The French countryside is perfect for a family trip: with sandy beaches, quaint villages and rolling landscapes just waiting to be explored. So why not get back to nature and spend this summer exploring rural Normandy and Provence….
The Calanques; Provence
Spanning the 20km between Marseilles and Cassis, the Massif des Calanques forms one of France’s most breathtaking stretches of coastline. The Calanques are creeks, formed where the towering chalk cliffs plunge to the sea. En-Vau is the prettiest and one of the more accessible – a mere 90-minute walk from the nearest Cassis car park- although there are plenty of other miniscule white sand inlets waiting to be explored. The Calanques is a protected area and is the perfect place to hike, kayak or cycle your way across the rugged rural landscape.
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Pays d’Auge; Normandy
Stretching north to the Côte Fleurie, bisected by the River Touques, Pays d’Auge perfectly encapsulates the distinctive charms of Normandy. From endless orchards of apples and pears, thatched houses and half-timbered manors to fat cows and farmhouses selling cider and cheese, this rural region of France has lots to offer. Pay a visit to the Camembert Museum for a taste of the local cheese, explore the delightful selection of villages – Beuvron-en-Auge and Lisieux being two of the best – or visit the enchanting Château St-Germain-de-Livet and the romantic Manoir de Coupesarte.
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The Camargue; Provence
The Camargue delta is a magical part of rural France; you’ll find pink flamingos, white horses and Europe’s only cowboys galloping across the flat land. It’s a 200,000-acre area of lagoons, salt-flats and marshes, rich in wildlife and perfect for exploring by bike. A good place to start your visit is the Ginès Information Centre and next door is the Parc Ornithologique du Pont-de-Gau – two acres of beautiful bird park. To really get away from it all, take a trip to Plage de Beauduc – the beach at the end of the world – or visit Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer for a glimpse of a traditional seaside village.
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Alpes-de-Haute-Provence; Provence
One of the highest and wildest parts of France, the Alpes-de-Hautes-Provence is relatively undiscovered and still has a very rural way of life. The Durance River and its tributaries – such as the Verdon – cut spectacular gorges through the limestone rock, adding to the breathtaking views of this beautiful part of France. The area is a great place for trying a range of sports from white-water canoeing and hang-gliding, to high-country walking. Or, the town of Castellane is an ideal base for starting a drive through the canyon; wind your way through towering walls of rock before stopping for lunch at the awe-inspiring Point Sublime.
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Giverny; Normandy
Traveling through rural France in April 1883, the great Impressionist painter Claude Monet first saw Giverny from a train window and it was love at first site. He soon moved here and planted his beautiful garden so that he could paint in every season. A great way to explore the local countryside is by bike: rent one from the town of Vernon and then cycle to the Fondation Claude Monet to spend the day wandering around the gardens and Monet’s house. The nearby Musée d’Art Américain is also worth a visit for its collection of nineteenth century American impressionist paintings.
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