Whatever your taste in coast or countryside activities, there are city breaks in France to suit all tastes! Every French town offers something different in terms of history and heritage, culture and gastronomy. Big hitters like Lyon, Bordeaux and Nice are internationally famous as city break destinations, but smaller cities also merit a detour. Check out Le Mans, Biarritz and Rochefort…
Le Mans – old town, fast cars…
In the early years of the 20th century, this historic town in the Sarthe department was the cradle of motoring innovation, birthplace in 1906 of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest or ACO. In 1923, the club launched a 24-hour endurance race designed to test the capabilities of different models and over a century later, enthusiasts come from across the world to enjoy the atmosphere of Les 24 Heures du Mans in early June and tour the race museum throughout the year.
But Le Mans offers more than just motoring. You never forget your first sight of the city’s spectacular Roman walls, built at the end of the 3rd century AD with round towers and geometric patterns in coloured bricks. Visit in July and August to enjoy Les Nuits des Chimères (wild dreams), a free light show of moving images projected onto the city walls, cathedral and other historic sites.
Head inside those ramparts and the surprises just keep on coming. Le Mans was the home of the Plantagenet dynasty, so called because Geoffrey, Count of Anjou, would plant a spring of broom or genet in his hat as he returned from hunting. In 1126, Geoffrey married Matilda, widow of English king Henry V and granddaughter of William I, first Norman king of England. The Plantagenet dynasty was to embrace two countries and include English monarchs Henry II and his sons Richard the Lionheart and John.
Geoffrey was married and buried in the magnificent Romanesque Cathedral of Saint-Julien, still surrounded today by atmospheric streets that frequently used by film directors. Every street corner in the Cité Plantagenêt brings a new photo moment with its streets of half-timbered houses and hidden squares. Look out for the Maison du Pilier-Rouge with its scarlet corner pillar, now home to the Tourist Office, and step inside the former Royal Palace. Repurposed in the 18th century as the Town Hall, it now also serves as an exhibition space.
Visit over the first weekend in July to catch two spectacular events. A street art festival – the Festival Plein Champ – with interactive fun for families as well as the chance to watch 30 international artists painting in public. And the biennial Le Mans Classic, one of the biggest classic car events in the world with some 8,000 vehicles.
Time to spare? Don’t miss the Royal Abbey of L’Epau, ten minutes from the city centre, last resting place of Bérengère, widow of Richard the Lionheart, and adjacent to the Arche de la Nature, a tranquil area of forest, wetland and nature reserve. lemans-tourisme.com/en
Rochefort – a rich maritime history
The beaches of Charente-Maritime are hard to resist, but just 8km inland from the mouth of the Charente river stands Rochefort, a town steeped in maritime adventure. In the 1660s, ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV charged his right-hand man Jean-Baptiste Colbert with finding a strategic spot for a state-of-the-art dockyard. Tucked round a bend on a tidal waterway and invisible from the open sea, the quiet village of Rochefort ticked all the boxes.
Work began in 1666, the town designed in a grid pattern around a vast central square. What else but Place Colbert? The new dockyards built ships for the royal navy, fully supported by a full complement of craft workshops producing rigging and other essential fittings. Centre stage today is still the Corderie Royale or Royal Ropeworks. Step inside this long, elegant factory for a demonstration of traditional skills.
Step back in time too at the Musée National de la Marine inside the Hôtel des Chausses, former headquarters of the Navy Commander. And visit the exhibition dedicated to the building of Hermione, a replica of the frigate that took the Marquis de La Fayette to North America in 1778 to support George Washington. In 2015, Hermione 2 sailed to America and beyond.
Ships frequently returned to Rochefort with new exotic plants and scientific discoveries. Walk amongst the foliage of the Jardin de la Marine and immerse yourself in the Begonia Conservatory, a legacy from a trip to the West Indies in 1688. Botanist Charles Plumier brought back six small plants, naming them Begonia after his benefactor Michel Bégon, intendant in charge of the king’s new naval base.
One of Rochefort’s most famous adventurers was 19th century naval officer and writer Pierre Loti so make sure to visit his former home, which reopened in 2025 after several years of restoration. This extraordinary town house contains a succession of themed rooms including a Renaissance room, a Turkish salon, a Gothic room and a mosque. The perfect party property, whatever your mood! rochefort-ocean.com/en
Biarrtiz, glitzy beaches, art de vivre
With its heady mix of Belle Epoque and Basque architecture, its chic shops and buzzing surf scene, Biarritz is the seaside resort that literally has something for everyone, tucked away in the far south-west corner of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
I recommend first-time visitors to head straight to the beach and just walk the undulating promenade in either direction. Head north past the Casino behind the Grande Plage towards the lighthouse and the sumptuous Hôtel du Palais, former home of Emperor Napoleon III and his Spanish wife Eugénie who commissioned the summer palace in 1851.
The rich and famous of Europe soon began to build properties of their own as Biarritz grew in popularity and many of their lavish homes still line the streets. And in the early 20th century, Hollywood ‘royalty’ followed along with couture designers catering for a stylish clientele.
South of the Grande Plage, the coast path skirts the old fishing port, the Port des Pêcheurs, with its colourful cottages and quayside restaurants, then winds over the headland to the offshore statue of the Virgin. Erected in 1865 and reached by a footbridge, the high-level walkway offers sweeping views of the coastline.
Step through the Art Deco frontage of the aquarium that faces the Virgin to commune with creatures from the deep, not just from local waters but from the Caribbean and Pacific too. Then drop down into the Vieux Port and on to the wild expanse of the Côte des Basques, the beach for serious surfers.
The sport arrived in Biarritz from California in 1957 with a Hollywood film crew but local residents – les Biarrots – had discovered the joys of sea bathing long before the mid-19th century when Victor Hugo became a devotee. They are big rugby fans too and several former French internationals run businesses in the town. If you cannot get a match ticket, enjoy the full-on atmosphere and good-natured rivalry in any local bar.
For an authentic souvenir, take home some traditional striped Basque linen made into shopping bags, cushion covers and table linen. Or some Basque produce such as cured ham from neighbouring Bayonne or jars of Espelette peppers. Browse the indoor stalls at Les Halles for temptation and inspiration, but be warned, resistance is futile! destination-biarritz.fr/en
By Gillian Thornton, one of the UK’s leading travel writers and a regular writer for The Good Life France Magazine and website.
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