France Travel

Tucked along the windswept coast of Normandy in northern France, Étretat is a small seaside town famous for its dramatic white chalk cliffs and natural rock arches sculpted by the sea. Once a quiet fishing village, Étretat blossomed in the 19th century as a fashionable beach resort, attracting writers, artists, and Parisian elites. Its raw beauty, combined with the serenity of the sea and sky, has inspired generations. Étretat was immortalized by the French Impressionist painter Claude Monet through innumerable paintings of the town’s striking cliffs. Today, Étretat stands as a jewel of Normandy - a place where cliffs meet canvas, and history lives in the landscape.

With an age-old tradition dating back to the 14th century, France is one of those countries in Europe, where celebrating Christmas with zest and fervor is deeply rooted within its national culture. And since the concept of the world's first ever Christmas Tree originated from here, France has as much right to the title of ‘The Home of Christmas’ as the North Pole. Owing to the diverse geography running from the French Alps to the Mediterranean, France follows different Christmas customs in different regions. But there is one thing in common - the Christmas Markets!

The lavender fields in Provence are among the most well-known in the world. Every year between mid-June and mid-August, when the Provence lavender fields begin to take on their distinctive purple tint, and the countryside gets inundated by their sight and scent, it reminds us that even when life is about to come to a standstill at the whim of the sun's powerful rays, the earth can still ripen, that there can be joy amidst misery. And that, my friends, is not a sight to be missed! Today I’m going to take you along with me on a ride across the best lavender fields of Provence. Let the journey begin!

With the sky-kissing wrought-iron Eiffel Tower, the monumental Arc de Triomphe guarding the opulent avenue des Champs-Élysées, the iconic Notre Dame cathedral, lamplit bridges across the Seine, and the wicker-chair-lined terraces of art nouveau cafes, Paris is a beacon of art, architecture, and fashion on the face of our planet. Lutece, Paname, Pentruche, City of Lights, City of Love - known by different names to different people, it has witnessed the creations of masters like Renoir, Rodin, Picasso, Monet, Manet, Dali, and Van Gogh and has housed treasures since antiquity. Today I’m going to take you along with me on a ride across the 13 best places to visit in Paris that can be done over the weekend. Let the journey begin!