Tourist de France: Seven Sites for Race-Watching

The Tour begins in Dinan, a walled fifteenth-century Breton town in northwest France. While you’re there, check into the Hôtel de la Porte Saint-Malo, which has charming rooms housed in a historical building. Enjoy breakfast in the hotel’s private garden, then head to Dinan’s medieval city centre for a view of the Basilique Saint-Sauveur, a Romanesque church with an asymmetrical clock tower. You can also walk down to the port for a sightseeing cruise aboard the Jaman IV. Conclude your day with dinner at Dinan’s top-rated restaurant Mr. Robert.

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Follow the bikes to Le Mans, the “Plantagenêt city,” which has cobbled streets and half-timbered houses. Stay at La Demeure de Laclais, full of comfort and charm, and dine at L’Auberge des 7 Plats, where you can enjoy generous portions of traditional French dishes. While you’re in Le Mans, be sure to see the thirteenth-century Abbaye de L’Epau and the Musee Automobile de la Sarthe for a taste of the racing culture that has put Le Mans on the map.

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Next meet up with the cyclists at Lourdes, a small medieval market town at the foot of the Pyrenees. Drop your bags at the Residence Le Soleil, a hotel on the river that boasts modern amenities and close proximity to the town center. Visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, site of the legendary Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes. Relax afterward at Le Magret, a reasonably priced restaurant that offers traditional, seasonal cuisine with fresh, local ingredients.

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When the Tour hits Limoux (a new stop in 2011), you’ll have the chance to hit the lively café scene there. Spend your day table-hopping, drinking espresso and wine, and just enjoying the view. If you’re in the mood for a more formal meal, stroll over to Tantine et Tonton, with its stellar local dishes that have been raved about by restaurant reviewers worldwide. Turn in at the beautifully restored thirteenth-century bed-and-breakfast Montfaucon.

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The only non-French stop on the Tour is Pinerolo in northwestern Italy. Pinerolo was one of the main Italian crossroads in the Middle Ages, and its architecture dates back to the ninth century. Walk around and take in the Gothic cityscape, then rest your feet while scarfing down pizza at Lappetito. Get a good night’s sleep at the family-run Hotel San Secondo, known for its great value and service.

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The penultimate stage in the Tour takes place in Grenoble, at the foot of the French Alps. After depositing your bags at the charming bed-and-breakfast Resid’Ilaverde, head to La Bastille, a series of medieval fortifications on the mountainside overlooking the city; then check out the the sixteenth-century Palace of the Parliament of Dauphiné and the Museum of Grenoble, with its famous collection of paintings that span artistic movements. End your day by dining at Le Duplex de Bacchus, where the menu changes daily depending on local market finds.

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End your tour with the bikers in “Gay Paree.” France’s capital offers so much to do, it will be hard to fit it into one day; the Louvre, the Tuileries, the Seine, the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, and Notre Dame are just a few must-see destinations. Stay at the Manoir de Beauregard, a romantic eighteenth-century mansion, and dine, well, anywhere! It is Paris, after all.

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