Since our main topic is to give you clothing advice, it actually makes sense to give you ideas for really cool places to wear them. So that the pleasure is complete. This is the purpose of this new meeting.
And because a change of scenery is not a question of distance but of curiosity, we have teamed up with lifestyle journalist Laurence Gounel to offer a 100% “holiday in France” audio patch throughout the summer .
Like a last coffee at the counter before the big departures, with each week a guest from fashion, travel and the media, to share vacation memories and good addresses from the four corners of France .
A podcast with an evocative title - “Les Congés Paiés” -, as a nod to the year when everything changed: 1936, and the possibility of finally leaving to “see the country”... A podcast which aims to be a French postcard more than a travel guide, a pretext to share one of the most beautiful images in collective memory: the Great Holidays! Good listening. Christopher.
Here are the previous episodes:
- Brittany by Benjamin Kuentz
- Cap Ferret by François Perret
- The Basque Country and the Landes by David Batty
- La Clusaz, the Var and Antoine Ricardou's passion for cycling
A senior reporter for Le Figaro and author of multiple editions of Lonely Planet, this Lorraine native is a long-distance traveler, and has made a specialty of little-known destinations such as Somaliland, the Solomon Islands and Papua.
Ultimately, spending his vacation in France came naturally to this lover of exoticism. Who even admits a certain excitement to continue his (re)discovery of the territory. What he had already initiated last year in the Cézallier region, in Auvergne. Heading for Haute-Saône this summer, but return to its little-known corners of France in a few addresses. As usual, we added some nuggets.
The Vosges
1. A landscape
The Plateau of 1000 Ponds. In the south of the Vosges Massif, in Franche-Comté, at an altitude of 600 meters, stands a landscape shaped 12,000 years ago by the melting of glaciers and which today is called “Little Finland”. . A unique landscape of peat bogs and Landes. To do ? The route of a thousand ponds, which crisscrosses the valleys of the plateau for 60 kilometers, with 14 stages included.
More information on www.les1000etangs.com
2. An unusual address
The clearing with the cabins . A village of unusual accommodation surrounded by nature and a real compromise between authentic and cozy. In total, 13 “huts” perched, on stilts or in the forest with breathtaking views of the mountains of the Ballons des Vosges natural park. All have sauna, Finnish bath or wooden bathtub. 45 minutes from the Plateau des 1000 Etangs.
From €98 per cabin for five.
8 Route des Planches, 88250 La Bresse. Such. : 03 29 25 62 62
3. A heritage
The Citadel of Bitche . If you can park at the top, in reality the Citadel of Bitche is worth it and justifies a short 40-minute hike, accessible to all. On arrival, a spectacular site built on old fortifications dating from the 13th century, taken over by Vauban and seat of the Franco-Prussian war.
Rue Bombelles, 57230 Bitche. Such. : 03 87 96 18 82 . www.tourisme-paysdebitche.fr
4. An itinerary
The castles of the Northern Vosges. Natural landscapes of rare density, medieval hilltop ruins or the remains of troglodyte castles... the Northern Vosges Regional Park and its rocky peaks are full of ghostly atmospheres. The road coming from Bitche (D35) is also sublime and crosses the forest. The must-sees: the castles of Wangenbourg, Lutzelhardt, Wasigenstein, Fleckenstein…
More information on parc-vosges-nord.fr
5. A walk
Val de Villé. One of the Vosges valleys a few kilometers from the famous Wine Route and the Château du Haut Koenigsbourg. It is also rich in fruits and distillers. There is a real brandy tradition here.
More information on valleedeville.fr
Tarn
1. A mystery.
The Sidobre. About ten kilometers from Castres, we observe a mountainous region with rivers of rocks, rocks and legends. An unusual granite landscape, which has become a paradise for geographers who come to work on these gigantic stones defying the laws of gravity.
More information on tourisme-tarn.com
2. A secret
The Viaur Gorges. A natural border between the Tarn and the Aveyron, a winding river hemmed in on either side by diffuse vegetation. The excuse to hike 70 kilometers of wild and photogenic nature.
More information on tourisme-tarn-carmaux.fr
Ariège Pyrenees
1. A surprise
The Tet Valley. A classified “Grand Canyon” landscape, with the sumptuousness of fairy chimneys reminiscent of the reliefs of Cappadocia. Mineral cathedrals more than 30 meters high, very spectacular and with the majestic Mount Canigou as a backdrop. To visit, the many surrounding hilltop villages.
More information on ariegepyrenees.com
2. A romantic spot
Lake Bethmale. At an altitude of 1000 meters, in the heart of the Couserans valley, this lake embedded in the mountain looks like a real painting with its beech trees ready to plunge into the emerald waters. A fishing spot and beautiful walks around.
More information on www.haut-couserans.com
And also…
The Cézallier Plateau, in Auvergne. The vast expanses of the Cézallier volcanic plateau have the desert charm of the steppes of Mongolia, and the brown, peeling relief of the Scottish countryside when autumn arrives. We are on the borders of Cantal and Puy de Dôme and the panorama of the Sancy and Cantal massifs are extraordinary. An authentic land.
The best advice and itineraries on chilowe.com
The Crozon Peninsula, in Brittany. It is among the most beautiful beaches in the country, and the most unexpected too. Below the cliffs, there is a Var landscape, white sand coves with crystal clear waters which follow one another in the large bay linking Crozon to Douarnenez. The most beautiful ? The Virgin Island, voted seventh most beautiful beach in Europe.
More information on crozon-tourisme.bzh
Three styles, three addresses
La Ferme de Flaran , in the Gers. A former outbuilding of Flaran Abbey, transformed into an intimate charming hotel. A total of 12 rooms with simple and contemporary comfort. “Old stones and good food” atmosphere.
Bagatelle, 32 310 Maignaut-Tauzia. Such. : 05 62 29 39 83.
Le Hameau des Sens , in Moselle. A family address and five handcrafted chalets, made from Vosges wood, each with a private terrace and a Nordic bath facing the landscape. Sincere welcome and eco-responsible approach.
24 Rue des Calvaires, 57370 Phalsbourg. Such. : 06 50 91 99 83.
Villa Elisabeth , in Champagne. An authentic manor with Art Nouveau architecture, five charming rooms, a fine cordon bleu hostess and a cuisine made with Champagne... the refined address for a weekend in the footsteps of René Lalique, departing from Aÿ.
17 Rue Gambetta, 51160 Ay-champagne. Such. : 03 26 54 27 23
