Overseas Property Gazette: Top Places to Visit in France

Did you know: France is the most visited country in the world, receiving 82 million foreign tourists every year! Most mention Paris, Cote d'Azur and Brittany so where else is worht checking out?

You could add these to your schedule:

Loire Valley
The ‘Garden of France’, as this area is also affectionately know, lives up to its name. As an area of outstanding natural beauty, the valley is filled with culturally and historically important architecture, which has earned it a world heritage site status.

It is one of the most visited places to visit in the country and is renowned for its large collection of fairytale châteaux and mansion, beautiful landscapes and one of the most striking rivers in Europe.

Mont Saint-Michel
Sitting on top of a rocky, peaked island Mont Saint-Michel forms an imposing sight. Surrounded by sandbanks and powerful tides, the heritage site is most celebrated for its Gothic-style Benedictine Abbey.

Whereas most castles of this stature were built for defence purposes or the arts, Mont Saint-Michel is different. Complete with Monastery, medieval village, small houses and souvenir shops, with complimentary winding streets, Mont Saint-Michel is the one of the best-loved landmarks in France.

Annecy, The Alps
The French Alps are best known for its prestigious ski resorts, although the region is also home to many pretty towns which are great to visit, summer or winter. One of the most attractive is Annecy which has a medieval picture-postcard quality.

The centre is built around a 14th century Chateau and the whole town is interspersed with small canals which is why some locals refer to it as the ‘Venice of Savoie.’ With its canals and backdrop of snowy mountains, Annecy is easily one of the most photogenic towns in France.

Lourdes
Famous for being the site where the Virgin Mary had been sighted a total of eighteen times from 1858, Lourdes has developed into a major place of Roman Catholic pilgrimage and of miraculous healing.

Lourdes itself is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, that features a fortified castle that rises up from a rocky escarpment at its centre. The castle has been at the heart of much of French history, especially during the ‘Hundred Years War’ and ‘Peninsular War’.

Normandy
Famous for its food and drink, as well as the ‘D-Day’ landings, Normandy is one of the most rich and diverse regions in France. It is of historic importance, especially the link between Normandy and England with the ‘Norman Conquest’.

Explorer Samuel de Champlain left the port of Honfleur in 1604 and founded Quebec City (Canada). While Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville and his brother Lemoyne de Bienville founded Louisiana, Biloxi, Mobile and New Orleans.

Dordogne Valley
The scenery, the peace, the coffee in a small cafe, the picnic next to a stream. The Dordogne is beautiful and serene. Some of the best known highlights of the area include Lascaux caves, the gouffre de Padirac caves and Marqueyssac gardens and canoeing the Dordogne.

It is a very scenic area, most suited to those who enjoy outdoor activities – walking, cycling (road and mountain biking), horse-riding, canoeing and fishing are just some of the things you can do.

For the complete list published on Mobal.com: France – Facts & Places to Visit

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