Marcia DeSanctis became a Francophile at first bite, when, at the age of eight, she first tried a croissant. Now, after many trips to the country and even a stint living in Paris, she’s written a new book for the likeminded, 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go. Here, she shares ten of those places with Vogue.com.
1 / 10
Fragrant City
Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Paris
A new perfume can transform a woman instantly and entirely, even more so than a facelift. At 5, rue d’Alger is an intimate jewelry box of a shop where Francis Kurkdjian, one of the world’s most celebrated and sought-after perfumers, sells his exquisite creations, including scented blowing bubbles—Les Bulles d’Agathe—which smell of violet, pear, cut grass, and mint. My favorite scent there was Aqua Universalis, a heady blend of citrus and bergamot.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Paris
A new perfume can transform a woman instantly and entirely, even more so than a facelift. At 5, rue d’Alger is an intimate jewelry box of a shop where Francis Kurkdjian, one of the world’s most celebrated and sought-after perfumers, sells his exquisite creations, including scented blowing bubbles—Les Bulles d’Agathe—which smell of violet, pear, cut grass, and mint. My favorite scent there was Aqua Universalis, a heady blend of citrus and bergamot.
Photo: Courtesy of Kai Laidla / @kookkaiai
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2 / 10
Detox and Retox
Vinotherapie Spa at Les Sources de Caudalie, Martillac
There are countless luxury hotels in France. What distinguishes the Vinotherapie Spa at Les Sources de Caudalie in Martillac, however, is the concept itself—something that could only have taken root twenty minutes from the city of Bordeaux in the heart of Aquitaine’s wine country. As it happens, the spa has naturally warm water from a well 1,800 feet deep. The beneficial minerals of the water, combined with the extracts of wines and grapes, is the essence of vinotherapie, a word trademarked by Caudalie. The spa incorporates every part of the grape in its treatments except for the juice, which has better things to do than keep your skin soft. You will find that across the way.
Vinotherapie Spa at Les Sources de Caudalie, Martillac
There are countless luxury hotels in France. What distinguishes the Vinotherapie Spa at Les Sources de Caudalie in Martillac, however, is the concept itself—something that could only have taken root twenty minutes from the city of Bordeaux in the heart of Aquitaine’s wine country. As it happens, the spa has naturally warm water from a well 1,800 feet deep. The beneficial minerals of the water, combined with the extracts of wines and grapes, is the essence of vinotherapie, a word trademarked by Caudalie. The spa incorporates every part of the grape in its treatments except for the juice, which has better things to do than keep your skin soft. You will find that across the way.
Photo: Courtesy of Marie Fitou / @mariesamo
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3 / 10
Walk the Walk
Hikes in the Calanque De Sugiton, Marseille
Calanques National Park extends for about twelve miles on the coast between Marseille and Cassis. The calanques are a series of steep-walled inlets that resemble fjords—long, narrow pools of electric blue-green sea that extend like fingers between bleached white cliffs. The path down the ravine to Sugiton is circuitous and steep, with a staggering view of a giant limestone pinnacle, against the iridescent water.
Hikes in the Calanque De Sugiton, Marseille
Calanques National Park extends for about twelve miles on the coast between Marseille and Cassis. The calanques are a series of steep-walled inlets that resemble fjords—long, narrow pools of electric blue-green sea that extend like fingers between bleached white cliffs. The path down the ravine to Sugiton is circuitous and steep, with a staggering view of a giant limestone pinnacle, against the iridescent water.
Photo: Courtesy of Tone / @tonumi
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4 / 10
Sweeter Than Wine
Baillardran, Bordeaux
There are thousands of delicious reasons to visit Bordeaux, and you can drink nearly all of them. There is only one excursion-worthy pastry, however: the canelé. It’s not clear to me if it is a breakfast food or a dessert, and that ambiguity allows you to punctuate the day with it.
Baillardran, Bordeaux
There are thousands of delicious reasons to visit Bordeaux, and you can drink nearly all of them. There is only one excursion-worthy pastry, however: the canelé. It’s not clear to me if it is a breakfast food or a dessert, and that ambiguity allows you to punctuate the day with it.
Photo: Courtesy of Jamie Chen / @jamiechen514
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5 / 10
La Vie en Lavande
Abbaye de Senanque, Provence
Long before its scent infused our Trader Joe’s dryer sheets, billions of these tiny purple-blue flowers grow in great swaths in the corner of the Cote d’Azur and Provence in June, July, and August. There will be festivals celebrating the season and markets to distract you. Walk the easy 2.5 miles down from the medieval village from Gordes to the Abbaye de Senanque. In high summer, framed by that eternal blue sky, the simple Cistercian structure is luminous white.
Abbaye de Senanque, Provence
Long before its scent infused our Trader Joe’s dryer sheets, billions of these tiny purple-blue flowers grow in great swaths in the corner of the Cote d’Azur and Provence in June, July, and August. There will be festivals celebrating the season and markets to distract you. Walk the easy 2.5 miles down from the medieval village from Gordes to the Abbaye de Senanque. In high summer, framed by that eternal blue sky, the simple Cistercian structure is luminous white.
Photo: Courtesy of Lilouka / @liloukaliving
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6 / 10
Yards of Luxury
Maison des Canuts, Lyon
Lyon exudes greatness. How fitting, then, that couture, or at least the luxury fabric that was used to create luxury fashion, originated here. The Maison des Canuts is in the heart of the old silk quarter, the Croix-Rousse. The loom here has a system of 1,344 needles, each connected with a vertical hook, integrating a total of 7,040 fine strands of silk. The director, Philibert Varenne, demonstrates the painstaking work as he weaves, thread by thread, sumptuous brocaded silk, sliding the shuttle back and forth at—literally—warp speed. In the next room, a canuse creates fabric for a wealthy client at a cost of 2,000–3,000 euros per meter.
Maison des Canuts, Lyon
Lyon exudes greatness. How fitting, then, that couture, or at least the luxury fabric that was used to create luxury fashion, originated here. The Maison des Canuts is in the heart of the old silk quarter, the Croix-Rousse. The loom here has a system of 1,344 needles, each connected with a vertical hook, integrating a total of 7,040 fine strands of silk. The director, Philibert Varenne, demonstrates the painstaking work as he weaves, thread by thread, sumptuous brocaded silk, sliding the shuttle back and forth at—literally—warp speed. In the next room, a canuse creates fabric for a wealthy client at a cost of 2,000–3,000 euros per meter.
Photo: Courtesy of Chandler West / @ciaochandler
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7 / 10
The Greatest Flea on Earth
Braderie de Lille, Lille
The Braderie de Lille is massive, mind-blowing, a French Mardi Gras and thousand-ring circus served up with unbelievable bargains. The Braderie is visited by roughly two million people each year who hunt through sixty-two miles of vendors throughout the city and its environs. Carry cash in small bills, and if you love something, buy it on the spot (after bargaining, of course).
Braderie de Lille, Lille
The Braderie de Lille is massive, mind-blowing, a French Mardi Gras and thousand-ring circus served up with unbelievable bargains. The Braderie is visited by roughly two million people each year who hunt through sixty-two miles of vendors throughout the city and its environs. Carry cash in small bills, and if you love something, buy it on the spot (after bargaining, of course).
Photo: Courtesy of @berlouh
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8 / 10
The Dreamscape of Genius
Désert de Retz, Chambourcy
The Désert de Retz is an estate about fifteen miles west from the center of Paris. Marie Antoinette was a frequent visitor, perusing botanical books in the library and drawing inspiration for the pastoral village she would build at Versailles. The jardin pittoresque movement started in the early eighteenth century, and for those with resources and land, it became the rage in Europe.
Désert de Retz, Chambourcy
The Désert de Retz is an estate about fifteen miles west from the center of Paris. Marie Antoinette was a frequent visitor, perusing botanical books in the library and drawing inspiration for the pastoral village she would build at Versailles. The jardin pittoresque movement started in the early eighteenth century, and for those with resources and land, it became the rage in Europe.
Photo: Courtesy of David Resnicow / @davidresnicow
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9 / 10
The Most Beautiful Garden in France
Vaux le Vicomte, Maincy
When you visit Paris, outings beyond the city are crucial. One of the most glorious road trips imaginable is to the baroque chateau and gardens at Vaux le Vicomte, about an hour southeast of the city. Day, night, summer, or Christmastime, you will strain to absorb the splendor and dimensions of the place you have landed, more astonishing for its rich history and the fact that people—the Vogüé family—actually still live there.
Vaux le Vicomte, Maincy
When you visit Paris, outings beyond the city are crucial. One of the most glorious road trips imaginable is to the baroque chateau and gardens at Vaux le Vicomte, about an hour southeast of the city. Day, night, summer, or Christmastime, you will strain to absorb the splendor and dimensions of the place you have landed, more astonishing for its rich history and the fact that people—the Vogüé family—actually still live there.
Photo: Courtesy of Mona Al-Qamzi / @monaalq
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10 / 10
The Master’s Beginnings
Musée Christian Dior, Granville
Unless you shop in their boutiques, it’s not easy to honor the giants of fashion in France. In fact, the only museum in the country dedicated to a fashion designer under the official “Musée de France” rubric is Christian Dior’s childhood idyll on the weather-beaten coast of Normandy. “Every woman should have pink in her wardrobe,” Dior famously said. “It is the color of happiness.” Probably no coincidence, then, that pastel pink is the color of Les Rhumbs, the villa bought by the Dior family in 1905, the year Christian was born.
Musée Christian Dior, Granville
Unless you shop in their boutiques, it’s not easy to honor the giants of fashion in France. In fact, the only museum in the country dedicated to a fashion designer under the official “Musée de France” rubric is Christian Dior’s childhood idyll on the weather-beaten coast of Normandy. “Every woman should have pink in her wardrobe,” Dior famously said. “It is the color of happiness.” Probably no coincidence, then, that pastel pink is the color of Les Rhumbs, the villa bought by the Dior family in 1905, the year Christian was born.
Photo: Courtesy of Chloe / @chloeblx
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