7 things we learned about France in the August 2019 issue of FRANCE Magazine

From cheese museums to cat cafés, find out what delightful titbits we unearthed about France while putting together the new August 2019 issue of the magazine

1) A holiday on the French Riviera doesn’t have to mean splashing out

By choosing the right locations, you can enjoy a budget break on the glamorous Côte d’Azur without the hefty price tag you might expect.

Take a break with Minty Clinch on page 42.

2) There’s a cool cat café in Paris where you can both get a coffee and make new feline friends

Le Café des Chats, which opened in 2013, is home to a group of mostly-adopted cats with whom guests can fuss and play with while enjoying a drink or a meal.

Find out more about this special café on page 65.

3) Brittany’s chapels are becoming temporary art galleries

L’Art dans les Chapelles will see contemporary art and traditional architecture collide in a special exhibition that takes over the region’s religious spaces.

Find out how you can visit on page 28.

4) There’s a museum dedicated to the Laughing Cow, or La Vache Qui Rit, in Jura

The bovine queen of French cheese gets her own special space in La Maison de la Vache Qui Rit in Lons-le-Saunier, the departmental capital.

Delve into the cheese’s post-First World War origins on page 64.

5) The Pyrenean spa town of Cauterets attracted the French glitterati and literati during its heyday

Famous visitors include George Sand, Victor Hugo and Napoleon III.

Make like a celebrity and explore the quaint resort with Helen Parkinson on page 37.

6) An intriguingly-named ‘infidelity’ card has been launched for gourmands in Marseille

It’s designed to encourage people to enjoy a coffee at not just one but several of the local coffee shops.

Enjoy a gastronomic tour of the southern jewel with Lara Dunn on page 66.

7) France’s first passenger train line ran between Saint-Étienne and Andrézieux

And the locomotives travelled at a truly hair-raising 40km per hour!

Take a trip through France’s engineering history with Robin Gauldie on page 84.

So what are you waiting for? The August 2019 issue of FRANCE Magazine is out now – order your copy here.

Or take advantage of our great subscription offers and get FRANCE Magazine delivered straight to your door every month!