The history of Allier corresponds to the Duchy of Bourbon, with which it shares almost the entire territory. Named after the river Allier, it’s one of the least populated areas of France today. The largest cities are Moulins, Montluçon, and
Beaujolais is a French natural region, corresponding to a former barony, located north of Lyon, extending over the north of the Rhône department, the south of the Saône-et-Loire department, and the northeast of the Loire. I'm pushing a bit beyond the traditional boundaries, up to Tournus, as the themes
Chambéry was founded at a crossroads of ancient routes through the Dauphiné region of France, Switzerland, and Italy, in a wide valley between the Bauges and the Chartreuse Mountains on the Leysse River. The history of Chambéry is closely linked
The Balcons du Dauphiné are the northern tip of the Isère department, with the Rhône as its border. It’s a very pretty area within an hour of our house, with a lot more than you’d expect to find in a
Set in a beautiful valley between the alps and several “Massifs,” Grenoble is a good access point to hiking, skiing, and beautiful drives. We don’t love the city itself - gritty, still fairly industrial, not very lively. Food and Lodging Restaurant le
The Drôme is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France - on the southern side, it borders the edges of Provence. It’s a lovely, rural, and not particularly explored part of France, with winding roads that cut
Les 3 Vallées are the largest linked ski areas in the world, claiming roughly 600 km (370 miles) of ski slopes. As implied by the name, the area originally consisted of three valleys: Saint-Bon, Allues, and Belleville. Since then, the
La Clusaz is a surprisingly large ski resort in the French Alps near the Swiss border - one of the nearest ski destinations from Annecy, and under two hours from our house in Switzerland. We were pleasantly surprised - it’s
In August-September 2025 we took a two-week long road trip : the itinerary was designed to explore the more off-the-beaten-path parts of the south of France, curating a “U-shaped” itinerary with some of the most popular Provence locations, the French
The Ardèche is “where the French go to camp” - a not particularly populated area with lovely summer weather and a lot of outdoor riches. I really like it: it has a relaxed, comfortable feel with plenty of things to