THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES IN FRANCE
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THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES IN FRANCE : GARGILESSE (visited with children)
France is a beautiful country. A country of contrast and diversity. Travelling through France is not just discovering cosmopolitan cities and mediaeval villages. Visiting France is also tasting its regional cuisine, drinking the region's wines, talking to the people who are always friendly and ready to help foreigners.
Travelling with small children, however, can be a very different experience. As many parents sadly know, with small children one can not sit in the lovely cafes to see the "life go by" and absorb the ambiance. With young children it is always go and one only gets to see the most relevant things of a place and eat Mac Donalds. Other times, however, it is thanks to the little devils that we discover little jewels.
Travelling with our five year old princess and three year old hooligan we have discovered some of the most beautiful villages in France. Pushing prams, go-chairs, carrying nappies and picnic bags is more our "travel style". Sleeping in camping sites rather than 4 o 5 star hotels where our "darlings" would cause disrepair. Eating picnics and fast food rather than five course meals in fancy restaurants... that is us!
Thankfully leaving in the centre of France it is never too far to take a couple of days off to discover a new place. For example, just 15 minutes from where we leave, there is a gorgeous artist's village: Gargilesse.
Gargilesse
Gargilesse is a romantic little village perched on top a hill. A village inhabited by artists of all sorts: artisans, sculptors, wood-crafters, leather crafters, ironmongers, painters and poets. It is in Gargilesse that the famous French writer George Sand came when she wanted peace, she had a little house in here, her refuge, now a small museum that can be visited for a small fee.
Gargilesse is dominated by its castle and church hidden on top of an ever green hill. The houses are grouped around the XIth century church, from there the views are outstanding. My daughter loves this place as it is small and looks as if taken from a fairy tale. In here she can run freely and admire both the castle and the river running under. The children always love to go to the creperie where they can have an ice cream while we have a "kir" which is white wine flavoured to your taste with violets, raspberries,or rose liqueur. The crepes in here are also superb. One of my favourite starters is the salad with Gargilesse cheese. A very simple dish of lettuce and toasted bread with the most mouth-watering grilled goat's cheese on top. To follow, I always fall for a salty "cheese" crepe and of course, greedy as I am I take a crepe for desert. Here I can never decide, the choice is ample and deliciously mouth-melting, pears and chocolate, honey, grand Marnier, just sugar and lemon juice, apple puree, apples in caramel... you name it, they will have it.
If you are daring enough you can also walk down to the river and dip your toes there or just sit and watch the children play in the water.
There are several festivals during the year in Gargilesse. In May, there is a flower and farm market where you can stock with all types of geraniums for you flower beds and delicious cheese, honey, and seasonal vegetables. In August there is an Arp festival, followed in September by a book festival. An of course all year round you can visit the crafters and the creperie for an indulgent treat.
Must-sees and must-dos...
The castle
The Romanesque church
George Sand's house
The creperie
French Castles
- Castles in Central France
The Indre area : The department of Indre in Central France corresponds to the old province of Bas Berry. In this area the majority of castles were built during the XV century, although there are a few...
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France (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
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France - Lonely Planet Travel Guide (NEW)
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The Rough Guide to France 10 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) Rough Guides
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FRANCE - A MENU GUIDE FOR TRAVELERS : An indispensable
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Other Beautiful French Villages
- Saint Gaultier
Saint Gaultier, a small village on the banks of the river Creuse, was one of many fortified villages in France. In the town centre, among relatively new buildings, the village has many ancient towers and streets dating back to 1500. - Eguzon
Each October the village of Eguzon in Central France celebrates the fair of the apple and chestnut. A fair that takes you back to village life in rural France. - Tranzault
The village of Tranzault in Central France, comes lo live every October during its "Pumpkins and rare vegetables fair" - Bonnu
Bonnu is a very small village in the middle of France. Uusually a very quiet village, except for the third Sunday in October when the Witchcraft festival takes place. - Carcassonne
Carcassonne, best known as a mediaeval fortified town, is located in the South West of France, in the Aude department. - La Souterraine, Fromental and a Dolmen
La Souterraine is located North of the Limousin area in France. It is a small town with over 5000 habitants. We arrived there one day almost by accident, during a sunny, wintry day.
Travel France: The Hubtrails
- My Visit to the Louvre; Paris, France
I decided I would walk from Fouquets on the Champs Elysees boulevard to the grand Palace of the Muses, the magnificent Musee de Louvre. - 2 years ago
- Europe: Hubtrail Capstone
Hubpages now has a collective body of writers sharing their expertise and experiences of destinations around the world. - 21 months ago
- France travel Guide
I have gathered here the best articles in HubPages about France. - 21 months ago
- Mediaeval towns: Carcassonne
Did you ever dream about being a Princess in an enchanted castle when you were a little girl? - 4 years ago
- Sitting in a Park Outside of Paris, France |Parc de Sceaux
Parc de Sceaux is one of the most beautiful parks in one of the most beautiful countries, France. - 2 years ago
Travel guides
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France (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
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France - Lonely Planet Travel Guide (NEW)
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The Rough Guide to France 10 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) Rough Guides
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FRANCE - A MENU GUIDE FOR TRAVELERS : An indispensable
Current Bid: $8.60
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DK Eyewitness Travel Guides France (2003, Paperback, Revised)
Current Bid: $10.00
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France (Eyewitness Travel Guides) Roger Williams, Robin Gauldie
Current Bid: $7.24
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The Best of World Travel from HubPages
- Hub Trail Travel Guide
The Best of World Travel from HubPages
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Like Paul, this is being added to my list of places to visit. The photos are beautiful.
I visited Paris and drove through eastern France years ago when I was in Europe with the Air Force. It was beautiful and I have always wanted to return. After reading your Hub I REALLY want to visit again soon. Great Hub and great photos.
Hi Chuck, you should reallly come back to Europe. I think that France is one of my favorite countries followed only by Italy. And just when you think that you have seen it... you discover something new: a place, a vineyard, an atraction park, a newly open castle.... you mention it and I am sure you'll find it here!
Gorgeous photos. When the dollar is better, France will be on my list of places to go.
Seamus: France will be always worth your dollars!
It is true, just when you think you've seen it all in France, you see something else. Have you been to St Jean de Luz near the border with Spain?
Just a beautiful Hub.
I so much look forward to one day, walking the same streets and doing much of what you have suggested and shared here. I am with the kids on the creperie.
tDMg
LdsNana-AskMormon
francetales: I va not been there yet. We have passed by several times but have not stopped there yet... looking forwards to!
Lds Nana-AskMormon: I hope one day you can come across and visit these places. You might just find me in one of those creperies :)
Hi Princessa! I had a wonderful time visiting France. I also fell in love with Brugge, Belgium. I've vowed to go live there some day. Thanks for helping me go in my mind.
You are welcome Christoph, I hope you come back soon to try our delicious truffles.
BTW, I loved your hub on truffles, my mouth is still watering !
That's is a wonderful place I had ever seen. Thanks for your hub.
ryanenglish: France is full of little charming villages full of surprises.
I have visited many lovely places in France, mainly in the Sud Ouest, like St Pierre de Caubel, Montastruc, Monclar. My late brother Chris lived in a centuries-old mill called Moulin de Madone. Love France! Great hub. Thanks
tonymac: thanks for the visit, I a glad you enjoyed visiting France. There is always a place to discover around here :)
Wrong. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - I live in Nice and a town that you definitely can't place next to beautiful, however ajoining villages which can fall into this category and to name one of the best is a place called Villefranche Sur Mer - On a warm Summers evening you feel you are stepping back in time. Take a long evening stroll and you can walk around the most expensive real estate per sq meter in Europe - St Jean de Cap Ferrat. Grimaud, Eze Village, Grasse to a certain extent are also stunning and definitely ones to visit after you have done your "tourist musts" to St Tropez with over the top prices for a cup of coffee or a "biere de pression" - so this article is a little biased. Venture out to the coast and to warmer regions and you will always come across "The Most Beautiful Villages in France"
i like french toast
What an awesome HubPage! I'd love to go to France!
I love your pictures!
I stayed near Argenton some years back, a beautiful area, But so is most of France!
Thanks for the visit and comments.
Gypsy, that is "my" village :)
Does this bring back memories. We've been to many of the villages your describe. Thanks for sharing this.
Best,
nice places to visit.
good work
Nice work on the Hub. I like the views around the chateaux.
All the pictures are lovely. The photographer is particularly drawn to the fortified towns of southwestern France and the hill top villages. It's nice places to visit.
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That was really fascinating :) I always dreamed of fairy tales, and I think that France will make my dream come true (to live in a castle). This is such a beautiful hub!
Hi Princessa,
I fell in love with your hub straight away. I went to France and saw Paris and all the little villages when I was 24. I was so in love with Paris. I just love the photos that you have of the central parts of France, especially Eguzon, where I went through and saw the "Apple and Chestnut Fair. We didn't know what was happening at first because we arrived there in the night, but it was all explained to us. The villages on top of the little hills are very quaint, aren't they ? It is all just amazing how you have put it together. BB
Wonderful writing. Lovely photography.
I am really happy you all like this. It is not easy to put in words the beauty of the place or to capture the magic of the scenary in photos. You really need to visit -like some of you have already done- to understand how pretty it is around here.
I like the pictures of you best. :)
I love France. It is a larger country than many people realise, with lots to see and do ~ and many beautiful towns and villages.
We have taken our children since they were tiny ~ and yes, it was then more often a case of MacDonalds that haute cuisine, but we always enjoyed ourselves.
Our boys loved visiting 'Robin Hood's castle' ~ ie Carcassonne. And being a historian, with a passion for the medieval period, I loved it too!
France is certainly a beautiful country I hope to visit one day. A friend just showed me pics from her latest trip, just amazing.
Beautiful pictures. I would love to go there.
Great Hub, I could have read more, France is great, you capture its beauty well in both word and picture, I went to Paris for Valentines, they are very up beat people - very impressive country....and the food....Oh la la
Awesome pix!
I would love to visit France.
Just found some good holiday packages on http://www.southalltravel.co.uk
This is such a beautiful hub!
very beautiful villas. I liked all the picture.I'll go there someday. good work.
Love Paris but do need to get outside to the real countryside and this hub has great suggestions for seeing this beautiful country.
So many places, so many choices - would probably vote for Sarlat in the Dordogne or something really different like Conques in the Aveyron.
I was so in love with Paris. I just love the photos that you have of the central parts of France,
I think France is one of the most beautiful places too. When I went on a European trip, I thought of France as the most anticipated part of that trip. I was never disappointed.
yes that may be true but you have the most beautiful hubs in the entire world!
signed, Maurice Chevalier
A lovely village in the north of France is Montreuil-sur-Mer. It's perfectly placed for anyone making a short visit to France from UK as it's quite close to the ferry and chunnel ports, but just far enough away to avoid crowds. There are some fine restaurants and a good choice of hotels, considering the size if the town.
Trish_M: I find France an ideal place to visit with children to show them the natural and historical beauties of Europe. Children just love visiting castles and living their fairytales!
daisyjae, Torry, prasetio and lovely paper: I hope you can come and visit one day.
theirishobserver: Paris, the city of love and gastronomic delights!
hypnosis4u2: Yes, there is a lot more than Paris to France, and the more you see of it, the more you want to discover.
David: those are places I haven't visited yet... on my list "to see".
Ira: Central France is often an undiscovered area, even by the Parisians, and maybe that is why it is so unspoiled and lovely.
adorababy: I was born in South America and always dreamt with visiting France. Like you I was not dissapointed, all the opposite, I fell in love with it!
Maurice: thank you for such a nice compliment :)
London-paris: That is another village I still have to visit. There is so much to see in here...
Now Feeling like to visit this small and beautiful village. France is really favorite destination for tourist and it has something for everyone ranging from world class architectural buildings, sun kissed beaches, monuments, museums, bountiful eating out places, restaurants, clubs, great shopping areas and vibrant nightlife. one more information that I want to share that traveling in France is more easier now due to high-speed Eurostar Train.It will takes you from one country to other within hours. Eurostar train is the high-speed Passenger train connecting UK to Mainland Europe. Its speed of 186mph admires everyone and you can travel for London to Paris within 2hr 15min. Eurostar train has more than 100 connections in Europe. So visit Europe and Specially France always fascinating me.
Great hub, loved the photos. France is truly magical. I have written a hub on my trip to Albi. Thanks for all this lovely information!
so interesting
Such a lovely little village. I always love those lovely villages in France, Germany, Holland and neighbouring countries... I can take countless photos of them !
France is one of the most favorite tourist destinations in Europe.Paris, Lille, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Nice and many other tourist destinations in France, which attracts million of visitors across the world. You will find very cooperative and friendly people out there in this charming country.I would suggest that if you really want to explore any country, then go for France. Here you will find everything ranging from beaches, museums to unrivalled nightlife and great shopping areas. And now you can easily explore the beautiful European destinations by hi speed Eurostar train. what you required if you can reach from one country to another country within hours. It will take hardly 2hr 15min from London to Paris and 1hr 20 min from London to Lille. Moreover the Journey is most convenient and hasselfree through Eurostar train.I would suggest that don't miss to explore European destinations, which are packed with something for everyone.
This seems to be a wonderful place. The pictures you have used are so beautiful.
Awesome pics. Beauty of nature and Art of Construction.
I wished to to visit these beautiful places
Good Hub!!!!
France is one of the great country, which is terrifically famous for its beauty and diversity. The information like, Gargilesse is a romantic little village perched on top a hill. A village inhabited by artists of all sorts: artisans, sculptors, wood-crafters, leather crafters, ironmongers, painters and poets, immeasurably useful for travelers. Thanks a lot for sharing and keep on hubbing.
Beautiful pics, terrific hub, great series!
Lovely pictures. They definitely make me want to travel there!
What an absolutely beautiful place!!! How awesome that the new owners are willing to let others enjoy their space too:):)
Great article. I will try to visit this place in the summer (but I am not sure). I encourage you to read my hub about the Polish village.
Amazing resource!! Charities are benefiting more and more from social networking and this article really accentuates that.
I did a search on the topic and found most people will agree with your blog. treadmill -
love your hub ! been to france a few times , Stayed near Nemours ? for a week , driven through France, worked near Toulise ? for a month , visited Carcasone , love France & will come back.
I Like this!
Fantastic photos, I would love to visit France.
Hi there! I really love reading your blog today! Keep making great posts and I will come back every day to keep reading!
these are really nice, and you wrote them even more nicely cheers for so much creativity.
Wow! They are really beautiful as if they were in a "once upon a time" story plot and settings. Great hub.
really nice. one must visit these places if he is visiting to France.
nice collections!!!
Added "Gargilesse" in my "must visit place" list. Excellent hub. :)
Great pics and a great place to visit, no - make that a great place to live. Thanks for sharing! Someday I will make my way there! Voted Up and Beautiful!
Not far from us at Videix (other side of Limoges). I must make a point of visiting this village. Looks wonderful.
Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive read something like this before. So good to search out anyone with some authentic thoughts on this subject. realy thank you for starting this up. this web site is one thing that is wanted on the web, someone with just a little originality. useful job for bringing one thing new to the internet!
Paul Edmondson Level 4 Commenter 4 years ago
This seems like a wonderful place to visit. I'm putting it on my list of places to go!