France Off The Beaten Path

  Abbaye de St Hilaire (France)
by Redang
 
  • Abbaye de St Hilaire (France)
      Abbaye de St Hilaire (France)
    by Redang
  • Pont d'Avignon (France)
      Pont d'Avignon (France)
    by Redang
  • Chateau de Rully near Beaune
      Chateau de Rully near Beaune
    by Beausoleil
  • Etaples Military Cemetery
      Etaples Military Cemetery
    by sue_stone
  • King & Queen Tomb
      King & Queen Tomb
    by balhannah
 

Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in France

1.

Montmartre & Sacré Coeur   Paris

Montmartre & Sacré Coeur, Paris

 73 Reviews  After our ceremonies we were given a private tour of the Sacre Couer, Place du Tertre, and private places by Mayor Yatt. It was such a lovely and memorable morning. If anyone is interested in doing... 

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2.

Perouges   Lyon

Perouges, Lyon

 4 Reviews  Pérouges is a typical village of the Middle Age located on top of a hill at about 35km of Lyon. A lot of efforts have been made to preserve its medieval character and all the historic buildings have... 

 See All 36 Off The Beaten Path in Lyon

3.

Chamonix Valley   Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

Chamonix Valley, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

 8 Reviews  Discover the oldest tramway of the valley! The little rack-train departs from the village of Le Fayet, a few kilometers West of Chamonix, for a journey of over an hour. The panorama is alternating:... 

 See All 16 Off The Beaten Path in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

4.

In town   Cannes

In town, Cannes

 14 Reviews  We hadn't planned our trip to Nice according to the schedule of the world famous Cannes Fílm Festival, we didn't even know what time of the year it is held! Again, like with Formula 1, we seemed to be... 

 See All 26 Off The Beaten Path in Cannes

5.

Hidden places in Lille   Lille

Hidden places in Lille, Lille

 4 Reviews  Maison Coilliot looks a little different to the average house in Lille. That is because it was designed by famous Art-Nouveau designer Hector Guimard, best known for the elaborate metro station... 

 See All 22 Off The Beaten Path in Lille

6.

Outside Toulouse - Excursions   Toulouse

Outside Toulouse - Excursions, Toulouse

 24 Reviews  the official France walkers assoc site is here with contact info http://www.ffrandonnee.fr/_68/contact.aspx For Toulouse area contact bottom side http://cdrp31.free.fr/rando/ Hope it helps, its a... 

 See All 53 Off The Beaten Path in Toulouse

7.

Castles   Tours

Castles, Tours

 13 Reviews  I would have to admit that it's quite a while since I studied French at high school. One of our books was called 'La Belle France' and one of the few things I can recall from it was a photo of... 

 See All 38 Off The Beaten Path in Tours

8.

Walking Around   Paris

Walking Around, Paris

 121 Reviews  Another of the Parisian fountains that brought water to the overcrowded courtyards and alleys of the Popincourt/Bastoche areas. Built by Molinos under King Louis-Philippe in 1846, people could draw... 

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9.

Palais du Facteur Cheval   Lyon

Palais du Facteur Cheval, Lyon

 2 Reviews  The Palais Idéal du Facteur Cheval in Hauterives in the department of Drôme in central France is my kind of palace. It was built by and for a hard working man as opposed to royalty. This palace was... 

 See All 36 Off The Beaten Path in Lyon

10.

Outside Chamonix Valley   Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

Outside Chamonix Valley, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

 5 Reviews  If you travel in the Alps in the Fall, keep a look-out for signs advertising "Bataille des Reines" (Battle of the Queens). These are cow fights, where naturally agressive and territorial cows (yes,... 

 See All 16 Off The Beaten Path in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

11.

Islands   Cannes

Islands, Cannes

 5 Reviews  The "Iles de Lerins" are two islands just off the coast of Cannes and a regular boat connection goes to both Ile Sainte-Marguarite as Ile Saint-Honorat. Both island are very worth while to go to in... 

 See All 26 Off The Beaten Path in Cannes

12.

Wazemmes Market   Lille

Wazemmes Market, Lille

 2 Reviews  Another thing to do every Sunday morning is the fantastic Wazemme market which is located off rue Leon Gambetta a major road that cuts through the centre of Lille. Make sure you get to the market by... 

 See All 22 Off The Beaten Path in Lille

13.

Inside Toulouse   Toulouse

Inside Toulouse, Toulouse

 16 Reviews  The Maison de l’Occitanie is a sort of cultural and activist centre that strives to protect the Occitan language and culture and to encourage their adoption and reinvigoration by the people of... 

 See All 53 Off The Beaten Path in Toulouse

14.

Museum   Tours

Museum, Tours

 2 Reviews  Aquarium of Turen is the biggest in Europe aquarium of fresh-water fishes. I visited such a big aquarium for the first time. To tell the truth I chosed an excursion to this aquarium because castles... 

 See All 38 Off The Beaten Path in Tours

15.

Galleries & Passages   Paris

Galleries & Passages, Paris

 35 Reviews  Just a block and a half from the Hôtel Louvre Bons Enfants, between rue Croix-des-Petits-Champs and rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, there is an elegant nineteenth-century passage called Galerie Véro-Dodat... 

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16.

Lyon City   Lyon

Lyon City, Lyon

 7 Reviews  One of the few museums we could find, the Miniatures museum is in old lyon. For a nominal fee (we don't even remember what it was!), you can walk through various rooms that hold tiny exhibits --... 

 See All 36 Off The Beaten Path in Lyon

17.

Outside Cannes   Cannes

Outside Cannes, Cannes

 3 Reviews  It was years before I discovered this most beautiful hidden gem just two miles north of Cannes. It takes a little effort to get there - but its worth it ten times over. Take a bus from Cannes centre... 

 See All 26 Off The Beaten Path in Cannes

18.

Citadelle   Lille

Citadelle, Lille

 5 Reviews  Memorial tombstone for a Leon Trulin at the Citadelle park. The tombstone reads 'Here Leon Trumin, died a hero November 8, 1915 at the age of 18. (In the last letter to his mother he wrote) I forgive... 

 See All 22 Off The Beaten Path in Lille

19.

Festivals-Celebrations   Toulouse

Festivals-Celebrations, Toulouse

 4 Reviews  Every year the Garonne invites a stream of the world. After the Ebre, the Nile, the Mekong, the Ganges, the Arno, the Volga, Mississippi, the Rio of the Plata, in June 2003, the Garonne invites the... 

 See All 53 Off The Beaten Path in Toulouse

20.

Parks, Gardens, and Squares   Paris

Parks, Gardens, and Squares, Paris

 186 Reviews   The Luxembourg palace was constructed by Maria Medici after death of her husband Henry the Fourth. She could not get used to an atmosphere of the Louvre and replaced it with an atmosphere of native... 

 See All 1,968 Off The Beaten Path in Paris

21.

La Dombe   Lyon

La Dombe, Lyon

 1 Review  Take the Dombes Lakes Route Tour (by car). Dombes is about 45 minutes drive north of Lyon. The area has thousands of little ponds used for crop, cattle and fish farming. The local government... 

 See All 36 Off The Beaten Path in Lyon

22.

Out of Lille   Lille

Out of Lille, Lille

 2 Reviews  Nord Pas de Calais & Lille do not have to claim to be the crossroads of Europe ! I personally met quite a few persons working in Lille and live in Belgium, or vice-versa. Why not take a nice drive to... 

 See All 22 Off The Beaten Path in Lille

23.

Views on Toulouse.   Toulouse

Views on Toulouse., Toulouse

 4 Reviews   Voici une particularité qui étonne toujours les visiteurs : Toulouse est constamment survolée par des avions qui atterrissent ou decollent de l'aéroport de Toulouse-Blagnac. Les avions passent au... 

 See All 53 Off The Beaten Path in Toulouse

24.

Cemeteries & Other Resting Places   Paris

Cemeteries & Other Resting Places, Paris

 129 Reviews   Père Lachaise cemetery is well-known for a burial place of communars. We came there in memory of fighters for social justice. The cemetries of Paris absorbed all they could. The victims, placed side... 

 See All 1,968 Off The Beaten Path in Paris

25.

Movies and Paris   Paris

Movies and Paris, Paris

 34 Reviews  On the corner of rue des Trois Freres and rue Androuet is the well known ( in Montmartre) grocers, familiarly called "La Maison Collignon", now the "Marché de la Butte". This is the site of the... 

 See All 1,968 Off The Beaten Path in Paris

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

A Monument to the French Resistance

by traveldave

The mountainous area near the Swiss border was a stronghold of the French Resistance during the Second World War. The guerrilla tactics used by the Resistance fighters hampered the German occupation of the area, and helped to turn the tide of the war in France. A monument dedicated to the memory of those who fought for France has been carved out of the rock in the mountains. The words inscribed on the monument, "OÙ JE MEURS RENAÎT LA PATRIE", loosely translate to "Where I die is reborn the homeland."

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Try a bicycle tour of the Loire Valley

by Beausoleil

If you really want to get off the beaten path, get off the highways. The French are in the process of building a bicycle path following the Loire River. It will be 800 kilometers long when it's completed. They had finished 600 km by 2009. It covers the regions Centre and Pays de la Loire and there are 6 cities and more than 20 railroad stations along the path. A quarter of it will be on bicycle-only paths.You can take the train with your bike. Check this web site: www.velo.sncf.comThere are also accommodations for you to rent a bike in one city and drop it in another. There is a way to fit bicycling into almost any vacation plan. It's a bit easier to go from west to east because of the prevailing winds, but it isn't a major concern.There is a complete map of the entire Loire a velo route at the following web site:...

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Annecy

by Maria81

My travels to Annecy:Annecy, even though it is home to one of the most photographed (if not the most photographed) monuments in France often gets overlooked in favour of more touristy locations. I've overlooked it myself on several trips to the region, and only visited when I was staying with my family in Geneva for n-th time. The place is definitely worth more than a quick day-trip from Geneva.What to do in Annecy:Wander around the streets and river/canals to take photographs. Visit the Palais d'Ile (also known as the old prison) - said to be the most photographed monument in France. Take a walk up the hill to the Chateau which was home to the rulers of neighbouring Geneva to see the local museum. Go boating on the lake and visit some of Annecy's smaller churches. Check out some of the smaller local shops or spend an hour or two at the Museum of History of Annecy.

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Rocamadour

by Maria81

My travels to Rocamadour:Rocamadour - an old pilgrimage centre built on a steep hillside - has long been on the list, but we've finally made it there in October 2011 on a weekend driving trip through Lot.What to do in Rocamadour:Admire the amazing views of the town from both above and below, especially if you're a photographer - and especially in autumn when the leaves on the surrounding hills are beginning to change colour. A visit to the Sanctuary, if possible by following the 'staircase of the pilgrims' (although there is a lift if you don't fancy or can't do the hike). A walk along the 14 stations of the Cross. Browsing in local stores for old time souvenirs. Buying local food specialities - foie gras and almond cookies. Trying out local cuisine for lunch or dinner - but, in the words of Basil Fawlty, 'if you don't like duck, you're rather stuck', as duck features heavily on the...

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SOUTERRAIN DE RIQUEVAL

by mtncorg

Running parallel to the St Quentin-Cambrai highway, the Canal de St Quentin disappears into a 3.5 Km tunnel that dates to the time of Napoleon I. During the latter stages of WWI, the tunnel - which had been dried up and used as an underground haven for hospitals, barracks, etc. - was used as an integral part of the German Hindenburg defensive line. Different tunnel escape hatches could allow them to pop up behind would-be attackers, something that American and Australian soldiers would discover to their dismay. Pleasant hikes take off from the south entrance to the tunnel. There is also a museum devoted to the tunnel and the boat traffic which still utilizes it.

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MAGINOT FORT AT LA FERTE

by mtncorg

This fort was known as a petit ouverage meaning it was not a big-gunned fort on the order of Hackenberg, Schoenenberg or other such of the gross ouverage. Located at the western end of the Maginot Line just above the Chiers River north from Stenay, this fort was also located out of supporting range of the artillery of other forts on the line. For this reason, the fort fell to the Germans who were able to envelope and pound the fort. There were two fortified positions linked to each other underground. The westernmost post, Bloc 2 took a direct hit on one of its armored turret cupolas and the bloc was abandoned. German attention swung onto Bloc 1 and as a result of carbon dioxide poisoning from all of the explosions, all 104 defenders were asphyxiated. The fort fell. The men are buried across the road from Bloc 2 in a military cemetery.The fort – at least Bloc 1 – is open to visitors at...

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HAUTE CHEVAUCHEE

by mtncorg

A small road running atop the crest of the Argonne Forest, the Haute Chevauchee is a forest route gives you a good feel for the tough terrain soldiers encountered while fighting for four years amongst these woods. The poignant French military cemetery of La Forestiere and the Argonne Ossuary and Monument – built to commemorate the actions of all Allied troops who fought in this area – are to be found along this quiet back road.

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MONUMENT TO THE BATTLE OF ROCROI

by mtncorg

On 19 May 1643, the Spanish Hapsburg Imperial army of some 27,000 men under the command of Francisco de Melo met the first Spanish battlefield defeat in a century at the hands of 23,000 French troops under the command of Louis Duc d-Enghien – then, only 21 years of age. The Spanish had been laying siege to the nearby fortress town of Rocroi – the fortifications are still worth a visit – when d’Enghien pushed forward to try and relieve the siege before more Spanish reinforcements arrived. The Spanish lost some 15,000 casualties compared to 4,000 for the French, but in recognition that while the Spanish tercios – infantry squares – had been bloodied but not broken, they were allowed to march away with their flags and weapons in hand. This war would drag on until 1659 when the Treaty of the Pyrenees affirmed the end of Spanish hegemony in Europe.

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Les îles Glénan

by Maximilian21

Probabaly an area that most people havnt heard of but is very lovely. situated about 20 km of the south Western shore of Brittany is the The Glenan archipelago. The are a series of rocky islands about 9 in total if i recall. In summer we would take a friends boat and visit the islands. It was always a very pleasant experience and the setting is very beautiful I really recommend a day trip to these islands should you be in Brittany and the Finistere region. There are trips that take you to these islands and you can look at the website for more information

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Our stay with Lina

by Mark&Gloria

When we arrived at the home of Madame Lina De Chivre-Dumond we were dubious because of the appearance of the property. The gardens were overgrown and the path to the door didn't exist really, just a few stepping stones randomly dotted about. The house itself looks very ancient but to be fair it also looked solid. I will refer to Mme. as Lina (more about this later). Lina came into the garden to greet us and to invite us into her home. She was small, slightly built and very sprightly for a lady who we worked out to be about 82. Her English was excellent and she spoke in that wonderful accent the French have when using the English language. She brought us tea and slices of cake made from the various fruits and nuts that had been grown in her garden. It was then I realised my opinion about the garden had been wrong, it wasn't overgrown, it was an orchard growing walnuts, hazelnuts, figs and...

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Off The Beaten Path: Cities in France
  1. Paris Off The Beaten Path
  2. Nice Off The Beaten Path
  3. Lyon Off The Beaten Path
  4. Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Off The Beaten Path
  5. Versailles Off The Beaten Path
  6. Marseille Off The Beaten Path
  7. Cannes Off The Beaten Path
  8. Strasbourg Off The Beaten Path
  9. Lille Off The Beaten Path
  10. Toulouse Off The Beaten Path
  11. Rouen Off The Beaten Path
  12. Aix-en-Provence Off The Beaten Path
  13. Avignon Off The Beaten Path
  14. Grenoble Off The Beaten Path
  15. Bordeaux Off The Beaten Path
  16. Carcassonne Off The Beaten Path
  17. Reims Off The Beaten Path
  18. Lourdes Off The Beaten Path
  19. Antibes Off The Beaten Path
  20. Marne-la-Vallée Off The Beaten Path
  21. Mont Saint Michel Off The Beaten Path
  22. Colmar Off The Beaten Path
  23. Montpellier Off The Beaten Path
  24. Arles Off The Beaten Path
  25. Dijon Off The Beaten Path
  26. Bayeux Off The Beaten Path
  27. Nantes Off The Beaten Path
  28. Annecy Off The Beaten Path
  29. Chartres Off The Beaten Path
  30. Tours Off The Beaten Path
  31. Villefranche-sur-Mer Off The Beaten Path
  32. Menton Off The Beaten Path
  33. Saint-Malo Off The Beaten Path
  34. Nîmes Off The Beaten Path
  35. Éze Off The Beaten Path
  36. Caen Off The Beaten Path
  37. Saint-Tropez Off The Beaten Path
  38. Morzine Off The Beaten Path
  39. Biarritz Off The Beaten Path
  40. Amiens Off The Beaten Path
  41. Honfleur Off The Beaten Path
  42. Boulogne-sur-Mer Off The Beaten Path
  43. Beaune Off The Beaten Path
  44. Nancy Off The Beaten Path
  45. Perpignan Off The Beaten Path
  46. Pau Off The Beaten Path
  47. Angers Off The Beaten Path
  48. Rennes Off The Beaten Path
  49. Amboise Off The Beaten Path
  50. La Rochelle Off The Beaten Path

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Île-de-France Off The Beaten Path  Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Off The Beaten Path  Rhône-Alpes Off The Beaten Path  Languedoc-Roussillon Off The Beaten Path  Basse-Normandie Off The Beaten Path  Bretagne Off The Beaten Path  Aquitaine Off The Beaten Path  Centre Off The Beaten Path  Midi-Pyrénées Off The Beaten Path  Alsace Off The Beaten Path  Nord-Pas-de-Calais Off The Beaten Path  Haute-Normandie Off The Beaten Path  Bourgogne Off The Beaten Path  Pays de la Loire Off The Beaten Path  Picardie Off The Beaten Path  Champagne-Ardenne Off The Beaten Path  Lorraine Off The Beaten Path  Poitou-Charentes Off The Beaten Path 

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  Dear all, Does anyone knows whether it is possible to get a phone sim card in France for use during a short term/traveller stay... 

gwened profile photo

A: get it at any mobile phone provider Bouygues, SFR or Orange. I use Orange. very easy http://agence.orange.fr/search?query=paris&st_like%5BSERVICES%5D%5B%5D=%25 have... 

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