Audrey Hepburn wasn’t wrong: “Paris is always a good idea.” That being said, the charm of France’s smaller, lesser-known towns and villages give the capital city a run for its money.

Moving north to south, here are a few destinations to add to your French travel bucket list:

• Located an hour north of Paris is Amiens, known for its stunning Gothic cathedral and floating gardens, which can be explored via small boats on the town’s canals.
• Comprised of small canals and charming colorful houses, some believe Colmar — located in the Grand Est region near the German border — was the model for Belle’s village in Beauty and the Beast.
• Bayeux is a charming and historic town on the Aure River in France’s Normandy region. It’s known for its medieval center, which boasts cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses and the Norman-Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame. It was also the first town liberated by the Allies after they landed on Normandy beach in 1944. Vouvant is a real-life fairy tale, situated at the edge of a forest in Vendée in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. The town has its original fortifying walls and a 14^th-century bridge across the Loire River, which cuts through town.
• Cluny, a commune in the eastern-central French department of Saone-et-Loirse in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comte region, is home to a stunning 10^th-century monastery, which the town was built around.
• Nestled at the base of Mont Blanc at the border of France, Switzerland and Italy, is the resort town of Chamonix. The region is renowned for skiing and the town offers a quaint, cozy base for excursions.
• The lakeside Alpine town of Annecy, in southeastern France, boasts rolling hills, cobblestone streets, canals, stone bridges and beautiful gardens.
• Roussillon, a commune in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region, sits atop one of the world’s largest ocher deposits, contributing to the mineral’s red hue on the town’s unique buildings and surrounding cliffs.
• Porquerolles is a Cote d’Azur gem — an island destination and small town. The carefree island offers a scenic, peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of France’s larger cities.