Best Places to Go in the South of France for Art Lovers
Six Favorite Regions in French republic
I've traveled in almost every region of France and each has much to offer. Just if I had to narrow down my choices to just six regions that I recommend to artsy-inclined travelers, I'd cull Normandy, Brittany, Loire, Dordogne (function of Aquitaine), Provence/Côte d'Azur, and of course Paris.
This post presents an overview of my six favorite regions with links to more detailed posts. If y'all desire to really explore these regions, consider renting a car. My mail service on Driving in Europe gives you some pointers gleaned from our iii decades of experience exploring Europe by car.
Normandy
Rolling fields, picture show-perfect villages, and searing Earth War Two history brand Normandy an awesome destination.
Nosotros lived for two months at an creative person-in-residence place a few years ago. When we weren't being artists in residence, nosotros spent several happy days exploring this under-touristed area.
Recommended must-sees include the World War Ii beaches, the mannerly towns of Honfleur (Satie Museum) and Bayeux (Bayeux tapestry), Mont St. Michel, and the far-off-the-beaten runway region of the Perche.
Consider visiting Normandy on a guided tour from Paris. Tours include the Normandy D-24-hour interval Beaches and the Abbaye du Mont Saint-Michel.
For more than details most what to see and do in Normandy, see Meridian Normandy Sights for Fine art & History Lovers. I also include Honfleur on the Normandy declension in my post on 17 Crawly Places in France You lot Might Not Know.
Brittany
Gregg and I admire Brittany. We just do! Every time nosotros visit France, we say We really ought to spend more time in Brittany.
I recommend visiting Brittany in the summer when the atmospheric condition is pleasantly warm rather than torrid similar it is farther south. Cute 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 even so spoken in the far west, and search out prehistoric stone circles.
In addition to existence physically gorgeous, Brittany is besides home to France's almost 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 to the lowest degree a week's stay or amend still, iii or 4 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 basis in the Loire Valley thanks to the Loire Atlantique region being the playground for the kings of France until kings rather of a sudden went out of fashion.
Spend a week here to bout not only the large (and crowded) blockbuster châteaux like Chambord and Chenonceau, but also the more intimate, even quirky ones similar Villandry and Azay-Le-Rideau.
In add-on to châteaux-hopping, consider an extended stay in the Loire Valley because, permit's face it, the region is drop-dead gorgeous. Rent a cycle or go on a walking tour to immerse yourself in the fairy tale landscape. Also, the food in the Loire is infrequent (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 splendid choice for two reasons: prehistoric caves and amazing food. Don't miss the cave fine art sites scattered throughout the region including the super-famous (and justifiably then) Caves of Lascaux. I talk almost them in more than depth (ha, ha!) in my postal service on Prehistory Sites in Europe.
If you have a hankering for gorgeous scenery mixed with compelling prehistory sightseeing followed past long, slow dinners where duck often plays a role, then meander down to the Dordogne.
Provence
I dare you to say Provence without sighing!
Ah, Provence! Run into?
Like Tuscany, Provence has earned its reputation as i of Europe'south most cute regions. Settle in for a good long visit to detect why so many artists fabricated their homes hither (Picasso, van Gogh, Renoir, Cezanne, Lèger, Matisse, and I'thou certain I'yard forgetting a bunch).
I think it has a lot to practice with the light. Every time Gregg and I visit Provence, Gregg is inspired past the unique style in which light floods a landscape of precipitous contrasts—soft greens and lavenders, hard whites and ochers, startling dejection.
Provence is big enough to deserve a ii-week stay, or at to the lowest degree a calendar week divided in two. I suggest enjoying the Luberon region for a week and so driving downwardly to the Riviera to hang with the beautiful people (and meet a ton of art).
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, i of my favorite modest art museums in Europe. Read about it in my postal service on Pinnacle Ten Modernistic Art Museums in Europe. My mail service on Six Unmarried-Artist Museums in Europe also includes two single-artist museums in France–the Fondation Vasarely and the Musée National Fernand Léger in Biot.
Paris
If you're planning your outset visit to France, Paris volition likely exist on your itinerary. It's a must-run into city in Europe if yous are in any mode artsy inclined.
Paris is home to dozens of art museums and galleries in improver to the big-ticket sights like the Eiffel Tower (get early on or tardily to avert the crowds), the Arc de Triomphe, and the Champs-Élysées.
To truly capeesh Paris, hire an flat and settle in for the long haul. For the unabridged month of March one year, Gregg and I stayed in an apartment in Montparnasse. Nosotros spent our mornings painting (him) and writing (me) before setting out almost every afternoon to explore the artsy delights of Paris.
Nosotros never ran out of things to come across and then or on subsequent trips. In fact, a stopover in Paris has been on our itinerary for well-nigh all of our dozen-plus trips to Europe. Hither are four posts related to Paris.
And here are some suggestions for things to see, skip-the-line tickets, and tours in Paris.
What Regions of France are Your Favorites?
Exercise yous take a favorite region of France that I've left out? Please let us know and if you have any
Source: https://www.artsy-traveler.com/six-favorite-regions-in-france/
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