The most popular destinations - France · artistravel-international.com

The most popular destinations

France: a perfect holiday destination for artists and art lovers!

No matter whether you are a painter, a sketcher, a writer or a photographer, France is THE country for your next creative art holiday! ‘Everybody in Europe loves France’ seems to be the general attitude among travellers according to several online tourism surveys. And that - obviously - applies for travelling artists as well. The mild temperate climate in the South and absolutely lovely and versatile countryside provide perfect conditions to free your artistic mind. France offers endless inspiring opportunities for sketchers, explorers, photographers and adventurers. No matter whether you are in love with the mountains of Auvergne and want to explore them further on a photo trip or you are the more relaxed type of traveller who loves to lie on the beach and sketch or paint while sitting in a small appealing city cafe in Lyon or Paris … – France provides all these options to unfold your creative passion.

Beautiful Provence, (Cote d’Azur) Photo: artistravel

Amazing Provence – Paint, sketch and take photos!

Among  all French regions, the Provence is possibly the most beautiful region  for creative minds and nature lovers. Located in the South of France and  directly bordering to the Mediterranean Sea the area is home to a huge  variety of flora and fauna. 

Crystal clear blue water, dreamlike little bays and dune landscapes as far as eyes can  see and on the other hand picturesque mountain ranges and little hidden villages invite for photo tours, trips, adventures and unforgettable painting holidays. Embark with our artistravel international selection of amazing art workshops on a fantastic journey to the famous wild horses of the Camargue or get to know the great variety of the country’s  beauty on plein air painting holiday excursions through the huge flourishing lavender fields and ancient cities.

Cancale, (Brittany) Photo: Yannick le Gal 

Rough Beauty: The Atlantic Coast

Sandy  beaches, massive waves, freshwater lakes and fragrant pine forests -  that’s what makes up the French Atlantic Coast. The rocky coastline of  the Basque region is a picturesque surfers-paradise close to the  Spanish-Portuguese border. The huge sandy beaches and dunes of Côte  d’Argent are known all over the world. Overall the manifold landscapes  of the West offer a wide range of inspiring sights. Take your camera or  sketchbook with you - you will love it!

Although  the Atlantic is a bit colder and rougher than the Mediterranean Sea, it  is a fabulous place to relax and lie back’. Plein air painters will find  beautiful landscapes as well as tiny little castles and villages to  form perfect holiday stories in their sketchbooks.

In  the northern part of the French Atlantic Coast, there are Brittany and  Normandy. Both regions seem to be truly made for nature, rock, beach and  sea lovers and provide fantastic holiday resorts for every artist. No  matter whether you are interested in culture & history or sports  & wellness - on the Atlantic coast you can find absolutely  everything. Paint, sketch, draw or take photos - enjoy your creative  holiday trip without limitations!

 Pont des Arts Paris Photo:pixabay 

Art & culture of French metropolises: – insider spots!

Paris can be regarded as THE French hot spot for artists, culture and history lovers. It offers a range of attractions, reaching from beautiful modern architecture to famous baroque chateaus and fabulous art museums. Touristic sights like the Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe or the Eiffel Tower’s Gothic architecture are always worth a visit, not mentioning hundreds of less popular (and less crowded) sights.

Marseille another great French metropolis forms the Southern equivalent to Paris. Its cultural richness, influenced by the culture and life styles of African and Arabian refugees, provides the city a special charm. Visit its port, its chateau and plan a day tour to the ‘Massif de Calanque’. (And that’s just three of a long, long list)

And then, obviously there are all the other beautiful, smaller towns you can travel to: Bordeaux, Caen, Straßbourg, Aix en Provence - to name four.


France and the arts. An old love affair

France and art go hand in hand. From the artist’s perspective the annual film festival in Cannes should not be missing on your travel bucket list. For fashion aficionados and those who are in love with textile and jewellery art, or ancient architectural Paris is the place to stay. With its many museums the capital offers a wide range of inspiration for a painting or a photography holiday and always pours its cultural and historic atmosphere. No wonder that history's most renown artists, including Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro and Paul Gaugin, sought inspiration in France to raise the Impressionism movement.

 Delicious France Photo:pixabay Grapes Photo:pixabay 

Delicious France! So much more than baguette & croissant!

“Catherine de Medici brought her cooks to France when she married, and those cooks brought sherbet and custard, cream puffs, artichokes, onion soup, and the idea of roasting birds with oranges. In essence, she brought being French to France.” (Ashley Warlick)

Since those days, the french kitchen goes far beyond baguettes, croissants, a glass of wine and local cheese! Although, that’s what usually comes to your mind when you think of French food. French wines are widely known to be among the best in the world and therefore they are really worth to be explored. During your painting holiday or photography trip you should definitely not miss a special wine tasting! The beautiful chateaus, scattered all over France, often offer their own local wine directly on site – a unique experience.

Apart from the obvious their local kitchen offers a wide variety of national culinary specialties like ‘Quiche Lorraine’, which is a savoury open flan consisting of a pastry crust, the ‘Bouillabaisse’, the famous French fish soup, ‘Ratatouille’ (a stewed dish for vegetable lovers) or ‘Coq-au-vin’, a dish of chicken braised with wine, lardons, mushrooms which is sometimes spiced up with garlic. And that’s just the beginning of a very very long list.

Château de Chenonceau (Chenonceaux) Photo:pixabay Mont Saint Michel (Normandy) Photo:pixabay 

For the romantics: castles and cathedrals.

The architectural grandeur of the ‘Grande Nation’ is a reminder of its political and cultural history Nearly everywhere in France you can find splendid castles, fantastic cathedrals and romantic Chateaus. Be it the amazing medieval architecture or wonderfully shaped gardens - painters and photographers will find plenty of historic sights that are just waiting to be captured. New creative inspiration is just around the next corner!

In Carcassonne, for instance, which is a fortified town in the south of France, you can marvel at huge inner and outer walls with fifty towers and a moat. Its beauty has been preserved by the UNESCO World Heritage since 1997.

Also preserved by the UNESCO and definitely worth a visit is the majestic Pope’s Palace at Avignon. The heavily fortified palace has been built in the 14th century for medieval popes. 

A bit further north, you can find the finest examples of picturesque castles among the Loire River and the Perigord region. ‘Castelnaud-la-Chapelle’, ‘Bonaguil’ and ‘Loches’ are spectacular monumental sites. Particularly, the castle at Chinon needs to be mentioned. One of the most imposing sites can be found further north in Brittany. ‘Fougéres Castle’ is huge. It has been built on two hectares of naturally protected land.

Moreover, famous Mont Saint Michel is a must-see when it comes to French castles. Also belonging to the UNESCO World Heritage it is probably one of the most popular medieval French castles. It has an extensive and important religious and political background. Located a bit offshore on a rocky pedestal overlooking the bay between Brittany and Normandy, the castle has always been attractive to artists of every kind.

Sat, 20.04. - Sun, 21.04.24
Spring Sketching Weekend in Béziers
Available Spring Sketching Weekend in Béziers Annette Morris Béziers 150 EUR
Thu, 25.04. - Thu, 02.05.24
Watercolour Magic and Mixed Media
Available Watercolour Magic and Mixed Media
watercolour
Nicki Saunders South West France 1 195 GBP
Sat, 04.05. - Sat, 11.05.24
Mixed Media Workshop
Available Mixed Media Workshop Ali Hargreaves South West France 1 995 EUR
Sat, 11.05. - Sun, 12.05.24
Medieval Carcassonne Sketch Weekend
Available Medieval Carcassonne Sketch Weekend
watercolor
Annette Morris Carcassonne 230 EUR
Sun, 12.05. - Sun, 19.05.24
Alla Prima Oil inside and out: Floral Painting from life
Available Alla Prima Oil inside and out: Floral Painting from life
flowers, life, oil, painting, plein air
Alex Kelly South West France 1 295 GBP
Thu, 23.05. - Wed, 29.05.24
Creating colourful abstract florals
Available Creating colourful abstract florals
acrylics, mixed media
Jo Perkins South West France 1 295 GBP
Fri, 24.05. - Mon, 27.05.24
Springtime in Paris Travel Sketching Weekend
Available Springtime in Paris Travel Sketching Weekend
sketching, urban, watercolor, watercolour
Annette Morris Paris 275 EUR
Sat, 25.05. - Sat, 01.06.24
Drawing and painting from life
Available Drawing and painting from life
mixed media
Anita van Overmeeren South West France 925 EUR
Mon, 17.06. - Mon, 24.06.24
Mood and Atmosphere en Plein Air
Available Mood and Atmosphere en Plein Air
mixed media
Kevin Scully South West France 1 195 GBP
Sat, 22.06. - Sat, 29.06.24
Drawing and painting from life
Available Drawing and painting from life
mixed media
Anita van Overmeeren South West France 925 EUR
Sun, 23.06. - Fri, 28.06.24
A Week in Provence
Available A Week in Provence
sketching, urban sketching, watercolour
Annette Morris Provence 475 EUR
Mon, 01.07. - Mon, 08.07.24
‘Paint Without Fear’ – in the medium of your choice
Available ‘Paint Without Fear’ – in the medium of your choice
mixed media
Gregory Wellman South West France 1 195 GBP
Tue, 09.07. - Tue, 16.07.24
‘Paint Without Fear’ – in the medium of your choice
Available ‘Paint Without Fear’ – in the medium of your choice
mixed media
Gregory Wellman South West France 1 195 GBP
Sat, 13.07. - Sat, 20.07.24
Drawing and painting from life
Available Drawing and painting from life
mixed media
Anita van Overmeeren South West France 925 EUR
Sat, 27.07. - Sat, 03.08.24
Drawing and painting from life
Available Drawing and painting from life
mixed media
Anita van Overmeeren South West France 925 EUR
Sat, 17.08. - Sat, 24.08.24
Masterclass macramé holiday
Available Masterclass macramé holiday
mixed media
Anita van Overmeeren South West France 925 EUR
Thu, 29.08. - Sat, 31.08.24
French Village Sketchbook
Available French Village Sketchbook
sketching, urban sketching, watercolour
Annette Morris Quarante 180 EUR
Thu, 29.08. - Thu, 05.09.24
Creating colourful abstract florals
Available Creating colourful abstract florals
acrylics, mixed media
Jo Perkins South West France 1 295 GBP
Sat, 07.09. - Sat, 14.09.24
(Urban) sketching, draw what you see!
Available (Urban) sketching, draw what you see!
mixed media
Anita van Overmeeren South West France 925 EUR
Tue, 10.09. - Tue, 17.09.24
Watercolour Magic and Mixed Media
Available Watercolour Magic and Mixed Media
watercolour
Nicki Saunders South West France 1 195 GBP
Fri, 13.09. - Wed, 18.09.24
Photographic retreat to the south of France
Available Photographic retreat to the south of France
photography
Jon Davison Cordes-sur-Ciel 2 975 EUR
Mon, 30.09. - Mon, 07.10.24
En Plein Air
Available En Plein Air
oil, plein air
Ian Layton South West France 1 195 GBP
Thu, 10.10. - Thu, 17.10.24
Watercolour Magic and Mixed Media
Available Watercolour Magic and Mixed Media
watercolour
Nicki Saunders South West France 1 195 GBP
Sat, 26.10. - Sun, 27.10.24
Watercolour Sketching Weekend in Montpellier
Available Watercolour Sketching Weekend in Montpellier
sketching, urban sketching
Annette Morris Montpellier 195 EUR