Ernst?

Max Ernst (1891-1976) was born in Germany and became a naturalised American in 1948 and a French citizen in 1958. He was a painter, sculptor, graphic artist, collagist, and poet, a pioneer of the Dada movement, and a member of the surrealist group.

Towards the end of his life, Max Ernst, along with his wife, noted painter Dorothea Tanning, moved to the charming village of Seillans in the Var region of Provence. We spent two weeks in Seillans in July 2019 where Gregg had an exhibition in a space close to where Ernst and Tanning lived.

Max Ernst Photo: Wikipedia
Max Ernst
Photo: Wikipedia

History of the Max Ernst Museum

The museum features a marvelous collection of Ernst’s work displayed in a thoughtfully renovated space. A modern glass pavilion is integrated into the horseshoe floor plan of the late-classicist Brühler Pavillon, a popular ballroom and social venue that was erected in 1844 and that Max Ernst himself visited in his youth.

Stylishly renovated Max Ernst Museum in Brühl, Germany
Stylishly renovated Max Ernst Museum in Brühl, Germany
Photo: Max Ernst Museum Website

You’ll find an extensive collection of paintings, drawings, frottages, collages, and sculptures spanning over 70 years of Ernst’s influential career, including his time in Brühl and Bonn, his Dadaist activities in the Rhineland, his contributions to the Surrealist movement in France, his exile in the United States during WWII, and finally his return to Europe in 1953.

I especially loved the sculptures on the grounds of the museum.

Work of Max Ernst

Max Ernst was a fabulously prolific artist with work that is detailed and complex and wholly distinctive. Here’s a selection of some of my favorite works by Max Ernst. Pictures are all from the max-ernst.com website.

"Attirement of the Bride" (1940) by Max Ernst
“Attirement of the Bride” (1940) by Max Ernst
"Ubu Imperator" (1923) by Max Ernst
Ubu Imperator” (1923) by Max Ernst
"The Triumph of Surrealism" (1973) by Max Ernst
“The Triumph of Surrealism” (1973) by Max Ernst

Visitor Information

The museum is located at Comesstraße 42 / Max-Ernst-Allee 1, 50321 Brühl and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. At present (May, 2020), admission to the museum is free. For current information, check the museum website.

#6: René Magritte Museum in Brussels, Belgium

The full name of the museum is the René Magritte Museum – Museum of Abstract Art, a double museum dedicated to Surrealism and Abstraction. Now that’s a double bill I can get behind.

On a recent short visit to Brussels, we made a beeline for the Magritte Museum and were not disappointed. As one of the most iconic figures in the surrealist movement, René Magritte deserves his own museum, and this one is first rate.

Who is René Magritte?

René Magritte (1898-1967) was a Belgian artist and probably one of the best-known surrealists after Salvador Dali. Back in the 1970s, I had a poster of his iconic painting of a massive dove called “The Large Family” on the wall of my student dorm–and I was not the only one.

"The Large Family" by Rene Magritte Photo Credit: www.renemagritte.org
“The Large Family” by Rene Magritte
Photo Credit: www.renemagritte.org

In the 1920s, Magritte moved to Paris from Belgium and became involved with André Breton and the Surrealist group, of which he was a leading member. He exhibited in 1929 with several of the leading surrealists of the time, including Salvador Dalí, Jean Arp, de Chirico, Max Ernst, Joan Miró, Picabia, Picasso, and Yves Tanguy.

In 1930, Magritte returned to Brussels and continued painting there until his death. His imagery has heavily influenced pop, minimalist, and conceptual art.

René Magritte Photo: www.renemagritte.org

René Magritte Photo: www.renemagritte.org

History of the René Magritte Museum

The museum is relatively new, opened in 1999 shortly after Magritte’s one hundredth birthday. It’s built inside a house that Magritte lived in with his wife and includes an adjoining building that was renovated to showcase 250 masterpieces of Belgian abstract art.

You’ll tour the reconstruction of Magritte’s apartment on the ground floor and then view artworks from a collection that includes over 400 archive documents, photos, and objects, as well as 30 original works. You won’t see some of his most famous works, but you will get a good overview of Magritte’s development.

We loved it!

Work of René Magritte

Magritte’s work is endlessly fascinating–both for its meticulous technique and for its subject matter. Bowler hats, floating rocks, figures that are half animal/half people, and strange juxtapositions of everyday logic. When you tour the museum, you never know what you’re going to see around the next dimly lit corner.

Take your time and enjoy! Here are some of Magritte’s the works from the collection. Photos are all from the Magritte Museum pages on the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium website (Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique)

L'empire des lumières by René Magritte Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles / photo : J. Geleyns - Art Photography
L’empire des lumières by René Magritte
Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles / photo : J. Geleyns – Art Photography
Le Domaine d'Arnheim (1962) by René Magritte - Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles / photo : J. Geleyns - Art Photography
Le Domaine d’Arnheim (1962) by  René Magritte – Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles / photo : J. Geleyns – Art Photography
La magie noire (1945) by René Magritte Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles / photo : J. Geleyns - Art Photography
La magie noire (1945) by René Magritte
Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles / photo : J. Geleyns – Art Photography
Golconde (1953) by René Magritte - Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles / photo : J. Geleyns - Art Photography
Golconde (1953) by René Magritte – Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles / photo : J. Geleyns – Art Photography

Visitor Information

Located at Place Royale, Koningsplein 1 in Brussels, admission to the museum is €10 for adults, €8 for seniors, and €3 for students. Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and weekends from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. Check the website for up-to-date information.

#7: Museo Sorolla in Madrid by Guest Poster Liz Reding

This description of the Sorolla Museum is written by guest poster Liz Reding. She and her husband visited in March, 2020, days before the museum closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Liz Reding: My husband and I have been admirers of the paintings of Joaquín Sorolla for many years, so on our recent trip to Madrid, a visit to the Museo Sorolla was top of our list.

Who is Joaquín Sorolla?

Born in Valencia, Spain, Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923) received his art education in Madrid, Rome, and Paris and was a contemporary of Picasso, Matisse, John Singer Sargent, and Andreas Zorn. He and his wife, Clotilde, had three children.

He painted portraits, landscapes, and monumental works depicting social and historical themes.

Joaquín Sorolla Photo: Wikipedia
Joaquín Sorolla
Photo: Wikipedia

History of the Museo Sorolla

The Museo Sorolla is located in the home that Sorolla shared with his family, and is considered one of the best-preserved artist houses in Europe. The collection of more than 1,200 pieces is displayed along with the house’s original furniture and objects.

The house is surrounded by a delightful garden, a real oasis from the rumble of the cars and buses just outside the gate. 

Garden at the Museo Sorolla in Madrid, Spain Photo Credit: Liz Reding
Garden at the Museo Sorolla in Madrid, Spain
Photo Credit: Liz Reding

By urban standards, this museum is relatively small, but packed with dozens of gorgeous paintings, as well as sculptures, sketches, photographs, water colors, and writings.

One noteworthy feature of this museum is that all the works are expertly hung and well lit. Most of the viewing rooms have deep colors that enhance the paintings with light-diffusing devices, such as a window shade or ceiling tapestry. What a pleasure!

Interior of the Museo Sorolla in Madrid, Spain Photo Credit: Liz Reding
Interior of the Museo Sorolla in Madrid, Spain
Photo Credit: Liz Reding

Work of Joaquín Sorolla

Sorolla’s wife and children are featured in a significant number of Sorolla’s paintings, and his love and admiration for them clearly shows. In addition, Sorolla painted many portraits of important people, including U. S. President Taft, and is known for his masterful handling of light, as evidenced by his many beach-scene paintings.

Here are two of Sorolla’s works exhibited at the Museo Sorolla.

Painting by Joaquín Sorolla at the Museo Sorolla, Madrid
Photo credit: Liz Reding
Painting by Joaquín Sorolla at the Museo Sorolla, Madrid
Photo credit: Liz Reding

Visitor Information

Located at Paseo General Martínez Campos, 37, the Museo Sorolla is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30 am to 8:00 pm and on Sundays and holidays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Tickets cost €3.

Other Single-Artist Museums in Europe

I wish I could say that I’ve visited all the single-artist museums that I’d like to in Europe, but not yet!

Here are just some of the museums I look forward to visiting in the next few years. If you’ve been to any of them, add a comment to let other Artsy Travelers know what you think!

Fondation Jean Dubuffet

Located in Périgny-sur-Yerres in the department of Val-de-Marne, the Dubuffet Foundation includes paintings and massive outdoor sculptures by Jean Dubuffet. Many years ago, we went there only to find it closed, but we did manage to peek through the fence! It looked amazing! The website includes a very cool 360-degree view of the outdoor sculptures.

Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, Switzerland

I’m a big fan of the work of Paul Klee and have his museum on my list for the next time we drive through Switzerland. Check the website for details.

Franz Marc Museum in Kochel, Germany

A modern extension has extended the exhibition space of this beautifully-situated museum, It overlooks a lake near the little town of Kochel in Bavaria, about an hour west of Munich. Franz Marc’s colorful work makes me smile. Check the website for details.

Conclusion

Have you visited any of the museums listed in this post? If so, let Artsy Traveler readers know what you think.

To keep reading about art in Europe, check out these posts:

Recommended Places to Stay in France That Will Make You Want to Return

Destinations, France, Hotel Reviews, Travel Smart carolcram 3 Comments on Recommended Places to Stay in France That Will Make You Want to Return

Last updated on October 31st, 2022 at 04:29 am

You’re in luck when it comes to finding great places to stay in France. In fact, some of our most memorable stays in Europe have been in family-run, country-style hotels in France.

In this post, I provide general tips about accommodations in France and then list hotels I recommend.

Choosing a Room

To Book or Not to Book?

I favor a combination approach to booking hotels in France. Generally, I book most of the hotels on my itinerary before I leave home, and then while traveling, I make adjustments as needed. I like the security of knowing that I have a place to stay, but I also take advantage of cancellation options to ensure I can always change my mind.

To stay flexible, choose a hotel booking site that allows you to book, change, or cancel hotel reservations if your itinerary changes. Most sites offer a no-cancellation option at a lower price.

TIP: Stay flexible when you travel. You never know when you might meet someone who recommends a festival or event or exhibition. More than once, I’ve altered an itinerary to attend a special exhibition or visit a new attraction.

I never choose the no-cancellation price unless I’m 100% sure I’ll be staying at the hotel. For example, I will select the no-cancellation price for hotels I’m staying at in the cities I fly into and depart from because I know those locations won’t change.

Breakfasts in French Hotels

Breakfasts in France are generally of the continental variety and include croissants (both regular and chocolate-filled), fresh baguettes with wonderful butter and lots of jams and marmalades, and coffee. You may also find fresh fruit, dry cereal, cold meats, and cheeses. In large hotels, cooked options may be available.

In our experience, most breakfasts in small country hotels in France are continental breakfasts that are either included in the room price or are generally not too expensive.

If hotel breakfasts cost too much extra, I buy yogurt and fruit at a local grocery store and then go to a bar or café for my morning café au lait.

In France, I favor hotels on the outskirts of cities or in the countryside if we’re driving. I check the map showing the location of hotels and choose one that is outside town walls but within walking distance of the center of town.

I don’t recommend driving into Paris. We’ve done so several times, and it’s challenging, to say the least!

View of a traffic jam in Paris with the Arc de Triomphe in the center
Traffic in Paris–not for the faint of heart!

Star Rating

I favor three- or four-star properties in France that offer amenities such as elevators, air conditioning, parking, bathtubs, pools, and WIFI.

I also like larger rooms. Check the square meterage of the room. Anything under 15 square meters is too small for two people with luggage. I do my best to book rooms that are at least 20 square meters.

Reviews – Should You Care?

I recommend that you pay attention to reviews. If a property’s aggregate review is under 8.0 out of a possible 10, consider taking a pass. Sometimes, the difference between a property with a 9.6 review and one with an 8.2 review is only a few euros, and yet the quality of the higher-rated property makes the extra money worth spending.

You have to take reviews with a grain of salt, however. Just because a property has a score of 9.8 doesn’t meant it’s five-star luxury. A 9.8 score for a two-star hotel is not the same as a 9.8 for a four-star.

TIP: Read reviews on a few sites, such as booking.com and TripAdvisor. I take my time when booking accommodations in France and elsewhere to make sure I’m getting the best value for my travel dollar.

For more tips on finding accommodations, read Six Steps to Making Awesome Accommodation Choices in Europe.

Accommodation Options by Region in France

For each destination, I describe properties I’ve stayed in. Click the link to the hotel to make a reservation with booking.com.

Places to Stay in Paris

When you’re in Paris, you won’t want to stay outside the périphérique in what are pretty dull suburban areas. The périphérique is the multi-lane ring road that circles Paris. Mammoth traffic jams are not uncommon on the périphérique –we’ve experienced a few!

To avoid driving into Paris, we’ve occasionally stayed at a hotel near one of the portes on the périphérique. However, I don’t recommend doing so. The surrounding area can be quite dreary, and you’ll need to take a long Metro ride into the center.

If you’re driving, consider organizing your trip so that you either start or end in Paris. That way, you can be car-free in the city and stay at a place in an interesting and central area, such as the Marais or my favorite, Montparnasse, on the Left Bank.

We visit Paris frequently and usually stay either in apartments or hotels on the Left Bank. The Montparnasse area is far enough from the tourist crowds and the throat-tightening prices of Saint Germain but still within walking distance, or a short Metro ride, of the Seine. 

Montparnasse these days isn’t the bohemian, majorly hip place it was between the World Wars when everyone who was anyone—from Hemingway to Picasso to the newly formed surrealist group— hung out there. However, it still has plenty of good restaurants (La Coupole, Le Dôme) with appropriately snooty waiters (I adore watching Parisian waiters work!) and amazing seafood. 

Here are my accommodation picks for Paris, all of which we’ve stayed in.

Hôtel de L’Université on the Left Bank near Saint-Germain-des-Prés is lovely with spacious rooms and an awesome location just blocks from the Seine and the hip part of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. We will definitely stay there again.

Hôtel Le Chaplain in Montparnasse is a reasonably-priced budget option located near the Vavin Metro stop.

Hôtel A La Villa des Artistes is the first hotel we stayed in as a family. Located in Montparnasse on the same street as the Hôtel Le Chaplain and close to the Vavin Metro, the hotel is also a short walk to the Luxembourg Gardens where our daughter spent many happy hours in a smartly designed playground.

Hôtel Le Clos Médicis has a great location about a block from the Luxembourg Gardens near the Boulevard Saint Michel. The rooms are pricey and tiny but very well-appointed and comfortable.

Medici Fountain in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris
Medici fountain in the Luxembourg Garden near the Hôtel Le Clos Médici

We’ve stayed in a few more hotels that don’t warrant a recommendation. Paris has its share of overpriced and underwhelming places. Take your time finding a place and be aware that you may need to adjust your budget upwards to get a comfortable room in a good location.

As mentioned, we usually stay in apartments. Good options are available on HomeAway and booking.com.

Search for more hotels in Paris.

Places to Stay in Normandy

I recommend basing yourself in Honfleur and from there exploring the World War II beaches at Normandy, the charming town of Bayeux with its historic tapestry, and the soaring cliffs of Étretat.

Honfleur has several good choices, including the Hotel L’Ecrin where we stayed. The hotel includes free parking and is within easy walking distance of the Vieux Bassin.

For information about what to see in Normandy, see Top Normandy Sites for Art & History Lovers.

Places to Stay in Brittany

We love traveling in Brittany! Over the years, we’ve visited a few times and have always found excellent, country-style accommodations.

Here are three hotels that I’m happy to recommend:

Trébeurden and Trégastel on the Côte de Granit Rose

Both Trébeurden and Trégastel are great choices if you want to spend time exploring the gorgeous Côte de granit rose (Pink Granite Coast). Both of these hotels are excellent options:

Trébeurden: Hôtel Le Toeno offers simple and comfortable accommodation with terraces that overlook the ocean.

Trégastel: Le Beauséjour also features sea views in addition to an excellent restaurant. Our room had a very fancy spa bath with more jet settings than I’ve ever seen.

View of the Côte de Granit Rose near Trégastel in Brittany
View of the Côte de Granit Rose near Trégastel in Brittany

Pont Aven

Spend some time in lovely little Pont Aven where Gauguin was inspired to paint some of his most memorable works.

We stayed at Le Domain de Pont Aven Art Gallery Resort–quite a posh place that was worth the cost. Set in beautiful grounds and within walking distance of Pont Aven, the resort is a good choice for a splurge.

Places to Stay in Provence and the Côte d’Azur

Provence and the stunning Côte d’Azur are, hands down, my favorite areas of France. Well, why not? Provence has it all–fields of lavender and sunflowers under brittle blue skies, swims in the warm Mediterranean, excellent meals enjoyed al fresco, and that special light that has inspired artists for centuries.

Pretty much every time we’ve traveled to Europe in the past several years, we’ve squeezed in at least a few days in the south of France. In 2021, we plan to settle into a place near the Mediterranean for three months.

Here, I’ll describe some of the places we’ve stayed in Provence. Areas include van Gogh country around Les Baux-des-Provence on the western edge of Provence, the charming towns of Roussillon and Gordes in the Luberon area, the relatively undiscovered Var region, and finally, the fabled Côte d’Azur.

Les Baux-des-Provence in Van Gogh Country

By van Gogh country, I mean Arles and the surrounding areas where Vincent van Gogh painted during the few years he lived in the region. Because we always have a car in Provence, we book places in the countryside in this area rather than within the Arles city limits or in difficult-to-navigate Les Baux-des-Provence.

Panorama of Les Baux-de-Provence in southern France
Les Baux-des-Provence is close to both recommended properties

But if you’re not driving, find a hotel in Arles so you can enjoy wandering this delightful city in the warm, Provençal evening.

Here are two places I highly recommend, both in the countryside near Les Baux-des-Provence:

Du Côté Des Olivades is outside the small town of Paradou, but it’s in the vicinity of Les Baux-des-Provence. This place is Provence with a capital P, with plenty of 4-star luxury and a gorgeous country setting. We walked from here to nearby Paradou where we enjoyed one of our favorite meals in Provence (which is saying something!).

On our most recent trip to the area, we stayed in Domaine du Mas Foucray in a rural setting near the small town of Maussane-les-Alpilles and within sight of Les-Baux-de-Provence. Billed as an aparthotel, the one-bedroom suites include a kitchen and sitting area and a private terrace. In early July when we were there, we picked fresh apricots off the trees.

I took this video on the grounds of the property. If you’re looking for a relaxing, Provençal experience without the hefty price tag of some of the properties in the area, then you can’t go wrong with the Domaine du Mas Foucray.

Domaine du Mas Foucray near Les Baux-de-Provence

Luberon Area (Vaucluse)

On one of our first family trips to Europe when our daughter was nine years old, we rented a house for two weeks in the hill town of Saignon, located near Apt in the Vaucluse region of the Luberon.

With lavender season in full swing and beautiful vistas everywhere we looked, not to mention warm summer days and lots to see, we fell in love with the area.

Village of Saignon in Provence with lavender field in the foreground
Saignon in the Luberon in Provence where we stayed for two weeks

Pick one of the gorgeous little towns and settle in for as many days as you can manage. We’ve home-based in Bonnieux, Roussillon, and Gordes. Other good options are Menerbes (where A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle is set), Lacoste, and tiny Saignon with its ruined fortress and sweeping views.

One of our favorite family-run, country-style hotels is Les Sables d’Ocre in Roussillon. The place is also one of the two French properties I include in 10 Family-Run Hotels in Europe I Recommend.

Here are two highly recommended hotels in the Luberon, one in Roussillon and one in Gordes.

Les Sables d’Ocre – A 15-minute walk from the village of Roussillon, this place sets the bar for what a country-style, family-run, low-key, easy-on-the-budget place should be. Book one of the rooms that includes a terrace. You’ll have your own private outdoor space and be steps from the pool.

Domain de l’Enclos – This place close to Gordes–one of the most beautiful hill towns in the area–is wonderful. We snagged a room with a terrace which Gregg made use of to do some drawing. The views from the garden over the Luberon are spectacular.

Gregg Simpson drawing on the terrace of a hotel in Provence, France
Gregg drawing on the terrace at the Domaine de l’Enclos near Gordes, Provence

The Var

If you’re driving from Aix-en-Provence to the Côte d’Azur, you pass through the spectacular–and relatively undiscovered–region of the Var. We’ve stayed in the Var a few times while Gregg had exhibitions at the gorgeous little village of Seillans, a hill town not far from Fayence, one of the principal towns in the area.

Here are two recommended properties in the area around Seillans.

Hôtel Restaurant des Deux Rocs – Situated at the edge of Seillans and including a lovely restaurant with a terrace overlooking the view, this place is a great choice if you want to stay in the village of Seillans.

La Bastide de Negrin – This place is a good example of a typical small bed and breakfast in the area, with comfortable rooms and of course, a pool. Each of the four rooms is named after a different artist: Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, and Cezanne.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Vence

This area of the Côte d’Azur is one of our favorites, particularly the town of Vence. You’ll find plenty of gorgeous properties in the area. Here are three that we’ve stayed in.

La Petite Maison: This two-story apartment has a spectacular view over Saint-Paul-de-Vence and the Mediterranean beyond. You are also within easy walking distance of the village.

Village of Saint Paul-de-Vence from the terrace of Le Petite Maison in the south of France
Gregg surveying Saint Paul-de-Vence from the terrace of Le Petite Maison

Hôtel Marc Hély: We enjoyed a room with a view over Saint Paul-de-Vence and a tasty breakfast in the courtyard. This is a great choice in La Colle-sur-Loup, which is about a ten-minute drive from the Fondation Maeght.

View of Saint Paul de Vence and a valley in the south of France
Wine on the balcony at the Hôtel Marc-Hély

Miramar: This hotel is in Vence, which is just up the hill from Saint-Paul-de-Vence and a larger town with more services. FYI, we had the best pizza in an outdoor café in the Old Town of Vence! The Miramar is a reasonably-priced and well-located property that is great for drivers.

Search other hotels in Vence.

Search other hotels in Saint-Paul-de-Vence.

Monte Carlo and the Côte d’Azur

Port Palace Hotel in Monte Carlo – On a recent trip to the Riviera, we arrived at the house we’d rented through HomeAway for three days high above Monte Carlo to find no one there. A quick call to the HomeAway folks confirmed that our reservation had never been confirmed, despite emails to the contrary. What to do? Fortunately, HomeAway responded to our predicament by booking us into the Port Palace right on the harbor in Monte Carlo. The first night was comped, but we loved the place so much that we stayed for another two nights. Although a bit on the pricey side, the massive room and the harbor view along with fabulous breakfasts and really friendly staff made our stay at the Port Palace once of our most memorable in France.

Hôtel de l’Esterel in Agay overlooking the Mediterranean and not far from Saint Raphael is located right smack in the middle of a Pierre-en-Vacances, otherwise known as a holiday village. From our room we overlooked one of the largest hotel pools I’ve ever seen. The holiday village was hopping with French families and included several restaurants, a row of shops, and numerous activities.

Swimming pools at a holiday village in the south of France overlooking the Mediterranean
Massive pools at the Holiday Village where the Hôtel de l’Esterel is located

Places to Stay in Dordogne and Languedoc

Like Provence, both Languedoc and the Dordogne have many gorgeous properties set in idyllic countryside. Here are two in the Dordogne and one in Albi in Languedoc that we’ve stayed in and recommend.

Château le Tour is a fabulous choice in the middle of the countryside east of Bergerac and near the tiny village of Faux. We stayed for several days and enjoyed evening meals served outside to all the guests, swims in the infinity pool, and lots of lounging around the grounds. If you want a country experience in the Dordogne and you’re touring France by car, you can’t go wrong at this place.

Chateau de Tour in the Dordogne region of France
Château de Tour in the Dordogne region of France

The Hôtel Archambeau in the tiny village of Thonac not far from Montignac is another great country-style choice. Take a walk around the village and out into the bucolic countryside.

We recently visited Albi in Languedoc for the first time and were very much taken with it. La Cabane Albigeoise is a self-contained, two-floor minihouse located in a large garden above the river and right across from the iconic Albi Cathedral. Here’s the view from the terrace.

View of Albi Cathedral for La Cabane Albigeoise
View of Albi Cathedral from La Cabane Albigeoise

Conclusion

Do you have recommendations for great places to stay in France? Please share your experience with other Artsy Travelers in the Comments section below.

Once you’ve secured your accommodations, check out what there is to see in the places your visiting. Here are some posts to help you choose: