Pézenas is a small town about 50 kilometres from Montpellier and is well worth a visit for its old town centre that encompasses Medieval, Rennaissance and 18th century architecture. The Medieval section includes a Jewish quarter and an old sign still indicates this above the slightly menacing and dark entrance archway. There are plenty of delightful little houses and tiny courtyards to explore here.

One of Pézenas’ most famous former residents was the playwright Molière who lived, wrote and performed here for a while in the mid 17th century. He is remembered now by a monument and a hotel named after him.

Car - take the RN113 towards Béziers. Trains and buses are also available following the same principle.

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

No doubt that many will know that Nîmes is home to a very well preserved Roman amphitheatre and whether or not this is the sort of thing that they may or may not want to see. It does have hidden charms however, even if you’re not into the Roman stuff.

If you climb to the top perimeter wall of the arena (some waist-high steps have to be negotiated) it provides some impressive views across the city which you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else - and for me was worth the entrance fee.

Rue des Arènes

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Labelled as one of France’s prettiest villages, it’s hard to disagree if you visit its tiny medieval streets and Benedictine Abbey. The village lies on the edge of a gorge that runs down to the Hérault river, its main street climbing up a steadily steepening hillside. There are numerous picturesque houses and it seems that a good number of the 250 or so residents are artists, judging by the amount of paintings and ceramics on sale. Towards the end of the main street you’ll encounter the Abbey, founded in 804 by Guilhem of Orange who later achieved sainthood.

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert lies in the Gellon valley just North of Gignac, east of the new A75 motorway, about 30 kilometres Northwest of Montpellier

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

One of those squares that probably seems quite everyday to the locals, but which typifies the small French square lined with cafes where you can take time out and watch the world go by over a drink.

Place Jean Jaures

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

I know it’s not generally done to visit ‘Irish’ bars when abroad, but this one really is a bit of a gem. There are only a few such places in Montpellier as yet, and this one is tucked away in a small square about five minutes walk from Place de la Comèdie, so you have to search a bit to find it – meaning it’s unlikely to get mobbed by passing stag parties.

It has tables outside in the little shady square (adjacent to a promising looking restaurant) and very friendly staff inside who are more than happy to chat if you’re travelling solo and fancy a bit of evening company. There’s pool available in a separate room (a separate building in fact), various newspapers to read, TV for those who want to follow sports and some nice nooks and crannies if you want to tuck yourself away a bit.

The building sports the legend ‘Maison Justin Boch’ in large letters on the outside (a former business I assume), so you can’t mistake it.

5 Place Saint Côme

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Here you can stroll or sit in some typical shady boulevards, take in panoramas of Montpellier and the surrounding area and marvel at the old 18th century aquaduct which ends with a flourish in the form of a pool under a celebratory Neo classical pavillion.

Place du Peyrou, near the Arc du Triomphe

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Worth a visit even if only to see what first appears to be two large rockets attached to the huge entrance portal of this quite unusual construction. Its origins are in the 14th century and the other end of the cathedral is rather more conventional, though more picturesque with a small surrounding garden. The streets leading away up the hill provide some quite pleasing views of this old part of the city.

Place St Pierre

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Porlock is situated in the Exmoor countryside and is a village with its own nearby bay and probably the most feared hill in the area. Porlock hill has a 1-in-4 gradient and has been responsible for many an accident over the years. The village is very pretty and certainly worth negotiating the hill for and you can walk to the bay which lies on a salt marsh - an excellent site for bird watching.

From Minehead, travel about 6 miles west along the A39 and watch for the Porlock turn-off.
www.porlock.co.uk/

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

South of Bideford on the other side of Clovelly is this dramatic coastal location with its lighthouse, beautiful cliff-top paths and a small shipwreck museum!

Join the A39 from Bideford heading south until you see the turning for Hartland Point

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

About two miles west of Ilfracombe - as the crow flies - lies this small gem of a seaside village. It's set in a very deep 'combe' or valley and is one of those places where you genuinely feel as though you've stepped back in time. The village can be reached by road where you can experience the vertiginous descent through narrow lanes or by footpath across the cliffs from Ifracombe with wonderful sea views.

Once there you can enjoy a variety of pleasures - visiting the Fuschia tea gardens or the Grampus pub, taking one of several excellent walks, or just enjoying the wonderful little rocky cove and beach which for many is the highlight that really provides Lee with its charm.

From Ilfracombe take the B3231 passing through Slade valley and Lincombe then descend into Lee.
www.leebay.co.uk/

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

If you want to see some of the surrounding countryside and villages, then a leisurely boat trip on the Volga is a good way to do it.

These run mainly during the summer and one of the most popular trips is to Tolga, taking about an hour each way.

There are also somewhat faster hydrofoil services to Kostroma, an hour and a half each way.

Trips are from the river station on Pervomayskaya Ulitsa.

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

A few miles south of Ilfracombe are the villages of Croyde, Saunton and Braunton. What they all have in common are huge sandy beaches and conditions that have become well known for surfing. If you don’t surf, just get an ice cream and watch – it’s quite entertaining.

Croyde, Saunton, Braunton
www.croydedevon.co.uk/

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

If you’re driving around north Devon, then you can easily be crossing Exmoor without realising it. It’s a National Park that extends from the Lynton and Lynmouth coastline to the Quantock hills of Somerset and features some of the most beautiful and dramatic landscapes in England.

It offers some spectacular walks and is home to a huge range of wildlife, not least its very own Exmoor pony.

North Devon
www.visit-exmoor.info/

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Up on Exmoor, which lies a few miles inland from Lynton, is an area called Badgworthy Valley. Due to the efforts of the writer R D Blackmore however, it has become known as Doone Valley, being largely the setting for the novel Lorna Doone.

The countryside here has an extraordinary wild beauty and whether you want to do some serious walking or just linger around Malmsmead, the village at the heart of the area, you won’t fail to share in the enchantment that inspired Blackmore to write his book.

There is a memorial stone to Blackmore on one of the footpaths and if you’re going to indulge in a cream tea, then Lorna Doone Farm is the place to have it while admiring the view over the little river valley.

Take the turning to Oare from the A39 just east of County Gate. After one mile fork right at Oare and into Malmsmead.

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

This is probably the most beautiful of the churches in the city. It’s worth walking all the way round, especially if you want to photograph it, as the pleasing collection of domes move around each other as you walk, offering sometimes surprising perspectives.

There is a warning that the church will be closed during wet spells, but I’m not sure if this is to help preserve the interior or whether it has a leaky roof. If you do venture inside you’ll find some of the best frescoes on the Golden Ring circuit.

Sovetskaya Square

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Before the film 'Amelie', it was just another cafe in Montmartre. It serves perfectly good food and drink, as it always did, and lies on the tourist trail between the Moulin Rouge and Sacre Coeur.

Now it's a stop for a coffee, or lunch, because everyone wants to see the film location. Apart from the tobacco counter, everything is just as it was in the film, including the miniscule 'toilette' where the earth-shaking sex scene took place.

When I made my visit it was full of art students rather than tourists, perhaps you need to go there in the evenings to find out if the locals still actually use it. As a rare example of a real life film set though, it's priceless.

15 Rue Lepic

Metro: Abbesses

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Not far along the coast road from Lynton you’ll find a signpost for Hunters Inn, which as well as being a pub-restaurant and place of accommodation, is also a beauty spot near the bottom of the alarmingly steep and deep Heddon Valley.

The walks in this area are spectacular, whether you follow the river path down to the sea or climb the cliff paths which cut narrow tracks along steep, heather-covered inclines.

This is a truly beautiful place to spend some time, just make sure that your car brakes are in good working order before you make the journey.

Take the coast road from Lynton towards Ilfracombe. Watch for the signposted road for Hunters Inn.

www.thehuntersinn.net/

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

In and around Rue Daru is a small Russian community where you can find Russian restaurants and shops to browse around. The grandest feature however is the Orthodox Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky, which is an impressive sight, both outside and in.

Rue Daru
Metro: Courcelles

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Albert Kahn was a 19th and 20th century businessman who decided to use his wealth to create an 'Archive of the Planet' at the turn of these centuries in a world being irrevocably changed by the industrial revolution.

He did this by hiring a number of photographers, equipping them with the Lumiere brothers' autochrome colour photography cameras and despatching them to all corners of the globe. The result became a unique archive of 72,000 images and 600,000 feet of film taken between 1900 and 1930.

A selection of the autochromes, as well as clips of film footage, are now on display in the museum, the selections change on an annual basis.

The entry fee also includes access to Kahn's gardens which also reflect his internationalist philosophy. The gardens are a mixture of Japanese, French and English and also include three ‘mini-forests’ with terrain that you might find in any one of the African, Asian or American continents. There is also a ‘Palmarium’ that houses a café as well as some more exotic plant life.

The museum is modern, having opened only in 1986, and also includes computer booths where you’ll find an interactive map of the whole complex, inside and out.

Viewers of the BBC’s ‘Edwardians in Colour’ series will have had a preview of what the museum has to offer, and it’s well worth the 30 minute Metro ride to see it for yourself.

14 Rue du Port in the Boulogne-Billancourt district.
Metro: Pont de Saint Cloud (the museum is literally around the corner and is signposted).
Phone: 01 55 19 28 00

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Feodor Volkov, son of a local wealthy merchant, founded the theatre in 1750. It was the first professional public theatre in Russia and went on to become an important centre for the development of actors, which it remains to this day. The current building, on the original site, was constructed in 1911 in the neo-classical style.

Volkov Square

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends