offbeat france Starts Here!

Welcome to Offbeat France, where travel meets history. Whether you're exploring iconic villages or underrated cities, I'll help you understand the stories behind the places - the humans who shaped them, the context that makes them meaningful. Plus all the practical details to plan your trip.

Hello and welcome!

If you're here, it's probably because you love France and want to know even more about us.

While this site has plenty of information for the first-time visitor, if you're a seasoned francophile, you'll discover plenty as you flip through all the stories you'll find here – stories about people, lifestyles, destinations, major landmarks, legends, culture, history, foods...

But before we get started, here's a peek at my view, a glorious sunrise seen from my office window: I (and Leo, one of my six cats, two dogs and four chickens) overlook the Rhône River, in the hilly rural valley that lies somewhere between Annecy and Lyon...

Quick Jump To +/-

How to navigate this site

• By era 
• By destination
• By culture

Practical tips for your France visit

And a bit about this site's owner, Moi

How to navigate this site

There are several ways you can find information on Offbeat France, and since I don't want to lose you down a rabbit hole, I'll try to organize things for you a bit.

By era: Historical travel

On the historical travel page, you can explore France by historical period, from prehistoric caves to WWII memorials. Each era links to sites you can visit and the stories that make them meaningful.

• Prehistory, with its magnificent caves
• The Roman epoch, with its many ruins
• The French Revolution
• Napoleon Bonaparte and the Second Empire
• The Belle Epoque
• The modern era and General de Gaulle

These are a few examples and there are many more, but it's a start.

By destination

Whether you want iconic cities or hidden villages, you'll find guides organized by region.

Offbeat destinations: those which are less frequented by international visitors

Popular destinations: those places most people want to see when they visit.

• Paris
• Provence and southern France
• The Loire Valley
• Normandy
• Lyon
• Southwestern France
• Lake Geneva and the Alps

And if you like your travels organized, you can have an overview of France

• by region
• by department

By culture

French life, traditions, handicrafts, and gastronomy – the cultural context that makes travel richer.

• Is this the last glover-maker in Grenoble?
• The salt harvesters of Guérande
• 7 surprising Basque products made by hand
• What exactly does "escargot" mean?

Practical tips for your France visit

A trip to France requires planning, and I didn't leave that out.

Planning your trip, which includes plenty of tips about traveling to and in my country:

• What's the best way to get around France?
• When should I visit? The best seasons to visit France
• How much should I tip in a restaurant?
• How to plan the ultimate France itinerary
• Knowing the best time to visit France

What you'll find on this site

My goal is to set you off on a journey of discovery: of stories behind the scenes, unlikely places, or unfamiliar foods.

I hope to make you gaze in wonder, but also to laugh out loud because (contrary to popular belief) we DO have a (slight) sense of humor.

You may or may not appreciate mine, but you'll be subjected to it nonetheless.

And now, it's time for another lovely photo, this time of lavender. Can't you just smell those rows?

The lavender fields around the Senanque Abbey in the Lubéron region may well be in the top 10 places to visit in France - but did you know that the abbey contains a fabulous library with a collection of books on Provence, French history, religious architecture and historical novels? It's a wonderful place to hide away and discover...

A bit about this site's owner, Moi

Why should you believe a single word I say?

Because:

1. I'm French.
2. I live in France.
3. I'm passionate about my country.
4. I spend every spare moment traveling, exploring, discovering it.
5. I shall smother you in meringue and macarons if you don't!

I was born in Paris but spent most of my youth abroad. I returned in my thirties and have since had a home base on the edge of southeastern France, in the foothills of the Jura Mountains, a half hour's drive from the Swiss border.

Mine is a rural area, typical of that deepest, often forgotten France, even though it is this country's backbone (and has more cowbells than honking horns).

This is a France of rolling hills and cooperative tractors and of neighbors who know each other's business because, far from many government services, we often have to call on one another for help. 

For example, in winter, my minuscule mountain road can imprison me for days. But my farmer neighbor usually spots my predicament and trundles down with his tractor to clear a path for me.

And that's what neighbors are for!

That doesn't mean I don't appreciate the city – on the contrary, I am absolutely a city girl! I have a direct train to Geneva in Switzerland, and my nearest French towns are Annecy (which many of us believe might be France's prettiest) and Lyon, which I've adopted as my own and is just over an hour by train. This is where I go to get my urban fix whenever the cows and chickens become overwhelming. (You can read more about me here.)

Please stay in touch!

I mean it! I love hearing from you so don't be shy:

• I'm active on Instagram and Facebook
• I send out a weekly newsletter, Beyond the Baguette
  
• You can email me – I actually read them all and reply, with delays, because I have a very busy staff (me, myself and I)

There are many ways to stay in touch, so... please do!

And a final little gift from me, in case they're of use – a few free resources I've put together that you might like.