The common images of wintertime escapes are trips to the alpine ski resorts or romantic weekends in Paris. It can’t be denied that Paris does have that special something which sets it apart from other cities in the world, but the French countryside offers much more.

To observe the day to day life of a small village in rural France, taste the local culinary specialities, drink some of the diverse range of local wines and visit one of the thousands of weekly markets which are held all over the country is a truly French experience.

The local sausage vendor proudly offers his products alongside a stall filled with a range of delicious regional cheese. Regional pates and purees are also on sale including vegetarian delights like Tapenade — a puree of olives with capers and herbes de Provence, Pestou — a puree of wild basil, Estragonade — a puree of wild estragon and a selections of pates produced from local goats and wild pigs.

Added to these you’ll find locally produced virgin olive oil, provincial snacks and, if you have lunch in one of the cafes adjacent to any market, you will be able to enjoy the taste of the region’s particular food and alcohol (many of which are close to 50 per cent proof).

As well as these pleasures you will be amazed at the diverse tastes of the regionally produced and incredibly cheap French wine. No matter what your palate favours you will find something to enjoy in France; from the sweetish, rather heavy whites from the Alsace to the very dry sauvignon blancs or the thin, fruity new Beaujolais to those chewy, old reds from Bordeaux.

On top of this the historic and traditional attractions are just as regionally diverse. The intriguing mix of German and French habits which come together in Strasbourg and the surrounding Alsace countryside are vastly different from way people live and interact in Sederon, Nyons, La Drome de Provence or the other side of the country.

The western part of France offers a broad range of interesting venues and, especially in the north like Strasbourg, there is obvious evidence of a Germanic past. The architecture has a German heritage with many gothic style country houses featuring large wooden beams and lofty, steep rooves. Even the way people dress seems influenced by the area’s past connections with Germany.

One interesting and quite bizarre group of inhabitants of the Alsace who should be visited is a troupe of wild monkeys who live in a large, pine forest close to Strasbourg. These monkeys are said to have inhabited the forest for hundreds of years.

Even though the monkeys are not enclosed and live freely in the forest, they are very tame and will latch on to any tourist who looks like they may have some tasty morsel in their bag or pocket.

The hills of the Alsace are also well supplied with Nordic ski trails if you want to avoid the crush of people on the alpine ski fields. All the trails are well marked and graded in different colours to suit your expertise and stamina with tracks of between four and 25 kilometres.

The high country of La Drome, about 800 kilometres to the east, on the other side of France, is also suited to Nordic skiing and the sight of the high Alps in the distance, the truly isolated and rural ambience of the many villages there and the natural friendliness and hospitality of the locals, makes La Drome a perfect place for a holiday.

The village of Egalayes, about 60 kilometres from Nyons is one such village and is surrounded by hills of up to 1500 metres. The tiny, historic village offers a glimpse of rural French life which is difficult to better anywhere in the country.

With less than 100 full time inhabitants the tiny village exists in a world of its own. You can walk around the surrounding hill tops which offer magnificent views of the Alps and hinterland, visit a local farmer to buy some fresh cheese or a newly killed chicken for dinner or just stroll through the narrow lanes of the village that make you think you have escaped the modern world.

No matter where you travel in rural France you will find something unique and enjoyable. The more beautiful villages or historic towns you find the more you will want to search for as there always seems to be an even more enthralling discovery just over the next hill. France offers the opportunity for exploration and the thrill of discovery. Don’t be afraid to join the hunt — you’ll be delighted with what you find.

FACT FILE