A well-connected northern suburb of Paris, Saint-Ouen is famed for its flea market: The Marché aux Puces is absolutely gigantic, running on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, hosting thousands of stalls …
Northwest of Paris, Colombes is a suburb with easy access to the centre. All around Colombes there are reminders of the industry that engulfed the area in the 19th and …
In the foothills of the Vosges, Épinal is a historic town noted for its printing pedigree: There are workshops here that mass produced colourful woodcut and lithographic prints for hundreds …
Up to the year 1678 when it was annexed by France, Maubeuge had been sacked and looted an amazing 20 times. So once the town was under French control Maubeuge …
Divided by the River Vienne, Châtellerault is a quiet town with more going on than meets the eye. On the right bank is a historic quarter of Renaissance townhouses where …
On the northwest coast of Reunion, Le Port is the island’s main harbour. As ports go it’s unique in France as the only one to include an industrial port, naval …
On the leeward side of Reunion, Saint-Leu is a somewhere to get in touch with the island’s abundant nature. There’s a sanctuary for sea turtles, a botanical conservatory and rocky …
The small town of Armentières is right on the Belgian border, 15 minutes from Lille and just 20 minutes from the Belgian city of Ypres. If you’d like to keep …
The Auvergne region’s second largest town is an endearing medieval settlement on the banks of the Cher. Looking out over Montluçon from a hilltop is the regal Château des Ducs …
At the confluence of the Oise and Seine Rivers, Conflans-Sainte-Honorine is only half an hour from Paris by train, but things move much slower in this town. At a sedate …
