The 19 Best Places to Visit in France Outside Paris

Fortified hilltops, Alpine lakes, Atlantic ports and half-timbered lanes, from the crowd favorites to the quieter finds. Which one gets your vote?

1. 1
   Carcassonne

   Double-walled medieval fortress city in the Aude with more than 50 towers.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Mont-Saint-Michel

   Tidal island abbey off Normandy, one of the most visited sites in France.
   953pts
3. 3
   Gordes

   Hilltop village of the Luberon in Provence, among the most beautiful villages of France.
   741pts
4. 4
   Biarritz

   Basque Coast resort town with a surf beach and Belle Époque villas.
   661pts
5. 5
   Chamonix

   Alpine resort beneath Mont Blanc, the base for hiking and skiing.
   661pts
6. 6
   Sarlat-la-Canéda

   Well-preserved medieval town in the Dordogne known for its market.
   529pts
7. 7
   Strasbourg

   Alsatian capital with a canal-ringed old town and a Gothic cathedral.
   529pts
8. 8
   Cordes-sur-Ciel

   Hilltop bastide in the Tarn, often wreathed in morning mist.
   529pts
9. 9
   Loire Valley

   River region of Renaissance châteaux such as Chambord and Chenonceau.
   448pts
10. 10
    Rocamadour

    Cliffside pilgrimage village in the Lot stacked up a limestone gorge.
    448pts
11. 11
    Nice

    Riviera city with a pebble beach, the Promenade des Anglais and a colorful old town.
    448pts
12. 12
    Annecy

    Alpine lake town with a canal-laced old quarter beneath the mountains.
    448pts
13. 13
    Étretat

    Normandy seaside village famed for its white chalk cliffs and arches.
    353pts
14. 14
    Bordeaux

    Port city on the Garonne and gateway to the world's best-known wine region.
    353pts
15. 15
    Lyon

    France's gastronomic capital, with Roman ruins and traboules.
    353pts
16. 16
    Colmar

    Half-timbered Alsatian town of pastel houses and canals.
    353pts
17. 17
    Avignon

    Walled papal city on the Rhône with a palace and a broken bridge.
    241pts
18. 18
    Saint-Malo

    Walled corsair port in Brittany with tidal beaches and ramparts.
    0pts
19. 19
    Albi

    Red-brick city on the Tarn with a fortress-like cathedral and the Toulouse-Lautrec museum.
    0pts

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