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France

The discovery of France would take a lifetime, so rich and varied is its heritage in terms of culture, history, gastronomy and landscape. As you get to know it better, you realise how the different regions retain their strong individual identity, with distinctive cuisine, architecture, accents and customs. The regions we love most are those which the French themselves call la France profonde – unspoiled and remote-feeling.

From the high mountains to rolling vineyards

France ’s landscapes range from the snow-capped Alps to the fertile, gently rolling hills of Gascony, and from the Mediterranean scenery of Provence to the green valleys and rugged mountains of the Atlantic Pyrenees and Auvergne. In the heart of France, the great rivers – Dordogne, Loire, Aveyron, Lot and Tarn – meander past medieval villages, fields of sunflowers and hill-top châteaux. This is a land steeped in history, whose every monument has a story to tell, from the seemingly inaccessible Cathar fortresses in the Corbières to the remarkable Pont du Gard in Roman Provence. For dramatic Alpine splendour choose to walk through the Aravis or Chablais Alps, or head for rugged Corsica for a complete contrast.

Traditions & a strong regional character

A region’s character is often expressed in local traditions that continue as they have done for centuries. Stop in a Breton village and you might chance upon a religious festival with participants wearing traditional dress; in the Mediterranean Pyrenees, villages fly the Catalan flag and dance the sardana, the national dance. Every region has its own unique traditions, its own enchantment. Wherever you go, our family-run hotels offer a warm, individual welcome and cuisine with distinctive regional flavours. Accompany this with a delicious local wine: a dry, fruity rosé from Provence, a plum-flavoured Bergerac red, or a refreshing Banyuls dessert wine from French Catalonia.

Our walking holidays & destinations

> Scented Hills of the South - Provence
> The Timeless South-West - Dordogne, Gascony, Tarn, Lot, Corbières & Cévennes
> Coast & Vineyards - Loire, Brittany & Catalonia
> The Great Mountains - Pyrenees, Alps & Massif Central
> In the Mediterranean - Corsica

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