1. Barcelonnette, Provence
"It’s as delightful as it is surprising," says Anthony Peregrine. "At first sight, Barcelonnette is such an archetypal spot in the southern French Alps that you’d expect it to yodel. Come festival time (August), it is not yodelling you hear, but mariachi music. It’s as close as you can get to Mexico without leaving Europe, as in the 19th century, locals fled the valley to make their fortunes in Mexico, then returned, full of Latin ideas and cash."
See his guide to the best things to see and do in the town.
2. Colmar, Alsace
Another of Anthony Peregrine's favourite spots. "It's among the best (and prettiest) bases from which to cover Alsace, especially now its famous Musée Unterlinden has re-opened," he says. "It lies at the hinge of the Vosges mountains and the Alsace Plain – the loveliest wine route in Europe, with stand-out villages like Eguisheim, Riquewihr and Obernai."
• Wartime heroism and heavy drinking in Alsace
3. Le Grau-du-Roi, Languedoc
"There is a case to be made for isolated creeks, deserted beaches and dinky fishing villages unchanged in a millennium," says Frank Preston. "But there is a quite separate argument for letting rip with a full-tilt seaside holiday - ice-creams, blow-up dolphins, a bit of noise, a lot of activity and a happy hubbub in streets, cafés, and also when the sun goes down. This gives youngsters the impression that they've found a place where things are happening. And it can be rewarding for parents, too, to be among people with their sunny sides out. Such considerations lead you to Le Grau-du-Roi."
• Languedoc: best seen on foot
4. Grand Site des Deux Caps, Nord-Pas-de-Calais
"This was my big discovery last year," says Natasha Edwards. "At Wissant, between Boulogne and Calais, there is probably the largest stretch of unspoiled sandy beach that I’ve ever seen in France, plus rolling countryside, cow filled meadows, dunes, little ash woods, all dotted with concrete bunkers from the German Atlantic Wall and with a couple of more traditional resorts like Wimereux, close to Boulogne, nearby. Mention the name Calais and the UK press doesn't want to cover it, yet thousands of British pass right by here as they get off the ferry or out of Eurotunnel."
5. Beaujolais, Burgundy
"The most famous unknown bit of France," reckons Anthony Peregrine. "Famous for the wines, unknown because no-one goes there. Serious mistake. To the north of Lyon and west of the Rhône, it’s a grand land of hills, vineyards on near perpendicular slopes, fine little villages and much over-indulgence. Some of the villages – notably the 'golden stone' ones to the south of the region – would be standing room only, were they in Provence or Tuscany. But they aren’t."
• Beaujolais: Joie de vivre in France's answer to Tuscany
6. Guéthary, Aquitaine
Frank Preston writes: "Arrive in Guéthary, and you know the holiday's going to have character. There is nothing vague or undefined about the French Atlantic coast as it bangs into Spain: this is Basque country. Cliffs, heathland and woods drop to beaches harder-won than the vast stretches of sand of the flat littoral zone to the north. The ocean rolls in over rocks, chucking surfers about like incompetent seals. Sea and sky are huge. The Mediterranean coast seems effete by comparison."
7. Figeac, Languedoc
"Without any doubt, the finest small town in France," according to Anthony Peregrine. "It's in the Lot department, brilliantly preserved but also lively, with good history (Champollion, cracker of Egyptian hieroglyphs, was a native), good river, good eating, a great sinuous centre. Use it as a base for exploring the Lot and Célé valleys, the Pech Merle cave paintings and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, HQ of surrealists."
Of the Lot, Nicola Williams writes: "Right next door to the Dordogne (Périgord) it's the perfect snapshot of La Belle France: Gorgeous little villages, markets, excellent food, the ancient hilltop pilgrimage site of Rocamadour, great farms where you can taste and buy the local cheese, and some excellent and highly atmospheric accommodation starting with fairytale castle, Château de la Treyne."
Source from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
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