The Agriates deserts
Head for the south of Corsica where a mythical no man’s land reigns. The most hermit-like people will find a deep peace far from any civilisation because the nearly 15,000 hectares (37 065 acres) that make up this space are impassable. A so-called desert without an arid climate would not be one. This micro-climate, set on 40 km of sand, is bordered by rocky cliffs and preserved ponds. The most spectacular thing? Beaches that look like heavenly bays, the most sumptuous of which are those of Lotu, Fiume Santo and Saleccia. The quest is long but well worth it.
The Ochre Paths
You don’t need to cross the Atlantic to find yourself in a Western setting. The Vaucluse hides a priceless treasure shaped by erosion to which man has contributed. Well, in reality, Man played an important role in the 17th century at the time of industrialisation before nature took over. A short lesson in molecular chemistry will clear up the mystery of these astonishing shades of colors: it is iron oxide that gives these yellow and purplish hues to the ochre, a natural pigment mixed with the sands of the cliffs.
The Camargue
This southern region, more precisely located in the departments of Gard and Bouches du Rhône, offers a multitude of landscapes, fauna and flora to contemplate. A 100,000-hectares (247105 acres) nature park resides here, enough to satiate the rustic adventure junkies.You can opt for a hard hike or play the valiant knight on a mount.
The Pisaillas glacier
A radical change of scenery. The ski suit is mandatory to avoid hypothermia. Located in Haute-Tarentaise, the Pisaillas glacier is so high up that you can ski there in the middle of summer. At almost 3300 metres high, it is obvious that the region knows no seasons.
The Haut-Koenigsbourg castle
We stay high up. This time the snow has melted to make way for a soaring view. Head for a unique 12th century monument at an altitude of 700 meters in Alsace. Back to medieval times in the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle, between dungeons and dragons. Well, the dragons come straight out of our imagination but we are not the only ones to have had them. It seems that Miyazaki drew inspiration by visiting this vestige that looks like a Howl’s Moving Castle.
