Find your destination in the deep heart of France

I'm Richard, and I love the ancient history and spectacular natural spaces that distinguish central France. This blog is for you if you want to leave behind the well-worn tourist path and discover the places, the history, the food, and the culture of this wild and beautiful corner of France!

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See our most recent discoveries...

 

 

... or sample the best of central France from our Archives!

Looking for a day away from Paris or Lyon -- or a week where most tourists never go?  Take a plunge into the cities, villages, mountains and plains of central France!  Click here to find museums, historical sites, and hiking trails.

 

France has an association of officially-designated "most beautiful villages" -- and many of them are in the deep heart of the country.  All are historically important and aesthetically pleasing. Visit these incredible little towns here.
People have lived in central France for thousands of years.  Go here to re-live events that have shaped world history and the people who came out of the country's deep heart to influence French history -- ancient, medieval, and modern.
Paris is not France, and France is not Paris!  Learn about life in the center of the country, far from the places most tourists see -- and sample the food, wine, arts and music that make this region unique.  Click here to read more...

 

 

NEW - plan your travels by searching the posts on this site département by département!

Parisians may think of it as wild, inhabited by country bumpkins.  But its volcanoes are part of the only UNESCO World Heritage natural site in mainland France, there have been people here since humans appeared in western Europe, and great historical events have been part of this landscape since the Romans invaded Gaul.
Come to the Dordogne in the summer and you'll be surrounded by thousands of like-minded tourists, all here to explore the region's medieval charm and the prehistoric cave dwellers who came here first.
The Cantal is truly one of the most beautiful (and least populated) parts of France.  The whole département sits on a massive volcanic plateau, and visitors will find a mix of popular ski resorts and incredible castles.
I've come to love the Corrèze for its impressive collection of medieval chateaux and its rugged landscapes.  It makes a great base for exploring central France -- without all the touristy crowds you'll find in neighboring départements.

 

 

Come to the Allier to discover the roots of Europe's great Bourbon family dynasty -- but come, too, for fine food and a great museum devoted to the history of modern pop music.  This is also the département where you'll find Vichy - a UNESCO World Heritage spa town but one whose name is linked to some of the darkest moments in modern French history.

 

This truly is the 'deep heart of France' - the rugged region where the headwaters of the great Loire River rise, where Lafayette (hero) of the American Revolution was born, and where medieval pilgrims set out on the long walk to Compostella...
I've only recently started writing about the département of the Lot -- part of France's Occitan region. Still, it has many of the same medieval charms as the Dordogne without all the throngs of tourists, and some of the country's most beautiful (and historically significant) small towns.  Watch this page - there will be more to come!
Visitors to the Haute-Vienne département in central France are most likely to come for the fine porcelain produced in Limoges - but you'll also find some of France's "most beautiful villages" and UNESCO World Heritage sites.
 

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