An insider’s tour of France’s most beloved and beautiful villages uncovers the country’s hidden treasures. The Best Loved Villages of France brings the reader on a tour of forty-four of the country’s most treasured destinations. Always picturesque, but often well-kept secrets, the book offers insight into village life and local history. Take a tour of a crumbling medieval fortress with the mayor of Lavardin or peruse the maritime objects found at sea by a mustached fisherman in Saint-Suliac. Stroll along the coast of the Wissant bay windsurfer’s paradise or promenade through the manicured grounds of Vaux-le-Vicomte. Watch the sunrise over the fairy-tale castle in Montsoreau or enjoy a fresh langoustine dinner in Piana, Corsica. This book offers an illustrated tour around all twenty-two regions of France, from Provence and the Alps, to Normandy and the Loire. Aerial and intimate photographs invite the reader to explore these splendid locales, while the descriptions, anecdotes, and interviews with local village-dwellers plunge you into the individual history and character of France’s diverse regions. The villages featured in the book were selected in a popular vote by the French public and they represent an authentic journey into the heart of France.

Shows and describes the southwestern region of France also known as the Perigord

True Provencal spirit comes alive here through photographs and evocative accounts of the best-loved of all French provinces.

Discover the hidden treasures of the 153 most picturesque villages to visit in France with this fully illustrated comprehensive travel guide. From the half-timbered Alsatian houses of Eguisheim to the lavender fields of Montclus in the Languedoc-Roussillon, this fully illustrated guide unveils the beauty of rural France, providing visitor’s information for these exceptionally preserved destinations. Carefully chosen each year through a rigorous selection process, the French villages featured in this official guide are replete with historical, architectural, and natural riches. An introductory paragraph presents the location and history of each village and is accompanied by recommendations for monuments, museums, and other notable places to visit. Practical information includes accommodation options ranging from hotels to campsites, restaurants and markets, and artisanal produce and local specialties. Details on leisure activities encompass festivals and events, sports, golf, and other excursions that encourage visitors to explore the surrounding area on walks and hikes, by canoe, or on horseback. The book includes an overview map of France, and each village is featured on an easy-to-read road map, accompanied by the best way to arrive by road, train, and airplane. Suggestions for neighboring villages and sites that should not be missed, along with their proximity, simplifies itinerary planning. Cross-references and an index by region complete this practical, authoritative, and accessible guide.

Gift in memory of Helen Wilson.

A celebration of the most enchanting hamlets in France, now available in a popular format. Gorgeously illustrated as well as informative, One Hundred & One Beautiful Small Towns in France is a tour through the pleasures of the French countryside, a place where the pace slows, locals engage strangers in conversation, and every town presents a unique set of curiosities waiting to be discovered. Whether you are an armchair traveler or a Francophile planning another trip, this volume is the guide to the hidden treasures of France that proves once and for all that the heart of this popular travel destination lies in the countryside far from the grandeur and pomp of Paris. Wander the serpentine alleyways of the rockbound coastal fishing villages in Brittany and Normandy; explore medieval masterpieces in Alsace and order flammekueche, this region’s thin-crusted pizza; spend a day in the Ile-de-France, the green surround of Paris, and visit the magnificent Château de Versailles, or the palace at Fontainebleau, a treasure trove of mannerist delights. One Hundred & One Beautiful Small Towns in France is a map to the heart and soul of the French countryside, complete with a full appendix of restaurants, hotels, and shops to aid even the most seasoned travelers and Francophiles.

Discover the 158 most picturesque villages to visit in France in the newest edition of this illustrated travel guide. From Vézelay with its UNESCO listed Sainte-Madeleine basilica, to Piana’s dramatic cliffs in Corsica, and from Ménerbes’s Provençal charm to Olargues’s origins dating back to prehistory, this illustrated guide unveils the beauty of rural France, providing complete visitor information for these exceptionally preserved destinations. Carefully selected each year, the featured French villages are replete with historical, architectural, and natural riches. A brief history of each village is accompanied by recommendations for monuments, museums, places to visit, accommodation options ranging from hotels to campsites, restaurants, markets, artisanal products and local specialties. Details on leisure activities encompass festivals, events, and excursions that encourage visitors to explore the surrounding area on foot, by canoe, or on horseback. This fully updated new edition includes a supplement on the history of more than twenty sweet gourmet regional specialties. In addition to an overview map of France, each village is featured on an easy-to-read detail road map, accompanied by indications for the best way to arrive by car, train, and airplane. Suggestions for neighboring villages that should not be missed simplify itinerary planning. Cross references and an index by region complete this practical, authoritative, and accessible illustrated guide.

Villages are the very embodiment of Englishness. The village inn and the local farm, great houses, humble cottages and beautiful country gardens speak of a way of life that has developed peacefully since Anglo-Saxon times. A few days spent in England's idyllic villages offers urban dwellers and foreign visitors a revitalizing glimpse of a more tranquil existence, full of history, legend, literature and artistic heritage. The richness and diversity of the English village is recorded here in absorbing texts by James Bentley and magnificent photography by Hugh Palmer. Grouped by area - northern, midland, eastern, southern and western - and sub-divided by county, this is a seductive celebration of our most beautiful villages.

From the history-cloaked towns of Normandy and the fragrant lavender fields in Provence to the dew-kissed vineyards of Burgundy and Aquitaine, nothing compares with the beauty and the romance of France. The latest offering from the editors of Victoria magazine, Our Hearts Are in France takes readers on a memorable journey through this majestic country, where centuries-old chateaux rise from the riverbanks and snow-dusted mountains give way to rolling hills and fertile valleys sprinkled with tiny villages, each one more enchanting than the last. We visit the eternally alluring City of Light, where Julia Child honed her culinary skills, Parisians stroll pocket gardens brimming with roses, and love blooms beneath the graceful curves of the Eiffel Tower. Our Hearts Are in France is replete with page after page of beautiful interiors, from the idyllic retreat of Marie Antoinette and a pastoral farmhouse in Provence to the quaint quarters of an American in Paris, as well as with ideas for creating personal Gallic-inspired sanctuaries. And should one's palate long for a taste of French cuisine, we offer a cache of delectable recipes that are certain to delight both sweet and savory yearnings. Equal parts travel guide, design compendium, and cookbook--and a must for any Francophile-- Our Hearts Are in France honors and celebrates this magical land that holds such a special place in our hearts.

Discover the 164 most picturesque villages in France, selected for their authenticity, beauty, and cultural heritage by the accredited association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France. These charming French destinations offer a truly unique travel experience, from the quaint fishermen’s houses, water mills, and thatched cottages of Veules-les-Roses in Normandy to the magnificent vineyards of Châtillon-en-Dois, and from the cobblestone streets and fortified gates in the medieval bastide of Cordes-sur-Ciel to the snowcapped mountains surrounding Bonneval-sur-Arc. This comprehensive illustrated guide reveals the hidden treasures of France, inviting readers to explore the villages throughn : - 164 color road maps - Local history - Sights and attractions - Accommodation options - Restaurant recommendations - Events and activities - Gastronomic and artisanal specialties - 10 bicycle itineraries This fully-updated fortieth anniversary edition is an essential resource for enjoying a memorable trip through the most beautiful villages of France.