When most tourists think of a car vacation, then they think of driving between destinations. But that’s not the point here. Here we present famous signed routes where the motorist can discover the beauty of the countryside, say within the alpine areas of France, or follow routes determined by local and traditional food or wine production, such as Le Route du Cidre , the cider route in Normandy.
Route of the Abbeys
Normandy offers the tourist a very high concentration of Abbeys. These can be visited in groups and are well grouped on the website linked here. If you are thinking that Christianity has followed a unique vision for 2000 years, you may think twice about visiting these Abbeys. There are events on them too, so check before you go.
The Cider Route
Normandy is known for butter and apples, and this 25-mile (40-kilometer) route takes you through some picturesque villages on your way to taste what Americans would call hard cider, which kept the colonies fed for quite some time. weather. Their target is the “AOC Pays d’Auge” cider producers, which is produced by Cidre de Cambremer.
You can also try Pommeau de Normandie and the apple “brandy” called Calvados.
The Route des Grandes Alpes
Do you like the alpine scenery? This historic route was conceived by the French Touring Club in 1911 and the legendary route finally made in 1937. It stretches from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean, a distance of 425 miles (684 kilometers) and includes 16 passes. On this route, you don’t even need a car. You can do it on foot or by bike, if you are extremely fit.
The Lavender Routes
The native symbol of Haute Provence has to be the lavender plant. The native variety of which came to be used in the emerging perfume industry in the 19th century. The industry almost disappeared until it was rescued by ‘wellness’ applications, think aromatherapy, as practiced in places like the castle of Simiane la Rotonde.
Along this route, you will come across distilleries, farms and apiaries, as well as outlets selling the many forms of lavender products.
Alsace wine route
Yes, there are many wine routes, but Alsace is quite special, especially for the excellent cuisine that has evolved from the search for a good wine experience. It is also a beautiful territory.
You will stop at frequent intervals along this route, so be sure to allow plenty of time. For example, you will pass through Ribeauville, one of the oldest medieval towns in Alsace, and then just 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) down the road is Riquewihr, a member of the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages in France. The town has many shops and boutiques, as well as hotels, restaurants, and Winstubs, making it a good place to stop in the middle of this route.
The ocher trail
If you want to see spectacular earth tones on your road trip, here’s a little itinerary in the Luberon for artists and photographers. The picture shows the path you can take outside the village of Roussillon.
In this case, the trail is little more than a day trip, but very scenic.
