Some websites and blogs have suggested the following cities are underrated by many people: Avignon, Bordeaux, Montpelier, Aix en Provence, Orleans, Dijon and Lyon.
Which would you choose to visit? Are there any other underrated/ignored gems out there that you%26#39;d recommend to a culture vulture who isn%26#39;t really into wine? How long would you spend in each of the cities or regions? Which ones would you skip?
Thanks for any of your input!
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The first stop for a culture vulture in France has to be Paris for a wide-ranging collection of museums. I find that museums and galleries in other cities are often more specialist / limited in what they have to show.
That said, try asking for more info on the individual forums for the cities you%26#39;re interested in, or check their tourist websites: http://www.tourisme.fr/recherche/e_index.htm for links.
I don%26#39;t know which gems are on the %26#39;rated%26#39; list, but you could also consider Lille (European Capital of Culture 2004) and Albi, particularly if the Toulouse-Lautrec musuem is finally renovated - the cathedral is well worth seeing too.
This is an old article, but might also provide ideas to research: diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/article-imprim.php3…
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Thanks for the links.
I have visited Paris quite a few times, and have seen most of the museums that make it into the guidebooks. I will be vistiting Paris again at the beginning of my stay in France, but I%26#39;d be interested if anyone could recommend places they have enjoyed visiting.
On past trips, I%26#39;ve enjoyed visiting Reims, Nancy, Metz and Strasbourg and I%26#39;d love to hear about other mid-sized to large cities (other than Paris) that have a lot to offer culturally (gastronomically, architecturally, historically, artisticly, etc.)
I do spend a fair amount of time reading general guidebooks and travel websites, so what I would really like to hear is what would you would recommend, based on your own travels to an area that is frequently missed (but shouldn%26#39;t be missed) by many travellers to France.
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Hi phoenikia,
We are staying just outside of Avignon at the moment and I must say it%26#39;s a stunningly beautiful city, well worth a whole day of sightseeing. The huge papal palace dominates the town which is otherwise full of quaint narrow streets. We have been to Avignon before so this time I passed on the tour of the palace (My husband took the tour and said there were a lot of empty rooms and the audioguide was very dry) and took a tram tour through the town instead. Not something I usually do but we had our grandsons with us and it was more interesting for them. However, I would recommend the tour, which takes about 40 minutes, as a good way to orient yourself and decide what to go back to. It%26#39;s also very much worth it to walk out onto the bridge (the audioguide is exhaustive!) for the spectacular view of the town you get.
There%26#39;s a lot to see in the area around Avignon, especially the Pont du Gard, Arles and the amphitheater in Nimes, so if I were planning a tour I would allocate at least three days.
Sharon
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The cities you mention are pretty different to me: some are little towns, such as Avignon, some are large vibrant cities, such as Bordeaux and Lyon.
Lyon is really worth visiting. It is a beautiful town, with a rich history as Lyon has been settled in the roman times. The whole city center is a UNESCO Heritage Site. The Renaissance district is just amazing. OK I do live there, but I think that having 2 rivers in the town gives a very special charm. Strolling along the rivers banks are just great, Rhône banks have been recently redevelopped.
Lyon is also famous for its gastronomy. It is a walkable town but the public transportation is also very good.
The close region is also very nice. From Lyon you could very easily go and visit Avignon (a one hour train ride only with the TGV), or Annecy in the Alps, also very nice, have a look:
www.lac-annecy.com/gb/albumphoto/index.php
May I suggest that you simply browse the Lyon forum on TA, you will find a lot of information and recommendations, aslo get links to interesting websites (to the silk history and workshops for instance).
If you confirm your plans, I will be happy to help further!
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Thank you for your suggestions, only-lyon and living-in-germany!
You%26#39;ve convinced me- I%26#39;m going to start my visit by flying into Lyon, and then head to Avignon, then onwards to Nimes, Nice, haven%26#39;t quite figured out where else yet, or how long.
Thanks for the inspiration!
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Glad to hear about your decision, will be happy to help with further enquiries if necessary!
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I prefer smaller cities (of the ones you mentioned I loved Dijon - a lot more to see than Avignon in my experience) but if I were a mid-cities person, I would definitely go to Lyon.
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