Favourite place in France?

Question

What is your favourite town in France with a population of 100,000 or less? And why?

Answer 1

Le Conquet. It's a small town in Finisterre in Brittany. Le Conquet is a fishing village with a beautiful natural port.

I could have named many small towns in Brittany, but I really think Le Conquet is beautiful. It's a place that hasn't been Anglicanised, despite there being a large number of holiday homes on the outskirts of the town.

The restaurants and bars are delightfully traditional, and have a great celtic ambiance.

I also love it because there are a few families there that speak Welsh.

There's a boat that goes to the island of Ouessant as well. The island is magnificent; with the Breton traditions still alive and kicking!

The beaches in Le Conquet are gorgeous, and the locals are friendly. The estury is a great place to see birds as well.

Answer 2

St. Paul de Vence, on the French Riviera. From what I remember it was just a short drive from Nice and Monaco. I went in the fall, so there werent really any tourists, but from what I heard they get a good bit of them in the peak season, but it was THE most beautiful place I have ever been. A small medieval village nestled in the mountains overlooking the Mediterranean. These days its an artists colony of sorts, full of galleries, a wonderful contemporary art museum La Fondation Maeght. Being an art historian, and an artist myself, it is no wonder why this gorgeous town attracted artists like Matisse, Miro, Chagall, and Renoir.

Answer 3

Annecy, Isere (in the Alps)

I went once in 1996 (never since, tragically) and was awstruck by the beauty of the place - going in June helped.

Provence has lots of pretty places too...

Answer 4

Bayeux is a great home base if you want to explore Normandy & the D-Day beaches.  It also has the Bayeux Tapestry which tells the story of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.  Nearby & on my "don't miss" list is the Memorial to Peace Museum in Caen.  You can make it to Mont St Michel (my favorite place for several strange reasons) in a day trip if you're really pushing it.  Try to go around a full moon so you can see the tide.

In Provence, I loved Aix-en-Provence and Arles.  Nimes is bigger but it's beautiful too.  I have no idea what it's population is and I'm too lazy to look it up.

Montpellier's also a nice little town.  (towards Spain)

There are many regions I haven't visited though so this is by no means a comprehensive or even decent list.