The prettiest ski resort in France Les Contamines-Monjoies, is one of the prettiest ski towns in the Alps-and one of the least known. This small ski area set in a high wooded valley is not far from Chamonix. It has 62 miles of slopes beginning at about 8,000 feet and served by 25 lifts. Facilities also include 15 miles of cross-country ski trails. The quaintest place to stay is Le Gai Soleil, just outside town in a small farmhouse. The building itself dates back to 1823.

The most violent château. The Château d'Amboise has a violent history. In 1560, 1,000 Huguenots involved in a plot to abduct Francis II and his queen, Mary Stuart (later Mary Queen of Scots) were hanged in the castle courtyard. Charles VII, who was born here, imported Italian architects, sculptors, decorators and gardeners to embellish the chateau. He died from injuries received when he bumped his head on one of the castle' low stone doorways. Leonardo da Vinci spent his last years at Amboise and was buried in the adjoining Gothic chapel.

One of the prettiest wine towns in France St. Emilion is one of the most picturesque villages in France. The medieval town is perched on a plateau looking over the valley of the Dordogne. In the 12th century, pilgrims stopped here on their way to the shrine of St. James of Compostela in Spain. While you are in St. Emilion, visit the seventh-century hermitage, which was hollowed out of rock. Nearby is the entrance to a chapel with a strange underground shrine. It, too, was carved out of rock 900 years ago. A subterranean passage leads to catacombs containing skeletons in ancient tombs. (You must have a guide to visit the shrine.) At the Syndicat d'Initiative, place des Crenaux, you can get a list of wine chateaux nearby. The Château Ausone produces the St. Emilion's vintage, among others.