We all know that France is a beautiful country, but I never knew France had so many gems! Last summer my husband and I did a road trip through the South of France.
All the places we had visited during our trip were amazing, but I want to highlight a few hidden gems that really made our road trip a 10+.
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Gorges du Verdon
When I saw a photo of these beautiful canyons and green water on Instagram, I never believed that this place was in France! I couldn’t believe it. All these years and I’ve never heard or saw anything about this place. How is this possible? This was enough reason for me to visit this place.
Gorges du Verdon is a river canyon with a length of 25 km with canyons that are 700m high. It’s the biggest canyon in Europe. It’s a perfect place to relax or to go on an adventure. You can go swimming in the lake, rent a kayak, water cycles or even a small boat. We rented a kayak for about 2 hours and paid €25,-
And yes the water is really that clear and green! I really think this is one of the most unique and beautiful sceneries in the South of France.
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
The South of France has been one of the most beloved places for the rich and famous. You can find a lot of villas and huge mansions in the South of France but this villa is one of the most famous ones. Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is a huge beautiful villa in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. It lays between Nice and Monaco. A green oasis in the heart of the South of France.
If you love beautiful architecture, amazing nature, and breathtakingly beautiful views then this villa is a must-visit! This villa is surrounded by nine amazing gardens and all of them are unique. A ticket to enter this villa and her gardens are €15,- pp. We visited the villa during a special event which is held a couple of evenings during the summer. That ticket was €20,- pp and it was so worth it! Live music, dancing fountains and romantic candlelight everywhere. I can’t tell you how magical it was. You just have to witness it yourself!
Villefranche sur mer
Perhaps the prettiest town in the French Riviera. I immediately fell in love with this place. My husband and I call this place Malibu because it reminds us of it so much! Al those beautiful villas and palms. Oh, and the beach is incredibly beautiful. You can take a swim in the crystal clear water or visit the beautiful cute old town. This town lays near Nice. You can even walk to get here if you like to. I definitely would love to go back! The whole coast road from Nice to Monaco is incredibly beautiful!
The views are to die for so keep in mind that you’ll stop a LOT!
Menton
Jup. This one is definitely a hidden gem! Menton. I guess most of you never heard of it before. I also never did, but that didn’t stop me from visiting it. Menton is a colorful town and the last stop before entering the Italian border. Of course, you will see a lot of Italian architecture and vibes when you drive or walk around Menton. This town with its pastel-colored houses is a nice escape from luxury and glamorous towns like Cannes and Monte Carlo. It’s called the pearl of France and it’s obvious why they named it like that.
Sisteron
This one wasn’t actually planed. We drove through Sisteron on our way to Gorges du Verdon and got surprised by a huge lighted mountain with a river and bridge in front of it and cute little houses at the bottom of the mountain. We immediately stopped and were so shocked by the view we had. So we had to take a few pics and pinch ourselves. After a while, we drove further through the town and saw how cute the whole city looked. We definitely want to visit this place during the day next time.
There are still so many places that I want to visit in the South of France so I will definitely go back someday to discover new hidden gems! Have you ever visited or heard about these gems before? Let me know in the comments!
-xoxo-
So Lovely! I’m planning my trip to France for next fall and this is a great resource!
I’m glad you found this helpful Olivia ! If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask me 😉
I love this post! I’m always looking for some off the tourist track places in Europe. I’ve heard of Verdun and know that’s not really off the tourist track. But it looks as though some of the towns are. I’m saving this for future travels.
Glad you like it! Verdon is a place that I’ve never heard of even though I live in the neighborhood of France. Not totally off the track, but the roads to it are also incredibly beautiful! (if you like mountains)
The gorges du verdon is on of our yearly trips when we’re on summervacation in Manosque, it’s an one hour drive but it’s so worth it and Sisteron is sooo beautiful but in that region it’s the most beautiful when the lavender still is on the fields
Wow, I’ve been wanting to visit the South of France for a while now and these gorgeous photos are tipping me over the edge. Saving this post for when I start planning!
Hi Courtney! I’m so happy that I could convince you to visit the South of France! you won’t regret it. it’s so diverse. you’ll love it! I miss it already. Really want to go back soon again!
Wow, these are definitely gems! The canyon is just fantastic and is absolutely on my list from now on. I love the South of France all though of has been top long ago that we visited it!
Hello Marcha, You will love the canyon! I love France too. It’s such an amazing country. Has a lot to offer!
Definitely on my list to visit next year now!
Your photos are beautiful. These places are all so amazing, I want to visit them all
Thank you so much for your compliment Emma! I hope you get to visit these places and a lot more! 🙂
Beautiful photos and post! I’ve never been to this area of France but wow, I can’t wait to go back and see these gorgeous towns! ?
Hi Vanessa. Thank you so much! You should definitely go back!! I want to go back too haha. You will love these places!
Woooooow!
I have been to quite a few places in the South of France, but I have never seen either of these. The Gorges du Verdon looks simply stunning. Menton is beautiful too. 😀
These places are really beautiful! I hope you will visit them next time when you are in France again! Verdon and Menton are indeed very beautiful!
Lovely photo’s!
Thank you so much Nienke! Glad you like it!
This looks so beautiful. Is it easy for an English only speaker to navigate and communicate in this area? I know a little French, but only the basics.
I absolutely loved les gorges du verdon when I lived in France! It was so beautiful and not at all crowded. xx
France always seems so boring to me but now that I’ve seen these pictures I’m sold! France is so pretty!
Thank you for sharing some beautiful gems!
Did you stay overnight in one area or change locations?
We are going to the South of France in September!