Forgotten France: 10 stunning regions most visitors overlook

You don’t have to battle tourist hordes in the world’s most-visited country. Here are 10 of its relatively less-visited but underrated regions.

Where A marshy coastal region between Montpellier and Marseille where the Rhone river – forming one of Europe’s largest deltas – meets the Mediterranean. It’s a peaceful enclave near tourist-busy Provence and the French Riviera.

Why we love it This sliver of the much-visited Mediterranean manages not just tranquillity but unusual, almost wild-seeming landscapes that are home to wild horses and abundant waterbirds, none more striking than flamingos. A cowboy culture, Spanish cultural influences and Romany festivals add to its oddities. Lake swimming makes for a change, too, though there are Mediterranean beaches.

Don’t miss Horse riding through the wetlands and visiting a traditional ranch with the cattle-herding gardiens (cowboys) is a must. Kitschy seaside Le Grau-du-Roi (popular with French beachgoers) is best for surrounding dunes, while Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is an ancient pilgrim town. The imposing, fortified town of Aigues-Mortes, water lapping its walls, is the highlight.

Essentials February-March is peak flamingo season, although some are present year-round. Stay at mid-priced, 15th-century Villa Mazarin, which combines contemporary and traditional regional styles and sits inside walled city Aigues-Mortes. See visit-occitanie.com

Where A little, landlocked, mountainous French department in south-central France, and the one with the smallest population (83,000 inhabitants). It gets few visitors despite being in Occitania, which gets 30 million.

Why we love it Four mini-mountain ranges collide here to rugged effect and offer something we don’t always associate with France: terrific hiking and mountain biking. Cevennes National Park has volcanic remnants, hurried rivers and meadow uplands. This is France freed from cultural duties, and Lozere feels surprisingly remote.

Don’t miss Anduze makes for an attractive base. The deep, picturesque Gorges du Tarn is the best-known destination but you can escape even further into Gorges de la Jonte and Gorges de la Dourbie. Chaos de Nimes-le-Vieux has wonderfully weird karst rock formations. Sainte-Enimie, La Garde-Guerin and Le Malzieu-Ville rank highly in the pretty-village stakes.

Essentials Spring and autumn are best for hiking; summer can get busy with French holidaymakers. Stay at four-star, 15th-century Chateau de la Caze on the Tarn river, set in a lovely park with a heated pool. See lozere-tourisme.com

Where This historical north-eastern territory, now known as Hauts-de-France and administered from Lille, was famously fought over in the Middle Ages and during World War I, but beyond the Somme battlefields it has many more reasons to visit.

Why we love it Picardy begins only an hour north of Paris and, although packed with historic towns, it is dotted with nature reserves, forest and waterways that give way to estuaries and beaches. It’s incredibly history-dense, and the Australian connection to World War I in places such as Villers-Bretonneux is moving.

Don’t miss You get a surfeit of chateaux in France but two of them in Picardy – Chantilly and Pierrefonds – are among the most gorgeous. Elegant Compiegne makes for a lively and sophisticated base and has another chateau much-loved by Napoleon, part of which houses a national car museum. Walled city Laon, pretty village Gerberoy and the Gothic cathedral at Amiens are further highlights.

Essentials Visit in April for Anzac Day commemorative services. Stay at boutique Hotel Marotte in Amiens for a central location. It has both traditional rooms and contemporary suites in the adjacent The Cube, as well as a great spa. See hautsdefrancetourism.com

JURA MOUNTAINS

Where These limestone mountains straddle the France-Switzerland border and two French departments, Jura and Doubs, but are scarcely known to foreign visitors despite their gorges, lakes, forests, cave systems and historical towns.

Why we love it Who doesn’t like mountains? Sure, the scale is smaller than the Alps, but so are the crowds, and you still get green lakes, limestone cliffs and cow-chewed meadows that produce Comte, the French equivalent of Gruyere. The hearty regional mountain food and local wine (mostly chardonnay and sauvignon) is great, too.

Don’t miss Tucked away from the tourist gaze, Besancon is the capital of Franche-Comte and a graceful 18th-century town encircled by the Doubs river and a monumental, UNESCO-listed citadel. Ornans is the most picturesque village, Chateau de Joux the most impressive medieval remnant. Then hit the trails of Jura National Park.

Essentials Autumn starts to get chilly but you can’t beat the colours of the forest and vineyards. Besancon makes for a good base. Stay in former monastery Hotel le Sauvage, which has a wallow-worthy spa and good restaurant. See jura-tourism.com

Where We’ve all heard of Corsica, the large Mediterranean island closer to Italy (and especially Sardinia) than France, and birthplace of Napoleon. But only recently has tourism boomed, and mostly it’s the French who holiday there.

Why we love it Sapphire seas, a marvellous coastline claiming several of Europe’s best beaches, high mountains scented with rosemary, and Italianate towns set the scene. Add a distinctive language and culture, and fierce independent streak, and you have a France that isn’t like the France you expect.

Don’t miss Bonifacio, a citadel founded in the ninth century that feels like a pirates’ lair and clings like a limpet to cliffs on Corsica’s southern tip. In the north, Calvi’s citadel claims a scenic peninsula, and nearby Scandola Nature Reserve is stunning. Walled medieval Algajola faces a lovely beach. Don’t miss the mountains; the GR20 is a magnificent hiking path.

Essentials Avoid the heat and local tourists by visiting mid-May to mid-June. A’Mare Corsica positions you halfway between Ajaccio and Bonifacio in a boutique five-star hotel with a Mediterranean beach and plenty of water sports. See visit-corsica.com

Where The rural, lightly populated north-west corner of the Massif Central in southern France. Limoges is the only city of any size (126,000 inhabitants), even though the region is halfway between the popular Loire Valley and Bordeaux.

Why we love it This is a quiet destination of rumpled hills where you can enjoy the French country lifestyle without jet-setting crowds and overpricing. Yet when you’re ready for something to do, you’ll find hiking in Perigord-Limousin Regional Natural Park, fine old villages such as Collonges-la-Rouge, and various cultural sights.

Don’t miss The culture is found in Crozant, where impressionist painters hung out; Aubusson, with its tapestry-producing history; and the Adrien Dubouche National Museum of porcelain in Limoges. Rochechouart has the best chateau, Saint-Junien a Romanesque basilica. The haunting ruins of Oradour-sur-Glane are a grim memorial to a 1942 massacre by the Nazi Waffen-SS.

Essentials September has pleasant weather for walks, and French holidaymakers have dwindled. Stay at La Chapelle Saint-Martin, a lovely villa in a sprawling park with a top-notch Relais & Chateaux restaurant under a Michelin-starred chef. See visitlimousin.com

UPPER NORMANDY

Where We’ve all heard of Normandy but the eastern part of it on the English Channel through which the Seine river slithers isn’t as visited as Lower Normandy, which has a bigger reputation thanks to seaside resorts and World War II beaches.

Why we love it The misty countryside is nibbled by cheese-producing cows and covered in apple orchards that provide cider and brandy, while coastal waters add great shellfish. History lovers will find chateaux and churches everywhere, and the energetic will enjoy clifftop walks around Etretat.

Don’t miss Rouen has terrific medieval architecture and a cathedral much-painted by Monet yet hasn’t turned into a tourist Disneyland and retains a busy, lived-in atmosphere. Two wonderful ruins are Chateau Gaillard on a bluff above the Seine, and the Benedictine abbey at Jumieges. Industrial port Le Havre is World Heritage-listed for its post-World War II architecture.

Essentials June is a good month for weather and D-Day anniversary commemorations. Stay at Novotel Suites Rouen Normandy, which gets you near Rouen city centre but has rooms with space and a kitchenette to prepare market and bakery goodies. See normandie-tourisme.fr

Beyond Paris: Five overlooked cities in France

Dijon You’ve heard of the mustard but have you been to the city that makes it, for a tour of one of the mustard-making companies? Dijon has much more besides, including a very agreeable old town, several Gothic churches and one of France’s best provincial art galleries for uncrowded appreciation. It’s also chock-full of fine restaurants, 20 of which get a nod in the Michelin guide. See destinationdijon.com

Nimes Many travellers come down the Rhone Valley and turn towards the Riviera. Head west instead and you’ll enjoy this lively city cluttered with cafes and tapas bars and preserving some of the world’s best ancient Roman remains, including a near-intact temple and amphitheatre. Pont du Gard outside town is a spectacular Roman aqueduct that spans a valley of gnarly olive trees. See nimes-tourisme.com

Nantes This industrial port on the Loire and pretty Erdre river in western France is one to watch: it has been undergoing revitalisation and has become a trendy getaway for Parisians. It also has a rich history, good museums and an imposing cathedral and castle. Verdant surrounding countryside is dotted with chateaux, which, if not as imposing as the Loire’s more famous chateaux, are more peaceful. See levoyageanantes.fr

Beaune Burgundy is renowned for wine yet gets far fewer visitors than the Bordeaux and Champagne regions. Its former ducal capital features a superb hospice that provides wonderful architecture and an insight into medical care (or lack of it) in the Middle Ages. Beyond the sights, this is a town for sitting in squares, plundering markets and visiting art galleries. See beaune-tourism.com

Chambery The colourful buildings and piazzas of this pre-alpine city in south-west France are reminiscent of Italy. The former capital of Savoy has a culture-rich old town of cobbled streets and hidden courtyards. Just north is Lac du Bourget for a beautiful boat ride within sight of the Alps. Lakeshore Aix-les-Bains is a posh spa town, and Abbaye d’Hautecombe the scenic resting place of Savoy royalty. See chamberymontagnes.com