{"id":306501,"date":"2024-08-12T14:00:27","date_gmt":"2024-08-12T13:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turkeyalwan.net\/?p=306501"},"modified":"2024-08-19T15:15:00","modified_gmt":"2024-08-19T14:15:00","slug":"top-10-most-romantic-places-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turkeyalwan.net\/2024\/08\/12\/top-10-most-romantic-places-france\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 most ravishingly romantic places in France"},"content":{"rendered":"
Monday\u00a0newsletters<\/a>\u00a0always feature\u00a0top 10 travel lists<\/a>\u00a0to inspire.<\/p>\n France is one of the world\u2019s most seductive and hauntingly beautiful countries. Much of the country\u2019s beauty comes from the diversity of its landscape, from sun-drenched beaches to rough Alpine peaks, and its remarkable cultural heritage, which is highlighted by spectacular cathedrals<\/a> and palaces<\/a>. And then, there’s the gastronomy, the haute couture scene, the lovely language, and the famous French joy de vivre, all of it captivating us. I’ve spent almost every summer in France from my childhood until my student life, and today, I share with you my pick of the 10 most romantic places to visit in the country (outside its capital Paris, which deserves its own list).<\/p>\n What is your favorite romantic spot in France? Do you think I missed one? Leave a comment<\/strong> .<\/p>\n This slideshow requires JavaScript.<\/p> *** Follow me on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0Youtube<\/a>, X (Twitter)<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***<\/em><\/p>\n The small medieval village of Eze on the French Riviera (known as the Cote D’Azur) is famous for its poetic beauty, authentic charm, and breathtaking\u00a0panoramas of the blue Mediterranean Sea.\u00a0Perched in an ‘eagle’s nest’ on the top of a green mountain peak, the village light ochre houses and picturesque church\u00a0can be seen from far.\u00a0Despite its tiny size, the village with its narrow cobblestone streets is fit for a storybook and flowers blooming year-round leave its visitors absolutely mesmerized. Eze has attracted many celebrities throughout the years,\u00a0including Walt Disney, who\u00a0spent a significant amount of his life\u00a0here.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Carcassonne – France\u2019s second most visited tourist spot after the Tour Eiffel – is a tremendously impressive, medieval, walled town in the Languedoc region of southwest France. The\u00a0fortified\u00a0city is\u00a0unlike any other in Europe, on account of its size and its state of preservation. Its history is marked by 2000 years of conquest and by the imprint of Catharism and the Crusades. The city is\u00a0privileged to have two UNESCO World Heritage sites: the medieval city itself and the Canal du Midi, which was\u00a0excavated in the XVIIth century to link the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Formerly used for transporting goods and people, the Canal du Midi is today frequented by numerous boaters and tourists.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Situated between the Mediterranean and two arms of the Rh\u00f4ne river, the Camargue is a vast wetland that is classified by UNESCO\u00a0as a biosphere reserve. The wilderness area is divided in three distinct zones: cultivation north of the delta, salt banks in the west and east, and lagoons in the south. The Camargue is famous for harboring the world’s\u00a0oldest living breed of horses,\u00a0and though they are technically wild, their living among humans for tens of thousands of years makes them friendly and curious of visitors and wildlife watchers.\u00a0The Camargue is also an ornithological sanctuary as nearly 400 species of birds are seen here, includes pink flamingos.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The holy city of Rocamadour\u00a0clings to steep rocky cliffs\u00a0at a dizzying height, displaying layer upon layer of houses and chapels. Down from the\u00a0castle\u00a0which crowns this audacious construction, it\u2019s a sheer drop to\u00a0the meandering river Alzou. The\u00a0basilica of Saint-Sauveur\u00a0and the crypt of\u00a0Saint-Amadour, both featured on UNESCO\u2019s World Heritage List, can be admired by visitors once the 216 marches of the\u00a0Pilgrim\u2019s Stairs have been climbed. But the jewel of the sanctuary is kept in the\u00a0Chapel of Miracles, one of eight chapels built against the rocks. It is the\u00a0Black Madonna,\u00a0which has been worshipped here for over a thousand years.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The Loire Valley in France is dotted with hundreds of elegant castles, but it’s Chambord that is the most romantic and famous of them all. Chambord\u2019s architecture is a carefully balanced blend of traditional elements of Medieval French architecture and other elements borrowed from the Italian Renaissance. With its dual inspiration, the ch\u00e2teau was the perfect instrument to sing the praises of King Francis I of France, who commanded it construction (which was never completed). The genius behind Fran\u00e7ois I\u2019s masterpiece remains a mystery. While some maintain that it is a purely French creation, others have put the name of the multi-talented Italian genius Leonardo da Vinci forward.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n For over 40 years, until his death in 1926, Giverny was the home of Claude Monet, the world-famous painter who founded the Impressionist school.\u00a0With a passion for gardening as well as for colors, Monet conceived both his flower garden and water garden as true works of art. Walking through his riverside, pastel pink house and its romantic gardens with the\u00a0famous green Japanese bridge, visitors can still feel the atmosphere which reigned at the home of the Master of Impressionism and marvel at the floral compositions, water lilies, and nymph\u00e9as, his greatest sources of inspiration. Govern still attracts\u00a0painters\u00a0charmed by the unique light of the Seine Valley.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The Calanques are\u00a0a series of beautiful fjords, majestic limestone cliffs, and rocky promontories, that plunge into the brilliantly turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea along a 20 km (13 mi) stretch of coastline located between the towns of Marseille\u00a0and Cassis. In certain spots, pine trees are clinging to the gleaming rock, with the\u00a0sheer cliffs occasionally being interrupted by\u00a0small idyllic beaches, some impossible to reach without a kayak, adding further to the dreamy scenery and dramatic appeal. The area has\u00a0been designated “the Calanques National Park”, one of just seven national parks on mainland France. It’s one of the best spots in France\u00a0to soak up the sun or take a long hike.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Part legendary castle, part holy shrine, the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel is one of the Middle Age’s most iconic buildings and one of France’s most recognizable monuments. The legendary site – now declared a UNESCO heritage site – has been a mythical destination of countless pilgrims for over a thousand years. Its unique and dramatic position on a rocky island just 600 meters (2000 ft) from Normandy’s mainland made it accessible at low tide to the abbey’s many pilgrims, and defensible at the time as the incoming tide stranded, drove off, or drowned would-be assailants. The abbey is surrounded by a picturesque village, where tourists wander around the quaint medieval streets while stopping in the boutiques or caf\u00e9s along the way.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Colmar is located in northeastern France near Germany and Switzerland. The town’s secular and religious architectural landmarks reflect eight centuries of Germanic and French architecture. Wonderfully preserved from the destructions of the French Revolution and the two World Wars, the Little Venice district is the most charming and romantic place in Colmar’s historic center, following the course of the Launch river. The beautiful half-timbered houses with colorful walls on the quay and the small flower-covered bridges spanning the river are a draw for visitors. A boat tour on the canal is also a lovely way to discover the pretty river banks.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Facing the Luberon and built on the foothills of the Monts of Vaucluse, the tiny hilltop town of Gordes is the quintessential village of the\u00a0Provence and one of the most enchanting\u00a0in France. Its houses with\u00a0terracotta roofs and buildings of white stone root themselves into the sharp cliff of the mountain, and its labyrinth of ‘calades’\u00a0(narrow cobblestone streets) do not leave the visitor indifferent to its charms.\u00a0Because of its clifftop position, Gordes also offers panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes, with\u00a0expansive fields of poppies and lavender as far as the eye can reach.\u00a0Many artists – including\u00a0Andr\u00e9\u00a0Lhote, Marc Chagall, Victor\u00a0Vasarely\u00a0and Pol Mara – fell in love with the beauty of\u00a0Gordes and stayed here, contributing to the village’s\u00a0fame.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n *** Follow me on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0Youtube<\/a>,\u00a0X (Twitter)<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Today: Top 10 most ravishingly romantic places in France<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\n10. EZE, FRENCH RIVIERA<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\n9. CARCASSONNE, LANGEUDOC<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\n8. THE CAMARGUE, PROVENCE<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\n7. ROCAMADOUR, DORDOGNE<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\n6. CHAMBORD, LOIRE VALLEY<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\n5. GIVERNY, NORMANDY\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\n4. THE CALANQUES, PROVENCE<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\n3. MONT SAINT MICHEL, NORMANDY<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\n2. COLMAR, ALSACE<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\n1. GORDES, PROVENCE<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n
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