Places to visit in France

Eight stops worth the detour, from Normandy to the Verdon gorge.

Bookmarks

1. Mont-Saint-Michel

   5/5

   Come at rising tide, and outside July–August if you can.

   Le Mont-Saint-Michel, Manche

2. Pont du Gard

   5/5

   A first-century Roman aqueduct; you can swim downstream.

   Vers-Pont-du-Gard, Gard

3. Étretat cliffs

   5/5

   The coastal path at dawn, before the tour buses.

   Étretat, Seine-Maritime

4. Verdon Gorge

   5/5

   The Route des Crêtes, then a pedal boat on Lake Sainte-Croix.

   La Palud-sur-Verdon, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

5. Dune du Pilat

   4/5

   Three hundred sixty feet of sand, the Arguin sandbank below.

   La Teste-de-Buch, Gironde

6. Cité de Carcassonne

   4/5

   Fifty-two towers, restored by Viollet-le-Duc.

   Carcassonne, Aude

7. Château de Chambord

   4/5

   The double-helix staircase alone is worth the trip.

   Chambord, Loir-et-Cher

8. Colmar old town

   4/5

   Little Venice, and the Isenheim Altarpiece at the Unterlinden.

   Colmar, Haut-Rhin