CAMPING GUIDE 2023


before hunting down one of the city’s famed sweet treats, the small canelé cake. Over in the Landes, you’ll


fruits de mer lunch and watch the world go by. From there, pop over to the idyllic Île de Ré, super for a relaxing (and fl at!) bike ride and a spot of oyster tasting. For a watery break with a difference, head inland to the Deux-Sèvres department, home to the Marais Poitevin, a network of tranquil waterways just waiting to be explored by boat.


Kids love to discover the wonders of prehistory and the Dordogne Valley is blessed with amazing relics. Lascaux Cave, with its astonishing paintings, is located near Montignac. Follow the snaking path of the mighty river and you will also spot riverside castles and


troglodyte houses carved into the sheer rock faces. It is just 30 minutes from Sarlat-la- Canéda, which is as pretty as a picture. Visit on market day and don’t forget to try some


144 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Feb/Mar 2023


of its famous goose and duck dishes. Meanwhile, Bergerac is another real charmer in Périgord – explore its labyrinth of quaint streets and squares before heading to Place Pélissière for lunch, and to spot the statue of Cyrano de Bergerac. Among the must-see villages for wine lovers in Gironde is Saint-Émilion, home to the fi rst vineyard listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site (in 1999) as well as the largest monolithic church in Europe. Wine tasting options are aplenty too, of course! Gironde’s capital is Bordeaux, a beautiful, elegant city which is home to the magnifi que Cité du Vin museum – it will teach you everything you need to know about wine history and winemaking. Make the most of your time in the city with a quayside bike ride en famille


fi nd the pine Forêt des Landes, the largest in Europe with plenty of wonderful campsites, from big, family- friendly affairs to smaller, more intimate hideaways; or venture into the rolling hills and sunfl ower fi elds of Lot-et-Garonne – a department dotted with bastides and castles and a great river tourism scene. Nestling up against the Spanish border you’ll fi nd the Pyrénées-Atlantiques (home to classy and historic Pau, with its spectacular views of the Pyrenees) offering holidaymakers everything from hiking in the mountains to relaxing by the coast (Biarritz!) to exploring the numerous pretty villages in Béarn and Pays Basque. Limousin, to the north of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, is one of the most sparsely populated areas of France and the leisurely tourist will enjoy meandering through its perfectly preserved medieval towns and villages, not least the original Plus Beau Village, Collonges-la-Rouge, with its red-sandstone buildings If it’s culture you’re after, departmental capital Limoges is famous as a centre for fi ne porcelain (it remains the gold standard for tableware) and enamelware and so


much more besides. Further information Nouvelle-Aquitaine tourist board www.nouvelle-aquitaine- tourisme.com/en


PROVENCE-ALPES- CÔTE D’AZUR


Snazzy seaside resorts, gorgeous hilltop villages and


diverse landscapes make this southern region endlessly appealing.


The sun-kissed Mediterranean coastline and stunning Provençal landscapes set further inland have drawn canny campers for decades. The nigh-on guaranteed great weather from spring to early autumn means that long, hot days can be spent on the beach, by the pool, exploring pretty villages, eating outside and indulging in all manner of activities such as watersports, cycling and hiking – without fear of downpours ruining your best-laid plans.


No trip to Provence and the Med is complete without browsing the colourful weekly markets at most towns and villages – fresh fruit and fl owers bring central squares to life in dazzling style. Why not head out into the countryside and let the lavender fi elds soothe the soul with their perfume-fi lled, purple-hued perfection?


Blowsy mimosa blooms at Bormes-les-Mimosas in the Var department


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