Ten reasons to get lost in France in 2025: Off the beaten path
Instead of making a retrospective of the best I’ve seen in 2024, I’ve prepared a forward-looking list of places I’d like to visit in 2025—for you and me.
While my career has taken me to most regions of France, there’s one place I’ve never been: the Ardennes. Located in the northeast, on the Belgian border, the Ardennes is a land of dense forests and winding valleys cut through by rivers like the Meuse and the Semois. Known for its industrial and military history, the region has a rugged charm and is one of the most affordable areas for property ownership in France.
Cities like Sedan and Charleville-Mézières are steeped in history – Charleville-Mézières, for example, is the birthplace of poet Arthur Rimbaud.
Gastronomically, the Ardennes is home to some of the best beers in France, delicious cow’s milk cheeses, and a potato-based dish ready to become a comfort food staple.
2. Taste Bruno Vacon’s wines from Domaine Les Innocents in Meuse
Still in the east, I’d like to deepen my knowledge of Meuse and Moselle wines. Mostly whites made from grapes like Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Auxerrois, these wines benefit from the local microclimate, the effects of global warming, and renewed interest thanks to young winemakers producing sulfite-free vintages.
One name that keeps coming up is Bruno Vacon from Domaine Les Innocents, a rising star in the region. Since the best place to taste wine is in the cellar, it’s time to pay him a visit.
3. Stay at Hôtel de la Plage in Wissant
On a recent work trip for Le Fooding, I explored the beaches of the Manche in northern France – a coastline whose beauty is vastly underrated. One place stood out: Hôtel de la Plage, located in the heart of the charming village of Wissant. Just 2.5 hours from Paris, it offers a central location, sea views, cozy decor, and a menu emphasizing simplicity.
It’s exactly the kind of establishment I’d love to share with you – but are appearances deceiving? There’s only one way to find out: a stay to test it out.
IV. Discover Elsa Marie and Julian May’s cuisine at Auberge Arotzenia
I met Elsa Marie (formerly of Septime, Pères Populaires, and Vierge de la Réunion) last year during a feature for Regain magazine. At the time, she was working in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, and I was moved by her authenticity and dedication as a chef.
Now, alongside her partner Julian May (formerly of Saint-Eutrope and Vierge de la Réunion), she has taken over the renowned Auberge Arotzenia in the Basque Country. Known for its generous portions, humble dishes, and high social and environmental standards, this spot deserves a visit.
5. Tour Alexandre Dumas’ Château de Monte-Cristo in Port-Marly
The Château de Monte-Cristo is a writer’s house museum located at Le Port-Marly in the Yvelines department of northern France.
In 2024, I read the three volumes of The Three Musketeers and the full Count of Monte Cristo – more than 10,000 pages from my favorite author, Alexandre Dumas. At the height of his fame in 1844, Dumas sought a peaceful retreat where he could write and host lavish parties. He found it on a hill in Port-Marly overlooking the Seine River. With the help of architect Hippolyte Durand, he brought his dream to life: a Renaissance building paired with a Gothic-style castle surrounded by water.
The park, designed in the English style, features grottos, rock formations, and waterfalls.
6. Have lunch at Auberge Lou Bourdié in Bach, Lot
Nestled in the tiny village of Bach in the far-off Lot region, Auberge Lou Bourdié has long enjoyed a strong reputation. A winemaker recently recommended it to me as a must-try spot—despite its lack of coverage in any major guide. The website is underwhelming, the menu screams tradition, and dieting seems to be considered a breach of custom.
Is it a hidden gem or a tourist trap? There’s only one way to find out.
7. Make and eat a pâté en croûte
A pâté en croûte is a charcuterie dish encased in flaky pastry, often served cold with a layer of jelly on top. It’s typically sliced and paired with pickles and mustard. Making one is a labor-intensive process that even has its own world championship.
This year, I’d like to tackle the challenge of creating a pâté de Chartres, my favorite variety, made with poultry (partridge or duck) and foie gras. Naturally, I’ll share the recipe with you once it’s done.
8. Create a Marcel Proust itinerary
My father is a devoted fan of Marcel Proust; he spends his life re-reading La Recherche (the Proustian nickname for ‘In Search of Lost Time’). Growing up, he tried everything to share his passion with me—Proust in comic books, audiobooks, even animated postcards. The house of his aunt in Illiers-Combray, which inspired the opening chapter “For a long time, I used to go to bed early…”, has recently been restored and is open to visits.
From Cabourg on the Normandy coast to the Boulevard Haussmann in Paris, passing through the plains of the Beauce, retracing the footsteps of this literary giant could make for a remarkable journey, don’t you think?
9. Eat and drink at Café des Arcades in Solomiac, Gers
I met Fred at Auberge de Chassignolles. After working at Fogo in Toulouse, this former rugby player co-founded Café des Arcades in Solomiac, at the heart of Gascony’s Lomagne region. The menu features local products, generous plates, and dishes inspired by the rich terroirs of Occitania.
For months, I’ve been salivating over photos of the dishes prepared by chef Bastien Miam. It’s high time I checked it out for real.
10. Return to Chassignolles to meet the new team
As I’ll mention more extensively later, Chassignolles is my favorite place in France. Situated on the borders of the Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dôme departments, in the heart of the Auvergne, with a view of volcanoes that I’ll never tire of, the village is overwhelmingly simple.
The eponymous Auberge that towers higher than the Roman church reopens on April 17, and I can’t wait, as always, to meet the new team, try the latest wines, and toast with Poppy, the fantastic new manager of the establishment.
Image credits: All images copyright Victor Coutard/author
Have you visited any of these ten places? Can you give Victor any feedback or tips? What else would you add to this list? Please share in the comments below.
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Victor Coutard
Thank you! That pâté en croûte looks a lot like an English pork pie….
Delighted to read in My French Life that Victoria has discovered my home from home Wissant and the historical Hotel de la Plage. This Wissantais hotel was owned and run by Michel Coënen from 1983 to 2020.
It was in 1965 that M. Coënen, a Brussels architect, began frequenting the small seaside resort on the Opal Coast. It was love at first sight and he ended up settling there, buying the iconic Hôtel de la Plage in 1983. He managed it until 2020 and during this time, it was common to see quite a few old Citroëns in the hotel courtyard. They were his cars; he was passionate about the double chevron brand and sold a few of them at auction in 2017.
M. Coënen founded the Flobarts des Deux Caps association, which I wrote about in a previous Substack article, republished by My French Life as Wissant: Why the passion for flobarts? — Part 3 (12/02/25).
Deeply involved in Wissant life, Michel Coënen was also a member of the board of directors of Des Amis de la baie de Wissant, and in it was in this capacity, he worked collaboratively to prevent/minimise the sea erosion, due to global warming, that threatens Wissant. M. Coënen also acquired the Wissant mill, which he restored and transformed into an exhibition space.
Two years after retiring in 2020, Michel Coënen died on 12/08/2022.
I understand the hotel is now owned and run by Frédérick Desrousseaux. Whilst the hotel’s interiors are being gradually renovated, sadly the iconic pond cohabited by a Flobart boat, geese and ducks has been left to silt up.
There’s much to choose from here Victor! thanks
judy