As Paris prepares to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, it’s safe to say the eyes of the world will be on France this year. In July and August, some of the capital’s most iconic monuments will play host to sporting events, from dressage to breakdancing. This is a great opportunity to explore Paris a little differently (more on that below), but you can also choose to avoid the usual tourist centers and get – at least a little – off the beaten track.
Visit a traditional village wine festival in Burgundy, or try fine dining in French cowboy country. Discover the arts in Occitania, or weekend like a Parisian in a sleepy corner of Normandy. Additionally, there are opportunities throughout the year to follow the Olympic Flame as it travels across the country; or head south to experience the new Tour de France route, which will finish in Nice this year.
Then there’s a whole host of new train routes, from small local lines to new and improved sleeper services, plus more cycle routes and infrastructure than ever – so even if you’re not and vehiclemany of France’s hidden corners are more accessible than ever. Allons-y!
Le Perche, Normandy
Don’t tell the Parisians that I told you about this. Le Perche Natural Park, in the southeastern corner of Normandy, has been the capital’s best-kept secret for several years.bobos” (bourgeois bohemians) informed. And enough of those hip people have now bought homes here that a vibrant food and cultural scene is beginning to mature around them – though they’re still in a sleepy, leafy area.
Sven Chariter, former star chef in Paris, together with his wife Marianne Oiseau, run Oiseau, a traditional and cozy restaurant in Préaux-du-Perche, recognized by the Michelin Guide for its quality. In Saint-Cyr La Rosière you will find Après l’école, a café/bar, antique market and cultural spot in one, located in a former village school building. The area is best known for its second-hand shops and fairs in charming villages such as Bellême and La Perrière. There are also local food markets in one of the villages more or less every day of the week. Above all, Parisians appreciate the area for its rural charms. Consider taking a long walk or bike ride, punctuated by more than 100 former mansions and stately homes.
Where to stay and when to go
Book a weekend at Maison Ceronne, a hip renovated farmhouse designed as the perfect weekend getaway for city dwellers. Think of sleek design, a cozy spa and swimming pool, a hearty restaurant with seasonal dishes and even a cinema and karaoke facilities. When to go? Le Perche has something to offer all year round.
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Burgundy
If you are a wine lover, you may already be well acquainted with the sights of Burgundy. This year will be rich in excuses to enjoy the rich wine culture. The last week of January marks the 80th anniversary of the Saint-Vincent Tournante, a very cheerful wine festival that changes locations to a different Burgundian village every year (anyone doing Dry January doesn’t need to register). This year it is being hosted in the neighboring villages of Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis, which are set in fantastic walking country, with walking routes and rolling vineyards all the way to Dijon.
In nearby Chenôve you will find the medieval wine press of the Dukes of Burgundy. Wine lovers will also be in heaven at the Auction of the Hospices de Beaune, a prestigious wine sale and celebration that takes place in November; In 2021, the one-day auction achieved the highest turnover ever of more than 29 million euros.
Jura
Head a little further east in the region and you come to the Jura, the relatively small wine-growing region around the mountains of the same name that cross the Swiss border. Vintners like Pierre Overnoy were producing natural wines here long before the phrase ‘pet nat’ was a twinkle in the eye of a Clapton hipster.
La Percée du Vin Jaune is a traveling festival celebrating yellow wine that takes place every year in a different Jura village, again long predating the current trend for orange wines. In 2024, the action will take place in Arbois, in the birthplace of Louis Pasteur, the scientist whose breakthroughs made possible, among other things, a longer lifespan and easier export of French wine. In winter, the mountains are prized for cross-country skiing; it’s hiking and water sports on the lakes in summer, fueled by the local Comté cheese, Naturally.
Where to stay and when to go
Telegraph Travel expert Mary Lussiana recommends Hotel Montrachet, a four-star country house hotel in Puligny-Montrachet. Visit Burgundy in the last week of January for the Saint-Vincent Tournante; La Percée du Vin Jaune is the first weekend of February. Spring and early summer are a great time for walking and hiking; autumn is the wine harvest season.
Camargue, southern France
One of the things that makes France so attractive as a travel destination is the sheer variety of geographical areas and terrains. The Camargue, the low-lying piece of land between Arles and the Mediterranean Sea, is a good example of this. This pocket Le Sud, bisected by the Rhône, is one of the largest river deltas in Europe and the largest wetlands in France. It is a birdwatcher’s paradise, with more than 400 species, including several egrets, herons and the famous pink flamingo. You will also find Camargue bulls and the mystical-looking white Camargue horses, which roam freely in the area.
The produce here is plentiful, from wine to tomatoes to rice, and in recent years international foodies have flocked to the Camarguais countryside for La Chassagnette, an exquisite Michelin-starred restaurant with its own vegetable garden, owned by Maja Hoffman, the person behind cultural additions. in Arles, such as the Gehry-designed Luma Foundation. Amid all this rebuilding, residents speak with fear of the rising tides and wonder how many more generations this unique land will be here in this form. Visit it while you still can.
Where to stay and when to go
The south of France meets Route 66 at Les Cabanettes, a renovated former motel sure to please lovers of the Mid Century aesthetic. For maximum exploration, try spring or autumn, as summer is very hot here; saying that the annual Arles Rencontres photography festival is a great excuse to come here every summer; cool off on the area’s rugged beaches.
Nîmes and arrond, Occitanie
Not far from the Camargue, but in a completely different atmosphere, we now go to Nîmes, the city in Occitania known for its fantastic Roman architecture, including the imposing amphitheater where (rightly or wrongly) bull events still take place. In the autumn of 2023, the Maison Carré (Square House), a Roman temple from the second century AD, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized as being remarkably well preserved.
For 2024 only, the Tour de France route will be adjusted to avoid Paris (busy with the Olympic Games) and instead finish in Nice, visiting parts of southern France, including this city. Go there in July during the final week of the Tour, which starts with a race from Gruissan to Nîmes. This summer also marks the 30th anniversary of the Jeudis de Nîmes, weekly outdoor entertainment at the city’s venues. For art lovers, there is the very first edition of the Contemporaine de Nimes, a youthful festival for contemporary art, taking place between April 5 and June 23, linked to the Carré d’art museum for contemporary art. The area is now more accessible than before for those without a car thanks to the Occitanie Rail Tour route, which connects various places in the region, from Nîmes in the east to Lourdes in the west (€10 per day for all routes).
Where to stay and when to go
According to Telegraph writer Anthony Peregrine: “For posh it would have to be the five-star L’Imperator (doubles from £311); for historic character, the Margaret-Hotel Chouleur (doubles from £137) and for budget, L’Amphitheater (doubles from £79).” Visit in the spring for the Contemporary and in the summer for the Tour de France and summer festivals.
Le Grand Paris, Ile-de-France
Paris certainly does not lack publicity, that is true, but this Olympic year offers the opportunity to do things slightly differently. The Olympic Village will be housed in Saint-Denis, the sometimes maligned suburb north of Paris. The cluster of nearby suburbs that make up this part of “the small couronne” are now more accessible than ever thanks to the new metro line 14. There is no shortage of cultural and artistic activities in the area, from the antique markets of Saint-Ouen, the Zone Sensible urban farm in Saint-Denis or the bars on the canals of Pantin, also called “the Brooklyn of Paris”. With sky-high hotel prices in the city center and all kinds of things happening this way, this is the perfect time to discover ‘le Grand Paris’.
In fact, there have been a number of exciting developments happening across the Paris region. Another option: combine your city break with a stay in a rural boutique hotel, such as the food-focused Le Doyenné in Essonne east of Paris, Le Barn in Rambouillet past Versailles or the fantastic Chateau de Rosa Bonheur with its enchanting rooms and artistic heritage in Thomery, Fontainebleau.
Where to stay and when to go
Try the cool Mob Hotel in Saint-Ouen, near the historic flea market. There is plenty to do in Le Grand Paris all year round, but summer is of course the time of all the Olympic festivities. Spring is an ideal time to visit the nearby countryside.