FRENCH ACTIVITY GUIDE 2017


Clockwise from top left: Parc le Bournat’s old-fashioned ferris wheel; a view of the French Alps in Morzine; France is full of wine-tasting and food tours


France also has an excellent selection of woodland trails, owing to the vast forests that make up around 30% of its land. Perhaps the most legendary greenway lies west of Rennes, Brittany, in Paimpont. Also known as Brocéliande, this is said to be the forest of King Arthur. Steeped in myth, the area is home to Merlin’s ‘tomb’, the ‘fountain of eternal youth’ and ‘Le Chêne à Guillotin’, an ancient oak named after the priest who supposedly hid inside its trunk during the French Revolution. As far as appearances go, Paimpont forest is every bit as magical as legend suggests. Soaring, moss-covered deciduous trees form a high canopy, while below, tangles of roots, streams and lakes paint a fairytale picture. Among the greenery, a charred trunk painted gold marks


the Valley of No Return – said to be where Morgan le Fay imprisoned unfaithful men. Arguably the area’s most popular walking route, it covers roughly 5km if you set off from the nearby village of Tréhorenteuc and makes for a fascinating (albeit fairly short) wander. Pulling away from languid waterside and woodland paths, there are also options for those living life in the fast lane. Mountain biking combines speedy travel with breath-taking views impossible to appreciate from ground level. Home both to the Alps and Pyrenees mountain ranges, France offers a spectacular choice of terrain for this exhilarating pastime. It’s an area of expertise for Alpine French School, which sometimes pairs its language courses with mountain biking


trips. There’s plenty of opportunity to freeride, explore dedicated spaces with jumps and rock drops; as well as cross- country voyages across rocky switchbacks, singletracks, exposed high Alpine routes and gentler journeys in stunning valleys. Meanwhile, downhill mountain bikers can take a ski lift up to dizzy heights to relish steep technical descents.


Another company offering Alpine escapes is Chalets1066, whisking customers away to the village of Les Gets. This area features 650km of marked tracks, 24 ski lifts open all summer and 13 interconnected mountain resorts, making it a veritable biking paradise. There’s plenty of scope to relax as well, with spacious self-catered


accommodation including two, three and four-bedroom chalets


and apartments. Chalets1066 can also arrange qualified guides for beginners, ensuring a stress-free and memorable experience. Whether you set out for adventure on two wheels or on foot, la campagne Française will tempt you back again and again with beautiful trails already blazed as well as those still waiting to be discovered.


BOATING


Boating holidays are an opportunity to unwind and indulge in slow, picturesque journeys. If you’ve ever piloted your own vessel, you’ll know the incomparable joy of river navigation – manoeuvring through locks, lazing on a sun-soaked deck and relishing freedom rarely found elsewhere. France is host to a number of waterways, from famous


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IMAGES © CRT BRETAGNE, MORZINE TOURIST OFFICE, ELKIE NG


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