Top 5 Places to Visit in France this Fall

Visiting France is always a good idea – so why not go there this fall? There are so many options with fewer tourists than usual, plus it’s a lot cheaper than it is in the summertime. But the most important – it just looks so amazing at this time of the year, you’ll love it. So, if you’re looking for a great autumn destination keep reading – we bring you the top 5 places to visit in France this fall.

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Let’s get to exploring France…

Paris, Île de France

If you’re looking for a romantic getaway there’s Paris – the most romantic place on Earth. It definitely looks its best in autumn with amazing golden fall foliage all around you – it’s just perfect. Go out for a walk, check out its amazing landmarks and visit one of its many quaint cafes to get a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and croissant. Besides the beauty that you can see on its streets, autumn is the season when most of Paris’ amazing events are happening – there are various wine festivals and tons of interesting exhibitions. Also, many of its famous museums remain quite empty since tourists already left, so you get the chance to explore them in peace.

Paris in Autumn

Paris is a very instagrammable city, especially in the fall time. If you’re looking for some picture-perfect places to share on your Instagram feed, check out our blog post about the top 9 Instagrammable places in Paris, and feel free to share your pictures with us (tag @cultural_places and #culturalplaces on Instagram 😊).

Autumn in Paris
© Valerii Tkachenko / CC BY 2.0

Aix-en-Provence, Provence

Aix-en-Provence is a perfect fall destination for every cultural traveler seeking for last sunrays before winter. The city is filled with some pretty amazing museums where you’ll get the chance to see some of the best works of Picasso or Paul Cézanne, who lived and worked in this gorgeous city.

Take a walk around the city and explore some of its famous and pretty astonishing landmarks, such as the Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur d’Aix-en-Provence. Explore its Old Town and its nooks and crannies for its gorgeous architecture, charming markets, cute cafes, and unique art galleries. Also, keep in mind that this amazing city is surrounded by so many vineyards, so you’ll get the chance to try some of the most amazing French rosés.

Streets of Aix-en-Provence

Streets of Aix-en-Provence

Bordeaux, Nouvelle Aquitaine

Bordeaux might be the most charming city in France (after Paris), with amazing architecture, culture, food, and wine. Some of the must-see spots are definitely Place de la Bourse – a square that is the most recognizable and most photographed place in Bordeaux, La Grosse Cloche – astonishing old belfry tower, gorgeous Bordeaux Cathedral, and Rue Sainte-Catherine – the longest pedestrianized shopping street in Europe.

Bordeaux is French (and the world’s) capital of wine, so doing a wine tour and trying some of the best wines in the world is a must. Visit La Cité du Vin – a high-tech museum dedicated to wine, where you can learn everything about the history of wine and its production. This place is huge and dazzling, it will amaze you.

Lovely Bordeaux

Streets of Bordeaux

Toulouse, Occitanie

Known as the ‘pink city of France’, Toulouse is one amazing city filled with red brick buildings, and totally worth visiting all year round. But in the fall time, it is really something special. The city is set in the very South of France, and it gets pretty hot in the summer, so once the autumn starts the weather is mild and the golden sun is all over the red buildings and makes them look really amazing.

The city is lovely – do not hesitate to wander through its streets and even get a bit lost. There are so many museums in the city, and fall is the perfect time to explore them – don’t miss Les Abbatoirs Museum, located in the former slaughterhouse, and the Toulouse Museum, the second-largest natural history museum in France.

Streets of Toulouse

Toulouse – The Pink City of France

Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Lyon is the gastronomical capital of France, and definitely one very active city in the fall time – there are many different events happening, such as a film festival dedicated to the history of cinema, held in October. If you want to really experience autumn in Lyon, you must visit one of its many parks, such as Parc de la Tête d’Or – the fall foliage here is extraordinary, it’s the best place for nice evening walks and catching the sunset.

As we already said, Lyon is the gastronomical capital of France, and that means that you must try some of its traditional foods. Visiting a Bouchon Lyonnais and trying meals such as sausages, “salade lyonnaise“, duck pâté or roast pork is a must – you will not regret it.

Lyon – Parc de la Tête d’Or

Lyon at Night
© Valerii Tkachenko / CC BY-SA 2.0

Isn’t France just lovely in the fall time? We most certainly enjoyed it, and we’re sure you will, too. If you’re looking for more French destinations for your fall-time travels, be sure to check out our blog about the best destinations on the French riviera – it’s very lovely in the autumn.