Three Cities to Visit in France (Besides Paris)

Paris is almost on everyone’s bucket list. If you haven’t been, you want to go. If you’ve been, you likely want to go back. Though I can’t deny the magic of Paris, I think France has so much more to offer. To be honest, I love so many places in France that I could have written a “Ten Cities to Visit in France” list. For your sake (and mine!), I decided to stick to three.

Marseille

I was honestly surprised by how much I loved the city of Marseille. Before I left for three months in Europe, I asked my French professor for a list of cities in France to visit. He gave me 20. I don’t know why, but Marseille caught my eye. The city is right on the Mediterranean Sea, and the views are phenomenal (especially if you huff and puff (or is that just me?) up to the Basilique de Notre Dame de la Garde. The view from the top of the cathedral is breathtaking). 

Then there’s the calanques. I had never heard of the Marseille calanques before, but I am so glad we hiked to them. I could have sat there for hours and admired the view of the formations. To top it all off, we took a boat ride to the Chateau d’If, made famous by Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo. Unlike Edmond Dantès, no one ever escaped the prison, but it is worth seeing for the history and the views.

See: Basilique de Notre Dame de la Garde, Marseille calanques, Chateau d’If (boat ride from Marseile’s Vieux Port).

Strasbourg

Strasbourg instantly captured my heart. This adorable city on the border of France and Germany is a great blend of the two cultures and is a place I would want to visit again and again. (Especially during Christmas time for the Christmas market!)

The Notre Dame de Strasbourg is a towering presence as one of the tallest gothic cathedrals in the world. The inside is just as beautiful as the outside, and an astronomical clock showcases an animation of the apostles every day at 12:30 p.m. (€1 to see the animation, €4.40 to enter the cathedral). You can also climb 300 steps to the cathedral platform for magnificent views of the Black Forest. (€3)

The must-see for me in Strasbourg is La Petite France.  With its cobblestone streets and beautiful medieval buildings, La Petite France was such a cute place for us to shop, eat, and just stroll along the riverside.

See: Notre Dame de Strasbourg, La Petite France, Rue Rohan (by the cathedral, for lots of shops and restaurants. This is also where the Christmas market is held during the winter.)

Annecy

It was so hard for me to pick the third city for this post. There’s the foodie heaven of Lyon, the gorgeous French Riveria city of Nice, and Dijon, famous for Dijon mustard. I feel like the city of Annecy isn’t talked about as often as the others so I wanted to talk about my love for this beautiful city nestled in the French Alps.

Annecy has so much to see and do, but one of my favorite things was just to take a stroll by Lac d’Annecy. The lake offers so many water sports and boat rides, but I was mostly impressed by its beauty. With crystal clear water and views of the French Alps, Chris and I spent hours relaxing by the water.

We also loved exploring the lovely La Vieille Ville (the old city) area, the Chateau d’Annecy, and the romantic Pont des Amours (Lovers’ Bridge)

See: Lac d’Annecy, La Vieille Ville, Chateau d’Annecy, Pont des Amours.