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7. Loire Valley

Visiting the Loire Valley feels like stepping into a children’s storybook. A landscape of lush forests and gentle rivers is dotted with sumptuous castles featuring turreted towers or elegant mansard roofs. In wintertime, the fairy-tale castles of the Loire Valley look even more enchanting under a fresh dusting of powder snow.

The holiday season offers the chance to see the chateaux decked out with Christmas adornments. Some of the Loire Valley castles also host Christmas events.

The magnificent Château de Chambord features lavish illuminations in the gardens and a giant indoor Christmas tree from December 1st through January 2nd. There are also special events for Christmas at the Château de Chambord, including musical entertainment by costumed performers.

In the town of Blois, the Château Royal d’Amboise features special Christmas decorations in the gardens, as well as in the interior. Other Loire Valley castles that feature holiday decorations include the Château de Cheverny, a 17th-century manor house, and the Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire, which dons colorful Christmas illuminations.

8. Lille

Lille boasts excellent art museums and a hearty local cuisine, which makes it a great place to visit during wintertime, although its does get chilly. From December through February, the average daily temperature ranges from the mid 30s to mid 40s in degrees Fahrenheit. During wintertime, it rains several days per month, and light snowfall is possible.

Must-see tourist attractions in Lille include the Grand Place with its exquisite Baroque Flemish architecture; the Palais des Beaux-Arts (Fine Arts Museums), which presents masterpieces of European art from the 12th through the 20th centuries; and the Musée du Louvre-Lens, an off-site location of the Louvre Museum in Paris, housed in a sleek contemporary-style gallery space about a 30-minute drive or train ride from Lille.