If you are looking for a green and calm destination, you will find your happiness in France, rich in terroirs and countrysides. Stroll in the Ardèche woods or on the Route de la noix du Périgord, meet the animals in the Perche or the Aube, get a breath of fresh air in Ariège or the Basque Country, History in the Meuse, poetry in Burgundy, there is no shortage of destinations for a total disconnection far from the crowds. Here are our favorites for going to the countryside in France:
1-Nature and architecture in Perche
Located between Chartres and Le Mans, just 1.5 hours from Paris, Perche is a preserved Norman jewel. The destination promises a bucolic getaway through its green fields, rivers, forests and gentle hills. At the bend in a country road or a walking path, you can admire an authentic heritage rich in large old farm buildings, churches decorated with frescoes and hundreds of manors bearing witness to the Renaissance. Among its architectural treasures, the fortified farm of the Grand’Maison in Meaucé is worth a look for its moats and its drawbridge dating from the 12th century.
2- The farms of Aube
Aube, in Champagne, also gives pride of place to the terroir. Between lands, vineyards and farms, it is a perfect destination to go to the countryside in France. Here, the collective “Terres et vignes” which aims to promote agriculture and viticulture, allows the general public to discover the behind the scenes of the agricultural world of Aube. Many events and open days of farms and cellars are thus organized throughout the year.
3-In the footsteps of Joan of Arc in the Meuse
If, for you, terroir rhymes with History, the Vaucouleurs region, in the Meuse, will bring you total satisfaction. It offers the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Joan of Arc in the heart of the Lorraine countryside. You will be able to discover Vaucouleurs and its key sites: the Porte de France crossed by Joan of Arc on her departure, the castle chapel and its stained glass windows, its original crypt and its statue of Notre-Dame des Voûtes in front of which Jeannette (as she was called here) meditated.
4- The Lamartine road in Burgundy
Poetry lovers will appreciate, further south, the Route Lamartine, a bucolic itinerary dedicated to the poet, writer and politician of the same name. Situated between two rivers, the Saône and the Loire, Southern Burgundy offers the luxury of taking your time and escaping between castles, abbeys, charming villages and landscapes that inspired the poet.
In Mâcon, Lamartine’s birthplace, you can visit the space dedicated to him at the Ursuline Museum. Then, head to the Val Lamartinien which, over some sixty kilometers, is full of architectural gems in the countryside: the Château de Monceau in Prissé, the “Pavillon des Girondins” a place of meditation and writing for Lamartine, the Château de Berzé-le-Châtel, Lamartine’s house in Milly-Lamartine, the Château de Pierreclos or that of Saint-Point and, in Bussières, the church, the tombstone, the hill of Monsard.
5- Free as the air in Ariège
If you like wide open spaces, hiking, greenery, fresh air, mountain walks, discovering flora and fauna, then the Ariège-Pyrénées destination is made for you! Thanks to its Regional Natural Park of the Ariège Pyrenees which occupies 40% of its territory, this high place of green tourism is ideal for going to the countryside in France.
Here, nature reigns supreme. The Ariège-Pyrénées, Mont-Valier and Orlu nature reserves bear witness to this, as do the many natural sites adorned with waterfalls, gorges, lakes, fountains and even glacial cirques !
6- The Basque Hinterland
Also mountainous, the Basque hinterland, and more particularly the Larla massif, in Lower Navarre, offers a land of traditions and history in the heart of nature. This rural destination, of agriculture and especially of livestock breeding promises a total escape about fifty kilometers from the Atlantic Coast.
Perched at an altitude of 700 m, the summit of the Pic de Larla offers a magnificent view of the mountains and villages of the Basque Country where you can go on beautiful hikes amidst green landscapes colored by sheep and wild horses.
7- The Périgord walnut route
The Walnut Route, in the heart of nature, reveals the majestic walnut tree and the riches of the land. Local markets, local restaurants, oil mills, museums, walnut farms, food artisans, will help you discover all the secrets of the Périgord Walnut and the history of the people who live from it. Hills, chestnut trees, groves of holm oaks and pine forests enhance your green stay in the Périgord Noir…
8- The Païolive wood in Ardèche
Want to escape to a mysterious, geological and magical world ? Destination the south of Ardèche and more precisely the Païolive wood, located in the towns of Vans, Banne and Berrias-Casteljau, only about twenty minutes from the starting point of the famous gorges…
