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.
