During the winter, Paris experiences something special. The boulevards appear wider and the formal gardens seem even more austere without the lush trees. The rooftops of Paris resemble the steel-gray skies. The city has a nostalgic feel when it snows, which happens very rarely. Paris in the winter is an entirely different experience than it is in the summer high season. The best season to visit Paris, in the opinion of many tourists, is winter.

The Louvre's expansive hallways are free of other tourists, so you can roam around and spend some time viewing the Mona Lisa without anyone in your way. The best season to explore Paris' top-notch museums is winter. Additionally, it's a great opportunity to see the city's historic churches. During the holiday season, many churches perform religious music or Christmas carol concerts. The Eglise Saint-Germain-des-Prés, located in the 6th arrondissement, the Eglise de la Madeleine, located in the 8th arrondissement, and the Eglise Saint-Ephrem, located in the 5th arrondissement, among other churches, all host Christmas concerts. On Christmas Eve, a Midnight Mass is held at the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre. Paris comes alive with holiday celebrations in December. Yuletide logs, or bûches de Nol, are seasonal desserts sold at the upscale bakery and chocolate shops, and Parisian boutiques and department stores dress up their windows with festive displays.

Lyon, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, is rich with historical and cultural landmarks that date back to the Roman Empire. The city's museums have enough to offer visitors, who may keep themselves warm indoors during the winter. The Musée des Beaux-Arts houses sculptures, antiquities, decorative arts, graphic arts, and masterpieces of European painting from the 15th to the 20th centuries.

Visitors to Lyon can experience what it was like to live in the old Roman city by visiting the Musée de la Civilisation Gallo-Romaine. Due to its strategic location near the farms of the Auvergne and Provence, the cheesemakers of the Alps, and the celebrated gastronomic tradition of France, Lyon is honored in this heritage and is commonly regarded as the capital of French cuisine. La Meunière, located in the center of the Presqu'île district; La Tête de Lard, also in the first arrondissement; Aux Trois Cochons, close to Place Bellecour; the Café de Jura, a family-run Bouchon that first opened in 1867; and Daniel et Denise, located in the Croix-Rousse district, the former silk workers' quarter, are among the famous bistros you can visit.

The Alsace villages in northern France enchant tourists with their festive charm throughout the Christmas season. Half-timbered houses with pastel paint are beautifully decorated, and Christmas trees or festive centerpieces can be seen in the town squares.

At traditional Christmas marketplaces known as Marchés de Nol, visitors may enjoy in holiday treats, buy gifts, and take in the enchanting atmosphere. These joyful outdoor Christmas markets should be included on any tour through Alsace in December. A Marché de Nol is held in Obernai, a medieval town, where local artisans offer their handmade goods. At the Marché de Nol in Kaysersberg, a charming village with many half-timbered houses, visitors will delight in the holiday baked goods like gingerbread and kougelhopf. A Christmas market with medieval-inspired cuisine and delicacies is held in the picturesque village of Ribeauvillé. The spectacular Christmas lights and illuminations in Eguisheim, one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France (Most Beautiful Villages of France), enchant visitors throughout the holiday season.

In the winter, Mont Blanc is covered in a thick layer of snow, and the French Alps ski resorts are bustling with tourists. The French Alps are home to snowy mountain peaks, crystal-clear lakes and lush green valleys and are most known for their outdoor activities like skiing, paragliding, mountaineering and rafting.

Perhaps most well-known in the French Alps are the famous resort towns that attract visitors from around the world each year. At these top French ski resorts, alpine skiing is most popular in the winter. With 150 kilometers of ski slopes accessible by 60 lifts, Courchevel in the Les Trois Vallées (Three Valleys) region of the French Alps is recognized as one of the best ski resorts in the world. Five villages in the resort offer a wide range of lodging and dining options, including Michelin-starred restaurants. Other notable ski areas are Chamonix on the legendary Mont Blanc and Val d'Isere in a high-mountain valley. The charming town of Chamonix is a great home base for your ski trip.

Nice, a city on the Côte d'Azur, is tucked away next to a lovely bay and boasts a Mediterranean environment with mild winters. In fact, Nice rose to prominence as a winter getaway in the 19th century, admired for its opulent resort hotels, breathtaking sea vistas, and charming gardens.

Weather in the 50s to 60s Fahrenheit is pleasant, and refreshing, and occurs in the months of December, January, and February. Beach sunbathing is not recommended in the winter, but you can stroll along the waterfront and eat outside on attractive terraces when the weather is nice. On the French Riviera in the winter, plan on a mix of sunny days and rain. The Carnaval de Nice is held in the middle of February at the Jardin Albert 1er and the Place Masséna in Nice. This exciting occasion stands up to Rio de Janeiro and Venice's well-known carnivals. The carnival draws a large crowd of several hundred thousand visitors each year who come to watch the parades with their magnificent floats and lively entertainment. Another great wintertime event is held in the French Riviera town of Menton, which is close to the Italian border. To honor the locally cultivated lemons, the town hosts the Fête du Citron (Citrus Festival) in the middle of February, drawing thousands of tourists.

The Auvergne region, a lesser-known tourist destination, rewards visitors with magnificent natural landscapes and attractive medieval villages. The region's cultural attractions and festivals will appeal to tourists as well.

The Sancy Snow Jazz festival, which takes place in Auvergne throughout the winter, has a lineup of New Orleans jazz, swing music, and classic jazz. High-caliber musicians including Grammy-winning jazz musician Leon "Kid Chocolate" Brown, famous pianist and composer David Torkanowsky, and five-time British Jazz Awards winner Enrico Tomasso are among the lineup's performers. Plan your journey by looking out at the festival's schedule in advance. In the Auvergne region, winter is a quiet and peaceful season. The historic spa towns of Auvergne provide a tranquil and revitalizing experience for visitors looking for a pleasant break.

The Loire Valley is like walking into a picture book when you visit. Rich castles with turreted towers or beautiful mansard roofs dot a landscape of lush woodlands and flowing waterways. Under a fresh layer of powder snow in the winter, the fairy-tale castles of the Loire Valley appear even more romantic.

The chance to see the chateaux decorated for Christmas throughout the holiday season. Christmas celebrations are also held at a few of the Loire Valley's castles. From December 1 until January 2nd, the beautiful Château de Chambord offers elaborate garden illuminations and a magnificent indoor Christmas tree. The Château de Chambord also hosts special Christmas events, such as musical entertainment by dressed-up performers. The Château Royal d'Amboise in Blois has unique Christmas decorations both inside and out, including on the grounds. The 17th-century manor house Château de Cheverny and the Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire, which is dressed out in vibrant Christmas illuminations, are two more Loire Valley castles that have seasonal decorations.

Although it might get freezing, Lille is a great spot to come to in the winter because it has great art museums and delicious local food. The average daily temperature from December through February ranges from the mid-30s to the mid-40s Fahrenheit. There are many days of rain and a chance of light snowfall each month during the winter.

The Palais des Beaux-Arts (Fine Arts Museums), which displays masterpieces of European art from the 12th through the 20th centuries, the Grand Place with its exquisite Baroque Flemish architecture, and the Musée du Louvre-Lens, an off-site location of the Louvre Museum in Paris, located in a sleek contemporary-style gallery space about a 30-minute drive or train ride from Lille, are all must-see tourist attractions. The Estaminet au Vieux de la Vieille, which serves classic Flemish (northern French) cuisine in a charming dining room with a wood-beamed roof, and L'Estaminet Gantois, which specializes in regional cuisine, are two recommended brasserie restaurants to try. In an old dining room, L'Estaminet La Vieille France also serves regional food. Every year from mid-November through December, Lille organizes a bustling Christmas Market. Numerous wooden chalets selling holiday treats, nativity scenes, Christmas decorations, and handcrafted items are featured at the event, along with seasonal lighting and décor, amusement park rides, and holiday illuminations and decorations. While browsing the gift items, visitors can try gingerbread and hot spiced beverages.

The large modern city of Grenoble offers breathtaking vistas of the French Alps as it curls around its charming Old Town. Skiers and other fans of outdoor recreation are drawn to the snow-covered mountain peaks in the winter.

Less than two hours separate Grenoble from Courchevel, one of the best ski resorts in France, making it a convenient stop on the way to Alps ski destinations. The Fort de la Bastille, which provides a panoramic view of Mont Blanc and the Massif du Vercors mountain ranges, and the Vieille Ville (Old Town), a maze of winding cobblestone alleyways adorned with historic structures, are two of Grenoble's major tourist destinations. The Musée de Grenoble in the Vieille Ville houses a remarkable collection of European paintings and Impressionist artwork. Take a bus to Place Dr. Martin (a bus hub) and walk along Rue de la Poste to Rue Felix Poulat and Place Grenette for great shopping. While Blvd Edouard Ray and Blvd Gambetta have a more contemporary vibe with more designer shops and upscale spas and boutiques, the pedestrian streets in the old town near Place Grenette are lined with restaurants, cafés, bakeries, and shops.

There are several museums and monuments to explore. Bordeaux has about 350 buildings inside its borders that are designated as Historical Monuments and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Cathédrale Saint-André, located in the center of Bordeaux, was a halt on the Way of Saint James pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain in the 12th century. The cathedral is a remarkable example of French Gothic architecture and was built over many years. On the Place de la Comédie and the Place de la Bourse, the Grand Théâtre (which hosts ballets, operas, and music acts) displays the Neoclassical architecture that has been favored in Bordeaux since the Age of Enlightenment. The Musée National des Douanes near the Place de la Bourse educates visitors about Bordeaux's history of trade and commerce. Bordeaux hosts a number of Christmas markets, including one at the Allées de Tourny next to the Grand Théâtre. In addition to Christmas carols and traditional Christmas chalets selling presents and seasonal fare, the Saint-André Cathedral Square offers another popular Christmas Market.