Falling for autumnal forests across France

October 28, 2021March 30, 2022 Sharon Scott

Autumn is arriving and leaves are turning into the beautiful fiery hues of the Fall. With just under a third of France covered by forest, the opportunities for ‘leaf peeping’ are plentiful – and a great excuse to take a look at five of the best…

1 – Le Bois de Païolive

First stop is the Ardeche and a petrified mix of rock towers and arches in the middle of a vast oak wood. The Cevennes locals call Le Bois de Païolive the ‘forest of the fairies’ for its magical myths.

This three-bedroom stone village house is in the pretty village of Barjac and is equally captivating – check out the 3D Matterport tour!

2 – La Forêt des Landes

Now the big one – the largest man-made forest in Western Europe that is La forêt des Landes in the ancient land now known as Aquitaine. Stretching along the Atlantic, this is a wonderful place to hike, bike, or quad-bike close to the beach.

This five-bedroom historic former hunting lodge has its own swimming pool within 1.8 hectares.

3 – La Forêt de Fontainebleau

Sixty kilometres south of Paris is La Forêt de Fontainebleau, a former royal estate that has been loved by famous artists, filmmakers (Cyrano de Bergerac) and rock-climbers, horse-riders and ramblers.

This is a fairytale-style thatched house with seven bedrooms but also an indoor swimming pool, gym and sauna.

4 – La Forêt de Boscodon

Now we head to the hills and the Haute-Alpes for the Forêt de Boscodon, a haven of fir trees that is classified in Natura 2000 zone for its ecological merit. It’s a haven for nature lovers and there’s a botanical trail.

A short ramble away is this fantastic 12-bedroom chalet with its own woodland, stream for bathing, and close to a ski village it would make a great tourist-business opportunity.

5 – Le Forêt d’Huelgoat

In the heart of Brittany’s Finistere, sleepy La forêt d’Huelgoat is an atmospheric woodland known for huge, moss-covered boulders and other geological and prehistoric curiosities.