stevelyon

I haven't been to a lot of France - Loire Valley, Vendee, Brittany, and Paris but fell in love with St Gilles de Croix.

radiofanatic

for me, it was Mont St. Michel and the Loire Valley

Linda06

Carcassonne - at a non-tourist time. There is a saying that says "Il ne faut pas mourir sans avoir vu Carcassonne." (You can't die without having seen Carcassonne). It's beautiful all light up beneath the night sky.

carioca4ed

A place called Lorient,in Brittany...Once a year they host a large gathering of a quarter of a million people....."The Gathering of the Celtic Nations"....Peopled from various parts of France,Spain,Wales,Scotland,and lots of other nations....They have bands,music,pipers,poets,dancers from every Celtic Nation represented......I was with a bus that went from Falkirk,Scotland,although I am born and stay in Glasgow,Scotland....
There was lots of Irish people there too.It was one of the cheapest,yet fantastic holidays that I have ever been on....I was at the "Vegetarians Table",and met someone who was appearing in a band that stays two minutes away from my house in Glasgow!!!Small world!! ......The place was bombed to bits during WW2.,but the friendliness,gigs,wine,meeting the other Celts,dancing,etc.,makes for a great holiday!!!!!!

traveller1959

You see: it is like you ask for ONE book or ONE piece of music. There are so many beautiful places in France - I am travelling France for 25 years and sometimes three trips per year, and I am still discovering new gems which are worth to be put on the list.

MaisonMetz

Since Paris is out, I'm torn between Figeac in the Lot with loads of cobbled charm, wonderful architecture and one of my favorite splurge hotels in France, the Hôtel du Château du Viguier du Roy, and Uzès in the Gard (Languedoc), with an amazing centre ville and my favorite market square in France, Place aux Herbes.

Faux

I join those who voted for Beynac-et-Cazenac in the Dordogne, at any time but winter. The town itself is beautiful with a stunning view of the river and Dordogne valley from the castle. You can walk to the pretty village of La Roque Gageac, where I had afternoon tea at a nice little place near the river. It also has a good restaurant called something like La Belle Etoile.

If you are fit enough for a climb, you can continue along the river to Domme, which is a Bastide town at the top of a steep hill above Cenac, and have lunch on the terrace of the Esplanade Hotel looking over the Dordogne river to Beynac.

I also walked one day to Castelnaud, the other castle from the 100 years war, and had lunch on the way back at a good restaurant at the Hotel le Relais des Cinqs Chateaux

http://hotels-sarlat-perigord.com/ho...equestedPdt=12

which looks boring from outside but at least then (it is almost 8 years) had great food.

The famous town of Sarlat is also only a few miles away fom Beynac, although not really walkable.

I stayed at the Hotel Bonnet

http://www.fhr.fr/nl/beynac_et_cazen...net-hotel.html

It is on the river (across the road) in Beynac. Although it was a bit run down, it was very comfortable and has a good restaurant for nights you want to stay in for dinner and a nice vine covered terrace.

The hotel also has a garden, both at the back of the hotel and on the other side of the road by the river. It was also very cheap and the staff were friendly, which allowed me to ignore the slight tattiness of the decor (but it might have been revamped since then).

cigalechanta

I must agree that in the Gard, The Uzs Market in the Pl, aux Herbes is one of our favorites, It spills over in the sourrounding streets,

linet

Monet's Garden at Giverny. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven!

sandykins

Linet, would you please let me know what time of year you saw Giverny? I'd like to go this April as a day-trip from Paris, but I'm thinking the gardens wouldn't quite be heaven yet without the water lilies that bloom in July and August, or even the wisteria over the Japanese bridge that blooms in May. Thanks.

wardtook

Eze in Provence is absolutely magical. The view from the terrace of the restaurant at the top of this medieval village perched above the Mediterranean (Hotel Eza) is breathtaking. This is the most memorable place I've ever been, certainly the most beautiful and I add the most romantic.

blackduff

For me it would be Sorède. It's within biking distance for the Med. It's on the side of the Pyrenees. I can see the Spanish border up the hill from my front door.

And, it only snows once every five years. The rest of the time it's beautiful.

Blackduff