What are your favorite scenic towns in France? I will be visiting the Loire Valley, Southern France, and Provence from late Sept to mid October and would like to paint in some of the scenic towns along the way. What would you recommend? I will have a car. I am more interested in the landscapes and the quaint villages more than the larger cities.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, USA
320 posts
Joan:
Try Cahors and Albi. Just google up some images. They are lovely towns - Albi more of a city really. Have fun.
Posted by
Lake Oswego, Oregon
1329 posts
Hi Joan - I'd recommend Chinon in the Loire area. In Provence/Southern France, Vaison la Romaine, Seguret, Gordes, Roussillon, Cassis, Eze, Roquebrune. Enjoy!
Posted by
Lake Oswego, Oregon
1329 posts
Joan - You might also want to look at this website:
Posted by
Seattle, WA
689 posts
I was going to suggest the Beaux Villages site too. It's a great resource.
I would suggest, though, having a bit of variety in your trip--see the bigger more interesting towns like Arles, too. The adorable little towns after a while all seem the same--they're usually very touristy, the shops all sell the same things (lots of "made in Taiwan" stickers) and the population is mostly old people and vacationers. I was trying to give you a list of my favorites where you are going and I can't even remember all of their names--they all run together!
Posted by
Gig Harbor, Washington, USA
1864 posts
I suggest stopping at Lavardin which is located between Chartres and Chenonceau. It is very small and seemed almost abandoned when we were there. The old wash houses (village laundry spots) are still intact by the river. There were some people in an outdoor pub area---we never saw anyone else. A real time warp. The town also has a hilltop castle.
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
Jon's suggestion of Albi is a good one. There is a beautiful cathedral there plus a small Toulouse-Lautrec museum just beside it.
Posted by
Lebanon
711 posts
Hi Joan.. We are photographers so we also like the beautiful,scenic villages of France.There are so Many I hardly know where to start.Fall is a great time to be there. ....the vineyards are lovely.Will you be driving down the A6 to Provence?If you are going to the Loire Valley you may be too far west to go through Burgundy, but We have some lovely little places between Paris and Beaune that would be wonderful to paint.Also, great places to stay in little medievil villages. If you are driving down to Provence I would also suggest goingto the small villages of the Var which are just a few hours east of say the Luberon and the Cotes de Rhone area and not as touristy. We like Cotignac and there are others if you are interested. Send me a PM if you are intersted in the Var or Burgundy.
Posted by
Bowling Green, KY, USA
22 posts
Hi Joan, Annecy is a beautiful town. It sits on a large lake with mountains all around. Canals (with swans) run thru the town. There is a castle and also of "old buildings" and flowers everywhere. Many sidewalk cafes on the canal coming in from the lake. Beautiful place!!
Jackie
B.G. Ky
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
Jackie is right about Annecy. It is a beauty and sometimes in the summer there is an art installation along the lakeside. So sweet.
Posted by
Centennial, CO, US
2186 posts
If you're an artist, you'll love scenic Collioure. Derain and Matisse stayed here in 1905, and prints of their work are posted throughout the town on the "Path of Fauvism". Then you can stay at Hotel les Templiers, where you'll find paintings squeezed into every available space.
Everywhere you look in Collioure there's something scenic to paint -- the beautiful little harbor, a castle on a hilltop, a stone windmill. We spent four days there in May and loved it.