26 May – 16 October:

26 May – 16 October: Amiens Hortillonnages Arts and Gardens Festival takes place on a network of medieval waterways and islands in the shadow of the city’s great Gothic Cathedral. artetjardins-hdf.com Grotte Cosquer replica at La Villa Méditerranée ©Kléber Rossillon Penguin painting replica Grotte Cosquer June: Marseille sees a major new opening of a replica of the remarkable underwater prehistoric cave known as the Grotte Cosquer. Hosted at La Villa Méditerranée, an ultra-contemporary building on the old harbour, it will provide an immersive and interactive experience as you discover the original cave’s 500 cave paintings depicting marine animals like penguins plus seals and what seems to be jellyfish, and mammals that roamed in that era. The original cave was lived in as early as 33,000 years ago, the actual cave is located in the mini-fjords between Cassis and Marseille known as the Calanques, specifically in Triperie Calanque, near Cape Morgiou. grotte-cosquer.com 82 | The Good Life France

30 June-3 July: Le Mans Classic returns after a four-year absence. Expect 600 racing cars on the track in this classic day and night race. Plus 8,500 classic cars displayed in the specially designed enclosures. lemansclassic.com 1-24 July: Tour de France starting in Copenhagen, Denmark and finishing in the Champs-Elysees Paris. letour.fr 24-31 July: The Woman’s Tour de France returns after an absence of more than 30 years. Start on the day of the final stage 21 of the Men’s Tour. 1028km eight-day race will take in back to back mountain stages as well as gravel sectors, flat stages and more. Starting at the Eiffel Tower and ending atop La Planche des Belles Filles in the Vosges mountains. letourfemmes.fr Spring: Fans of Serge Gainsbourg will rejoice to know that France’s first cultural institution dedicated to the songwriter Serge Gainsbourg will open Mason Gainsbourg including a museum, bookstore and Le Gainsbarre, a hybrid space that hosts a café during the day and a piano bar by night. maisongainsbourg.fr The ‘Seine à Vélo’ cycle route, launched in 2021, which follows the River Seine from Paris to Le Havre and Deauville in Normandy, has been named as one of the best places to explore in 2022 by National Geographic! The 270-mile Paris-to-the-sea path passes through some of the region’s most beautiful and famous sites, including Giverny – home to Claude Monet’s house and garden, Château-Gaillard at Les Andelys, Jumièges and picture-perfect Honfleur. It also goes through Rouen which was awarded UNESCO gastronomic status in 2021! laseineavelo.com Carriage of Le Grand Tour train In 2023: Puy du Fou, the award winning, world’s most incredible theme park, launches the world’s longest show on ‘Le Grand Tour’, a 6-day spectacular Grand Tour of France on France’s first private rail company. The train takes a 4000km journey across France on an authentic and luxurious Belle Epoque train taking in some of the greatest sights including Champagne and Burgundy, Avignon in Provence, the castles of the Loire Valley, wonderful Lake Annecy and the Arcachon Basin. Find out more: legrandtour.com All information contained here is correct at the time of publication, but we recommend you check with the individual venues for the latest updates, as dates may remain subject to change and events may need to be cancelled or postponed in line with the health situation in France. The Good Life France | 83