France is a beautiful country with 18 administrative regions—13 metropolitan (i.e., European France) and 5 overseas regions, each with a regional council. These regions have significant transportation, infrastructure, economic development, tourism, and education responsibilities.
People often confuse that France is just a European country, but no, it is not just European. Still, a country spans twelve time zones and thirteen when daylight saving is observed, which is more than any other country.
Regions have substantial responsibilities in transportation, infrastructure, economic development, tourism, and education (supply of lycées). Since these powers were transferred to them in 1981, regions have typically worked hard to build a regional character.
1. Hauts de France
Pas de Calais, Nord, and Picardy constitute France’s northern region. Lille is the region’s capital, home to the stunning Opal Coastal seashores, picturesque landscapes, and several WWI and WWII landmarks. It’s not a wine country, but it is a beer country!
It is the closest territory to the United Kingdom, separated by the English Channel at its narrowest point. Tgv (Calais Frethun), Eurotunnel, or ship are all options for getting there.
2. Normandy (Normandie)
Upland and bottom Normandy were once divisions of Normandy. This territory is characterized by beaches, farmland, fruit orchards, and old towns. It is famed for its gastronomy, which includes butter, cheese (the most well-known of which is Camembert), and cider. The most famous site is Mont Saint-Michel, a medieval island city, but there’s plenty more to adore, from Honfleur to Monet’s Park in Giverny.
Normandy is renowned for its cheese and oysters but also makes wine. Although it is not a recognized winemaking area in France, it is nonetheless valid. It’s so obscure that Normandy has just a single winery! Les Arpents du Soleil (Sun Fields) has resurrected its vineyards and now produces four varietals of red and white wines.
3. Brittany (Bretagne)
Brittany, located in northwestern France, is well-known for its sandy beaches and beautiful small villages. Brittany’s coast is the most popular among beachgoers.
Brittany’s landscape is lush and verdant, with charming cottages and towns. Cider and Breton pancakes are only two of its culinary highlights. Ships run directly from the south of the UK to Brittany.
Brittany is home to France’s most significant collections of ancient and prehistoric sites and is visually stunning. Ancient ruins are abundant throughout this historically rich area. The northern section can be breezy; however, the southern part is warmer, with exceptionally hot days on the south shore sometimes.
If you enjoy being outside, you might enjoy this area. Much of Brittany’s seaside sections, particularly in Finistère (literally as “the end of the planet”), are generally plain and stony and bordered by mountains, making it simple to promenade along and then hike if desired.
La Pointe du Raz is considered one of the nicest sites in the area. It marks the westernmost point of the Sivan peninsula, which juts into the Iroise Sea, which meets the Atlantic Ocean. The scenery is beautiful, the trek is straightforward, and you’ll find a charming watchtower.
4. Île-de-France
Ile-de-France, with Paris at its heart, receives the most tourists of any area, owing to attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. It also accommodates Disney Europe and several major castles, including Versailles and Vaux-le-Vicomte. Two major international airports and a train service are going straight to Paris.
This region, centered on the French capital, Paris, may very well be regarded as the nucleus of French gastronomic activities, particularly if we limit it to Paris.
5. Centre-Val de Loire
The magnificent Loire Valley, nicknamed the Valley of the Kings, is in central France. It is where the rulers’ rural castles were constructed. Plan a prolonged vacation in the Loire Valley parallel to châteaux-hopping because, let’s admit it, this area is breathtaking.
You can completely submerge yourself in the fairy tale scenery, lease a motorbike, or embark on a strolling trip. In addition, the gastronomy throughout the Loire seems to be outstanding. It’s also a wine region with renowned Loire wineries. The country is easily accessible by rapid rail from Paris, but it is also ideal for exploring by vehicle or motorbike.
With enchanting fortresses, boundless grapevine fields, and verdant scenery, the Loire Valley is not just a wine lover’s dream but a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a location with a vastly different temperature.
6. Pays de la Loire
The Pays de la Loire is among France’s most undervalued places. Its gorgeous scenery includes the lovely west shores of the Loire-Atlantique and the lush Vendée department. It is the home of Le Mans, and the capital, Nantes, is only two hours away by train from Paris.
7. Nouvelle-Aquitaine
The historic regions of Limousin, Poitou-Charentes, and Aquitaine combine to create France’s largest superregion. Dordogne, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Limoges, wines, the seaside, and landscapes—this region has everything you can desire for a French vacation.
I have two words for you: foie gras. If you’re a vegetarian, duck or goose liver isn’t something you’d want to taste, but it is perfect for people who eat meat and want to treat themselves in posh French restaurants. This cuisine (foie gras) comes from the Aquitaine area and is their finest and most popular food.
8. Grand Est
Champagne-Ardenne, Lorraine, and Alsace amalgamated to form the east superregion Grand Est, and what a diverse terrain it is. There are wineries everywhere: ancient cities, spectacular landscapes, highlands, waterways, and breathtaking scenery.
Champagne is easily accessible via Calais; Reims is only a short distance away by vehicle. Major airports and rapid railways connect the urban centres, such as Strasbourg.
9. Burgundy-Franche-Comté (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté)
There would be no prizes for predicting that the erstwhile Burgundy region amalgamated with Franche-Comté to establish a new area. Vineyards, the Alps, fantastic towns such as Dijon and Besancon, chateaux galore, and incredibly stunning landscapes make this a remarkable place that travellers curiously overlook.
Commuter trains connect it to metropolitan areas. Apart from wine, escargot is a traditional dish in this region. Farming here mostly focuses on dairy goods, with a large cheese making and winemaking. Timber and furniture manufacturing are two significant sectors.
Bourgogne is well recognized for its vibrant geography, yielding mainly red and white wines. In France, Bourgogne has the most categorizations (officially defined and safeguarded wine regions). The area is the birthplace of both grapes and has gradually improved its cultivars from strong to powerful.
Burgundy is the birthplace of Epoisses, a renowned cleaned rind cheese. Epoisses are brushed in salt and liquor, which enhances the taste, provides the crust with an amber hue, and preserves the cheese hard.
Touring Beaune, the old capital of Bourgogne before Dijon, is a must to sip a selection of the world’s foremost wines, absorb this culture, and discover the land’s essence. This also is one of the most intriguing areas to visit wineries since the Bourgogne area stays true to its heritage by upholding the hundreds of years of winemaking procedures that made it so popular in the first place.
10. Occitanie
Another large super region, previously known as Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées, and France’s southern region (excluding Corsica). Toulouse, Carcassonne, Nimes, Albi, and Montpellier are fantastic destinations to explore, and multiple international airports are nearby for convenience.
11. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
France’s Auvergne Rhône Alpes regions converged to form a large area in the southeast. Hilly and famous for skiing and snowboarding, it is also home to the French side of Mont Blanc and even the culinary capital of Lyon.
The Rhône Valley in southeastern France, with its milder climate and neighbouring Rhône River, provides an ideal habitat for France’s greatest wine production. This lush region is home to several classic red wines created with grapes.
12. Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur
The most frequented of the French regions from outside Ile-de-France due to its many tourist spots – Provence, Marseille, Nice, and the Coastline, to mention a few. Travelling by flight or rail is simple; even the region is ideal for exploring by bicycle or automobile.
International flights and quick railway services are readily available. Provence is complemented by quince and aioli. Undoubtedly, this area is famed for numerous cuisines, but for sauce admirers (and all items drowned in sauces), nothing beats tasting aioli in its homeland. Aioli is garlicky mayo brought straight from heaven overhead.
The Luberon region (found in the centre of the Provence area) comprises the most characteristic landscape of pastoral Provence, with apparently infinite lavender gardens, verdant olive trees, sloping vineyards, and lovely medieval mountaintop towns studded with focal-length cottages.
13. Corsica
Corsica attracts around three million tourists yearly because of its bright environment and unique terrain. It is claimed to have Europe’s greatest beachfront, cultural attractions, distinctive food, and hilly terrain. You may get there by boat or plane from continental France. Bastia in the north and Bonifacio in the southeast are two places to explore.
Due to the dramatic topographical variations, the island is easily divided into north and south.
To Finish Off
You’ll notice that France offers something for everyone regarding regions, sites, and excellent food. It is a symbolic destination and one of the most visited nations in the world. It’s stunning. Some tourists like to see this traditional European attraction, although Paris is just not France, and France isn’t Paris.
Last Updated on July 11, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty
