The Monocle Handbook: France

France: The Monocle Handbook, the third instalment in our series of country guides, takes you on a tour of our most cherished Gallic spots.

We have traversed the mainland to scout out the crème de la crème of the nation’s bounty. Come with us to Marseille and Montpellier, Biarritz and Brittany, with stopoffs in the Alps and along the rugged coast of Corsica. Break bread at both new and established bistros, visit luxury ateliers with a discerning eye for design and check in to Paris’s most storied hotels and metropolitan boltholes.

Plus: we toast the nation’s vineyards, the cultural spots honouring France’s artistic heritage and the plucky retailers setting up shop in the country’s second cities. Fancy staying a while longer? We’ll take you through the places in which to linger, should you wish to put down roots. France is the world’s most visited country – and for good reason.