Posted on Tuesday, 20 July 2021

Strasbourg

The stylish Alsace capital is situated on the Rhine and is where you'll find the European Parliament and Council of Europe - so it's the ideal place to shed a post-Brexit tear, or a post-Brexit chuckle.

Of course, you may not give politics a second thought, and instead concentrate on the beautiful half-timbered Petite France district, and pretty covered bridges like the Vauban Dam.

The city is a strange melting pot of French and German culture, being as it is so close to the border.

Strasbourg's boutique hotels are cheaper than in Paris. Why not try Le Moon, a contemporary hotel housed in a 19th-Century building, located just 600 metres from the cathedral and a five-minute walk from the Rhine Palace?

La Rochelle

Between the 14th and 17th Centuries La Rochelle was one of France's leading seaports, and remnants of its wealthy seafaring past are everywhere: fetching limestone facades, half-timbered houses, arcaded walkways, and a series of charming lighthouses.

Food is a big deal in this Atlantic-coast city. There are endless bistros, brasseries, bars and of course, seafood specialists.

Any small British city with this many fine dining options would be overrun by foodies every weekend!

Biarritz

Whether you enjoy sipping cocktails in glamorous hotel bars, or being surrounded by surfer dudes, ritzy Biarritz could be for you.

Ever since Napoleon III, nephew of Bonaparte, began frequenting it in the 19th Century, the city has been a place to be seen - the French Bay of Biscay's answer to Nice (see below).

Food, wine and schmoozing aside, the architecture here delights; replete with belle époque and art deco details, majestic villas and heritage-listed residences line the seafront, with the odd concrete-monster misstep.

Visit in summertime for the full-throttle, tourist-packed experience, or come in autumn for a more laid-back time.

Nice

If Biarritz doesn't sound dynamic enough, why not consider Nice?

Opulent buildings contrast with urban grit in this most vibrant of Riviera resorts.

Mattisse came here to convalesce after bronchitis, then made it his home for the next 37 years. But you don’t have to be a famous French impressionist to enjoy the very special light here.

The glittering Mediterranean is ever-present in Nice: from dining to partying to strolling along the Promenade des Anglais - it's all done by the sea.

Nice only joined France in 1860. Before that, it had one cultural foot in Italy, just to the east. As a result, you'll see villas that seem to have been uprooted from the Amalfi Coast, and stumble across pasta restaurants at every turn.

Lille

If you want to be environmentally friendly - or just don’t like planes - you can hop on the Eurostar in London and reach Lille in a staggeringly-fast 1.5 hours.

Of course, there are many other draws: Capital of the Hauts-de-France région, Lille boasts a captivating old town with wonderful French and Flemish architecture, and fabulous cuisine.

It's also home to more than 67,000 students, so the nightlife is extremely vibrant, without necessarily being expensive.

The city's markets are a pleasure too: if you can't make the Braderie de Lille - the annual event that transforms the city into a giant flea market - you can explore the weekly markets, where you'll find all manner of delicious cheeses and gourmet treats.

And why not grab a copy of Madame Bovary or Cyrano de Bergerac at the Old Exchange Book Market; it'll make you look chic and Gallic.

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