Frankrike

Stretching from Provence to the Pyrenees, this sultry, sun-baked territory (now part of the greater Occitanie region) feels like a country in its own right. It’s been a strategic border since Roman times and is awash with historical reminders, from Roman aqueducts to hilltop Cathar castles. Today it’s best known for its vineyards, which produce a third of France's wines, and the busy beaches sprawling along its Mediterranean shore.

I år fyller den ikoniska glaspyramiden utanför museet Louvren i Paris 30 år. För att fira detta har Airbnb i samarbete med Louvren skapat en tävling som låter två personer spendera en natt på detta magiska museum.

Brittany is for explorers. Its wild, dramatic coastline, medieval towns and thick forests make an excursion here well worth the detour off the beaten track. This is a land of prehistoric mysticism, proud tradition and culinary wealth, where fiercely independent locals celebrate Breton culture, and Paris feels a long way away indeed.

Commanding a strategic spot at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône Rivers, Lyon has been luring people ever since the Romans named it Lugdunum in 43 BC. Commercial, industrial and banking powerhouse for the past 500 years, Lyon is France's third-largest city, and offers today's urban explorers a wealth of enticing experiences.

Det finns massor att göra och se i Paris. Men för den som vill göra något speciellt listar Vagabond sju platser och saker där kvinnor står i fokus som ägare, feminister, ikoner och guider.

At the lower edge of the Atlantic Coast, the Gironde département extends to the Dordogne in the east and the Basque Country in the south. The gateway to its wealth of attractions, set amid glorious vine-ribboned countryside, is the capital city of Bordeaux.

En ny restaurang i Paris tar konceptet "mat utan onödiga krusiduller" till en helt ny nivå. På O'Naturel äter man nämligen – som namnet hintar om – helt naken.

Kändiskocken Paul Bocuse spred stjärnglans över franska Lyon. Ett år efter hans död åker vi dit för att se om Lyon lever upp till ryktet som en av världens bästa matstäder.

Provence might conjure up images of rolling fields and gentle hills, but east of the Luberon you’ll find yourself travelling through altogether more dramatic landscapes. Rising like a tooth-lined jawbone along the border with Italy, just an hour’s drive north of Nice, lie the Alps – France’s most famous mountain range, a haven for mountaineers, hikers and wildlife spotters, and home to some of the region’s most unforgettable scenery.

Literary buffs, antique collectors and fashionistas flock to this legendary part of Paris, where the former presence of writers such as Sartre, de Beauvoir and Hemingway still lingers in historic cafes, and exquisite window displays entice shoppers into tiny specialist stores and chic boutiques.