Frankrike

The Auvergne’s most exhilarating views are among the volcanic cones, snow-lashed peaks and crater lakes of its Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans (www.parcdesvolcans.fr). One of France’s largest regional natural parks at 3897 sq km, this photogenic section of the Massif Central mountains is a geological jigsaw of granite plateaus and glacier-sculpted valleys, puckered by dozens of sleeping volcanoes.

Om du älskar konst och vill besöka världens första flytande konstcenter är det Paris du ska åka till. Fluctuart, som konstcentret kallas, är 1 000 kvadratmeter stort och ligger på floden Seine. Bäst av allt? Det är fri entré!

With its mix of real-city life, old-world opulence, year-round sunshine, vibrant street life and stunning seaside location, no place in France compares with Nice.

Wedged between the plains and vines of Champagne and the hilly, thickly wooded Massif des Vosges, Lorraine is fed by the Meurthe, Moselle and Meuse Rivers – hence the names of three of its four départements (the fourth is Vosges).

Det finns en uppsjö fantastiska vinbarer i Paris, men var ska man börja? Vinkännaren Emily Lester har bra koll på utbudet – här är hennes 5 favoriter.

Genom vindlande gränder med kullersten och små torg med mysiga restauranger och vacker utsikt över havet. Vagabonds redaktör Karin Wimark delar med sig av en favorit på Korsika.

Few regions sum up the attractions of France better than the Dordogne. With its rich food, heady history, château-studded countryside and picturesque villages, the Dordogne has long been a favourite getaway for French families on les grandes vacances. It’s also famous for having some of France’s finest prehistoric cave art, which fill the caverns and rock shelters of the Vézère Valley.

Often dubbed the ‘Garden of France’, the Touraine region is known for its rich food, tasty cheeses and famously pure French accent, as well as a first-rate line-up of glorious châteaux: some medieval (Langeais and Loches), others Renaissance (Azay-le-Rideau, Villandry and Chenonceau). The vibrant capital, Tours, offers plenty of good restaurants, château tours and public-transport options.

The Calvados département (www.calvados-tourisme.com) stretches from Honfleur in the east to Isigny-sur-Mer in the west and includes Caen, Bayeux and the D-Day beaches. The area is famed for its rich pastures and farm products, including butter, cheese, cider and an eponymous apple brandy.

For many people, the pastoral landscapes of Provence are a French fantasy come true. Provence seems to sum up everything enviable about the French lifestyle: fantastic food, hilltop villages, legendary wines, bustling markets and a balmy climate. For decades, it's been a hotspot for holidaymakers and second-homers, inspired by the vision of the rustic good life depicted in Peter Mayle's classic 1989 travelogue, A Year in Provence.