Like many of our travelers, we love visiting gardens when we travel. Not only beautiful and relaxing, gardens are tangible reflections of local culture that offer insights into local history, aesthetics, religions, and culinary and medicinal traditions.

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The legendary La Colombe d’Or is one of our favorite lunch destinations  along the Cote d’Azur and a must-visit for its magnificent art collection, Provencal cuisine and atmospheric flower-filled courtyard.

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Enjoy this interview with Ashley Isaacs Ganz, the founder of Artisans of Leisure, about her recent France tour that included Paris, Provence and the Cote d’Azur–some of our favorite destinations during the glorious summer months. Q: Where did you visit on this trip? A: We started in Paris, where we stayed at the iconic Ritz Paris. […]

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For travelers wanting a unique and very special day trip from Paris, consider visiting exquisite Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte, the privately owned palace and gardens that were the inspiration for Versailles. Artisans of Leisure arranges exclusive private tours of the chateau with the owners, as well as elegant lunches, dinners or cocktails in the lavish interiors. […]

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Italy abounds in gastronomic treasures, but perhaps none is more highly prized than white truffles. Travelers visiting the Piedmont region in October and November—prime white truffle season— can see and taste the best of the best at the Alba International White Truffle Fair. We arrange for our travelers to visit the fair, and we also […]

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Genoa, a port town in the Liguria region of northern Italy, may not be the first city that comes to mind when thinking of culinary destinations in Italy, but that means fewer tourists and lots of hidden gems. Genoa’s culinary tradition is rich and vibrant. The city is best-known as the birthplace of pesto, but […]

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When traveling between Barcelona, Spain, and destinations in southern France, such as Provence and the Cote d’Azur, we highly recommend a stop in Carcassonne.    A spectacular fortified city, Carcassonne sits atop a strategic hill above the Aude River in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. From afar, the scale of the city, with its fairy-tale […]

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Many of our private France tours include a stay at Chateau la Cheneviere, a wonderful luxury hotel in the heart of Normandy.  Situated in a beautifully restored 18th-century chateau surrounded by expansive grounds, the hotel makes a perfect base for exploring the region, including highlights such as the D-Day beaches, Mont-Saint-Michel, the Bayeux Tapestry, the […]

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