Don't overlook the value of a quick getaway with your partner or family to recharge and reconnect. Here are five extraordinary weekend ideas blending nature and adventure, all right here in France.
Ever wondered about life in an Eskimo igloo? No need for a trip to the North Pole—experience it in France's Ariège department, Occitanie region. Escape urban noise in the great outdoors by constructing your own igloo for the night, followed by a magical snowshoe trek under the Pyrenees stars.
Treehut stays in nature are booming, like this one six meters up at 1,400 meters in Gap, Hautes-Alpes. Enjoy panoramic views of the Champsaur valley from your balcony—ideal for romantic escapes. Cook in the equipped kitchen, savor sunset dinners, and breakfast in bed. Daytime options include paragliding and mountain biking.
For total escapism, try floating cabins at Domaine des Ormes in Brittany, France's premier water houses in a vast castle park with golf and a wildlife area. These buoyant homes, stabilized by floats, offer off-grid living with dry toilets—no electricity or water mains. Order packed lunches for pure nature immersion.
Craving a cultural shift? Skip Mongolia—book a yurt made of sheepskin and yak wool at Airotel La Sorguette campsite in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France. Family-friendly for 4-6 people (only 3 available, so reserve early), with activities like pétanque, volleyball, table tennis, and foosball.
Wildlife photographers rejoice: spot wolves in their habitat at Sainte-Croix Animal Park near Strasbourg. Choose from Grands Cerfs huts, trapper cabins, or luxury lodges. Watch wolves, deer, mouflon, lynx, and fallow deer through bay windows from your semi-wilderness stay.
