18 Ideas on Where To Spend a Weekend In the French Countryside

If you want to move away from crowds, noise, fuss and pollution of the city, you’re making the right choice by going to the French countryside for a weekend. There are many activities there, and you will be able to try out some regional dishes. Here are some propositions which we hope will give you some ideas.

 

Pays de Salers

If you want to leave the city to find a verdant countryside in the Cantal, in Auvergne (15), this is the place to go. This charming and quiet place will surely please you, as is the case with the numerous activities you can do there.

For those who enjoy high altitudes, look for the Puy Mary. It is Europe’s oldest volcano and ascending it is appreciated by many of hikers going through the region.

For the hikers who don’t like ascensions, you can try the Montagnoune, a trail that may be flat, but that you will very much like it if you wish to watch the landscape. It is perfect if you want to go on a walk during your weekend in the countryside.

Visit the castle of Anjony, an old fort lost in the middle of the Auvergne countryside.

Finally, you can enjoy the cultural and culinary wonders of the region. Visit the Maison de la Salers, which is about the Salers breed of cow. When visiting the Salers village, which has its place in the 100 most beautiful French villages, you will be able to enjoy the regional food: Salers cheese, Salers meat, Salers crackers and biscuits…

You’re in the countryside, so you will have easy access to houses that you can rent. Moreover, they will be in quiet places of the region.

 

Ainhoa

Deep inside the Basque Country, very near the Spanish border and on the trails leading to Saint-Jacques de Compostela there is a small village which is deemed to be among France’s most beautiful villages: Ainhoa.

This traditional Basque village was built for pilgrims in the 13th century by the monks of the region.

The village is appreciated for its church and its hiking trails which lead to many places of interest in the region.

If you feel like crossing the Spanish border on foot, you can easily do so. You will be able to continue or end your walk further in Spain.

During the weekend, you will be able to discover the village and its traditional Basque shops. You can also spend your time hiking the hilly trails.

 

Aveyron

Aveyron is one of the most popular rural places in France, whether you’re visiting with your family, your friends or even for a romantic stay.

Whether it is summer or winter, the Aubrac plateau is the perfect place for all the fresh air you need.  You can go skiing or hiking:  you can spend your energy while looking at the natural wonders the region offers.

You can also go to the Gorges of the Tarn:  you will enjoy kayaking and rafting there, or you can stick to hiking. There are wonderful landscapes as well as gorgeous ancient villages, troglodyte and perched fortresses.

 

The Creuse Region

During the weekend, go and enjoy the Creuse Region’s heritage and landscapes.  You can visit The Boussac Castle and Sainte Anne Church to see what the region’s heritage is like. You can even visit Guéret’s Museum of Art and Archaeology to enjoy the culture this region has to offer.

Among other things, you can go to the gorgeous natural landscapes of the region in the Natural Regional Park of Millevaches, or the Vassivière lake.  There is even a spa city in Évaux-les-Bains.

Don’t forget to visit Guéret, the largest city in the area: its historical heritage is very interesting.

 

Gers

Do you want to spend some time in a quiet place? Then you go to the Gers.

Peace and quiet are the most enjoyed aspects of the region since it’s one of the rare French departments not to have highways passing through it.

Most of the interesting points of the Gers are castles, cathedrals and old forts which you are welcome to visit.

These include the castle of Lectoure and the Cathedral of Auch which will highlight the beauty of the countryside and the charm of the cities.

 

Cévennes National Park

Among peaceful places of nature, there is the Cévennes National Park. There are some rocky highlands, large forests and valleys which will satisfy your need for some fresh air.

You will have plenty of time and space to enjoy the natural beauty of the Occitanie region.

 

The Ardèche

The Ardèche is a quiet place as well. People come here to enjoy nature, during summer as well as winter.

The relief of the terrain and the numerous bodies of water make kayaking a very suitable sport for the region.

If you like prehistoric times, you must visit the Chauvet Caverns. These are accurate reenactments of prehistoric caverns that are more than 36 000 years old. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which acts as a surprising travel back in time you should experience.

If you’re only interested in hiking and admiring the landscapes, you can go up the Mont Gerbier de Jonc. It is known to be easy to walk, and once you get up there (1550m. / 5085 ft. ), offers a breathtaking view. From here, you will have an amazing view on the volcanic lands, or you can also watch an extraordinary sunrise.

After this, you can visit the Peaugres Safari. It is the biggest zoo in the region, and it is dedicated to preserving endangered species. You will see all sorts of animals. It is a good idea, for instance, if you want to spend a weekend with children.

 

The Camargue

The Camargue is a region of southern France which is known to be charming for more than its rural beauty. You can catch a glimpse of all the wonders this region has to offer during a weekend.

You will have plenty of choice when you choose where to enjoy the fauna and flora of the Camargue.

You can take advantage of 13 000 hectares (50 sq. miles) of the Regional Park of Camargue to watch hundreds of species of birds, which include flamingos, and a large amount of Camargue horses.

As the name says, the Parc Ornithologique du Pont de Gau is a park where you can see a lot of birds. With its seven kilometers (4.3 miles) trails, you can watch, photograph and even listen to a very diverse bird population inhabiting the region.

The landscapes can seem surprisingly exotic. There are a lot of beaches, like the Piemanson beach. It is always a pleasure to hike or swim here.

 

The Jura

This hilly region of France will surely please those who love hiking and enjoy verdant, peaceful landscapes.

There are many trails you can hike on which everybody will be able to enjoy: some take a few hours, and the longest ones can take several days.

If you feel like walking to Switzerland, a neighboring country which Jura is very close to, you can. That way you will enjoy marvelous landscapes during winter as well as summer. Moreover, you can spend a lot of energy and enjoy some fresh air.

 

Sologne

It isn’t a very famous weekend or holiday resort, but it has some really enjoyable activities.

First of all, there are numerous ponds giving the landscapes an unusual touch. It also makes Sologne an ideal place to take a walk during your weekend, with your family or even with your friends.

You can also see some rare species of birds inhabiting these bodies of water.

Moreover, you can stick to visiting castles and other interesting monuments. There is Francis I of France’s famous, gorgeous Chambord Castle. The one in Blois is also worth visiting.

 

The Vosges

This eastern region of France is as enjoyable during winter as it is during summer. Ski and hiking lovers will be happy here.

Health resorts (spas) are to be enjoyed here, such as the ones in Bains-Les-Bains, Vittel or Contrexéville.

Moreover, 4000 km (2500 miles) of trails are there for you to discover the region by foot, no matter the season.

You can also take your bike for the weekend and take the “green trails” of the Vosges where you will be able to discover the landscapes at a faster pace.

If the weather is nice, you can sunbathe or swim in the numerous watercourses the region has to offer: the Bouzey lake (website in French), Gérardmer Lake and the Saut du Bouchot (in French as well).

 

Normandy

Normandy is a verdant region which has many points of interest, including its beaches which have an interesting historical past.

In the region, we find many nature reserves like the one in Vauville, or the national reserve of Tourbière de Mathon. (website in French)

During the weekend, you can make a small detour with one of the most famous places of Normandy with the cliffs of Etretat.

Several lodgings are available in Normandy’s countryside for you to have a place to rest for the weekend.

 

Fontainebleau

This city is well known for its wonderful, impressive castle. There are also nice places in the countryside here, around the Fontainebleau forest.

You can either spend your weekend visiting the castle or take long walks in the forest to see the Gorges of Apremont and Flanchard, see the Evées pond, which is also the biggest one. You can also enjoy the activities at the Bois-le-Roi leisure center.

 

Haute-Savoie

If the thing you need the most is some fresh air, go to the Savoy Alps for a weekend.

You will be able to enjoy the Vallon de Bédard natural reserve and the Massif des Aiguilles Rouges. Here, you get a fair variety of hiking trails among landscapes rich in both fauna and flora.

During your weekend in the Mont Blanc mountain range, you can find a lot of traditional chalets located in Vallorcine to restore some of your energy. It usually offers a gorgeous view on the mountainous landscape.

 

Hautes-Pyrénées

The other large mountain range in France offers as many wonders as the Alps. It indeed contains a unique fauna and flora which are awesome to observe.

The hiking trails will lead you to interesting places, such as the Ôo Lake, the Bouillouses Lake and a wonderful nature reserve called Néouvielle.

If you are looking to spend your energy with sports during your weekend, a lot of watercourses and streams enable you to raft. The reliefs also give the possibility to go canyoning.

You can also try paragliding in the Louron Valley. Making a slow descent from a few kilometers of altitude, you’ll have all the time you need to watch the landscapes of the Pyrenees from up there.

 

The Puy de Dôme

It has a lot of relief, but it is appreciated for its natural beauty.

First of all, you can enjoy a lot of watercourses, most of them having a volcanic origin like the Lake Bouchet. A lot of them are suitable for outdoor recreation such as the Chambon Lake. You can take a rest in Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, a nice little village on a lakeside.

If you want a fair dose of fresh highlands air, the region contains a lot of relief thanks to its past volcanic activity. You can climb the well-known Puy-de-Dôme, giving a unique view on all the surrounding relief. For the same experience, you can walk the Monts du Cantal which offers a nice view as well.

The Gorges du Tarn or the Gorges de la Loire also have splendid points of view, without needing to climb something.

The mountain range also has a historical heritage which you can enjoy: there are many old, medieval villages you can visit. You will feel frozen in time and in a distant era.

 

Bay of the Somme

The region of Picardie isn’t famous for its quiet places in the countryside, but they sure are enjoyable if you come here to rest for the weekend.

First of all, you can rent a lodging not far from the Bay of the Somme. This will enable you to enjoy a walk on the beach not far from where you stay.

Many parks are open if you want to take a walk, such as the Oise Pays-de-France Regional Nature Park, or the Saint-Gobain forest. The Somme contains many interesting natural points of interest such as the Valley of the Somme.

You can visit a fair number of abbeys in the region, sometimes in a perfect state or as remains, like the ones in Valloires with its gardens (website in French), the one of Ourscamp or Vauclair (also in French). The most famous of the region is the royal abbey of Chaalis. (in French)

 

Natural regional parks of Armorique

It’s a nice part of Britany which is as rich in history as is its natural beauty.

It is easy to find some kind of lodging or campgrounds in a quiet place in the region.

You can visit the Armorique natural regional park. Here we can see a lot of diverse landscapes meeting each other: forest, verdant places of nature, cliffs and beaches which give a sharp but beautiful transition between coastal, forest and mountainous landscapes.

Besides seeing unusual landscapes at the Cap Fréhel or the Pointe du Raz,  you will feel like you are minuscule in between these huge rock formations shaping the French coast. You will then be ready to go home after enjoying fresh air from the forests or the sea.