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Gascogne meanders across Southwest France like a particularly well-kept secret. All rolling hills and vine-striped valleys where time moves to a rhythm that would make a metronome weep with envy. There is a kindred relationship to Tuscany: the scenic landscapes, fabulous food and wines, and a long, complex heritage woven into every corner.
Stretching across the Lot-et-Garonne, Gers, and parts of Landes, Gascogne offers something increasingly rare: authenticity that doesn't require a performance. The countryside feels lived-in rather than curated for your viewing pleasure, where working vineyards and walnut groves frame medieval villages that Henri IV would still recognise (assuming he could tear himself away from the local Armagnac).
Auch, the region's capital, anchors a landscape positively bristling with bastide towns and fortified villages. Many have earned recognition among France's 'Les plus beaux villages de France', though one suspects they were rather beautiful before the committee arrived. Nérac, with its Renaissance château, epitomises Gascogne's understated elegance.
This is serious wine country, producing exceptional Côtes de Gascogne whites and Armagnac so fine it makes cognac look rather pedestrian. Local producers welcome visitors as potential converts rather than walking wallets, offering tastings in centuries-old cellars where tradition trumps marketing brochures.
The culinary landscape reflects this same refreshing authenticity. Gascogne gave the world confit de canard and cassoulet. Local markets overflow with Agen prunes and Cazaubon's black truffles.
Perfectly positioned between Bordeaux and Toulouse, Gascogne rewards the curious traveller with that rarest of modern luxuries: genuine discovery and authentic France.
Nothing compares to Paris, the world capital of romance. A sense of joie d’vivre perfumes its streets and avenues, making it a prized destination for centuries of artists, poets, writers, sculptors and philosophers, ranging from Oscar Wilde and Paul Gauguin to Jay Z and Kanye West.
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Built over a century ago by the famous Rothschild family, Megève was the first luxury resort in the Alps and a skiing destination for the French aristocracy.
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If you’re a culture vulture, there’s no doubt you’ve heard of the Cannes Film Festival, the yearly screening series and fête held in a particularly sunny patch of southern France. But don’t stop exploring — this is truly one of the most breathtaking regions in the world.
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No longer the eyesore of Paris’s 10th Arrondissement, the newly renovated Gaîté Lyrique is a pulsating centre of digital art, music and electronics. The original building was constructed in 1862 and was a visual declaration of Napoleon Bonaparte’s showy extravagance. Over the next 100 years it fell into a slow decline.
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Fans of Jeanne Damas can now buy into her brand – literally and figuratively. Baptized ROUJE in 2016, Damas’ line of separates is available online only, but ships worldwide.
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Inspired by the mountains, this timeless fashion and design label was founded in 2021 by brothers Clément and Germain Douillet. The duo works solely with French specialist ateliers to create legacy pieces.
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Whether made from bamboo, walnut, beech, poplar or redwood, these seven ski chosen makers are using innovation, sustainability and tradition to carve out skis that have high performance.
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Perched on the snowy ridge of Aiguille du Goûter overlooking the Chamonix valley, this modernist refuge is the last stop for intrepid climbers ascending Mount Blanc in the French Alps, the highest summit in Western Europe.
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First opened 90-years ago by Dominique Rondini as the first sandal cobbler in Saint-Tropez - back when the likes of the fashion world’s Coco Chanel were gracing France’s favoured Pampelonne beach.
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Billed as ‘clean’ skis, Rōnin take pride in their environmentally friendly production with a method honed over time. What we love is that Rōnin use bio-friendly resins, natural flax fibre grown in France and poplar, beech and bamboo wood that is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.
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Get the insider news and lowdown on what we've been up to, where we've been, and who we've met along the way. Be the first to discover new places and get the scoop on our favourites.