The steep-sided inlets and coves that make up Les Calanques are now part of France’s newest national park.
WHERE: Marseilles is 117 miles/189 km west of Nice. MIRAMAR: Tel 33/4-91-911040; www.bouillabaisse.com. Cost: dinner $138. L’ÉPUISETTE: Tel 33/4-91-521782; www.l-epuissette.com. Cost: dinner $125. CAFÉ DES ÉPICES: Tel 33/4-91-912269; www.cafedesepices.com. Cost: dinner $50. BISTROT D’ÉDOUARD: Tel 33/4-91-711652. Cost: dinner $45. LES ROCHES BLANCHES: Tel 33/4-42-010930; www.roches-blanches-cassis.com. Cost: from $240. BEST TIMES: May–Oct for pleasant weather; mid-Jun–early Jul for the Festivale de Marseilles.
A Village Perched at the Grand Canyon of France
MOUSTIERS AND LES GORGES DU VERDON
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France
A 90-minute drive northwest of Nice along twisting mountain roads leads you to the medieval village of Moustiers-Ste-Marie, high on a limestone cliff at the western entrance of the dramatic Verdon gorge. A fast-moving stream divides the village in two—the sound of rushing waters give Moustiers an Alpine village feel.
Moustiers has been a center for faience (earthenware) since the 17th century, and today its narrow streets are lined with pottery shops. Escape the summer crowds with a steep climb to the 12th-century cliff-top church Notre-Dame-de-Beauvoir for beautiful vistas of the village, the Maire valley, and glacier-blue waters in the gorge below. Suspended above town from a long chain between two cliffs is a mysterious star—put there, according to legend, by a knight returning home from the Crusades.
At the base of the village is La Bastide de Moustiers, one of France’s most special inns, a gourmet retreat in a former master potter’s house and owned by legendary French chef Alain Ducasse. Or, stay in the charming centrally located La Bouscatière, a family-run bed-and-breakfast built into the rock with a fine restaurant and views of the town’s waterfall.
One of the most spectacular natural sights in France is the Gorges du Verdon, considered Europe’s Grand Canyon and a favorite spot for rock-climbing and hiking, rafting and kayaking. Use Castellane, Bauduen, or Ste-Croix-du-Verdon as a center for boating; for hiking, take the 9-mile Martell trail, a popular 9- to 12-hour route with sensational views. Windshield tourists can enjoy it all on a drive around the rim of the gorges on the Route des Cretes.
WHERE: 93 miles/150 km northwest of Nice. LA BASTIDE DE MOUSTIERS: Tel 33/4-92-70-47-47; www.bastide-moustiers.com. Cost: from $275; dinner $80. LA BOUSCATIÉRE: Tel 33/4-92-74-67-67; www.labouscatiere.com. Cost: $185; dinner $45. BEST TIMES: Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct to avoid crowds and for outdoor sports and hiking.
Artistic Havens in the Hills of Provence
ST-PAUL-DE-VENCE AND VENCE
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France
The walled medieval village of St-Paul-de-Vence is a pretty, car-free hill town overlooking rugged hills and valleys high in the backcountry above Cannes (see p. 127). Its pleasures—ramparts, charming narrow streets, rich smells of rosemary, lavender, and pine—endure even when throngs ascend in high season.
St-Paul was a magnet for artists such as Picasso, Braque, Matisse, Chagall, Dubuffet, and Léger in the 1920s, who would gather at the Colombe d’Or. Today the walls of this eclectic hotel and restaurant are lined with their art. Sit by the pool, next to a tiled mural by Braque or a Calder sculpture, or enjoy Provençal dishes in the leafy courtyard decorated with a Lôger mural. The Hôtel Le Saint-Paul sits close by, an enticing stylish hideaway in a converted 16th-century bourgeois home, with terraces overlooking the valley and a restaurant that takes its food seriously.
Art by the masters who lived or worked here is beautifully showcased in the impressive galleries and gardens of the Fondation Maeght. Opened in 1964, it’s considered the richest collection of 20th-century art of any private museum in Europe: Its 40,000 works include more than 50 sculptures by Giacometti, 150 pieces by Miró, and art by Kandinsky, Calder, Matisse, and many others.
The unpretentious village of Vence, with one of the best outdoor markets in the region, was also an artists’ haven—Marc Chagall, who lived here from 1950 until his death in 1985, produced a beautiful mosaic in Vence’s 11th-century cathedral. Matisse created what he felt was his masterpiece in helping design and decorate the Chapelle du Rosaire (known as the Matisse Chapel), considered the greatest ensemble artwork of the 20th century.
Casual luxury and top-flight cuisine reign at the serene Château St-Martin, a stately retreat on the site of a 12th-century crusaders’ fortress with a panoramic terrace and views of the Mediterranean. Gentler prices can be found at Auberge des Seigneurs, in the center of Vence. It has six bright, airy rooms and a popular restaurant specializing in delicious spit-roasted meats.
WHERE: 10 miles/16 km northwest of Cannes. LA COLOMBE D’OR: Tel 33/4-93-328002; www.la-colombe-dor.com. Cost: from $350 (off-peak), from $455 (peak); dinner $75. HÔTEL LE SAINT-PAUL: Tel 33/4-93-326525; www.lesaintpaul.com. Cost: from $350 (off-peak), from $550 (peak). FONDATION MAEGHT: Tel 33/4-93-328163; www.fondation-maeght.com. CHâTEAU ST-MARTIN: Tel 33/4-93-580202; www.chateau-st-martin.com. Cost: from $345 (off-peak), from $565 (peak). AUBERGE DES SEIGNEURS: Tel 33/4-93-580424; www.auberge-seigneurs.com. Cost: from $125; dinner $50. BEST TIMES: May–Oct; Jul–Aug for Nuits de la Courtine outdoor music and theater festival in St-Paul.
A Beautiful Diva on the Sea
VIEUX NICE
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France
On balmy summer nights, the warren of medieval streets of Vieux Nice and its long pedestrian thoroughfare, the Cours Saleya, are abuzz with a mix of young and old, locals and tourists. Although this is the largest city on the Riviera (see p. 128), Vieux Nice (Old Nice) has a small-town ambience. The main food and flower market evokes the colors and scents of the Provençal countryside just outside town. Nibble on socca, the grilled chickpea snack unique to Nice, at Chez René Socca, or choose from 50 flavors of gelato at Fenocchio. Two of the Old Town’s most charming restaurants are tiny, casual Merenda and homey Acchiardo, whose hearty dishes featuring fish, tomatoes, garlic, and olives exemplify Niçoise cuisine. The only hotel in the heart of Old Town, the rustic Villa La Tour, is a modest but pleasant choice with city views from its rooftop garden.
Food aficionados seeking upscale dining head to the acclaimed Le Chantecler in the Hôtel Negresco, an elegant Italianate building west of Vieux Nice that dominates the 4-mile-long seafront Promenade des Anglais. Built in 1912 when Nice was Europe’s most fashionable winter retreat, the Negresco is one of the Riviera’s landmark hotels. Also standing proud on the fabled boulevard, the Palais de la Mediterranée underwent a major interior renovation by the Taittinger Champagne family in 2004 while keeping the Art Deco exterior intact.
For a special escape from Nice, make the 7-mile drive north to the dramatic medieval village of Èze, the highest of Provence’s villages perchés (perched villages). Lunch and dinner at the formal Château de la Chèvre d’Or is served in the hotel’s glass-encased restaurant, with sensational views of the Mediterranean 1,400 feet below. Another contender for an overnight stay is the more intimate and relaxed Château Eza, former residence of Sweden’s Prince William, with dining on the open-air terrace.
WHERE: 19 miles/31 km west of Cannes. MERENDA: no phone; to make a reservation, stop by 4 rue Terrasse. Cost: dinner $80. L’ACCHIARDO: Tel 33/4-93-855116. Cost: dinner $40. VILLA LA TOUR: Tel 33/4-93-800815; www.villa-la-tour.com. Cost: from $75. HÔTEL NEGRESCO: Tel 33/4-93-166400; in the U.S., 800-745-8883; www.hotel-negresco-nice.com. Cost: from $350; dinner at Le Chantecler $130. PALAIS DE LA MEDITERRANÉE: Tel 33/4-92-147700; in the U.S., 800-888-4747; palais.concorde-hotels.com. Cost: from $315 (off-peak), from $495 (peak). CHTEAU DE LA CHÈVRE D’OR: Tel 33/4-92-106666; www.chevredor.com. Cost: from $440; dinner $180. CHTEAU EZA: Tel 33/4-93-411224; www.chateaueza.com. Cost: from $325 (off-peak), from $560 (peak); dinner $150. BEST TIMES: Feb or Mar for Carnival; late Jul for Festival de Jazz.
Excellent Wines and Inspired Cuisine
BEAUJOLAIS AND THE RHÔNE V
ALLEY
Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France
Scenic and unpretentious, Beaujolais is France’s least crowded wine region. Nearly 100 charming wine-producing villages are set among the country’s highest concentration of vineyards. Half the annual yield of 160 million bottles bears the Beaujolais AOC label, but experts laud all 12 appellations here—including Fleurie, Brouilly, Morgan, and Chiroubles—for the quality and value of their light-bodied, fruity reds, though the craze for Beaujolais nouveau is waning from overexpo-sure and poor vintages. Many of the region’s wineries line the RN6 roadway from Mâcon to Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Tourists flock to the medieval hilltop village of Pérouges, whose historic inn, the Hostellerie de Pérouges, overlooks a pretty cobbled square. For more modern-day luxury cross the drawbridge of the meticulously renovated 13th-century Château de Bagnols to a world of opulent fabrics, Renaissance-inspired frescoes, and romantic four-poster beds. Head to Vonnas, near Bourg-en-Bresse, where esteemed chef Georges Blanc holds court; his antiques-laden “traditional-nouvelle” restaurant (where the local Bresse chicken is a specialty) maintains a cellar of more than 130,000 bottles.
The Rhône Valley begins at Lyon (see p. 137), where the Rhône and Saône rivers join. This is the nation’s second largest wine-growing region and also its oldest: Romans planted vines 2,000 years ago. Along the northern valley’s mountainous riverbanks, vineyards of mostly syrah grapes climb steep hills for use in such wines as Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph. Below Valence, toward Avignon (see p. 125) in the southern Rhône Valley, lavender fields and olive, almond, and pear orchards share the gently sloping hillsides with a marvelous variety of red and white grapes, used in blends such as the renowned red of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
In Valence, sample the ultimate French cooking at Restaurant Pic, overseen by Anne-Sophie Pic, the third generation of a family that raised traditional cuisine to a gastronomic art form. You’ll dine in a rich, contemporary setting with a less pricey bistro, Le 7, next door.
Another family gourmet empire lies south of Lyons in Roanne. La Maison Troisgros has topped the world’s best-dining lists for decades. Michel, son of renowned chef Pierre Troisgros, maintains the family legacy of culinary excellence, serving technically perfect dishes in hushed, minimalist surroundings.
WHERE: Mâcon is 209 miles/336 km south of Paris. L’HOSTELLERIE DE PÉROUGES: Tel 33/4-74-610088; www.hostelleriedeperouges.com. Cost: from $175. CHTEAU DE BAGNOLS: Tel 33/4-74-714000; in the U.S., 800-735-2478; www.chateaudebagnols.co.uk. Cost: from $335 (off-peak), $680 (peak). GEORGES BLANC: Tel 33/4-74-509090; in the U.S., 800-735-2478; www.georgesblanc.com. Cost: from $255; dinner $235. PIC: Tel 33/4-75-441532; in the U.S., 800-735-2478; www.pic-valence.fr. Cost: rooms from $415; restaurant prix-fixe dinner $130, bistro dinner $40. MAISON TROISGROS: Tel 33/4-77-716697; www.troisgros.fr. Cost: dinner $255. BEST TIME: Sep for grape harvest.
Year-Round Playground and Top-of-the-World Views
THE FRENCH ALPS
Chamonix, Megève, and Courchevel, Rhône-Alpes, France
Dominated by 15,761-foot Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe, the French Alps and their legendary ski resorts are unsurpassed in Europe. Chamonix is nestled in the center of a 14-mile-long valley at the juncture of France, Italy, and Switzerland, and was the site of the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924. Skiing here can be a challenge even for the best with dramatic vertical drops and Vallée Blanche, at 14 miles the longest and most rugged off-piste ski run in Europe. In the center of town, stay at Auberge du Manoir, a friendly family-run hotel with a spare, country décor, or just outside of town at the refined Hotel Hameau Albert I, where you can choose between the century-old main house and the cluster of rustic guesthouses.
For unmatched panoramic views, take the cable car to Aiguille du Midi or in summer months the drive along the 460-mile Route des Grandes Alpes from Evian to Nice (see p. 133). Or strap on your boots—two of Europe’s most popular hikes leave from here: the Haute Route, a 2-week, 100-mile trek to Zermatt, Switzerland (see p. 281), and the Tour de Mont Blanc, a spectacular 8-day round-trip through France, Italy, and Switzerland.
Chic Megève is perhaps the most romantic and charming of the resorts with its storybook village and horse-drawn carriages. It attracts royalty, old money, and celebrities with one of Europe’s best ski schools, 47 miles of cross-country trails, and access to nearly 300 miles of skiable terrain. Snowfall at this lower-altitude resort can be unreliable, but many come simply to shop or take in the well-known dining and social scene. They check into the Hotel Les Fermes de Marie, a charming enclave of small Alpine buildings, tastefully reconstructed as guest chalets, or its sister property Hotel au Coin du Feu. Linger over lunch next to the slopes with the mink-clad set at L’Alpette, a Megève institution since 1935, or enjoy one of the most praise-worthy meals in town at the Flocons de Sel restaurant.
Courchevel is the most exclusive and expensive of the resorts, host to some events of the 1992 Winter Olympics and one of the highest, best-equipped, and most immaculately groomed ski locations in the French Alps. The four villages making up Courchevel sit at different altitudes at the confluence of three Alpine valleys, Les Trois Vallées. The varied terrain, hundreds of trails, and extensive network of lifts is great for all levels and one of the best ski establishments anywhere. For comfort in high style, stay at La Sivolière, a chalet-style hotel built in the ’70s, tastefully renovated and tucked away near a small forest close to the slopes.
Cable car rides to Aiguille du Midi, part of the Mont Blanc massif, climb to heights of over 12,000 feet.
WHERE: Chamonix is 293 miles/417 km southeast of Paris. AUBERGE DU MANOIR: Tel 33/4-50-53-10-77; www.absolument-montblanc.com. Cost: from $165. HOTEL HAMEAU ALBERT I: Tel 33/4-50-53-05-09; www.hameaualbert.fr. Cost: from $210. HOW: U.S.-based Wilderness Travel offers a 13-day hike of the Haute Route and an 8-day Tour du Mont Blanc. Tel 800-368-2794 or 510-558-2488; www.wildernesstravel.com. Cost: Haute Route from $4,995; Tour du Mont Blanc from $3,695. When: Jun–Sep. FERMES DE MARIE: Tel 33/4-57-747474; www.fermesdemarie.com. Cost: from $195 (off-peak), $670 (peak). HOTEL AU COIN DU FEU: Tel 33/4-50-210495; www.coindufeu.com. Cost: from $275. L’ALPETTE: Tel 33/4-50-210369; www.alpette-megeve.com. Cost: lunch $50. FLOCONS DE SEL: Tel 33/4-50-214999; www.floconsdesel.com. Cost: dinner $140. LA SIVOLIÈRE: Tel 33/4-79-080833; www.hotel-la-sivoliere.com. Cost: from $560.
A Jewel in the French Alps
LAC D’ ANNECY
Rhône-Alpes, France
On the north shore of the pristine Lac d’Annecy sits the picturesque Alpine resort of Annecy, an unspoiled medieval and Renaissance treasure in a region that led Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne to exclaim: “What a superb vestige of times past!”
Today the town is lovingly preserved and welcomes tourists who come to see this “Venice of the Alps.” Snow-capped mountains and forests stand in the distance, while handsome churches, flower-bedecked quayside town houses, and arched pedestrian bridges are reflected in the crystal-clean canals fed by the Thiou River. Wander the streets in Vielle Ville (Old City), lined with half-timbered houses, restaurants, and shops, and visit the hulking 12th-century fort and palace, the Palais de l’Isle, sitting in the middle of a canal—this visual symbol of Annecy has been a mint, law courts, and a prison over the years. Nearby the small Hotel du Palais de l’Isle has a contemporary feel just steps away from the canal.
Ten square miles in area, Lake Annecy is known as a playground for wind-surfing, kayaking, and swimming; a boat tour or a drive along its shores, lined with pretty villages and towns, is a must. Stop at the charming port of Talloires south of Annecy, where you’ll find a beacon in the French gastronomic world, the Auberge du Père Bise. A hotel-restaurant in a 1901 chalet decorated in an Art Deco style, it has been family-run for generations, and today is headed by Sophie Bise, one of France’s most esteemed female chefs. The nearby grand Hotel de l’Abbaye de Talloires, once a Benedictine abbey, has been welcoming visitor
s since the French Revolution and is decorated in Empire style, with rich tapestries and high beamed ceilings.
WHERE: 20 miles/34 km west of Geneva. HOTEL DU PALAIS: Tel 33/4-50-458687. www.palaisannecy.com. Cost: from $150. PÈRE BISE: Tel 33/4-50-607201; in the U.S., tel 800-735-2478; www.perebise.com. Cost: from $375; dinner $160. When: mid-Feb–mid-Dec. L’ABBAYE DE TALLOIRES: Tel 33/4-50-607733; www.abbaye-talloires.com. Cost: from $275. BEST TIMES: antiques market on last Sat of every month; early Aug for fireworks display celebrating the lake; mid-Aug for classical music festival.
Bouchons, Brasseries, and Bocuse
LYON’S FOOD SCENE
Lyon, Rhône-Alpes, France
Lyon sits between Paris and the Mediterranean near the Burgundy and Beaujolais regions with the Alps and Italy not far away—a location that helps explain why it has more restaurants per square mile (more than 2,000 in all) than any other European city except Paris.
The silk trade flourished here in the 15th and 16th centuries and left behind Europe’s largest collection of Renaissance architecture in the historic quarter called Vieux Lyon (Old Lyons), where covered passageways (traboules) linked buildings and courtyards and were used as shortcuts by tradesmen carrying valuable fabrics. Today it is a passion for food, not textiles, that defines France’s third largest city, and dozens of bustling food markets fill the city, none greater than Les Halles de Lyon.
A peninsula between the Saône and Rhône rivers, the Presqu’ile is the city’s more modern core, filled with 19th-century architecture, museums, fashionable shops, the city opera house, and a handful of small bouchons—traditional, homey brasseries that once dished up hearty fare for tradesmen and workers. The archetypal Café des Fédérations offers good charcuterie dishes and sawdust on the floor. Paying homage to the bouchon tradition, renowned chef Jean-Paul Lacombe transformed his award-winning Léon de Lyon restaurant into the more relaxed Brasserie Léon de Lyon.
1,000 Places to See Before You Die Page 23