If your trip to France feels overwhelming but your itinerary focused on the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, and Versailles, that problem was fixable. This is the fix: Come to Paris, and then explore the country’s quieter side, in its 12 least-visited départements. No Eiffel Towers — but you will find world-class attractions, beautiful countryside, and dramatic, wild nature.
The INSEE (France’s National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies) provides detailed statistics on tourism — including the total number of overnight stays in hotels in each département. Happily, these include some of my favorite destinations here, like the cheese village of Camembert, the sad but important battlefields of Verdun, and le Perche (or the answer to the question “What if the Hamptons were in the middle of France and a lovely countryside rather than a beach?”).
A couple notes: I’ve only included mainland France because I’ve been to all of these except a handful. For comparison, the winner — not surprisingly Paris — had 38,553,000 stays (or thereabouts), compared to our least-visited département, which had 126,000. These figures reflect the totals for the most recent year available: 2024. If you’re curious, you can see the full report here.
Without additional delay, our loser/winner: the Upper Saône!
#1 Least Visited Département: Haute-Saône (Upper Saône)
Location: About 200 miles southeast of Paris
Préfecture: Vesoul (pop. 15,000)
Travel time: 4 hours by car, 3.5 hours by train (Gare de l’Est to Vesoul, one change)
Notable site: The Notre-Dame du Haut, a Catholic church designed by Le Corbusier in 1955
General vibe: French District 12 vibes, at least from an imagistic perspective: the remains of industry (including coal mines and saltworks) set across a beautiful mountainous landscape
An official take: “T’as voulu voir Vesoul, et on a vu Vesoul” (Jacques Brel)
Local delicacies: Cancoillotte cheese and Fougerolles cherries
What to do in Haute-Saône: Do you like the mountains, including hiking and biking them? Do you like kayaking along the river?
Context: La Haute-Saône shows traces of both its industrial past and the wars fought here and near, as the site of two battles during the Franco-Prussian War and a refuge for Alsatians fleeing the annexation of Alsace and Lorraine. Now, like La Creuse, it’s home to small villages and plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation — like lovely Luxeuil-les-Bains, with its beautiful thermal baths (seen above).
#2 Least Visited Département: Creuse
Location: About 187 miles south of Paris
Préfecture: Guéret (pop. 12,000)
Travel time: 4 hours by car, 6 hours by train (Gare d’Austerlitz to Guéret, one change)
Who lives there: Artists painting the landscape, Limousin and Charolais cows, followed by British holidaymakers and second-home owners
General vibe: Rolling hills above rivers, more cows than people
Historical detail:
Local delicacy: Chestnut-related items
An official take: “Everything there inflames the imagination… everything there clutches the heart” (George Sand)
What to do in Creuse: Mountain biking, hiking, relaxing, nature-centric artistic production
Context: La Creuse is the second-least populated département in France, and it feels it: In fact, its population peaked in the mid-19th century, and has dwindled to about half of that since, as its inhabitants left to fight in the 20th century’s two World Wars as well as for better economic opportunity in Paris and elsewhere. Today, it’s a rambling land of vacation homes and tiny villages. If Paris feels overwhelming and you’d like to experience truly rural, off-the-map Paris, this is where to go.
#3 Least Visited Département: Meuse
Location: 130 miles east of Paris
Préfecture: Bar-le-Duc (pop. 14,000)
Travel time: 3 hours by car, just over 2 hours by train (Gare de l’Est to Bar-le-Duc)
Notable site: The whole of Verdun (site of the awful Battle of Verdun, one of the longest of World War I and responsible for about 300,000 deaths) and the Montfaucon American Monument
General vibe: Somber rolling landscape punctuated by austere memorials to the dead of World War I
An official take: “L’enfer ne peut pas être si terrible” (“Hell cannot be so terrible”), from the diary of 21-year-old French Second Lieutenant Alfred Joubaire
Local delicacies: Sugared almonds at Maison Braquier
What to do in Meuse: If you’ve come for history (specifically World War I), you will be surrounded by it
Context: You very well might pass through the Champagne-and-cathedral city of Reims on your way to Verdun, the largest commune in Meuse — but that conviviality is overshadowed in Meuse by its history. Just north of Verdun, over a quarter-million soldiers died as the German belligerents attempted to “bleed France white” and force an uprising that would end the war in its favor. The historical sites here are world-class, fascinating, and very sad.
#4 Least Visited Département: Gers
Location: About 370 miles south-southwest of Paris
Préfecture: Auch (pop. 22,000)
Travel time: 7.5 hours by car, 5.5 hours by train (Gare Montparnasse to Auch, one change)
Notable site: The 12th-century Cistercian Abbaye de Flaran
General vibe: Incredibly super-rural natural retreat in the deep southwest
An official take: D’Artagnan was a real-life Musketeer, immortalized by Alexandre Dumas and born in le Gers: “face long and brown; high cheek bones, a sign of sagacity; the maxillary muscles enormously developed, an infallible sign by which a Gascon may always be detected….”
Local delicacies: Melon de Lectoure (maybe with mozzarella cheese, the tourism department suggested it even though it’s Italian)
What to do in le Gers: Visit tiny Gascon villages, see Gallo-Roman sites
Context: It’s very beautiful, and very quiet, though home to lovely little Gascon villages, some used as stopovers for pilgrims on the way to the Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Auch is the center point here, and a worthy jumping-off point to explore unique Gascon architecture and its rich, incredible food — not just the melon noted above but duck, brandy, salted ham, Bezolles mustard, and much more.
#5 Least Visited Département: L’Ariège
Location: Not too far from le Gers, it’s about 410 miles south of Paris, just north of the border with Spain/Andorra
Préfecture: Foix (pop. 10,000 — note Pamiers is bigger)
Travel time: 7.5 hours by car, 6.5 hours by train (Gare Montparnasse to Foix, one change)
Notable site: The Château de Montségur, a Cathar castle high in the mountains
General vibe: Super outdoorsy mountain life + the mysteries of the Cathars
An official take: “At the end of the 19th century, poverty pushed the youngest of the Ariège residents to leave their valleys to find sources of income. Some become “oursailler”, in other words a bear tamer, and travel the roads of France and the world. It is this destiny that awaits the young Emilienne Pujol, just 18 years old, who leaves her family and her village of Ercé, in search of adventure and freedom. She embarks in Bordeaux for America with her teddy bear Tâtai and her dog Calou as only companions.” (Summary of La Montreuse d’ours de Manhattan (“Manhattan Bear Watcher”), by Jean-Jacques Rouch)
Local delicacies: The signature dish is mounjetado — similar to cassoulet, with white beans, duck confit, Toulouse sausage, and pork
What to do in l’Ariège: Skiing and hiking in the Pyrénées, recovering from life at “nos maisons et chalets cocooning”
Context: Come for the skiing (and the thermal baths, my personal choice), stay for the incredible history of the mysterious Cathars! The Cathars challenged the Catholic Church between the 12th and 14th centuries, condemning its excesses and promoting its own ascetic qualities. Unsurprisingly, the Catholic Church did not enjoy any of this, and brutally murdered them, first in the Cathar Crusade (1209–1229) and then with the commencement of the Inquisition. The religion has died out, but its many remnants remain — including the incredible Montségur.
#6 Least Visited Département: Ardennes
Location: 125 miles northeast of Paris
Préfecture: Charleville-Mézières (pop. 45,000)
Travel time: Just under 3 hours by car, just under 2 hours by train (Gare de l’Est to Charleville-Mézières)
Notable site: Place Ducale in Charleville-Mézières, a beautiful, impressive square built by Clément Métezeau, the brother of the designer of the Place des Vosges in Paris — it’s closed to car traffic during the summer
General vibe: Dense forest landscapes with a distinctly Flemish vibe right on the Belgian border
Local delicacies: Rocroi cheese, Ardennes ham, “Les Ardoises de Fumay” (blue chocolate “slates”), la cacasse à-cul-nu (a potato dish served “bare bottom,” to indicate that there’s no meat in it) — a “plat du pauvre” due to its humble ingredients
What to do in Ardennes: Right on the Belgian border, this massively forested area supports all kinds of outdoor sports on land and sea (well, the Meuse, which snakes through les Ardennes through a beautiful river valley on its way to the North Sea). Much of outdoor life here is situated around the river, including a car-free 80-mile bike path that’s nearly entirely flat: the Trans-Ardennes.
Context: The Ardennes are tucked away in this northeastern corner of the country, covered in dense forest. Like la Meuse and Verdun, the Ardennes Forest is synonymous with battle — and though World War I was fought here (in fact, it was the only département occupied entirely by the German army outside of Alsace and Lorraine), it’s the later battle in World War II that is most famous. The Battle of the Bulge was fought partly in the Ardennes, a five-week battle during a brutally cold spell in 1944/1945 — if you’ve seen Band of Brothers, you should know its general contours. The Ardennes feel less scarred than the trench battlegrounds of World War I — it’s easier here to look beyond, or at least live peaceably beside, a terrible time.
#7 Least Visited Département: Territoire de Belfort
Location: 225 miles east-southeast of Paris
Préfecture: Belfort (pop. 45,000, plus the lion sculpture above)
Travel time: 4.5 hours by car, just over 3 hours by train (Paris to Belfort, one change)
Notable site: The Ballon d’Alsace, a gentle summit in the Vosges, accessible by foot, bike, or skis
General vibe: Very much at the crossroads of history, but not fancy about it
Local delicacies: Cheeses like munster and cancoillotte, ropfküche, a crumb cake with walnuts and crème fraiche
What to do in Territoire de Belfort: Explore the wilderness of the Vosges, and then the urban delights of Basel (it’s so close!)
Context: Territoire de Belfort is much closer to Basel (in Switzerland) than it is to Paris — and the German border as well. This proximity to national frontiers means that Territoire de Belfort has seen its share of battles and disruption: While Alsace was ceded to Germany in 1871, Territoire de Belfort remained French — and so welcomed Alsatian refugees fleeing German annexation. It’s now the fifth-smallest mainland département — the smallest outside of Paris and its suburbs — and very much a jumping-off point for exploring its old bedmate Alsace, the Route des Vins, western Switzerland, and more.
#8 Least Visited Département: Orne
Location: 100 miles west-southwest of Paris
Préfecture: Alençon (pop. 18,000)
Travel time: 2.5 hours by car, under 2 hours by train (Gare de Montparnasse to Alençon)
Notable site: La Perche!!! The wooded Hamptons of Paris!
General vibe: And at last we arrive in beautiful Normandy.
Local delicacies: Camembert, Bec de Flers (a pastry with apple and rhubarb), boudin noir
What to do in Orne: Norman relaxation at its finest. La Perche is a favored spot for second homes for wealthy Parisians — it’s beautiful.
Context: Away from the coast, Normandy is gorgeous: rolling farmland dotted with orchards and cows. This is where wealthy Parisians stay for the weekend, buy Camembert (in Camembert), and go to the spa — perhaps in Bagnoles-de-l’Orne, a spa town located within the Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park. (As this is Normandy, there is of course also a casino and a horse racing track.) If these rarefied excursions aren’t your style, Alençon is worth a visit of its own, with a centuries-old tradition of sublime lace-making, much on view at the Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle (The Museum of Fine Art…and Lace).
#9 Least Visited Département: Haute-Marne (Upper Marne)
Location: 140 miles east-southeast of Paris
Préfecture: Chaumont (pop. 21,000)
Travel time: Just over 2 hours by car, just under 2 hours by train (Gare de l’Est to Chaumont)
Notable site: Le Signe, the national graphic design museum
General vibe: More rural expanses, with an excellent urban destination in Chaumont
Local delicacies: Langres cheese, gray truffles, caille à la Clefmontaise (roasted quail with grapes)
What to do in Haute-Marne: Eat (truffles), drink (Champagne), loaf (everywhere).
Context: Like other départements in this region, the Haute-Marne has witnessed incredible history, including the end of Napoléon’s First Empire in Chaumont; it was occupied by the Germans during WWII. It was also a longtime favorite of none other than Charles de Gaulle, who long maintained a residence in the village of Colombey-les-Deux-Églises and died there in 1970.
#10 Least Visited Département: Haute-Loire (Upper Loire)
Location: 275 miles south-southeast of Paris
Préfecture: Le Puy-en-Velay (pop. 19,000)
Travel time: 5.5 hours by car, 4.5 hours by train (Gare de Lyon to Le Puy-en-Velay, one change)
Notable site: Le Puy-en-Velay itself, including its UNESCO-protected black-and-white striped cathedral
General vibe: Rough and wild nature in a volcanic setting, with historic, vertiginous towns
Local delicacies: If you like lentils (and specifically lentille verte du Puy, the green Puy lentils), this is absolutely your place
What to do in the Haute-Loire: Do you like to hike? How about volcanic lakes?
Context: This is rugged nature, not the manicured version — more ancient volcanoes than rolling pastures. The Haute-Loire also has an unmistakable religious undertone, not least because Le Puy-en-Velay is one (of many) starting-off points for pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago — every morning here, you’ll see adherents lining up to be blessed before departing on the Camino du Puy, a beautiful, nearly 500-mile walk through this incredibly rustic part of France heading on to the Camino.
#11 Least Visited Département: Mayenne
Location: 150 miles west-southwest of Paris
Préfecture: Laval (pop. 49,400)
Travel time: 3.5 hours by car, around 2 hours by train (Gare Montparnasse to Laval)
Notable site: The imposing Chateau de Mayenne is right in the center of Mayenne, a 1000-year-old fortification constructed during the Carolingian times
General vibe: Not Normandy, not Brittany, not precisely the Loire Valley, not the Atlantic Coast — just a peaceful, normie destination
Local delicacies: Port-Salut and Chaussée aux Moines cheese, Maine beef, pear cider, and elderberries
What to do in Mayenne: Explore the Mayenne (river) and the Mayenne (valley) by boat and by foot, perhaps on the 50-mile-long Vélo Francette, a bike-friendly towpath along the river.
Context: La Mayenne is made for peaceful visits to centuries-old churches, local markets, and hilltop villages — like Saulges, currently battling for the title of “Le Village Préféré des Français” on the French show.
#12 Least Visited Département: Nièvre
Location: 160 miles south-southeast of Paris
Préfecture: Nevers (pop. 33,000)
Travel time: 2.5 hours by car, just under 2 hours by train (Gare d’Austerlitz to Nevers)
Notable site: The Palais Ducal of Nevers, a “residential castle” passed between local aristocrats for hundreds of years
General vibe: Burgundy…but less rarefied than elsewhere in the region: wilder, cheaper, and lower-key
Local delicacies: Hearty Burgundy fare: boeuf bourguignon, oeufs en meurette (poached eggs in a thick red wine sauce), coq au vin, etc.
What to do in Nièvre: Walk, sleep, eat incredibly rich food, maybe consider life on a houseboat floating the Loire river, which provides the département’s western border.
Context: Sleepy, rural Nièvre is Burgundy at its most relaxed. Despite its demographic challenges — the département has seen consistent declines for decades — contemporary life continues on here amidst incredible relics from the past. Nevers, the préfecture, offers an imposing Palais Ducal and a beautiful cathedral, dedicated to Saints Cyricus and Julitta; castle-hunters will want to see the Château de Bazoches, first built in 1180 and redeveloped over another five centuries.
You must be logged in to post a comment.