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25 Astonishing Facts About The Ozarks That'll Amaze You

Posted: April 26, 2024 | Last updated: April 26, 2024

Welcome to the Ozarks

What exactly are the Ozarks?

The Ozarks aren’t centered around a specific city or nature reserve – the name actually refers to a large mountain range in the south-central United States. The mountains span portions of five states: Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Oklahoma and Kansas, with the largest portion in Missouri, although the actual boundaries are vague . All in all, the range occupies about 50,000 square miles.

Its name is French

Unlike many oddly named places in the US, the name Ozark isn’t a reference to an early colonialist’s surname, although its roots are in colonialism. It’s believed to be a misspelling of the words Aux Arc, which was a French trading post in the area in the 1700s. The phase translates to 'with bows,' likely a reference to the Quapaw people, who were also known as the Bow Indians. Either way, there’s still a campground on the Lake of the Ozarks that bears the Aux Arc name.

Found in the middle of the plains

There aren’t a lot of mountains in the middle part of the United States – those 'flyover' states are shockingly flat. The Ozark Mountains (paired with the adjacent Ouachita Mountains) are the only rough ‘n’ rugged range between the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains. If you take a look at a topographical map (or literally fly across the country), you’ll see that there’s a lot of smooth plains in between those ranges.

Soar to high heights

While the Ozarks might not get the same fanfare as the majestic Appalachians or the incredibly tall Rockies, the range does have some pretty impressive peaks. Many of the mountains in the Boston section of the Ozark range (which are actually all in Arkansas and nowhere near Boston) are more than 2,000-feet high and the famed Taum Sauk Mountain in Missouri is a mighty 1,772 feet.

Larger than life lake

The Ozarks region is as famous for the Lake of the Ozarks as it is for the mountains that the area is named after, largely because of the sheer size of that particular body of water. With its various arms and nooks and crannies, the lake has 1,100 miles of coastline, which is more than the state of California. It’s no wonder it’s such a popular spot for boating and watersports, with so many places to dock and so much water to explore.

It's actually a fake lake

Surprisingly, the Lake of the Ozarks is not a natural body of water – technically speaking, it’s a man-made lake. The massive lake is the result of the impounding of the Osage River to create a hydroelectric power system. The lake was first flooded in 1931 and the operation didn’t just create power, but a major tourist destination for boaters and lakeside vacationers.

Bagnell Dam

Bagnell Dam, the largest and last major dam in the US to be financed through private investment, is the reason the Lake of the Ozarks exists. The spectacular feat of engineering harnesses the Osage River and is a half-mile (0.8km) long, holding back 600 billion gallons of water. It’s a producer of energy, creating enough power to supply 42,000 households throughout the year.

The Magic Dragon

Since the Lake of the Ozarks is a flooding of the Osage River, it twists and turns as a river would, giving it a snake-like appearance. That serpentine shape has earned it the nickname ' the Magic Dragon' . It’s a common enough moniker that some events and businesses situated around the lake use the nickname in their company names. There’s even an annual car show called the Magic Dragon Street Meet .

Plenty more fish in the... lake

The lakes and rivers of the Ozarks are rich with fish, particularly several species of bass and catfish, as well as trout, crappie and carp, all of which attract many recreational fishing boats. There are also more unexpected water creatures like small freshwater jellyfish, which are not believed to be native to North America but do periodically appear in the Lake of the Ozarks, particularly in late summer and early fall.

Porsche in the water

Fish aren’t the only thing that have been known to be found in the vast waters of the Lake of the Ozarks. In 2002 a Porsche Sportster convertible was found submerged in the lake and after being pulled out, the car was confirmed to have been recently stolen from a transport truck. The twist to the story is that the sports car, a collector’s item worth $100,000, belonged to Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage.

Premium shorefront properties

The shoreline along the Lake of the Ozarks is privately owned, which means there are a lot of homes that sit almost directly on the water, enjoying premium boat access and magnificent views. There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 70,000 private homes lining the shores of the lake, many of which are vacation homes that are only occupied during lake season in the summer months.

Ha Ha Tonka State Park

Filled with forests, sinkholes, dramatic bluffs and beautiful views of the Lake of the Ozarks’ Niangua Arm, Ha Ha Tonka State Park is a jewel of the Missouri section of the Ozarks. The park’s most famous feature is the site of a 1905 European-style stone castle which is now in a state of romantic ruin. The park is also a popular spot for hiking and fishing, as well as anyone who just wants to drink in the beauty of the ruins and surrounding nature.

Miles of mills

With all of the water flowing around the Ozarks, it’s not surprising that there a number of historic mills scattered around the region. Mills like the Rockbridge Mill (built in 1865 after the original structure burnt down in the Civil War), the picturesque Alley Mill and the bright red Hodgson Mill are all favorites of photographers and Instagrammers. Most of the mills are no longer in operation, but many welcome visitors and some offer tours.

Ozark National Forest

Those looking for rough and ready wilderness will find it in the Ozark National Forest, a 1.2 million-acre area in northern Arkansas. This is real Ozark backcountry – the rugged terrain is home to countless hiking trails, oak and hickory hardwood forests, wild rivers and ample wildlife. 'Primitive' camping is allowed in much of the wilderness area for a truly outdoor experience.

The Cave State

With over 6,400 caves, Missouri is known by many as the Cave State and many of those caves and caverns exist within the Ozarks. The Ozark Caverns in Lake of the Ozark State Park and the caves at Meramec State Park are some of the most famous, thanks to their unique rock formations and the cave tours offered to visitors.

Karst landforms are also hidden underground

The Ozark region is home to a complex karst ecosystem consisting of sinkholes, caves and underground springs that are an important home to at least 60 different varieties of organisms including bats, fish, spiders and salamanders, many of which are protected species. The karst system is also responsible for many of the area’s pristine streams and ground water supply.

Folk culture

Folk archivist Max Hunter immortalized the glory of mid-century Ozark life though 1,600 recordings made between 1956 and 1976. A traveling salesman by trade, Hunter would take a tape recorder out to mountainous regions and capture stories and songs from locals in Arkansas and Missouri. Hunter’s collection is now available online through a partnership with the Missouri State University of Music and the Springfield-Greene County Library.

Ozark dialect

Much like other parts of the rural United States, the Ozarks have a history of people speaking in a distinct dialect. It’s similar to the English spoken in the Appalachians and flourished in the late 1800s because of the relative isolation of the area. The original Ozark dialect is said to be heavily influenced by Elizabethan English, but the speech patterns have long been diluted as people from the area have mixed with visitors and traveled themselves.

Immortalized in literature

While the area has always been beautiful, the masses didn’t truly discover the Ozarks as a place to visit until the publication of Harold Bell Wright’s 1907 novel The Shepherd of the Hills , which was a huge national bestseller. The book's depiction of the region’s awe-inspiring natural wonder helped establish the city of Branson, Missouri as a top tourist destination.

Cities in the Ozarks

The Ozarks aren’t all about natural beauty, there are also plenty of towns and cities to explore. Branson, Missouri, known for its huge collection of theaters and entertainment district, is probably the most famous, but other cities like Springfield, Missouri and Osage Beach (where the TV show Ozark is set) are also prominent commercial centers in the region.

A trip to the Ozarks requires a little bit of kitsch, which can be found at the Ozarkland chain of stores, which sell everything from candy and souvenirs to Christmas ornaments and fireworks. With locations in Kingdom City, Branson, Camdenton and a few other places, it’s a tourist trap, but also a decent place to stock up in the midst of an Ozarks road trip.

Glorious golf courses

Fishing, boating and hiking are all commonplace sports in the Ozarks, but golf is also extremely popular with visitors to the area, thanks to the beautiful views surrounding each course. There’s even a Lake of the Ozarks 'golf trail', featuring 13 different golf courses. One of the Ozarks' most famous course is the Payne’s Valley Golf Course, the first public-access course designed by the one and only Tiger Woods.

Art and coffee

The Ozarks are known for being a fairly down-home rural place, but it does have chic urban elements. The Arkansas city of Bentonville is home to the impressive Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and its satellite venue The Momentary, which hosts music and other artistic performances. There's also a couple of bars and the renowned Onyx Coffee Lab coffee shop.

Naturally, the Ozarks have a healthy dose of American weirdness scattered about the area, including the large-scale art installation known as Red Oak II. This 'town' near Carthage, Missouri is a recreation of artist Lowell Davis’ now dissolved hometown, complete with faux versions of the town gas station, diner, school and a few houses. There’s even a Red Oak II festival to bring together fans of this Missouri oddity.

Thorncrown Chapel

Architect E. Fay Jones designed a series of glass chapels that are hidden in the forests of Arkansas, including this beauty near Eureka Springs, which first opened in 1980. With 425 windows, the little church blends in with its natural surroundings, giving visitors a spiritual experience, no matter what their religious affiliation may be. Sunday services are held from April through to October.

Now discover the world's most beautiful sacred and spiritual sites

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This Town by Niall Horan

Songfacts®:

• This somber and reflective track was the first song written by Niall Horan for his debut solo album after he'd spent some time backpacking around Southeast Asia. Niall became the first current member of One Direction to release a solo single when he released the tune on September 29, 2016.
• Niall penned the song with regular One Direction songwriter Jamie Scott in February 2016. Speaking to Westwood One's Zach Sang Show , he said the familiar pairing made his transition back into songwriting "easy."
• The track was produced by California producer Greg Kurstin whose other credits include Kelly Clarkson's " What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger) " and Adele's " Hello ."
• The acoustic love song finds Niall serenading both his hometown and old flame. He explained the track's double meaning. "To me the way I look at it, if you're from a small town you'll get this, every time you go back to your hometown you'll see this girl in the bar, or wherever, and then everything comes back to you," he said. "And then the other part of it is the town itself no matter whatever you do whenever you live, when you go home, everything comes back to the town. That's the way I kind of wrote it, as a double meaning."
• Niall Horan recorded the song in Capitol's Studio A. The Los Angeles studio has hosted many iconic names through the years from Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole to The Beach Boys and Sam Smith. Niall was thrilled to be able to use Sinatra's old microphone while singing. "Anyone who knows me knows I'm a huge swing fan and a huge Frank Sinatra fan," he said in a behind-the-scenes video. "I have photos of him all over my house, so to be in that studio - some of the most famous pictures of Frank Sinatra have been taken in that studio - it had a real aura about it."
• Niall Horan made his debut TV performance as a solo artist when he performed this song on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on December 13, 2016.
• Niall Horan recalled the story of the song in a video: "It was one of the first songs that I'd written. I wasn't trying to write big choruses and stuff like that, I was trying to write stuff that suited me. The title came before anything it was like this town and what my hometown effectively what it means to me and there are a lot of people who can relate to it because it's such a writeable song. If you come from a small town you get that straight away, it's like, every time you go home people are coming in from all over the world and you walk into the bar and it's like there is the girl you fell for when you were 12."
• Niall Horan was caught off guard by how the song was received. "I just released ['This Town'] to let people know that I was still doing something and it was the best of the bunch of songs I had at the time because I had only written a few at the time," he told Carson Daly on 97.1 AMP Radio. "And I just thought I'd release it and then it kind of took on a life of its own."
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• Andy from Holland Listened to this song over and over when i was in love, the longing reflected mine perfectly.

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don't visit this part of the town

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________ don't visit this part of the town.

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30 small towns in France you have to visit to get off-the-beaten-path

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This article will cover all the best small towns to visit in France. We’ll be looking at off-the-beaten-path villages, unique towns, hidden gems and non-touristy places in France that you should add to your next French vacation.

NOTE: Starting in November 2023, eligible passport holders will need to apply for an ETIAS France visa. The ETIAS is the new EU Travel Information and Authorisation System for Europe. The system will require previously visa-free travelers to pre-register for travel authorization to any of the Schengen Area countries, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania including France. The information provided will then be checked against security databases in order to pre-screen any risks before travelers reach EU borders. The aim of the ETIAS visa waiver in France is to improve border control within the Schengen Area, as well as to make the permit application process more efficient.

France is a beautiful destination to visit, whatever season you choose to go. There are magical places to discover any time of the year. While most choose to stay on the usual tourist route, we are big fans of exploring unique towns, hidden gems and non-touristy cities in France (and pretty much anywhere else). That’s why we asked our favorite travel bloggers to let us know their favorite small cities and towns to get off the beaten path in France .

Of course, Paris, Nice, Marseilles, Saint-Tropez and Mont Saint-Michel all have something amazing to offer. They’re popular destinations for very good reasons. But they’re also very crowded! And with crowds around, exploring the beauty of France is a little harder. But hitting up these 31 small towns will help you see a different side of France! You may discover your next big coup de cœur ! The destination that will take your breath away with its beauty, its joie-de-vivre, the connections you’ll be able to make with locals.

So don’t be afraid to get off the beaten path in France. Go explore these villages and small towns! There’s something for every type of traveler, every budget and every part of the country.

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For more information, please see our disclaimer here . We take all the efforts necessary to ensure the information included in this post is accurate, correct and current, sometimes, things just change! Travel information like opening hours, business operations and prices may change. If you find anything in this post that is incorrect or outdated, please let me know in the comments so I can update it for other readers. Cheers!

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30 small towns in France you have to visit

In 2018, we spent a few weeks in the south of France , going between the towns of Eauze and Gaillac. We got to explore some of the most beautiful cathedrals , vineyards and towns in the area. We loved every minute of it, even though we had never heard of these towns before. We knew there were so many other non-touristy and off-the-beaten-path places to discover. That’s why we asked our favorite travel bloggers to help us out and list the cutest little towns in France. We wanted to help you plan an itinerary that would help you uncover some hidden gems of your own during your next trip to France.

We’ve listed them out per region to make sure you can find your way more easily. We’re excited to share these non-touristy cities with you.

The best small towns in France’s Normandy region

If you’re looking to visit a historical region with a tone of beautiful towns in France, Normandy will not disappoint! With a rich history, including being home to Derek’s favorite Vikings, Normandy is a beautiful place to go off the French beaten path.

Located in the northwestern region of France, this area has so much to offer in terms of culture, history, gastronomy and so much more. Here are some of the cutest towns to visit in Normandy.

Dieppe, a small village in France with big historical significance

Contributed by Zoe from TogetherinTransit.nl

If you are looking for an idyllic, off-the-beaten-path fishing town in France, head to the North Alabaster Coast and enjoy a stay in Dieppe. Dieppe is a typical  French fishing city  with lots of local history, fun things to do and delicious restaurants to suit everyone’s dietary needs. It’s a great location for a weekend trip from Paris. 

For those wanting to visit this unique town in France, start the day by exploring the local market. It has been voted as one of the best in France. It’s a great place to try the local cuisine as well as some delicious French croissants and cakes! From here there is a yellow dotted train that tours the city to the top of the cliffs. It only costs a few euros and is great for those who struggle walking up to the top. If not, take a stroll there for gorgeous views of Dieppe and the beach.

A top recommendation in this hidden gem of a town in France is a boat trip from the harbor for an hour or two at sea. You’ll be able to check out the cliffs from the water, enjoy the sea air and learn about the local history too. For some relaxation, stroll along the beach at sunset before heading back into town for a bite to eat. Most restaurants sell local produce, such as the fresh fish caught that day out at sea. On a rainy day, head to the Dieppe Castle for some exploration inside. A foodie tip : Head to the local La Mie Câline for some of the best freshly baked goods in the city!

For day trips from Dieppe, you can easily discover the whole Alabaster Coast and drive down to Etretat. Here are more dramatic cliffs and are most popular to visit due to the location being used for many TV series, paintings and movies. 

In terms of accommodations in Dieppe , there are plenty of places to choose from in this lovely town in France.

Deauville, a non-touristy town to visit in France’s Normandy region

Contributed by Ali from InspiredLifestyleBlog.com

If you want to get away from all the touristy and overcrowded towns in France, Deauville is the perfect small town to visit. Located on the coast in the Normandy region, this quaint little city is full of charm and is all-around quite beautiful. 

And since you’re going off the beaten path in France, be prepared to have a translator app on your phone or know some basic French, as most people here don’t speak English (except the staff at the hotel). 

When you visit Deauville, there are a variety of low-key activities to do, such as checking out the local shops, grabbing a bite to eat, drinking in the local restaurants, or just walking around and enjoying the unique and charming architecture in the city. 

I also highly recommend stopping by the beach, even if the weather is chilly. You can still enjoy the beautiful seascape scenery of this beautiful town in France. If you don’t want to relax in the sand, you can also head to the Promenade des Planches boardwalk to take a stroll at the beach. 

Overall, this city is not very popular among tourists visiting France, yet, it’s a great city to visit if you want to relax somewhere more quiet than Paris and enjoy a slow-paced vacation by the sea. This is the epitome of what hidden gems in France are all about!

To get to Deauville , you can fly into the Deauville Airport. You can also rent a car and drive 120 miles from Paris. You can also take a train or a bus to the city as well. I recommend only staying maybe about two or three days. After a couple of days, you start to run out of things to do since this is a pretty small town in Normandy. Overall, it’s a beautiful town that you probably didn’t even think to add to your vacation itinerary and one you’ll love visiting!

Bayeux, an under the radar town in Normandy

Contributed by Lisa of WavesAndCobblestones .com

Bayeux is a charming town in the Normandy region of northwestern France, just ten kilometers from the English Channel. Bayeux is only 3 hours by train from  Paris , making it an excellent weekend getaway.

Bayeux’s main claim to fame is the historically important Bayeux Tapestry ( Tapisserie de Bayeux ). This medieval tapestry was created in the 11 th  century and is an embroidered documentation of the events leading up to the Norman invasion of England in 1066. This incredible tapestry is 70 meters in length and is displayed in the Bayeux Museum, a former 18th-century seminary. (Note that the tapestry will be on loan to a British museum for two years while the Bayeux Museum is renovated, with a planned return in 2024.)

Visitors to Bayeux will also enjoy a visit to the grand Cathédrale Notre-Dame, or Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayeux. This cathedral is a gorgeous example of Norman Romanesque and Gothic architecture, with soaring ceilings and many vibrant stained-glass windows. The cathedral was consecrated in 1077 in the august presence of William the Conqueror. 

For those interested in military history, Bayeux is an excellent town in France from which to explore WWII historical sites. You can visit several of the Normandy beaches used during the invasion. Pay your respects to the fallen soldiers at the Normandy American Cemetery, with its sobering array of white crosses on a field of green. A local guide can provide excellent insights into local experiences during the war and liberation.

The best time to visit Bayeux, this charming French town in Normandy, is in the warmer summer months. June is the busiest month due to the commemorations of the June 6 th  Normandy invasion. Plan to spend two days in Bayeux – one to explore the town’s attractions, and one to tour WWII sites.

Be sure to book your accommodations in town, and rent a car to get around all the other beautiful non-touristy towns in France’s Normandy region.

Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei, a small town in France you must visit

Contributed by Faith of XYUandBEYOND.com

Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei is a picturesque French village officially listed among the ‘most beautiful villages in France’ ( Les Plus Beaux Villages de France® ). Set in the beautiful hills known as Les Alpes Mancelles , the village is located on Normandy’s southern border in what is known as the Orne region.

In 1982, France developed the idea of the Most Beautiful Villages in France and the designation now has 164 villages spread throughout the country. The Les Plus Beaux Villages is a way to preserve and enhance these gorgeous rural villages and provide an authentic experience for tourists.

You enter the village crossing over a small ancient stone bridge. There you will spot parking signs so you can leave your car and walk through this beautiful little village in France.

The center of Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei is an 11th-century Romanesque church with stunning frescoes and on the opposite bank of the river, there is a charming 15th-century chapel. There’s also the miracle fountain to discover. Here, the legends say that a freshwater spring just appeared where the 7th century Saint Ceneri was praying. The stories say that the spring has the ability to cure eye problems.

Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei was much loved by artists such as Corot and Courbet and pre-Impressionist landscape painters for its peace and serenity. In the 19th century, the Auberge des Sœurs Moisy was the Inn where these artists came to stay and paint, the Inn is now an art museum.

The village is around 2 hours from  Bayeux  and the beaches of Normandy and the best way to visit is by car . It lies on the scenic river Sarthe around 20 minutes from Alençon.

Most unique places to visit in northern France

The northern region of France has a ton of hidden gems to discover! This area has thousands of years of history, beautiful castles, popular towns like Mont Saint-Michel and Brest, delicious food, and so much more! Basically, you can choose to stick to its known parts, or, you can head to these non-touristy cities in the North of France

Munster, a hidden gem in northern France

Contributed by Linda from HikingTheAlps.com

The lovely little town of Munster is located in the Munster Valley, one of the most beautiful valleys of the Alsace. It is reachable by car or train from Colmar in 20 minutes or a little more than one hour from Strasbourg. 

The heart of the small town in northern France is the beautiful market square. Right next to it are the remains of Saint Gregorius Abbey. Founded in 660, the production of the famous Munster cheese (frz. fromage de Munster) was first documented here.  This soft cheese with its yellowish rind has a very strong, aromatic smell when ripe. You should definitely try it with a glass of the famous semi-sweet and aromatic wine  Gewürztraminer , which is also produced in the area.  

On top of the old walls of the abbey and other buildings of the small French town of Muster , you can find many storks building their nests and raising their young. Now, that winters are getting warmer, some are not even leaving town anymore and stay all year. 

Along the beautifully restored main street, named Grande Rue , you will find cute little shops selling local specialties such as the famous Munster cheese, wine of the Alsace and pretty much anything with a stork on it. This is the best place in town to buy your souvenirs. 

If you’re into hiking, you should definitely stay in this lovely French town for a few days. Munster is the starting point for several fantastic hikes into the regional nature park “ Ballons des Vosges ”. From the surrounding mountain peaks, you have fantastic views up until the  Black Forrest in Germany . 

In winter in the Munster Valley, you will find three small ski resorts, that are luckily not overrun by tourists. There’s also a beautiful Christmas market on the main square. Making Munster a non-touristy town in France worth a visit at any time of the year! 

Metz, a unique place to visit in France

Contributed by Martina by   PlacesofJuma.com

Metz is definitely one of the most beautiful small towns to visit and certainly not a place that everyone already knows about. This charming town in France is located in the northeast of the country, a bit off the typical tourist paths. It’s still a real insider tip for a trip.

The historic old town is captivating with a lot of charm and flair! On a trip to Metz, you can look forward to countless beautiful sights. The center is especially impressive with its distinctive atmosphere, located on the picturesque banks of the Moselle! And of course, let’s not forget the many restaurants, the patisseries and the fabulous ice cream parlors, where you can find the most delicious desserts. What more could you ask for in a charming town in France?!

What makes Metz unique is the fantastic location on the river Moselle, where you can take the most beautiful walks. This small city is comes to life in the summer! Tourists and locals meet on the riverbank to picnic, go pedal boating or just stroll up and down the promenade. The view of the Temple Neuf, an imposing church on the mini-island Île du Petit Saulcy , is also captivating from here.

The main attraction in the small Frech town of Metz is the Saint-Étienne Cathedral. It’s one of the most beautiful and largest Gothic church buildings in France. Already a real highlight from the outside, be sure to take a peek inside as well. The huge windows decorated with stained glass are breathtaking. They conjure up an impressive play of light.

One day in Metz is just enough to explore the most beautiful highlights of this charming small town in France. However, if you want to get to know the city, go out in the evening or take a trip into the surrounding area, it is worth staying a little longer. As an accommodation tip, we can recommend the Hotel de Fouquet – Chambres d’hôtes in a prime location and with great ambiance.

Non-touristy towns to visit in the South of France

The south of France is a magical place. Known for stunning beaches, vineyards, the Alpes and so much more, this region has something to offer anyone looking to get off the beaten path in France, looking to discover charming towns and unique places. Here are some of the best small French towns, charming cities and non-touristy places to visit in France’s south.

Angoulême, a charming city in the South of France

Contributed by Hannah from NouvelleAquitaineTravel.com

Angoulême is a medium-sized city in the southwest of France. You may not have heard of this underrated and charming French city, but here are a few reasons why you should add Angouleme to your next French adventure.

Set on a plateau above the surrounding countryside, Angouleme has a delightful town center. The impressive town hall and tourism office is set in the remnants of an old castle. The winding streets of this old center are encircled by the city walls. These ramparts host an annual car race of vintage cars, and afford amazing views out over the rest of the city.

The charming French town Angoulême hosts the International Comics Festival every year and even has a comic strip museum. There is also a huge array of street art throughout the city – you can even get a discovery guide from the tourist office. The city is also where Wes Anderson’s movie ‘The French Dispatch’ was filmed. What more can you ask for from a charming French city?

You can easily reach Angoulême by train from Paris in around 2 hours, or from Bordeaux in an hour. Bordeaux International Airport receives flights from around Europe and is a convenient gateway to explore the Charente. Why not combine a  weekend in Angoulême  with a trip to La Rochelle or the Dordogne and see all that the southwest of France has to offer.  

Arles, discovering this unique town in France

Contributed by Leyla from OffBeatFrance.com

Although the small city of Arles is less than half an hour by train from Avignon, few people make the journey. They have no idea what they’re missing! That’s why we wanted to share this hidden gem in France with you!

Arles is an architectural dream, recognized as such by Unesco, which has placed it on its World Heritage List. It is chock full of  outstanding Roman monuments , several worthwhile classical buildings, and an art trail that has you following in the footsteps of Vincent van Gogh, who spend some productive time painting here.

Arles is a deeply cultural city, home of the Rencontres de la Photographie since 1970, a world-class photo festival. The city is also home to France’s only national professional photography school. Across from the school’s modern new digs is yet another new structure, the Luma Foundation, dedicated to modern art. So wherever you turn in Arles, some kind of artistic event will be just around the corner.

Arles also happens to be the gateway to the Camargue, a wild river delta that happens to be France’s largest wetland. Filled with wildlife and birds, the region is also home to horse and bull breeders (this is a region with a bullfighting tradition) and to staggeringly beautiful sunsets, not to mention the delightful coastal towns of Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (whose church is a pilgrimage site for Roma from all over Europe in May each year) and Aigues-Mortes, an ancient fortified town.

If you’re very short on time, you could visit Arles on a day trip from Avignon, but to see the Camargue, which you must, you’d need to stay at least an extra day. Even better, two. After all, you’ll want to take the time to enjoy this beautiful French town! Plus, there are plenty of lovely accommodations to choose from in Arles.

Tourtour , a stunning and unique medieval town in France

Contributed by Alex from Just Go Exploring

France has no shortage of beautiful medieval villages. Tourtour , in the heart of rural Provence, is one of the most magical towns you’ll visit in France.

Perched at the top of a hill offering panoramic views over the surrounding area, Tourtour is a sleepy, gorgeous, quintessentially Provençal place. In the elegant central square, you’ll find shaded benches, fountains, flowers, and a few traditional cafes and restaurants offering a range of delicious local food.

Explore the maze of picturesque, cobbled backstreets that wind their way around the center of the village. Some of the medieval houses and artisans’ workshops are really stunning and beautifully preserved.

On Wednesdays and Saturdays, there is a market on the Place Annabel et Bernard Buffet , located just off the main square. It’s a wonderful place to shop for locally-made food and other produce, watch an impromptu game of pétanque , and enjoy the glorious view out over the local area.

You could easily see all of the main sights in the village and the immediate surrounding area in one day. However, if you have the time to spend two or three days in this charming French town, you will get a much better sense of the rhythm of the place.

The best time to visit Tourtour is either April-May or September-October when the weather will be warm but not too hot.

Getting to Tourtour is easy if you have your own car . It’s roughly equidistant from Aix-en-Provence and Nice – 110 kilometers; about 1.5 hours driving. Both cities have an international airport, a TGV station, and a good range of car rental options .

To reach Tourtour by public transport is more difficult, though still (theoretically) possible. The village is located on two local bus routes, which connect to the towns of Lorgues and Aups respectively.  

However, to reach either of these places, first, you would need to catch a train to either Les Arcs-Draguignan or Vidauban station, then take another bus. Bear in mind that the bus services are quite infrequent, as in most parts of rural southern France. If you have the budget to rent a car , that’s definitely the way to go. And since you’re here, check out some of the many accommodations , to make sure you spend a few days and enjoy your time in Tourtour.

Condom, a unique and non-touristy town in the south of France

Contributed by Denise from ChefDenise.com

If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-path city in France, check out Condom in the southwest Gers region. The location makes it a great destination anytime of year, and even in the summertime, you will find few tourists. It’s one of those unique, still under the radar towns in France!

In the city itself, the 14th century Cathedral Saint-Pierre and its cloisters are one of the historical not-to-miss highlights. The nearby statue of D’Artagnan and Three Musketeers is also one of the most famous landmarks of Condom.

Art lovers should make the 10-minute drive to the Abbaye de Flaran. Walk freely through the rooms of this remote museum and discover important works by masters such as Monet, Picasso, and Rodin. The grounds and the gardens are equally enchanting. 

Arrive by car and plan on spending at least a few days here as Condom makes a great hub to explore the neighboring hilltop villages. 

Within a 15 minute drive of Condom, you can reach three villages on the official “France’s Most Beautiful Villages” list: Fources, Montreal-du-Gers, and Larressingle. Larressingle also has the honorable title of being France’s smallest fortified city. Walk across the moat and enjoy one of the most instagrammable spots in France. 

Additionally, this region boasts home to some of  France’s most famous foods , like Duck Confit and Foie Gras. You can visit the duck farms, or enjoy these delicacies at any local restaurant at an unbelievably modest price. Wash it down with one of the affordable local wines and finish with a glass of the region’s most famous beverage, Armagnac.

This is the perfect little place to use as a hub and explore even more off-the-beaten-path towns in France.

Collioure, a unique town in France, on the Mediterranean sea

Contributed by Jenny from TalesFromTheLens.com

Right on the Mediterranean sea and only 25km from the border with Spain, Collioure is one of the  most beautiful small towns in the South of France . This unique French town is known as the “The Painters’ City” (La cité des peintres).

It’s in Collioure that Henri Matisse and André Derain have found the inspiration for their vibrant landscapes which led to the creation of the artistic movement known as “Fauvism”. However, despite welcoming numerous artists such as Pablo Picasso, Chagall and Dali during the 20th century, Collioure has remained relatively off the beaten path in France and kept its beauty from mass tourism.

You will find in Collioure peace and tranquillity. Its beautiful narrow cobblestones streets are lined with art galleries and museums in honor of Modern Art or Fauvism while its surroundings are dotted with extraordinary vineyards, azure clear waters, and medieval castles!

Collioure is the perfect place for a beach holiday or a sunny getaway weekend but if you’d rather stay away from the crowds, prefer to visit during spring or the end of summer, as the village is still a popular place in July and August with French vacationers. It gets also very hot during the summer months (up to 35°c)!

By car, Collioure is only 45 min drive from Perpignan where you will find the closest airport. You can also fly to Girona, Barcelona or Carcassone where most low-cost airlines operate and rent a car to reach the “Vermeille Coast” since public transportation can be sporadic in this area.

Talloires, a beautiful small town in the French Alps to get off-the-beaten-path

Contributed by Emily from EmilyEmbarks.com

Just outside the popular tourist destination of Annecy sits the small lake-side town of Talloires. Often overlooked owing to its off-the-beaten-path location on the east side of Lake Annecy, Talloires is a true hidden gem in the Haute-Savoie region of France! You can spend your days hiking in the less-trafficked region of the Alps, going paragliding, renting a boat or paddle-boarding on Lake Annecy, picking up some fresh macarons in town, or even just sitting back and relaxing on the beach. Isn’t this what we all dream of when we think of a charming French town?!

The best time to visit Talloires is in the spring and fall when there are fewer tourists and the weather is mild and beautiful. Although, if you prefer sitting on the beach in hot, sunny weather, then the summer months of July and August will be best for you! 

Reachable in just 20 minutes by taxi or 40 minutes by bus from Annecy, Talloires is the perfect getaway from the tens of thousands of tourists that flock to this popular tourist destination every summer. It offers all the same (and even  better ) views of Lake Annecy and the surrounding mountains.

If you have the chance to visit, I recommend staying for at least 2 days, though 72 hours would be preferable in this hidden gem in France. It will allow you to have ample time to settle into this charming small town and take advantage of its beauty. If you do plan on visiting, I recommend brushing up on your  French language skills  before you get there. 

While many people in Annecy do speak varying degrees of English, a hefty portion of people in Talloires do not. This is mainly due to the town’s higher local population. Otherwise, Talloires is an incredible off-the-beaten-path town in France that offers endless activities and the chance to truly relax in a more local French setting. Book a stay in one of the many lovely accommodations available and enjoy your time here.

Annecy, a slightly touristy mountain town in the French Alps

Contributed by Dean and Laynni at RoutinelyNomadic .com

One of France’s classically beautiful mountain towns, lovely Annecy has everything you could want in an under-the-radar destination. Filled with canals, pleasant walking paths and pretty medieval architecture, Annecy is reminiscent of Venice, but with cleaner water and smaller crowds.

And, as wonderful as the canals are, the water activities don’t end at strolling and gazing, as the town also just happens to sit on the banks of gorgeous Lake Annecy. Perfect for swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding or even venturing out in one of those awkward pedalos that always seem a bit harder to control than they should be, Lake Annecy also has a couple of small beaches and a nice lakeside park/picnic area, making it the ideal place to while away balmy summer days. It’s the perfect small French town to enjoy a lovely sunny weekend.

Scenically, the lake is backed by a spectacular mountain range, framing those vacation photos nicely and offering a number of exciting hiking trails for when you have reached your limit of basking in the lake ambiance. Seriously energetic hikers often come to Annecy to relax post-trek after tackling the world-famous  Tour du Mont Blanc , a spectacular 10-day alpine trek that starts and ends in nearby Chamonix. This is the main reason to make this part of your itinerary if you want to get off the beaten path in France.

Annecy is accessible by bus or train from Paris or Marseille (4-5 hrs from either)  but by far the closest major center is Geneva. It can be reached in just 45 minutes by car , 1 hr by bus or 1.5 hrs by train . Annecy is at its most lively from June to September when visitors can fully enjoy the lake, although coming in the shoulder seasons can still be very pleasant. The area is also popular with Nordic skiers in winter.

Whatever season you choose to visit Annecy, make sure you book your accommodations . There’s something for every taste and budget.

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, a lovely mountain town in France

Contributed by Stephanie from TheUnknownEnthusiast.com

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is an adorable little mountain village in the Verdon Regional Park in southern France. A day trip is perfect for seeing this town, and it’s about two hours from both Nice and Marseilles by car , making it a doable day trip from either location. You will definitely need a car to get here though, as public transportation does not come to the village. 

The drive up is part of the charm of this off-the-beaten-path French town, as you’ll get beautiful mountain views and pass through fields of lavender on the drive (only in bloom in the summer, of course). 

In Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, you can wander the village, with plenty of charming little spots, some colorful buildings, restaurants, and shops, and a stream that runs through town. There’s a waterfall behind the village, the Cascade du Riou, that you can hike to see, or you can follow the path that winds up the mountain to Notre Dame de Beauvoir, the chapel that sits on a cliff above the city. 

The big draw to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, though, is that it is just a short drive from the Lac Sainte Croix and Le Gorge du Verdon. This lake and canyon boast turquoise waters and beautiful views! You can rent paddle boats, canoes, kayaks, or motorboats and explore the lake and canyon, go swimming, or enjoy a picnic lunch on the banks of the river. It’s a beautiful destination any time of the year but particularly nice in the summertime when you can beat the heat on the water.

You can spend a night or two in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie to fully enjoy the beauty of this charming town in France.

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a beautiful historic town in France

Contributed by Alya of StingyNomads.com

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is a small town in the picturesque valley of the Pyrenees in the southwest of France, near the border with Spain. The name of the town can be translated from French as “St.John at the foot of the pass” referring to the Roncesvalles Pass over the Pyrenees. The town was founded in the 12th century after the original town located nearby was destroyed by the army of King Richard the Lionheart.

For many centuries the town has been playing an important role in European Christian culture. St.Jean is a starting point of one of the Camino Frances, one of the pilgrimage routes of the Camino de Santiago. 

Despite its small size, there are many interesting places to see and things to do in St.Jean. Notre-Dame-du-Bout-du-Pont, a 14-century Gothic church, the 17-century fort, St.Jacques’s Gate, and the Spanish Gate are the main attractions in the town. 

You can spend a couple of days in St.Jean enjoying a morning coffee with a freshly-baked croissant, wandering on the cobbled streets, exploring the surroundings, and appreciating the tranquillity of this small charming town in France. There are many accommodations that can host you for the perfect getaway in this lovely French town.

Spring and early autumn are the best months to visit St.Jean. In the spring, hills and fields around the town are covered in flowers. In the autumn, mountain slopes are colored in different shades of red and yellow.

It’s easy to get to St.Jean-Pied-de-Port from Paris. First, take a direct train from Paris to Bayonne. From Bayonne take a bus or a train to St.Jean. The journey takes between 5 and 6 hours. 

Aix-le-Thermes, a charming town in France worth the detour

Contributed by Mayuri from ToSomePlaceNew.com

The town of Ax-le-Thermes is located in the southwest of France, near the border with Spain. This charming French town is best known for its thermal baths, which have been used for therapeutic purposes since Roman times. The baths are still open to the public today, and they have become a popular tourist attraction.

Ax-le-Thermes is also home to a number of other attractions, including the Ax Cathedral and the Musée des Beaux-Arts. The cathedral is a beautiful example of Gothic architecture, and the museum houses a collection of paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

It is easy to visit Ax-le-Thermes from northern Spain. Many add Ax-le-Thermes as a side trip to their Spain itinerary . It is also possible to complete sightseeing in this French town as a day trip from Barcelona. 

Ax-le-Thermes has become a popular destination for tourists, and the town’s economy is largely based on tourism. The town has a number of hotels , restaurants, and shops that cater to visitors, and there are also several tourist attractions in the surrounding area. 

Consider staying at the heart of the town, in a place like Logis Hôtel l’Auzeraie or Le Chalet with views. It is worth renting a car to get to Ax-le-Thermes. Once there, this town is very small and walkable. 

To fully experience Ax-le-Thermes, it’s best to visit it in the fall, to view wonderful scenery and enjoy the drive. This is also when the spas and the markets won’t be super crowded. Ideally, 2 days are enough to explore Ax-le-Thermes. Set aside a day for sightseeing, eating out, and shopping (or some hikes). Use the second day to relax and rejuvenate in the thermal waters!

Ax-le-Thermes is a charming town in France with a rich history, and it is well worth a visit.

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, a charming non-touristy town in France

Contributed by Kristy from TassieDevilAbroad.com

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is a charming little French town located about 25km from Avignon. It’s one of the prettiest towns in France! It features boulevards lined with plane trees, old fountains and beautifully restored buildings, as well as a bustling market square that’s delightful to explore on Wednesday market days.

On the outskirts of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is one of the oldest archaeological sites in Europe, the ruins of the Roman city of Glanum. Two of the main sites are a mausoleum and a triumphal arch, both thought to have been built around 1BC. Visitors should also spend some time at the Musée des Alpilles for exhibits on the history of the town and its surroundings.

Notable people associated with Saint-Rémy-de-Provence include Princess Caroline of Monaco, who lived there for years, the 16th-century prophet Nostradamus, who was born in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, and Vincent Van Gogh.

The Dutch painter spent a year at the Saint-Paul Asylum and painted many of his most famous works while there, including The Starry Night which was inspired by the picturesque surroundings of the town. A visit to the Monastery of Saint-Paul de Mausole is a must for any fans of Van Gogh, but even if you are ambivalent about him, the interior gardens and lavender fields are stunning!

The easiest way to get to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is via a bus from Avignon, which runs almost hourly. Summer is definitely the nicest time to visit, especially if you want to relax and enjoy a slower-paced exploration with some wine in the local cafés. The main sights could be explored in a day, but an overnight stay in one of the lovely accommodations in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence will give you a better taste of the town.

La Ciotat, a hidden gem in the South of France

Contributed by Nadine from LeLongWeekend.com

La Ciotat is like the hidden jewel of the South of France. It’s a must-see town for anyone looking to go off the beaten path in France.

Tucked away around the headland from Cassis, it’s unfairly overlooked by most visitors, who commonly flock to its more famous neighbor. But the charm of La Ciotat is just as alluring as that of Cassis, and it benefits from some gorgeous family-friendly beaches too.

One of the  most beautiful towns of Provence , it has a stunning central port, a quaint old town flanked by colorful terraced houses, and plenty of interesting history on display too. As the hometown of both petanque and motion pictures, you can find artifacts from both pastimes throughout the streets.

To get there, you can drive your car, take a bus, or train from Marseille. Spend at least a day (but 2-3 would be better ) weaving your way through the character-filled streets, eating Bouillabaisse in a port-side restaurant, watching a film in the world’s oldest theatre, and shopping in the locally owned boutiques.

Once you’re ready for a swim, head to one of the town beaches, or wander a little further to the hidden coves at Parc du Mugel (there’s also a fabulous public garden here), or Calanque de Figuerolles.

When it’s time to say au revoir  to La Ciotat, make sure you drive the scenic way out of town via the Route des Cretes to take in the most breathtaking views over the Mediterranean and Cassis along the coast. Cassis is best enjoyed when it is warm, but try to avoid the peak summer months when even this hidden gem can get overwhelmed with local sightseers.

Gaillac, a hidden gem in France’s South

Contributed by yours truly, WeDidItOurWay.com

Located about 50 km north-east of Toulouse, and 25 km west of Albi, there is the small historical town of Gaillac. It’s not on many people’s bucketlist, which makes it perfect for exploring France off-the-beaten-path.

We ended up spending about a week here (we spent time with family), but 2 days will be enough to see all the sights at a nice leisurely pace. The summer and fall are the best times to visit to enjoy the best of this unique small town.

The best thing to do in Gaillac is to visit the Abbey Saint-Michael which origins in the 10th century. You can also walk around and take in the beauty of this small town.

Gaillac is known for its wineries. It’s a great place to visit vineyards, try some wines and meet the winemakers. In fact, if you visit Gaillac in early August, you can go to the Fête des Vins de Gaillac, a weekend wine festival where you get to test out a ton of wines from the region. The Fête des Vins de Gaillac takes place in Parc de Foucaud. A small entrance fee (about 5 euros when we visited) will get you entrance into the festival and a souvenir wine glass, but you do have to purchase the wines to drink.

You can also visit nearby towns of Albi (there’s a beautiful cathedral there), Puycelsi, Bruniquel and Castelnau-de-Montmiral.

Unique places to visit in eastern France

The eastern part of France is known for the vineyards of Burgundy and Beaujolais. It’s home to the famed region of Alsace, with its unique architecture. Yet, amongst all these known places, there are still some unique towns and non-touristy cities to discover.

Besançon, a hidden gem in France’s Jura region

Contributed by Caroline from VeggieWayfarer.com

France has an endless list of places to visit, from palaces to lavender fields the country has it all. As one of the most visited countries in Europe, it is hard to imagine there are many off-the-beaten-path locations, yet the  Jura Region  in Eastern France is spectacularly well hidden. In fact, there are many towns in this French region that many locals have not even visited! Think outdoor activities galore (hiking, swimming by waterfalls,…) drinking delicious Jura wine and trying the local specialty of comté cheese.

Besançon is one of the largest towns in the region, located a stone’s throw from Switzerland. The city is easily reachable from Paris – simply hop on the direct TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon and 2h30 minutes later get off at the Besançon train station.

The town is known as the capital of time, to this day bespoke timepieces are still handcrafted locally in this small French town. Spend a few hours visiting the museum of time, before crossing the street to UTIMAM where you can watch artisans tinker away at clocks.

Besançon is surrounded by bucolic landscapes, a medieval fortress and Roman ruins that were strategically placed to guard the city. Outdoor lovers can partake in plenty of hikes, go kayaking on the Doubs river or mountain bike the many trails that crisscross the surrounding hills. Find a quiet spot to enjoy the famous wines the region has to offer: Cremant, yellow wine (Vin de Paille) and the Macvin digestif. All of the above can be tasted in a wine tasting (to be booked via the local tourism office).

Hotel le Sauvage is a wonderful locally-run hotel with a delicious on-site restaurant and a great location overlooking the Besançon valley. A great small town to discover if you’re looking to get off the beaten path in France.

Riquwihr, a unique town in France’s famous Alsace region

Contributed by Laura from LauraWanders.com

Located in the French Alsace Region, Riquewihr is one of France’s most charming towns. In fact, it’s even argued to be France’s most beautiful village! With its colorful half-timbered houses and cobblestone streets, this village looks like it comes straight out of a fairytale, so it comes as no surprise that Disney was inspired by Riquewihr and the nearby village of Ribeauvillé for the village in their movie Beauty and the Beast .

Apart from admiring the enchanting houses, some of the best things to do in Riquewihr include visiting museums, seeing the fortifications, wine-tasting, visiting a traditional winstub (wine bar) and hiking the Alsace Wine Route. There are also plenty of other, equally charming villages nearby. Hunawihr, Eguisheim, Ribeauvillé and Kaysersberg are some examples. This is where you want to be if you’re looking for cute towns in France!

Riquewihr can be visited all year round, but if you like Christmas markets, then December is the perfect time of the year to go. You’ll find a Christmas market here and the houses will be decorated with beautiful decorations. One day here is enough, as it’s a very small village that’s easy to walk through. There are, however, plenty of other places to visit in the Alsace Region! If you choose to stay overnight, there are many types of accommodations to choose from in Riquewihr.

The easiest way to get to Riquewihr is from Colmar , which is located 12 km further. This can be where you set up camp to explore the rest of the Alsace region.

You can reach Riquewihr by car , bus, day tour or even by bike. Whatever way you choose, make sure to enjoy the stunning landscapes along the way – you’ll pass plenty of beautiful vineyards.

Eguisheim, a beautiful town in France’s Alsace region

Contributed by Jackie from JouJouTravels.com

Eguisheim is a real-life fairytale village in the Alsace region of France. In fact. many of the towns in this area inspired the making of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast! The best time to visit is during the Christmas season so you have the chance to visit the many  Christmas Markets in the Alsace region .

The Christmas Market is very small and intimate compared to the larger markets in both Strasbourg and Colmar making it extra special. You will be able to stay warm with a mulled wine and shop for Christmas decor or accessories like scarves!

Walking around this charming town in France, you’ll find many photo-worthy spots featuring cobblestone streets and medieval timbered houses. You just need to walk along the main path to see them all.

For a bite to eat, you can enjoy the food at the Christmas Market if visiting during the season or try the Alsatian cuisine at Caveau d’Eguisheim or Au Vieux Porche. Some specialty foods include Choucroûte garnie which is a very traditional dish with sauerkraut and a variety of meats or Tarte flambée, the Alsatian equivalent to a pizza covered with crème fraîche, cheese, onions, and bacon.

To get here, you can fly into Strasbourg Airport or take the train in. From Strasbourg, you can take a 30-minute train to Colmar and then a short bus ride to Eguisheim. You can also drive from either one of these cute towns.

Many people visit for a day trip but to experience the magic of the town with no tourists around, you can stay the night and see the place really empty out after 7 pm. One option to stay in is Brit Hotel. It is in the perfect location to explore this cute town in France!

Beaune, a charming town in France for wine lovers

Contributed by Kat from FranceVoyager.com

One of the best off-the-beaten-path destinations in France for wine lovers has to be the charming town of Beaune. This charming town is located in the heart of the Burgundy region and is home to some incredible vineyards making delicious Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 

One of the top things to do in Beaune is to rent a bike and explore the vineyards! Yes, there are bike paths along glorious vineyards and it is as picturesque as you can imagine. After all, this is what visiting unique towns in France is all about! Bourgogne Évasion is a bike tour company located in Beaune where you can rent bikes or take a tour of Burgundy with them. 

Next, you must visit the Burgundy Wine School in Beaune and enroll in either their 2-hour class or 2-day course to learn more about the wine of the region. There are also amazing tasting rooms in Beaune like Bouchard Ainé et Fils, Chanson Père Et Fils, and Domaine Debray. 

Okay, aside from wine, the town of Beaune is super charming with historic places like Hospices de Beaune, the ramparts, and Basilique Notre-Dame. 

Also, the food is amazing in Burgundy, so be sure to try things like boeuf bourguignon, escargots de bourguignonne, and coq au vin.

This is an easy day trip from Dijon if you’re planning to spend a weekend in Dijon . It is only about a 30-minute train ride away. However, you could also spend a long weekend in some of Beaune’s lovely hotels and explore this town and Burgundy too! 

The best time to visit is in the autumn months during the harvest season. Beaune is a charming little French town in the midst of some of the best vineyards in France!

Pérouges, a hidden gem town in France

For an off-the-beaten-path French town to get away to, or a day trip option during a visit to Lyon , consider a trip to Pérouges. Located around 30 kilometers northeast of Lyon, Pérouges is a walled town with a fortress that was said to have been built in the 12th century. This medieval village offers an excellent glimpse into the past.

Visitors will love walking through the cobblestone streets of Pérouges. It’s a literal walk back in time. Many of the buildings still retain the original 13th and 14th-century designs. A visit to Pérouges is an opportunity to experience a quieter side of France, where the pace is relaxed and calm.

Must-see stops in Pérouges are the Museum of Old Pérouges, as well as the fortress church of the Porte En-Haut and Place de La Halle. There are also several historical homes that visitors can walk through to see what life was like during the medieval era. Also be sure to sample the Pérouges cake, a local specialty pastry. 

Pérouges hosts several festivals throughout the year, including a music festival in the spring and a medieval festival in the summer. There are also beautiful nature walks accessible in the area surrounding Pérouges.

The best way to get to Pérouges is to drive by car . It is possible to take a train or a bus to Pérouges from Lyon. However, it involves at least a 1 km walk from the train or bus station to the actual village of Pérouges. 

The best time to visit Pérouges is in the late spring or early summer when the festivals occur. Plan to spend at least a full day in Pérouges, with an overnight stay . 

Amazing towns on the French Riviera

Is there a more iconic (and over-crowded) region in France other than the French Riviera? Of course, it’s no surprise people flock to Nice, Cannes and Saint-Tropez – they are beautiful cities to discover. But if you’re looking to escape the crowds and explore the beauty of the region at a slow and leisurely pace, we’ve got you covered. Here are the most amazing towns in the French Riviera you need to visit.

Antibes, a hidden gem on the Côte d’Azur

Contributed by Rachel from EverythingFrenchAlps.com

One of the best towns on the Côte d’Azur is Antibes, a favorite for sun-loving tourists worldwide. It is famous for its stunning villa dappled coastline with its uber-wealthy clientele, provincial rose wines and cobbled streets of the old town. 

Superyachts are common around the coastline and it’s always fun to sit at a café in the old town and spot celebrities wandering around. For all the wealth that Antibes holds, it has a very laid-back vibe. It’s unpretentious and unassuming. No matter what your budget, there are options for you to have a good time.

The charm of Antibes is well-noted, as it was home to Picasso, who now has a lovely museum you can visit in the castle, Château Grimaldi. Stroll around and view his masterpieces at your leisure, a great idea if the weather isn’t so great outside. 

A wine tasting is imperative. There are many small bars and restaurants within the old town that offer informal tasting if you ask. Otherwise, join a day trip that will take you out to the vineyards nearby. 

You can take the local train in either direction from Antibes . From there, you can visit Nice or Monaco easily for a day, or head to St Tropez or Cannes. If you have a car , it’s well worth a drive out to Gorge Verdon, which is a stunning national park inland. You can do white water rafting, Via Ferratas, or kayaking. There are plenty of things to do in this amazing little town.

Interestingly, Antibes is also very famous for being the start of the Napolean Route.  A stunning drive from Golf Juan in Antibes to Grenoble in the French Alps.  While this isn’t an easy day trip, you may enjoy adding it to a longer tour of France. 

You can easily spend a week in Antibes while visiting the surrounding areas, if you have a rental car you can of course head further afield to Aix-En-Provance or head north to the French Alps, or keep driving around to Carcassone. The entire coastline of Côte d’Azur is gorgeous. Vising in the summer months will give you much nicer weather if you want to spend time at the beach, but winter allows for fewer crowds. 

Getting to Antibes is easy. Fly into Nice Airport and take an airport taxi or travel by train. Antibes is also serviced by the TGV from Paris and all other cities in France are very easy to get to Antibes by train.

Villefranche-sur-Mer, an under-the-radar town on the French Riviera

Contributed by Veronika from TravelGeekery.com

Villefranche-sur-Mer is a pretty little town just on the outskirts of Nice. It too lies on the shores of the French Riviera, so you can enjoy the lovely seaside vibe – a lot more laid-back and picturesque than in Nice! In fact, it’s where Nice residents escape on the weekend. It’s the perfect little town to discover in France.

There are many different  things to do in Villefranche-sur-Mer . You can enjoy its beaches – from one right by the city center to a more remote splash spot. Above all, though, you should spend some time strolling the enchanting historical city center lined with colorful houses with vibrant shutters. Churches and chapels will peek at you at times. Those that shouldn’t be missed are the Saint-Michel church, Saint Elisabeth chapel, and Saint Pierre chapel.

The seaside promenade is dotted with restaurants serving fresh seafood and other local delicacies. You can walk it all the way to the port of Villefranche, which is uniquely deep and sometimes hosts cruise ships.

If that’s still not enough, you can go on an exploration spree to Villefranche’s fortresses – the Citadelle Saint Elme can be found in town and it’s where the city hall is housed. The Fort du Mont Alban is accessible if you don’t mind a hike up – the views are well worth it!

While it’s possible to visit Villefranche on a day trip from Nice, I’d recommend you spend at least a night . During the workweek, it’s especially quiet, which makes it the perfect destination to go off the beaten path in France. You can get there easily from Nice by taking a train/bus, riding a scooter, or even walking.

Menton, one of the prettiest towns in France

Contributed from Elena by CarryOnChronicles.com

The gorgeous resort town of Menton deserves a prime position on every  French Riviera itinerary . Regarded as the “pearl of France,” Menton benefits from the most Mediterranean climate of the Riviera, showering visitors with over 300 days of sunshine per year.

Although Menton is small as compared to its neighboring capital of Nice, its intimate size is part of its charm. It’s also the reason it’s on the list of the best small towns to visit in France, off the beaten path.

As you wander down the winding cobblestone streets and marvel at the pretty pastel facades, you may feel as though you’ve entered the village through a storybook portal. Menton has so many wonderful gems to offer, from the cheery Basilica of Saint Michael Archangel to the lovely beachfront of Plage des Sablettes, to the picturesque Jardin Serre de la Madone. Before the sun goes down, make your way down to Quai Impératrice Eugénie, the pier of the Old Port. From the vantage point of the breakwater, you can get front-row seats to the spectacular sunset!

While Menton is frequented by travelers year-round, the best times to visit are arguably spring and fall, in order to avoid the peak summer rush. Alternatively, if you’re considering a winter escape, plan a trip for February. This is when the Fête du Citron is held, the town’s popular annual lemon festival.

You can travel to Menton by train, bus, car , or private boat. The train is one of the most convenient ways to reach the town, as it’s a comfortable ride of less than 40 minutes from Nice.

Given its small size, you can definitely do Menton as a day trip from a neighboring French Riviera town. That said, it’s a wonderful place to dedicate additional time to if you have the luxury. So why not stay a night or two in this beautiful hidden gem in France.

Other non-touristy places to visit in the rest of France

We tried our best to group these charming towns in France by region, but the truth is, France is a large country, with so many amazing places to visit to get off the beaten path. Here are some more beautiful cities in France you should add to your bucketlist.

St.-Jean-de-Luz, a unique French town to explore

Contributed by Cosette from KarsTravels.com

St.-Jean-de-Luz has macarons, the beach and history to offer, making it a perfect stop on a  France Spain Portugal road trip . It’s a beautiful seaside town on the Basque Atlantic coast.

Go on a short macaron tour. Stop at Maison Adam, the inventor of the Basque macaron, which is a variation on the famous macaron. Then visit Pariès, where they sells macarons, chocolates and other sweets. All are delicious. When you’re less of a sweets person, try Pierre Oteiza, who sells curated meats.

St.-Jean-de-Luz has recently become a popular seaside resort, yet it’s not as touristy as other places. There are several beautiful beaches, such as Grande Plage. A stroll on the Promenade Jacques Thibaud is perfect with the villas lining it and its views of the beach and ocean.

For those who love history, Louis XIV got married in St.-Jean-de-Luz to Spanish princess Maria Theresa in 1660. The Maison de L’Infante Joanoenia, the Eglise Saint-Jean-Baptiste and the Maison Kouis XIV are associated with the marriage. Make sure you add them to your itinerary when you visit this charming French town.

Further is Port St.-Jean-de-Luz, an old pirate and fishing town. Here you can visit the Port and stroll throughout the old town, where you’ll see pirate puppets placed to remind you of the past.

Do some shopping and people-watching on La Rue Gambetta and Place Louis XIV to end your stay in St.-Jean-de-Luz .

The town is beautiful all year round, but if you want to go for a swim, (late) Spring, Summer and (early) Fall are the best time to visit. I recommend a visit of 1 to 3 days. You can visit most of it in 1 to 1.5 days, but if you want to go swimming and have a relaxed pace, 3 days is best. The town is reachable by car , boat or public transport. By car, take the exit Jean De Luz (3) on the A63.

Clermont-Ferrand, a non-touristy town in France to add to your itinerary

Contributed by Patricia from ZeWanderingFrogs.com

Surrounded by the dormant volcanoes of the Massif Central mountain range, the beautiful French town of Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne is away from the touristic circuits of those coming to visit France. However, the city is packed with historical monuments, offers lovely cuisine and cheese like the Bleu d’Auvergne (Blue Cheese), and is an excellent hub for exploring the outdoors.

One of the oldest cities in France, Clermont-Ferrand is known for its gorgeous 13th-century gothic cathedral made of black volcanic rocks and featuring tall spires. The Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption, as it is called in French, is definitely the must-see attraction in Clermont-Ferrand! The nearby Place de la Victoire dates back to Gallo-roman time when the city named Augustonemetum was built in the first century BC.

A short walk away through narrow cobblestoned streets is Place the Jaud e, the commercial plaza of the town, with restaurants and malls for those interested in shopping. The place also features a Vercinetorix statue, the Celtic war chief famous for winning over roman troops 2,000 years ago. From there, the exquisite Basilique Notre-Dame-du-Port stands a few minutes afar, a 6th-century Romanesque church and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Another old part of town is the Old Montferrand, with arched doors and shop fronts from the Middle Ages.

Looking for unusual attractions? L’Aventure Michelin, named after the popular Michelin tires, provides an engaging, interactive experience that takes the visitors through the history of tire making. Watching a Rugby match is another thrilling activity, as the sport is anchored deep in the city’s culture. Those interested in outdoor activities can board the scenic train to the top of the Puy-de-Dôme, the highest ancient volcano near Clermont-Ferrand, go paragliding, or hiking on one of the numerous trails of the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park.

Clermont-Ferrand is located about 3 hours away from Paris by train and is best visited in Spring and Summer. Fall might be a good off-season to experience this town without crowds. Winter can be cold and see light snowfalls some years. Plan for two days to enjoy  Clermont-Ferrand’s top things to do  and a minimum of two days to explore the surrounding Auvergne region.

Be sure to book your accommodations in town, and rent a car to get around all the other beautiful non-touristy towns in France’s Auvergne region.

Auvers-sur-Oise, a unique town to discover near Paris

Contributed by Dominika from SundayInWonderland.com

If you’re planning to make a 1-day trip from Paris and discover off-the-beaten-path towns in France, you should definitely consider visiting Auvers-sur-Oise.

This small, a little bit sleepy town, is a perfect place to experience the vibes of small French villages. Yet, at the same time, it’s very special and has a fascinating story to tell.

Auvers-sur-Oise is a place where the famous painter Vincent Van Gogh spent the last months of his life. This stay, among charming fields and forests and under the watchful eye of his personal doctor, should bring mental relief to his unpeaceful mind. Yet, no one could predict that the painter would die here with a terrible death. The official theory states that he committed suicide by shooting himself with a gun. Yet the newest facts do not exclude an unfortunate accident with local troublemaker kids.

Today, if you’re interested in art and biographies of famous characters,  visiting Auvers-sur-Oise  could be a great sentimental trip for you. Here, you can visit the tavern where Van Gogh was living, Auberge Ravoux, and even enter his small room in an attic. Everywhere in the town, you can see the brass medallions on the ground – they will lead you through the painter’s favorite paths. Here and there, you can see a board with a painting reproduction and stand exactly in a place where Vincent stood while creating it. And finally, you can take a walk to a local hill and visit a peaceful cemetery where Vincent Van Gogh was laid to rest.

Besides the sentimental artistic places, Auvers-sur-Oise offers another attraction – the Chateau d’Anvers, built in the XVII century. Here you can enjoy sightseeing its interiors and gardens and visit local exhibitions.

You can visit Auvers-sur-Oise all year long, yet the most pleasant time is spring, summer, and early autumn when the weather is nice and warm, and you can take long walks through the village. You can easily reach this place by public transport from Paris, by taking the train from Gare du Nord. Alternatively, you can purchase an organized trip from the capital, and combine it with visiting another artistic place in Giverny.

The 32 most charming French towns to get off-the-beaten-path

There you have it! The 32 most charming towns and non-touristy cities in France. If you’re looking to visit somewhere unique during your next trip to France, hopefully, this article will help you get off the beaten path and discover a special place you didn’t know about! Here’s a quick recap of them:

• Auvers-sur-Oise
• Ax-les-Thermes
• Clermont-Ferrand
• Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
• Saint-Ceneri-le-Gerei
• Saint-Jean-de-Luz
• St.Jean Pied de Port
• Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
• Tourtour 
• Villefranche-sur-Mer

Let us know in the comments what French town or city you’re most looking forward to exploring. Are there any other places we should be adding to our list? We’d love to hear from you.

We put a lot of time and effort into the content we create.  Please like, comment and share, every action on your part helps us out tremendously and is very much appreciated.

You can also help us by pinning it for others to find.

You Might Also Like:

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Niall Horan

Album released as a single.

This song is about Horan’s Town and what it represents to him. It achieved unexpected success to Horan, in an interview with Carson Daily he said: “I just released ‘This Town’ to let people know that I was still doing something and it was the best of the bunch of songs I had at the time because I had only written a few at the time, and I just thought I’d release it and then it kind of took on a life of its own.”

Horan told the story of the song, he said: “It was one of the first songs that I’d written. I wasn’t trying to write big choruses and stuff like that, I was trying to write stuff that suited me. The title came before anything it was like this town and what my hometown effectively what it means to me and there are a lot of people who can relate to it because it’s such a writeable song. If you come from a small town you get that straight away, it’s like, every time you go home people are coming in from all over the world and you walk into the bar and it’s like there is the girl you fell for when you were 12.” Horan also explained that ‘This Town’ has a double meaning, he said: “To me the way I look at it, if you’re from a small town you’ll get this, every time you go back to your hometown you’ll see this girl in the bar, or wherever, and then everything comes back to you. And then the other part of it is the town itself no matter whatever you do whenever you live, when you go home, everything comes back to the town. That’s the way I kind of wrote it, as a double meaning.”

Release Date: September 29, 2016

Songwriter/s: Niall Horan – Jamie Scott – Mike Needle – Daniel Bryer

Label: Capitol

Chart Rankings: In the US, the song the song peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, reached number 12 on the Adult Contemporary, number 4 on the Adult Top 40 and peaked at number 3 on the Dance Club Songs Charts. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it Platinum for sales over 1 million copies. In the UK, it reached number 9 on the Official Charts Company and was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales over 200,000 copies. ‘This Town’ topped the charts in Finland and peaked at number 52 in Germany, number 5 in Australia, number 22 in Belgium, number 12 in Netherlands and number 2 in Scotland. It was certified Double Platinum in Canada and Ireland. In Australia and Sweden it was certified Platinum.

Artist’s age on Release Date: Niall James Horan was 23 years old when he released this song.

Cover Versions: Kurt Hugo Schneider – Jasmine Thompson – Samantha Harvey – Joshua David Evans – Citizen Four – Justice Carradine – Ebony Day – Ysabelle Cuevas – Tiffany Alvord – Gabriella – Hayden Summerall – RollupHills – other amateur artists covered this song on Youtube.

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IELTS Cue Card

A website dedicated to IELTS Cue Card Samples, Speaking Samples, and Speaking Preparation Guideline...

Search This Blog

Describe a city or a town, describe a city or a town where you live or lived..

• where it is located
• what part of it you are most familiar with
• what the important landmark and places are

Your ability to talk about this topic will enable you to answer the following IELTS cue card topics also: 

• Describe the place you live in.
• Talk about a city or town you have been to.
• Describe the city or town where you grew up.
• Talk about a place you would like to visit.
• Describe your favourite town or city.
• Describe a famous city or town in your country.
• Talk about a place you liked to visit.
• Describe your hometown.
• Describe a city worth visiting.

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Describe a time when you were very busy, describe an animal which you find interesting, important skill you learned when you were a child, person in your family who you most admire.

How to talk about your hometown in English

Do you know how to talk about your hometown?

What can you say about where you live? How can you describe the town you live in?

This is a very common question in the IELTS test . It could appear in part one of the IELTS speaking test, it could also come up in part two or three.

But despite this being a common topic question in IELTS , I am surprised to find that many English students have so much trouble with it. As if they have no idea about their hometown at all.

In the following guide, I will show you step by step how to talk about every aspect of your hometown no matter what question the examiner asks you.

Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Don’t Recite Lists!

Many students just reel off a list of phrases without putting any further thought into what they are saying.

If you do this in the IELTS test, the examiner will probably be unimpressed.

I am talking about these kinds of answers:

My hometown is modern

My hometown is famous

My hometown is beautiful

My hometown is crowded

My hometown has many people

This says nothing about your hometown at all!

And it just makes you sound like a robot reeling off recited answers!

So don’t do it.

The examiner wants to hear more than this. If you say your hometown is modern, then describe how it is modern. Tell me about the high-rise buildings and the city skyline. If your hometown is famous, tell me why it is famous. What stories can you tell me that show me how famous your hometown is?

This is what you need to do when talking about the town or city where you grew up.

Talking about the Landmarks in your Hometown

Every town and city has at least one landmark.

Do not say to me that your hometown doesn’t have any landmarks because I will not believe you. There must be at least one. So you can talk about that.

I am from England and these are the kind of landmarks you can find in English towns:

A town hall

A well-known pub (every English town has many pubs)

A town square

A statue or monument of some kind

Once you identify what these landmarks are, then you talk about them.

My hometown has a very old church in the centre. I never go there but I can hear the bells ringing on a Sunday for the Sunday service. There is a cemetery next to the church which always looks a bit creepy at night.

We have a nice library in our town. It is in a nice old building. It’s a great place to relax and read. They have free newspapers too.

There’s a pub called The Red Lion. It’s a pretty quiet place, I think most of the regulars are old men, always complaining about the news or talking about football.

All you have to do about the landmarks in your town is make observations about it — what it looks like, where it is and who visits this place. If you have a story to tell about it that is great.

There’s a shopping centre in the middle of my hometown. It’s kind of boring but me and my friends go there because it’s the only place for us to go on a Saturday evening.

One time we went there, and they had a little show in the middle of the centre. Some local singers who sing in a choir were doing a performance. I think they were trying to raise money for a local charity.

Other landmarks could be:

A shopping mall

A restaurant

A school or university

Spend some time thinking about the landmarks in your hometown. Write some sentences about each one, describing the landmarks in detail. If you have any interesting stories to tell about the landmarks, then write them down too.

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Talking about the People in your Hometown

The next thing you can do is to talk about the people .

Without people, there is no town so you have to talk about the people.

Think about the following questions when talking about the people in your hometown:

What jobs do they do?

Do they have a special accent?

What kind of things do they like to do?

What do the people enjoy doing at the weekend?

Do they all know each other?

Then you try to answer these questions. It may not come easy, but the more you practice the easier it will become. You just add whatever information you can add about the people in your hometown.

I think a lot of people in my hometown work for Amazon. There is a big Amazon warehouse in my hometown so I think a lot of people work there.

This may be true or untrue, but it is a good answer based on the observations of the Amazon warehouse in the town.

People in my hometown speak with a kind of country accent. The town is in the countryside of England so people sound a little bit like that. The people speak much slower than people from London.

In your hometown, the people may have their own dialect. If so, talk about that.

There’s a very famous rugby club in my town so I think many people support rugby. Whenever there is a game you can hear all the crowd cheering the team on for miles around.

I imagine not everyone goes to the rugby games, but this gives a clear picture of what many people in the town like to do.

I think many people in my hometown like to take care of their garden. I see many people at the weekend, mowing their lawns or pruning bushes in their gardens. It seems to be a popular thing where I live.

You can only give an idea of how you think people spend their weekends. It would be impossible for you to know exactly what all the people in your hometown are doing every weekend!

I think many people in my hometown know each other as it is a small town. It is not like London where no one seems to know each other.

And again, you can only give a very rough impression here. There are some towns where everyone seems to know each other, and others where no one knows anyone else. And in London, there are entire districts where the people have grown up with each other.

You cannot know everything about all the people in your hometown. But you can give an impression based on what you have seen people do.

When introducing the people in your hometown that is enough.

Try to think of answers for the above questions. Write down some sentences about the people in your hometown.

Talking about the Food in your Hometown

This part is very easy.

Every town and city has a kind of dish that is very popular to eat. All you have to do is talk about that.

It doesn’t matter if this food was originally created in your hometown, if the people like to eat it then you can talk about that.

For example, in nearly every English town and city, you can find Indian restaurants. Why? Because English people love Indian food. It is not an ethnic food of England; it comes from India, but when talking about the food in an English town it would be a good subject to use in the IELTS test.

But maybe your town or city does have a unique dish or style of food that originates from your hometown. If so, then you can talk about that.

How to talk about it?

You have to think of the following questions:

What are the ingredients of this food or special dish?

What does it taste like? Spicy, sweet, sour, salty?

Why do the local people like it in your hometown?

Where can I buy it if I visit your hometown? Do people cook it at home or is it only available in restaurants? Or is it a special kind of ‘street food’? Or maybe all three?

Do people eat this food for breakfast, lunch or dinner?

Do they eat in on special occasions?

So let’s use an example that can be found in England.

Fish & Chips.

This is a very popular dish that can be found all over the country. It is not very healthy, but it is delicious and many people love to eat it.

If we go through all the questions one by one we can break down how to talk about fish and chips in this part.

Ingredients

Fish and potatoes. Also, some oil for cooking and you can add salt and vinegar to your own taste.

Often very salty.

Why do people like it?

It’s delicious! Not so healthy but it does taste good. It’s also very convenient to buy.

Where ca n I buy this food?

In the local fish and chips shop. These are small shops that make fish and chips and then you take it home and eat it. Some restaurants make it too. These restaurants are very simple but the food is always good. It is cheap to buy.

When do people eat it?

Usually, people eat it in the evenings. There is a custom to eat fish and chips on a Friday. We always say Fish on a Friday.

You see how simple it is to talk about food in your hometown?

Now you try.

Take all the questions and talk about a well-known or popular dish in your hometown. Just look at all the questions and answer them one by one.

When you have written all your answers down, practice speaking out loud.

Talking about the Culture in your Hometown

Each town and city in every country has its own unique kind of customs. There are special events or festivals that your hometown holds every year and these are part of the culture of your hometown.

Take a few minutes and think about what special events or festivals your hometown holds every year.

What happens at on these special days?

Why do people go to this event?

Is there a historical meaning behind it?

If you get stuck, you can search online and find out what customs and special holidays are celebrated in your hometown or city. Do some research and you will find many examples.

Other things make up the culture of the town or city — the food, the people, the daily habits, the lifestyle. These all add up to create a special culture that is unique to your hometown.

Let me give you an example from England.

Cheese Rolling

In a few towns across England, there are cheese-rolling festivals. This is usually held on Spring Bank Holiday Monday. A big round block of cheese is rolled down a hill and people chase after it. The first person to catch it is the winner.

This is a very old tradition that began hundreds of years ago. Cheese was believed to be a sign of fertility in the springtime so it was important to celebrate it years ago.

Now people celebrate it because it is good fun and an old custom.

Talking about the General Culture of your Hometown

People in my hometown like to drink tea. It is a very important thing to sit down and drink tea with your friends and spend time catching up with some local news.

Tea is considered a very sociable activity so people like to drink tea together.

In my hometown, people like to make apple cider. It is quite a strong kind of beer and easy to make. Many local farms make it and they sell it to the local people.

There is a small green field in my town and people like to sit and play cricket on a Sunday. They have free time to sit with their family and friends. Also, cricket is a very relaxing game, so it is nice to play on a Sunday before going back to work on a Monday.

Think of some local traditions or festivals that take place in your hometown. What happens on these special days? What do people do? What is the history behind it?

Also, think of customs or activities that people regularly like to do in your town.

Write all your ideas on paper and then practice speaking out loud with your friends.

Talking about the Weather and Climate in your Hometown

What is the weather like in your hometown? Is it icy cold in the winter? Steaming hot in the summer?

Are the mornings filled with fog from the sea or is the sky brilliant blue and the sun shining?

Some towns and cities have four distinct seasons, while others have very little difference between the seasons or have only one kind of climate all year round.

No matter what the weather, it is a good idea to try to talk about it in the IELTS test if the examiner asks you about your hometown.

Let’s look at some examples

My hometown is a small town in the north of Thailand. It is always very hot here, usually the temperature is around 30 degrees centigrade most of the year, but in the winter it goes down to about 24 or 25 degrees. The summer is always very hot.

And in the summer it rains a lot. Wow, we get a lot of rain! From around May until September it rains so much. But the rain only falls very quickly. It kind of cools you down a little and then it feels hot again.

I come from Marrakesh in Morocco. It can get very hot in my hometown in the summer. Usually over 35 degrees. In the winter it can go down to around 16 degrees, so a big difference.

Because Marrakesh is in the desert, the difference between night and day temperature is quite big. It can be 35 degrees in the daytime, then go down to 20 degrees at night.

And it hardly ever rains in my hometown. It is usually dry all year round.

My hometown is Stuttgart in Germany. We have four very distinct seasons but the summer is the best season in my opinion. The summer is warmer; the temperature reaches as high as 30 degrees on some days.

In the winter it gets pretty cold, and it rains a lot in the winter too.

Another thing you can talk about with the weather in your hometown is the kind of activities that people like to do at certain times of the year.

Think about each season and try to think of things that people do, the kind of food they like to eat and the clothes they wear.

Look at the table below to help you.

Using the table above and the examples I wrote above, write down some ideas about the weather in your hometown. If there are differences, then write about all of those things. If the weather is the same all year round you have to talk about that.

When you have written some ideas down, practice speaking out loud.

Talking about Things to Do in your Hometown

I have asked students what can people do in their hometown and I often receive one answer — NOTHING!

There’s nothing to do in my hometown. It’s so boring.

That can’t be true. There must be things for people to do. Even if you don’t like to do these things, other people may enjoy doing these things and that means there are definitely some activities that people can do in your hometown.

Here is a list of ideas to inspire you.

Going to the gym

Playing tennis

Walking in the hills on the outskirts of town

Walking on the seafront of the town

Shopping malls and going shopping

Coffee shops and coffee culture

Eating out and going to restaurants

Going to bars and nightclubs (for older students!)

Dancing in the town square

Visiting the library

Helping charity organisations

Fishing in the local river

Swimming in the swimming pool

Many evening classes in the local community college

Now let me show you some examples

There is a swimming pool in my hometown and many people go there. Whenever I go there, it always seems very busy. I try to go early in the morning to avoid all the crowds.

The pool is really nice and clean. There is an area for the serious swimmers to swim in laps and then there is an area for people and children who just want to lounge around in the water and cool off a little bit.

There is also a diving area with three diving boards. The top board is very high, but I jumped off it once!

We are lucky because in my hometown we have so many restaurants. I think you could go out to dinner every night of the week and still not visit every restaurant in the city.

And the restaurants are all very different in style and cuisine. We have the local food but we also have Indian, Thai, French and Italian. It’s really nice for people to go out in the evening and eat a delicious meal with friends and family.

In my hometown, some older ladies like to go to the town square and do a special kind of dancing. They do it for exercise I think but also they can meet up and chat with each other. So it’s a social activity for them too.

Some people say that the music they play when they do their dancing is too loud. But I think we should just let them do it. They’re not really causing anyone any harm.

Look at the list of ideas I gave you above.

Use these and the examples and write down your own ideas for talking about things to do in your hometown. Practice together with a friend or show your teacher.

Talking about the Architecture in your Hometown

The architecture in your hometown means all the buildings. Are these buildings very old and traditional? Or new and modern? Is the architecture boring — if so, why do you think so?

How to talk about buildings and houses

You can use the following words to describe buildings and architecture in your hometown.

Many cities these days have a downtown area with many high-rise buildings, all very modern and expensive. The suburbs of the city might consist of smaller houses and buildings or low-rise buildings — this is where the people usually live.

Let me show you some examples

Bath is a very old city, and the architecture is very old. Most of the buildings in the centre of the city are over 200 years old. I think there is a law to protect these buildings and houses. They look nice because they all have the same colour, made out of a special sandstone found in the local area.

But once you leave the city centre, the architecture changes. The houses are more modern in the suburbs. This is where people live.

The downtown area of my city is filled full of high-rise buildings. They are all very high and look very modern. It feels so busy walking around this area surrounded by such high buildings. Some of the buildings are so high that you can walk on one side of the street and be in the shade from the sun.

I live in a very quiet village in the countryside. All the houses are pretty old and there is no real special architecture. People just need a place to live and the local post office to buy some things. There is an old church though, and it looks very nice from the outside. I don’t know how old it is, but it looks very old.

Write down your own ideas about the buildings in your hometown. When you have enough sentences speak them out loud with a friend or classmate.

Talking about the Surrounding Area in your Hometown

Your hometown doesn’t just consist of the actual town itself. When talking about your hometown you can also talk about the surrounding area of the town or city where you live.

This is especially true of a smaller town.

Your town may be surrounded by countryside.

What is in the countryside?

Are there farms and little villages?

Are they developing the land and building more houses or factories?

There must be something in this area, now is the time for you to talk about it.

There might be hills or mountains in the surrounding area of your hometown. Or maybe you live near the sea in which case you can talk about that.

Whatever exists just outside your hometown you can talk about it in the IELTS test. This is all part of the description of where you live and the examiner wants to hear about it.

I’ll give you some examples:

The surrounding area of my hometown is just countryside. Some small villages with just a few people living there. There is a new factory that makes tyres just outside my town. I think many people from my hometown work there now.

If you go south of my town, there is a big lake. I have gone past this lake and seen people fishing there.

All around my hometown are hills. It’s like my entire town is in a big hole in the ground! But it’s nice to see all the hills around the town. In the summer, they all look so green and in the winter, if it snows, all the hills are covered and everything looks white.

What is in the surrounding area of your hometown?

Take a few minutes and write down some ideas and thoughts. You must have seen what is just outside your hometown. Talk about this for a few minutes if you can.

Talking about Public Transport in your Hometown

If you live in a very small town, then chances are you may have only one bus an hour that takes you to the nearest big town. Or no bus at all.

In a bigger town, you could have several bus services taking people to different parts of the town. Or to other towns and the nearest big city.

You might have a train service. You might live in a big city and have a subway system.

The fact is that every town and city has a public transportation system — even if it is only one bus an hour.

These are the main kinds of public transportation:

Taxi (not really public but let’s put it in there)

Other lesser-known systems:

Shared bike (many cities use this these days)

The best way to talk about this is to look at the following questions and answer them:

What is this public transportation system?

Why do you use it?

Why do other people in your hometown use it?

Is it convenient?

Is it cheap/expensive to use?

How many lines does it have? (for bus and subway)

Is it crowded during rush hour?

And here is some vocabulary you might use when talking about public transportation:

When talking about the public transportation system in your hometown, in the IELTS test I advise you to talk about the most common or most popular public transportation system. If you try to talk about some public transport that is less known or used, you could run into trouble.

That means that you should only really talk about the bus, the subway or the train.

You can add at the end of your talk that there are other kinds of public transportation in your hometown.

Something like this:

…we also have many taxis, and a ferry that takes people over the river, but I have never used it. I only use the subway as it is the most convenient.

Shall we look at a couple of examples?

In my hometown, we have a new subway system. It is brand-new, so it is very clean and modern-looking. There are only three lines so far but there will be more lines in the future.

It is so much better than the bus. Much quicker and much more convenient. We don’t have any traffic jams now!

Some people complain and say that it is more expensive than the bus. It is a little more expensive but I think it is worth it for the convenience and the speed.

During rush hour it is a little difficult to get a seat but if you arrive early, you can find a seat no problem. I really love the subway in my hometown, it just makes going to school so much easier.

We have a bus system in my hometown. There are plenty of buses to take you wherever you want to go. But if you use the bus during rush hour, then you will definitely get stuck in traffic. There’s just no escaping it.

Sometimes I use a shared bike. These are easy to find and they are cheap to use. If it’s raining, I don’t use the shared bike but most other days I do.

You want to try?

Look at all the vocabulary and make sure you know the meanings of the words and then make sentences of your own.

Then think about the public transportation systems in your hometown and which one is the most common for people to use.

Write down some ideas in your notebook and make sentences.

Then with a friend speak them out loud.

Practice every day!

Talking about Shopping in your Hometown

Do you have many shops in your hometown? Are there just a few local shops or do you have a giant shopping mall with all the latest fashion brands?

Every town has at least one shop to buy something.

These are the main kind of shops you might have in your town:

As I have said before, let’s look at some questions and you answer them one by one.

What kind of shops and stores are there in your hometown?

What can people buy in these places?

Where are all the shops and stores?

Are they expensive?

What kind of people go there?

And then let’s look at some examples

I live in a big city and there are many shopping malls. There is one big shopping mall near my home and it is very popular with people, especially young people.

Younger people like to go there because it looks very fashionable and modern. All the shops are mainly selling fashionable clothes and there are two cool coffee shops on the first floor where you can sit and drink coffee.

The shopping mall huge. It is on five floors. On the top floor, there is a cinema and in the basement, there is a supermarket but it is a little expensive I think. I don’t go there. I only go to the clothes stores and shoe stores with my friends. We can’t always buy something we like but we like to look!

If I go to the mall with my friends, we like to drink coffee after we have looked all around the stores.

There are many small shops and stores in my neighbourhood. These shops are not very fashionable but they are very convenient and they sell many useful things that we might need in the house or in our daily life.

One shop we always use in the nearest convenience store. It is open until very late and opens very early in the morning. If we run out of things that we need then we can always go to the convenience store and buy what we need.

I see many of my neighbours there and my father always goes there in the morning to buy cigarettes.

The shop sells newspapers, snacks and sandwiches, soft drinks and ice cream. Every time I go there, they always have customers inside.

Now it’s your turn.

Look up the vocabulary and make sure you understand what all the words mean. Make your own sentences if you wish.

Then look at the questions above and the examples. This can help you to form your own answers. Write down all your ideas and put them into sentences in order.

Then practice speaking out loud.

You will not need to talk about all of the above topics about your hometown in the IELTS test.

If you were to talk about your hometown using all the topics included in this guide you would be talking for about 30 minutes!

The reason I included all the topics above is so you can answer any question the examiner fires at you in the IELTS test. If he asks you to talk about shopping or public transportation in your hometown, then you should be prepared. If he asks you about food or customs in your hometown, no problem for you.

Just go through all the steps and you can find out how to talk about your hometown no matter the question.

And as always — let me know in the comments below!

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30 thoughts on “how to talk about your hometown in english”.

It is so important to cover these areas used for IELTS tests because they are the ones that often catch students off guard. I especially liked the study charts as they ground students with vocabulary and observation points. The ideas also triggered memories of towns I’ve visited. Travel really helps as it gives you things to compare your town with. For example I visited a tiny town in Sweden and it was like a charming hobbit town with wondrous new customs and scenery quite unlike my own tiny hometown.

That is a great idea, Leona. I forgot to add that to the article… I used to ask students to compare their hometown to the big city we were living in and talk about the similarities and differences. It gives them a lot more to talk about, and in the IELTS test that really helps. How was Sweden? I’ve always wanted to visit.

It is amazing lesson and explanation. I can share this lesson to my students, even they are beginners. And I use this subject as my reference in teaching. I hope you don’t mind. Thank you very much. Wish you all the best.

Hi Nani! I’m very glad you like this lesson plan. Feel free to use it in your class. If you want to download the lesson, you can get it here: https://gumroad.com/l/howtotalkaboutyourhometowninenglish Thank you Nani.

Awesome tips, thanks a lot and congratulations!

Hi Carlos, many thanks! I am glad it was helpful.

Hello my name is Ronald, Great work David!

Hi Ronald! Many thanks. I appreciate it. Keep coming back!

Hi David. I really liked the content of the page. Hugs. José Roberto (Univesp)

Hi José! I am glad you liked it. Many thanks!

Great compilation of tips! I enjoyed a lot! My university teacher choose your article as a base text this week. Congratulations, as your compilation is helping so much students. Cheers from Brazil.

Hi Marcos, many thanks! I am glad you liked it. Please say a big thank you to your university teacher for suggesting this article. I am so glad it is helping the students. Cheers!

Hi David, My name is Claudio, I’m from Brazil and I thank you for the tips and suggestions.

Hi Claudio, many thanks for reading. I really appreciate it. Keep coming back!

Esses topicos ajudam muito pois vejo muitas pessoas quando deparam com americanos ou travam por medo ou por náo ter dialogo …

These topics help a lot because I see a lot of people when they encounter Americans or they stop because of fear or because they don’t have a dialogue …

Many thanks,Franklin. Much appreciated.

Thanks so much, the essay really had it all. all the information and the ideas.

Thank you Iten! I am glad it could help you.

Thank you so much. I can say that one thing, I am really keen on your English lessons and explanations and you know it’s marvellous . I think it is really fail to express your helps for me ?

Hi Durdona! Many thanks, I am glad it is of some use to you. Keep working hard and you will succeed.

Hi, I’m Marli Congratulations on your page.

Thank you, Marli! Please come back soon!

Perfect …Thanks alot

You are welcome, Azadeh!! Many thanks for reading!

You are the best. Thank you very much. I’m beginning to self study and your essay helps me so much.

Thank you very much, Farnoush! I am very happy to hear that!

Comprehensive and very informative????????

Many thanks for reading, Farshid! I appreciate it!

Thanks a lot.I appriciate it…….

You are very welcome, Swetha!!

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The Town (2010 film)

The Town is a 2010 film about a longtime thief who tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager connected to one of his earlier heists, as well as the FBI agent looking to bring him and his crew down.

• 1 Doug McRay
• 2 Adam Frawley
• 6 External links

Doug McRay [ edit ]

• Hey, next time you guys wanna take pictures of me, just call ahead. You know, we can do better than a barbecue. A calender shoot... you know, maybe topless, lubed up. Whatever you guys are into. The FBI car antenna's are half inch mat black about three quarters way down the rear windshield. Statie a pigtail, BPD half and half. Every pewee in town knows what an FBI rear antenna looks like. So in the future you guys need try to be slick, be slicker than a six year old. I gotta get back to work. Can I go? [he gets up to leave the interrogation room] Good luck with that print.
• No matter how much you change, you still have to pay the price for the things you've done. So I got a long road. But I know I'll see you again - this side or the other.

Adam Frawley [ edit ]

• This is the not fucking around crew so get me something that looks like a print because this not fucking around thing is about to go both ways.
• [to Doug] You and your boys didn't just roll a Star Market over in Malden for a box of quarters. No, you decided to bang it out in the North End at nine o'clock in the morning with assault rifles. You fucking dummies shot a guard! Now you're like a half off sale at a Big & Tall - every cop is in line. Fortunately though, for you, this guard, who is two-thirds to a retard, has miraculously clung to life. Now, if it were up to me, and they gave me two minutes and a wet towel, I would personally asphyxiate this half-wit so we could string you up on a federal M1 and end this story with a bag on your head and a paralyzing agent running through your veins. This isn't fucking Tommy Hopscotch anymore, Doug. But I did wanna say one thing: You're here today so I can personally tell you that you are going to die in federal prison. And so are all your friends. No deal. No compromise. And when that day comes when you start trying to be my hero collaborator so hard that I have to slap you to shut up, and it will come, despite your pitiable, misguided, Irish Omertà. When your code of silence finally gives way to fear of trafficking in cigarettes to prevent sexual enslavement, I just want you to know that it's gonna be me who tells you to go fuck yourself.

Dialogue [ edit ]

Taglines [ edit ].

• Welcome to the bank robbery capital of America.

Cast [ edit ]

• Ben Affleck - Douglas "Doug" MacRay
• Jon Hamm - Special Agent Adam Frawley
• Rebecca Hall - Claire Keesey
• Jeremy Renner - James "Jem" Coughlin
• Blake Lively - Krista Coughlin
• Chris Cooper - Stephen MacRay
• Slaine - Albert "Gloansy" Magloan
• Titus Welliver - Boston Police Department Officer Dino Ciampa
• Pete Postlethwaite - Fergus "Fergie" Colm

External links [ edit ]

• The Town quotes at the Internet Movie Database
• The Town at Rotten Tomatoes
• Official website

• 2010s American films
• Heist films
• Drama films
• Films based on novels
• Films set in Boston
• Films directed by Ben Affleck
• Screenplays by Ben Affleck

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The Crackdown on Student Protesters

Columbia university is at the center of a growing showdown over the war in gaza and the limits of free speech..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

[TRAIN SCREECHING]

Well, you can hear the helicopter circling. This is Asthaa Chaturvedi. I’m a producer with “The Daily.” Just walked out of the 116 Street Station. It’s the main station for Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus. And it’s day seven of the Gaza solidarity encampment, where a hundred students were arrested last Thursday.

So on one side of Broadway, you see camera crews. You see NYPD officers all lined up. There’s barricades, steel barricades, caution tape. This is normally a completely open campus. And I’m able to — all members of the public, you’re able to walk through.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

Looks like international media is here.

Have your IDs out. Have your IDs out.

Students lining up to swipe in to get access to the University. ID required for entry.

Swipe your ID, please.

Hi, how are you, officer? We’re journalists with “The New York Times.”

You’re not going to get in, all right? I’m sorry.

Hi. Can I help please?

Yeah, it’s total lockdown here at Columbia.

Please have your IDs out ready to swipe.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.” Today, the story of how Columbia University has become the epicenter of a growing showdown between student protesters, college administrators, and Congress over the war in Gaza and the limits of free speech. I spoke with my colleague, Nick Fandos.

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

It’s Thursday, April 25.

Nick, if we rewind the clock a few months, we end up at a moment where students at several of the country’s best known universities are protesting Israel’s response to the October 7 attacks, its approach to a war in Gaza. At times, those protests are happening peacefully, at times with rhetoric that is inflammatory. And the result is that the leaders of those universities land before Congress. But the president of Columbia University, which is the subject we’re going to be talking about today, is not one of the leaders who shows up for that testimony.

That’s right. So the House Education Committee has been watching all these protests on campus. And the Republican Chairwoman decides, I’m going to open an investigation, look at how these administrations are handling it, because it doesn’t look good from where I sit. And the House last winter invites the leaders of several of these elite schools, Harvard, Penn, MIT, and Columbia, to come and testify in Washington on Capitol Hill before Congress.

Now, the President of Columbia has what turns out to be a very well-timed, pre-planned trip to go overseas and speak at an international climate conference. So Minouche Shafik isn’t going to be there. So instead, the presidents of Harvard, and Penn, and MIT show up. And it turned out to be a disaster for these universities.

They were asked very pointed questions about the kind of speech taking place on their campuses, and they gave really convoluted academic answers back that just baffled the committee. But there was one question that really embodied the kind of disconnect between the Committee — And it wasn’t just Republicans, Republicans and Democrats on the Committee — and these college presidents. And that’s when they were asked a hypothetical.

Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Penn’s rules or code of conduct? Yes or no?

If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment.

And two of the presidents, Claudine Gay of Harvard and Elizabeth Magill of the University of Pennsylvania, they’re unwilling to say in this really kind of intense back and forth that this speech would constitute a violation of their rules.

It can be, depending on the context.

What’s the context?

Targeted at an individual. Is it pervasive?

It’s targeted at Jewish students, Jewish individuals. Do you understand your testimony is dehumanizing them?

And it sets off a firestorm.

It does not depend on the context. The answer is yes. And this is why you should resign. These are unacceptable answers across the board.

Members of Congress start calling for their resignations. Alumni are really, really ticked off. Trustees of the University start to wonder, I don’t know that these leaders really have got this under control. And eventually, both of them lose their jobs in a really high profile way.

Right. And as you’ve hinted at, for somewhat peculiar scheduling reasons, Columbia’s President escapes this disaster of a hearing in what has to be regarded as the best timing in the history of the American Academy.

Yeah, exactly. And Columbia is watching all this play out. And I think their first response was relief that she was not in that chair, but also a recognition that, sooner or later, their turn was going to come back around and they were going to have to sit before Congress.

Why were they so certain that they would probably end up before Congress and that this wasn’t a case of completely dodging a bullet?

Well, they remain under investigation by the committee. But also, as the winter wears on, all the same intense protests just continue unabated. So in many ways, Columbia’s like these other campuses. But in some ways, it’s even more intense. This is a university that has both one of the largest Jewish student populations of any of its peers. But it also has a large Arab and Muslim student population, a big Middle Eastern studies program. It has a dual degree program in Tel Aviv.

And it’s a university on top of all that that has a real history of activism dating back to the 1960s. So when students are recruited or choose to come to Columbia, they’re actively opting into a campus that prides itself on being an activist community. It’s in the middle of New York City. It’s a global place. They consider the city and the world, really, like a classroom to Columbia.

In other words, if any campus was going to be a hotbed of protest and debate over this conflict, it was going to be Columbia University.

Exactly. And when this spring rolls around, the stars finally align. And the same congressional committee issues another invitation to Minouche Shafik, Columbia’s President, to come and testify. And this time, she has no excuse to say no.

But presumably, she is well aware of exactly what testifying before this committee entails and is highly prepared.

Columbia knew this moment was coming. They spent months preparing for this hearing. They brought in outside consultants, crisis communicators, experts on anti-Semitism. The weekend before the hearing, she actually travels down to Washington to hole up in a war room, where she starts preparing her testimony with mock questioners and testy exchanges to prep her for this. And she’s very clear on what she wants to try to do.

Where her counterparts had gone before the committee a few months before and looked aloof, she wanted to project humility and competence, to say, I know that there’s an issue on my campus right now with some of these protests veering off into anti-Semitic incidents. But I’m getting that under control. I’m taking steps in good faith to make sure that we restore order to this campus, while allowing people to express themselves freely as well.

So then the day of her actual testimony arrives. And just walk us through how it goes.

The Committee on Education and Workforce will come to order. I note that —

So Wednesday morning rolls around. And President Shafik sits at the witness stand with two of her trustees and the head of Columbia’s new anti-Semitism task force.

Columbia stands guilty of gross negligence at best and at worst has become a platform for those supporting terrorism and violence against the Jewish people.

And right off the bat, they’re put through a pretty humbling litany of some of the worst hits of what’s been happening on campus.

For example, just four days after the harrowing October 7 attack, a former Columbia undergraduate beat an Israeli student with a stick.

The Republican Chairwoman of the Committee, Virginia Foxx, starts reminding her that there was a student who was actually hit with a stick on campus. There was another gathering more recently glorifying Hamas and other terrorist organizations, and the kind of chants that have become an everyday chorus on campus, which many Jewish students see as threatening. But when the questioning starts, President Shafik is ready. One of the first ones she gets is the one that tripped up her colleagues.

Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Columbia’s code of conduct, Mr. Greenwald?

And she answers unequivocally.

Dr. Shafik?

Yes, it does.

And, Professor —

That would be a violation of Columbia’s rules. They would be punished.

As President of Columbia, what is it like when you hear chants like, by any means necessary or Intifada Revolution?

I find those chants incredibly distressing. And I wish profoundly that people would not use them on our campus.

And in some of the most interesting exchanges of the hearing, President Shafik actually opens Columbia’s disciplinary books.

We have already suspended 15 students from Columbia. We have six on disciplinary probation. These are more disciplinary actions that have been taken probably in the last decade at Columbia. And —

She talks about the number of students that have been suspended, but also the number of faculty that she’s had removed from the classroom that are being investigated for comments that either violate some of Columbia’s rules or make students uncomfortable. One case in particular really underscores this.

And that’s of a Middle Eastern studies professor named Joseph Massad. He wrote an essay not long after Hamas invaded Israel and killed 1,200 people, according to the Israeli government, where he described that attack with adjectives like awesome. Now, he said they’ve been misinterpreted, but a lot of people have taken offense to those comments.

Ms. Stefanik, you’re recognized for five minutes.

Thank you, Chairwoman. I want to follow up on my colleague, Rep Walberg’s question regarding Professor Joseph Massad. So let me be clear, President —

And so Representative Elise Stefanik, the same Republican who had tripped up Claudine Gay of Harvard and others in the last hearing, really starts digging in to President Shafik about these things at Columbia.

He is still Chair on the website. So has he been terminated as Chair?

Congresswoman, I —

And Shafik’s answers are maybe a little surprising.

— before getting back to you. I can confirm —

I know you confirmed that he was under investigation.

Yes, I can confirm that. But I —

Did you confirm he was still the Chair?

He says that Columbia is taking his case seriously. In fact, he’s under investigation right now.

Well, let me ask you this.

I need to check.

Will you make the commitment to remove him as Chair?

And when Stefanik presses her to commit to removing him from a campus leadership position —

I think that would be — I think — I would — yes. Let me come back with yes. But I think I — I just want to confirm his current status before I write —

We’ll take that as a yes, that you will confirm that he will no longer be chair.

Shafik seems to pause and think and then agree to it on the spot, almost like she is making administrative decisions with or in front of Congress.

Now, we did some reporting after the fact. And it turns out the Professor didn’t even realize he was under investigation. So he’s learning about this from the hearing too. So what this all adds up to, I think, is a performance so in line with what the lawmakers themselves wanted to hear, that at certain points, these Republicans didn’t quite know what to do with it. They were like the dog that caught the car.

Columbia beats Harvard and UPenn.

One of them, a Republican from Florida, I think at one point even marvelled, well, you beat Harvard and Penn.

Y’all all have done something that they weren’t able to do. You’ve been able to condemn anti-Semitism without using the phrase, it depends on the context. But the —

So Columbia’s president has passed this test before this committee.

Yeah, this big moment that tripped up her predecessors and cost them their jobs, it seems like she has cleared that hurdle and dispatched with the Congressional committee that could have been one of the biggest threats to her presidency.

Without objection, there being no further business, the committee stands adjourned. [BANGS GAVEL]

But back on campus, some of the students and faculty who had been watching the hearing came away with a very different set of conclusions. They saw a president who was so eager to please Republicans in Congress that she was willing to sell out some of the University’s students and faculty and trample on cherished ideas like academic freedom and freedom of expression that have been a bedrock of American higher education for a really long time.

And there was no clearer embodiment of that than what had happened that morning just as President Shafik was going to testify before Congress. A group of students before dawn set up tents in the middle of Columbia’s campus and declared themselves a pro-Palestinian encampment in open defiance of the very rules that Dr. Shafik had put in place to try and get these protests under control.

So these students in real-time are beginning to test some of the things that Columbia’s president has just said before Congress.

Exactly. And so instead of going to celebrate her successful appearance before Congress, Shafik walks out of the hearing room and gets in a black SUV to go right back to that war room, where she’s immediately confronted with a major dilemma. It basically boils down to this, she had just gone before Congress and told them, I’m going to get tough on these protests. And here they were. So either she gets tough and risks inflaming tension on campus or she holds back and does nothing and her words before Congress immediately look hollow.

And what does she decide?

So for the next 24 hours, she tries to negotiate off ramps. She consults with her Deans and the New York Police Department. And it all builds towards an incredibly consequential decision. And that is, for the first time in decades, to call the New York City Police Department onto campus in riot gear and break this thing up, suspend the students involved, and then arrest them.

To essentially eliminate this encampment.

Eliminate the encampment and send a message, this is not going to be tolerated. But in trying to quell the unrest, Shafik actually feeds it. She ends up leaving student protesters and the faculty who support them feeling betrayed and pushes a campus that was already on edge into a full blown crisis.

[SLOW TEMPO MUSIC]

After the break, what all of this has looked like to a student on Columbia’s campus. We’ll be right back.

[PHONE RINGS]

Is this Isabella?

Yes, this is she.

Hi, Isabella. It’s Michael Barbaro from “The Daily.”

Hi. Nice to meet you.

Earlier this week, we called Isabella Ramírez, the Editor in Chief of Columbia’s undergraduate newspaper, “The Columbia Daily Spectator,” which has been closely tracking both the protests and the University’s response to them since October 7.

So, I mean, in your mind, how do we get to this point? I wonder if you can just briefly describe the key moments that bring us to where we are right now.

Sure. Since October 7, there has certainly been constant escalation in terms of tension on campus. And there have been a variety of moves that I believe have distanced the student body, the faculty, from the University and its administration, specifically the suspension of Columbia’s chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. And that became a huge moment in what was characterized as suppression of pro-Palestinian activism on campus, effectively rendering those groups, quote, unquote, unauthorized.

What was the college’s explanation for that?

They had cited in that suspension a policy which states that a demonstration must be approved within a certain window, and that there must be an advance notice, and that there’s a process for getting an authorized demonstration. But the primary point was this policy that they were referring to, which we later reported, was changed before the suspension.

So it felt a little ad hoc to people?

Yes, it certainly came as a surprise, especially at “Spectator.” We’re nerds of the University in the sense that we are familiar with faculty and University governance. But even to us, we had no idea where this policy was coming from. And this suspension was really the first time that it entered most students’ sphere.

Columbia’s campus is so known for its activism. And so in my time of being a reporter, of being an editor, I’ve overseen several protests. And I’ve never seen Columbia penalize a group for, quote, unquote, not authorizing a protest. So that was certainly, in our minds, unprecedented.

And I believe part of the justification there was, well, this is a different time. And I think that is a reasonable thing to say. But I think a lot of students, they felt it was particularly one-sided, that it was targeting a specific type of speech or a specific type of viewpoint. Although, the University, of course, in its explicit policies, did not outline, and was actually very explicit about not targeting specific viewpoints —

So just to be super clear, it felt to students — and it sounds like, journalistically, it felt to you — that the University was coming down in a uniquely one-sided way against students who were supporting Palestinian rights and may have expressed some frustrations with Israel in that moment.

Yes. Certainly —

Isabella says that this was just the beginning of a really tense period between student protesters and the University. After those two student groups were suspended, campus protests continued. Students made a variety of demands. They asked that the University divest from businesses that profit from Israel’s military operations in Gaza. But instead of making any progress, the protests are met with further crackdown by the University.

And so as Isabella and her colleagues at the college newspaper see it, there’s this overall chilling effect that occurs. Some students become fearful that if they participate in any demonstrations, they’re going to face disciplinary action. So fast forward now to April, when these student protesters learned that President Shafik is headed to Washington for her congressional testimony. It’s at this moment that they set out to build their encampment.

I think there was obviously a lot of intention in timing those two things. I think it’s inherently a critique on a political pressure and this congressional pressure that we saw build up against, of course, Claudine Gay at Harvard and Magill at UPenn. So I think a lot of students and faculty have been frustrated at this idea that there are not only powers at the University that are dictating what’s happening, but there are perhaps external powers that are also guiding the way here in terms of what the University feels like it must do or has to do.

And I think that timing was super crucial. Having the encampment happen on the Wednesday morning of the hearing was an incredible, in some senses, interesting strategy to direct eyes to different places.

All eyes were going to be on Shafik in DC. But now a lot of eyes are on New York. The encampment is set up in the middle of the night slash morning, prior to the hearing. And so what effectively happens is they caught Shafik when she wasn’t on campus, when a lot of senior administration had their resources dedicated to supporting Shafik in DC.

And you have all of those people not necessarily out of commission, but with their focus elsewhere. So the encampment is met with very little resistance at the beginning. There were public safety officers floating around and watching. But at the very beginning hours, I think there was a sense of, we did it.

[CHANTING]: Disclose! Divest! We will not stop! We will not rest. Disclose! Divest! We will not stop!

It would be quite surprising to anybody and an administrator to now suddenly see dozens of tents on this lawn in a way that I think very purposely puts an imagery of, we’re here to stay. As the morning evolved and congressional hearings continued —

Minouche Shafik, open your eyes! Use of force, genocide!

Then we started seeing University delegates that were coming to the encampment saying, you may face disciplinary action for continuing to be here. I think that started around almost — like 9:00 or 10:00 AM, they started handing out these code of conduct violation notices.

Hell no! Hell no! Hell no!

Then there started to be more public safety action and presence. So they started barricading the entrances. The day progressed, there was more threat of discipline. The students became informed that if they continue to stay, they will face potential academic sanctions, potential suspension.

The more they try to silence us, the louder we will be! The more they —

I think a lot of people were like, OK, you’re threatening us with suspension. But so what?

This is about these systems that Minouche Shafik, that the Board of Trustees, that Columbia University is complicit in.

What are you going to do to try to get us out of here? And that was, obviously, promptly answered.

This is the New York State Police Department.

We will not stop!

You are attempting participate in an unauthorized encampment. You will be arrested and charged with trespassing.

My phone blew up, obviously, from the reporters, from the editors, of saying, oh my god, the NYPD is on our campus. And as soon as I saw that, I came out. And I saw a huge crowd of students and affiliates on campus watching the lawns. And as I circled around that crowd, I saw the last end of the New York Police Department pulling away protesters and clearing out the last of the encampment.

[CHANTING]: We love you! We will get justice for you! We see you! We love you! We will get justice for you! We see you! We love you! We will get justice for you! We see you! We love you! We will get justice for you!

It was something truly unimaginable, over 100 students slash other individuals are arrested from our campus, forcefully removed. And although they were suspended, there was a feeling of traumatic event that has just happened to these students, but also this sense of like, OK, the worst of the worst that could have happened to us just happened.

And for those students who maybe couldn’t go back to — into campus, now all of their peers, who were supporters or are in solidarity, are — in some sense, it’s further emboldened. They’re now not just sitting on the lawns for a pro-Palestinian cause, but also for the students, who have endured quite a lot.

So the crackdown, sought by the president and enforced by the NYPD, ends up, you’re saying, becoming a galvanizing force for a broader group of Columbia students than were originally drawn to the idea of ever showing up on the center of campus and protesting?

Yeah, I can certainly speak to the fact that I’ve seen my own peers, friends, or even acquaintances, who weren’t necessarily previously very involved in activism and organizing efforts, suddenly finding themselves involved.

Can I — I just have a question for you, which is all journalism, student journalism or not student journalism, is a first draft of history. And I wonder if we think of this as a historic moment for Columbia, how you imagine it’s going to be remembered.

Yeah, there is no doubt in my mind that this will be a historic moment for Colombia.

I think that this will be remembered as a moment in which the fractures were laid bare. Really, we got to see some of the disunity of the community in ways that I have never really seen it before. And what we’ll be looking to is, where do we go from here? How does Colombia repair? How do we heal from all of this? so That is the big question in terms of what will happen.

Nick, Isabella Ramírez just walked us through what this has all looked like from the perspective of a Columbia student. And from what she could tell, the crackdown ordered by President Shafik did not quell much of anything. It seemed, instead, to really intensify everything on campus. I’m curious what this has looked like for Shafik.

It’s not just the students who are upset. You have faculty, including professors, who are not necessarily sympathetic to the protesters’ view of the war, who are really outraged about what Shafik has done here. They feel that she’s crossed a boundary that hasn’t been crossed on Columbia’s campus in a really long time.

And so you start to hear things by the end of last week like censure, no confidence votes, questions from her own professors about whether or not she can stay in power. So this creates a whole new front for her. And on top of it all, as this is going on, the encampment itself starts to reform tent-by-tent —

— almost in the same place that it was. And Shafik decides that the most important thing she could do is to try and take the temperature down, which means letting the encampment stand. Or in other words, leaning in the other direction. This time, we’re going to let the protesters have their say for a little while longer.

The problem with that is that, over the weekend, a series of images start to emerge from on campus and just off of it of some really troubling anti-Semitic episodes. In one case, a guy holds up a poster in the middle of campus and points it towards a group of Jewish students who are counter protesting. And it says, I’m paraphrasing here, Hamas’ next targets.

I saw an image of that. What it seemed to evoke was the message that Hamas should murder those Jewish students. That’s the way the Jewish students interpreted it.

It’s a pretty straightforward and jarring statement. At the same time, just outside of Columbia’s closed gates —

Stop killing children!

— protestors are showing up from across New York City. It’s hard to tell who’s affiliated with Columbia, who’s not.

Go back to Poland! Go back to Poland!

There’s a video that goes viral of one of them shouting at Jewish students, go back to Poland, go back to Europe.

In other words, a clear message, you’re not welcome here.

Right. In fact, go back to the places where the Holocaust was committed.

Exactly. And this is not representative of the vast majority of the protesters in the encampment, who mostly had been peaceful. They would later hold a Seder, actually, with some of the pro-Palestinian Jewish protesters in their ranks. But those videos are reaching members of Congress, the very same Republicans that Shafik had testified in front of just a few days before. And now they’re looking and saying, you have lost control of your campus, you’ve turned back on your word to us, and you need to resign.

They call for her outright resignation over this.

That’s right. Republicans in New York and across the country began to call for her to step down from her position as president of Columbia.

So Shafik’s dilemma here is pretty extraordinary. She has set up this dynamic where pleasing these members of Congress would probably mean calling in the NYPD all over again to sweep out this encampment, which would mean further alienating and inflaming students and faculty, who are still very upset over the first crackdown. And now both ends of this spectrum, lawmakers in Washington, folks on the Columbia campus, are saying she can’t lead the University over this situation before she’s even made any fateful decision about what to do with this second encampment. Not a good situation.

No. She’s besieged on all sides. For a while, the only thing that she can come up with to offer is for classes to go hybrid for the remainder of the semester.

So students who aren’t feeling safe in this protest environment don’t necessarily have to go to class.

Right. And I think if we zoom out for a second, it’s worth bearing in mind that she tried to choose a different path here than her counterparts at Harvard or Penn. And after all of this, she’s kind of ended up in the exact same thicket, with people calling for her job with the White House, the Mayor of New York City, and others. These are Democrats. Maybe not calling on her to resign quite yet, but saying, I don’t know what’s going on your campus. This does not look good.

That reality, that taking a different tack that was supposed to be full of learnings and lessons from the stumbles of her peers, the fact that didn’t really work suggests that there’s something really intractable going on here. And I wonder how you’re thinking about this intractable situation that’s now arrived on these college campuses.

Well, I don’t think it’s just limited to college campuses. We have seen intense feelings about this conflict play out in Hollywood. We’ve seen them in our politics in all kinds of interesting ways.

In our media.

We’ve seen it in the media. But college campuses, at least in their most idealized form, are something special. They’re a place where students get to go for four years to think in big ways about moral questions, and political questions, and ideas that help shape the world they’re going to spend the rest of their lives in.

And so when you have a question that feels as urgent as this war does for a lot of people, I think it reverberates in an incredibly intense way on those campuses. And there’s something like — I don’t know if it’s quite a contradiction of terms, but there’s a collision of different values at stake. So universities thrive on the ability of students to follow their minds and their voices where they go, to maybe even experiment a little bit and find those things.

But there are also communities that rely on people being able to trust each other and being able to carry out their classes and their academic endeavors as a collective so they can learn from one another. So in this case, that’s all getting scrambled. Students who feel strongly about the Palestinian cause feel like the point is disruption, that something so big, and immediate, and urgent is happening that they need to get in the faces of their professors, and their administrators, and their fellow students.

Right. And set up an encampment in the middle of campus, no matter what the rules say.

Right. And from the administration’s perspective, they say, well, yeah, you can say that and you can think that. And that’s an important process. But maybe there’s some bad apples in your ranks. Or though you may have good intentions, you’re saying things that you don’t realize the implications of. And they’re making this environment unsafe for others. Or they’re grinding our classes to a halt and we’re not able to function as a University.

So the only way we’re going to be able to move forward is if you will respect our rules and we’ll respect your point of view. The problem is that’s just not happening. Something is not connecting with those two points of view. And as if that’s not hard enough, you then have Congress and the political system with its own agenda coming in and putting its thumb on a scale of an already very difficult situation.

Right. And at this very moment, what we know is that the forces that you just outlined have created a dilemma, an uncertainty of how to proceed, not just for President Shafik and the students and faculty at Columbia, but for a growing number of colleges and universities across the country. And by that, I mean, this thing that seemed to start at Columbia is literally spreading.

Absolutely. We’re talking on a Wednesday afternoon. And these encampments have now started cropping up at universities from coast-to-coast, at Harvard and Yale, but also at University of California, at the University of Texas, at smaller campuses in between. And at each of these institutions, there’s presidents and deans, just like President Shafik at Columbia, who are facing a really difficult set of choices. Do they call in the police? The University of Texas in Austin this afternoon, we saw protesters physically clashing with police.

Do they hold back, like at Harvard, where there were dramatic videos of students literally running into Harvard yard with tents. They were popping up in real-time. And so Columbia, really, I think, at the end of the day, may have kicked off some of this. But they are now in league with a whole bunch of other universities that are struggling with the same set of questions. And it’s a set of questions that they’ve had since this war broke out.

And now these schools only have a week or two left of classes. But we don’t know when these standoffs are going to end. We don’t know if students are going to leave campus for the summer. We don’t know if they’re going to come back in the fall and start protesting right away, or if this year is going to turn out to have been an aberration that was a response to a really awful, bloody war, or if we’re at the beginning of a bigger shift on college campuses that will long outlast this war in the Middle East.

Well, Nick, thank you very much. Thanks for having me, Michael.

We’ll be right back.

Here’s what else you need to know today. The United Nations is calling for an independent investigation into two mass graves found after Israeli forces withdrew from hospitals in Gaza. Officials in Gaza said that some of the bodies found in the graves were Palestinians who had been handcuffed or shot in the head and accused Israel of killing and burying them. In response, Israel said that its soldiers had exhumed bodies in one of the graves as part of an effort to locate Israeli hostages.

And on Wednesday, Hamas released a video of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American dual citizen, whom Hamas has held hostage since October 7. It was the first time that he has been shown alive since his captivity began. His kidnapping was the subject of a “Daily” episode in October that featured his mother, Rachel. In response to Hamas’s video, Rachel issued a video of her own, in which she spoke directly to her son.

And, Hersh, if you can hear this, we heard your voice today for the first time in 201 days. And if you can hear us, I am telling you, we are telling you, we love you. Stay strong. Survive.

Today’s episode was produced by Sydney Harper, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Olivia Natt, Nina Feldman, and Summer Thomad, with help from Michael Simon Johnson. It was edited by Devon Taylor and Lisa Chow, contains research help by Susan Lee, original music by Marion Lozano and Dan Powell, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

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Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Nicholas Fandos

Produced by Sydney Harper ,  Asthaa Chaturvedi ,  Olivia Natt ,  Nina Feldman and Summer Thomad

With Michael Simon Johnson

Edited by Devon Taylor and Lisa Chow

Original music by Marion Lozano and Dan Powell

Engineered by Chris Wood

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Columbia University has become the epicenter of a growing showdown between student protesters, college administrators and Congress over the war in Gaza and the limits of free speech.

Nicholas Fandos, who covers New York politics and government for The Times, walks us through the intense week at the university. And Isabella Ramírez, the editor in chief of Columbia’s undergraduate newspaper, explains what it has all looked like to a student on campus.

On today’s episode

Nicholas Fandos , who covers New York politics and government for The New York Times

Isabella Ramírez , editor in chief of The Columbia Daily Spectator

Background reading

Inside the week that shook Columbia University .

The protests at the university continued after more than 100 arrests.

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We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Research help by Susan Lee .

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Nicholas Fandos is a Times reporter covering New York politics and government. More about Nicholas Fandos

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