In summer 1936, the French government passed a law that mandated paid holiday, a move that kickstarted the exodus of northerners to the Med every August, and it became a true emblem of the French vacances.
The Aubusson Tapestry Museum is situated in an exceptional context shaped by a rich history and a powerful natural environment. The Creuse capital of tapestry has been marked by its history since the royal manufactory of the 14th century.
For many in Marseille, the far right in France's second city will be for ever associated with the killing of Ibrahim Ali. In 1995, the teenager was leaving a rap band rehearsal with friends when they crossed paths with three National Front militants who were putting up posters in support of the Front's founder and then leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen. Ibrahim was shot in the back as he ran to catch his bus.
The mayor's wife is spending a great deal of time designing the house, which he described as 'an authentic English country estate to be built on an extensive lot in Benedict Canyon.' The Medecins' new home will have a long winding drive to a cobblestone courtyard. 'Old street lamps will add to the European character,' along with hand-carved stone, used in the house.
The longer we wait, the more difficult it will become to remedy the damage. Since 2019, state funding had all but dried up, forcing the foundation to auction works to raise funds to continue the restoration of both the iconic building and its many site-specific works.
In Auvergne, France, some 200 volcanoes have shaped the landscape into rolling hills, meadows, lakes, and waterfalls. Though dormant, volcanic energy still pulses through the region, and mineral-rich springs have created one of Europe's most distinctive-though overlooked- wellness destinations. France's tradition of thermalism dates back to Roman times, but its tradition of hydrotherapy, known as les cures thermales, is not simply about soaking to relax.
As cultural institutions continue to proliferate worldwide in this digital era, the museum itself appears increasingly in need of redefinition. Rather than offering a single model or solution, Architecture for Culture: Rethinking Museums, written by architectural historian and curator Béatrice Grenier, argues for a more contextual and plural understanding of what a museum can be: an institution shaped by its environment, its public, and the specific cultural questions it seeks to address.
Photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson (19082004) travelled all over the world and extensively throughout Europe. After producing numerous series of photographs for magazines in Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Switzerland and France, Cartier-Bresson wanted to bring them together in a book and in 1955, he published Les Europeens (The Europeans). This book of photographs aims to show what makes each of the peoples of this geographical area unique while highlighting their similarities. This exhibition brings together some of the most important photographs from the book.
In 2025 the University of Oregon concluded from their research that "... hot-water immersion produced measurable changes in inflammatory markers. These effects can persist beyond the session, suggesting a sustained health benefit." Long before this the Romans knew that a good soak in hot water had therapeutic benefits for the body and mind. Hot tubs, spas, aren't considered just a luxury anymore, they're great for wellbeing as well as for fun, family time and a lot of je ne sais quoi to life in France.
In his expressive, large-format works, Proux stages humans in the field of tension between industry and nature in the context of 21st century's late capitalism. Depictions of workers in offices, factories and warehouses are juxtaposed with light-flooded scenes of people and nature.
In reality, most French people do not spend their summers chasing iconic landmarks or ticking destinations off a bucket list. Their idea of a successful vacation is quieter, slower, and often much closer to home. Rather than Paris or Saint-Tropez, they favor rural regions, discreet coastlines, forested hills, and mid-sized towns where life moves at a gentler pace, often staying in family homes, rented gîtes, camping sites, or small guesthouses.
Arles-born artist Sarah Espeute learned embroidery as a child but did not return to the practice until decades later. After studying graphic design in Paris, working in Riso printing, founding a publishing house, and painting, she took up embroidery again for a one-off exhibition. The response was immediate. She went on to found Œuvres Sensibles and relocated her studio to Marseille, where she now works from a made-to-measure atelier alongside a team of trained embroiderers and artists.
When it comes to visiting France, Paris gets most of the attention, but don't overlook the country's gorgeous small towns. In these quaint destinations, many accessible by train, you can exchange the bustle of the city for wide-open beaches, mountain trails, medieval castles, and sprawling vineyards. From the French-German border to the Mediterranean coast to the mountainous intersection of France, Italy, and Switzerland, these small towns and villages (all home to less than 15,000 people) offer a slower pace and warm French hospitality.
Running a gîte in France is a fantastic way of generating income, whether you just want to top up your pension, make your second home pay its bills, or run a serious business to live from. Whilst there is a general description of what a gîte is, there are many variations and target groups to match. What choices are you going to make in creating a gîte? Rupert Springfield from Gîte Guru walks us through some of the choices in the
Léribault's first mission, according to Macron, will be the "appeasement" of a museum which has been badly hurt by the theft of France's crown jewels on 19 October and a string of scandals since then. He will need all his diplomatic talents to face the unions, who have led an unprecedented series of strikes, asking a rise in wages.
Lovely Lussan in Gard, southern France, is officially one of the prettiest villages in France (' Plus Beaux Villages '). This pastoral region in the heart of Occitanie has everything an ardent Francophile could desire - picturesque villages, castles, gardens, vineyards, rich in culture and history, and great gastronomy. What to see and do in Lussan in Gard The medieval village of Lussan is perched on a hill, surrounded by rocky aromatic scrubland peppered with rosemary, lavender, thyme, sage and juniper.
The transformation of the chapel of the Saint-Joseph convent in Saint-Félicien is founded on a guiding principle: designing with what already exists. The intervention seeks neither to erase nor to stage the heritage, but rather to offer a precise and measured reinterpretation of its architectural qualities in service of new cultural uses.
The chateau was rebuilt in the 19th century after it was largely destroyed during the French Revolution (Getty/iStock) Chateau de Chantilly, located north of Paris, is appealing for "public generosity" to finance a 68 million (59 million) renovation over the next decade. The historic French chateau requires significant work to protect its extensive book collection, which includes 60,000 volumes, including rare antique books and illuminated medieval manuscripts.
According to Christian Louboutin, there are three parts of France where locals proudly claim their regional identity before their national one: the Basque Country, Corsica, and Brittany. The latter, a rocky peninsula on France's northwestern coast, is where the shoe magnate's family is from. "I love the Breton climate, which is very garden-friendly," he says. "And the pride that the people take in their culture and traditions."
Whether you're thinking of moving for work, for political reasons - and the French are very sympathetic to Americans' situation - or for love (of a person or of croissants), here's our checklist of how to move to France as an American Checklist: How to move to France as an American Is there a legal way of avoiding inheritance tax in France by passing your property onto your children while you're still alive?
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