Step back several centuries and imagine yourself in medieval times. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, La Cite at Carcassonne is a painstakingly restored medieval walled city on a hill by the Aude River. You'll half-expect to see armed lookouts manning the fortified city's towers. Cross the river to La Bastide neighbourhood for all the charms of a French country town.

Stretching from the wooded Dordogne to the towering peaks of the Pyrenees, this vast region is a popular winter sports destination, but one without the hordes that besiege the Alps. Spring's melted snows lure kayakers and rafting enthusiasts. In summer, amateur and advanced hikers take to the hills.

Within easy reach of both the Mediterranean and the Spanish borders, Perpignan blurs the line between French and Catalan cultures. The meandering, palm-dotted Old Town is anchored by a rust-coloured, Romanesque palace—a relic from when the city ruled the Kingdom of Mallorca.

Elegantly perched on the border between France and Switzerland, Evian’s internationally renowned healing waters lure health-conscious visitors from around the world. It is France’s most celebrated spa resort, famed for its hydrotherapy treatments that benefit digestive and metabolic conditions.

菲森 (Fussen) 的歷史綿延超過 700 年，可從羅馬人貿易要塞的起源說起，時至今日，這裡已成為隱密的阿爾卑斯山假日度假勝地。這座中世紀的小鎮位處「浪漫之路」的南端，由宏偉的阿爾卑斯山環抱，矗立在萊希河 (Lech) 兩岸及環繞的湖區上。你可以在這裡探索晚期哥德城堡、巴洛克大教堂與巴伐利亞現存最古老的壁畫。

北萊茵威斯特伐利亞 (North Rhine-Westphalia) 的首都杜塞爾道夫 (Dusseldorf) 橫跨萊茵河兩岸，是該區的經濟龍頭。古城 (Altstadt) 不僅是杜塞爾道夫迷人的古老城鎮，也是這座城市夜生活的大本營，到處都能夠喝到老啤酒 (Altbier)，也就是當地原產的黑啤酒。杜塞爾道夫人可是相當重視他們的啤酒。國王大道 (Königsallee，當地人稱之為 KO) 是杜塞爾道夫知名的購物街，高級商店林立。藝術皇宮美術館則有著萊茵地區最出色的藝術收藏。

Dominated by concrete postwar architecture, Pescara is more functional port than breezy seaside escape. But that doesn’t stop sunseekers from flocking to lively waterfront promenades and some of the longest urban beaches on the Adriatic.