Best places to run in France

A 3842m granite needle reached by cable car, with high-altitude paths descending to Chamonix past glaciers and rock spires.

Spectacular red granite needles on the GR20, with airy ridge paths and pine forest below.

Paris's largest green space with lakes and wide paths, a favourite running ground at the city's eastern edge.

A stunning white-limestone fjord with emerald water in the Calanques National Park, reached by a rugged coastal hike from Cassis.

A UNESCO-listed canal lined with plane trees, offering a flat shaded towpath ideal for long runs and walks.

A scenic Riviera headland circuit on the Sentier du Littoral past rocky coves and Mediterranean villas.

Pink sandstone cliffs and heathland above the sea on the GR34, with a lighthouse and seabird colonies.

A string of seven waterfalls including the 65m Éventail, linked by a riverside trail through a wooded Jura gorge.

A vast glacial amphitheatre crowned by mainland France's tallest waterfall (423m), reached by a gentle valley walk.

A deep horseshoe canyon carved by the Vis river, with steep paths down to a perched hamlet at its base.

A vast double-walled medieval fortress with walkable ramparts and surrounding hillside paths.

A surreal coastline of giant pink granite boulders along the GR34, perfect for an easy scenic seaside walk.

Europe's tallest sand dune at 100m+, a calf-burning climb rewarded by views over the Atlantic and pine forest.

Towering white chalk cliffs with natural arches and a needle, walked via clifftop paths above the Normandy coast.

A sprawling sandstone forest near Paris laced with marked trails and famous boulders, ideal for trail running.

A deep limestone canyon with cliff-top and riverside trails winding past medieval villages and emerald water.

Europe's grandest canyon with turquoise water, where the Sentier Blanc-Martel winds through tunnels, ladders and cliff edges.

A vast natural sinkhole and river cave in the Dordogne karst, surrounded by walkable causse trails.

Reputed as Europe's toughest long-distance trail, crossing Corsica's rocky spine over 180km of ridges and scrambles.

The 2000km Customs Officers' Path tracing Brittany's entire coastline past pink granite, cliffs and lighthouses.

A high Vosges summit on the Route des Crêtes with open ridge walking and glacial lake views.

A 2352m alpine lake on the Grand Balcon Sud offering one of the finest face-on views of the Mont Blanc massif and its glaciers.

Europe's largest high-altitude natural lake in the Mercantour, reached by an alpine trail through larch forest.

A turquoise alpine lake ringed by a flat lakeside greenway, ideal for runs and easy walks against a mountain backdrop.

A deep blue glacial lake beneath the Vignemale, reached by a classic forest-and-valley hike from Pont d'Espagne.

A forest-rimmed lake in the Vosges with a flat shoreline loop popular for gentle runs and walks.

A vivid turquoise reservoir at the mouth of the Verdon gorge, with lakeside and clifftop walking routes.

France's largest glacier, walkable via trails from Montenvers with dramatic ice and moraine scenery.

Western Europe's highest summit at 4808m, surrounded by world-class alpine trails and the famous Tour du Mont Blanc loop.

An iconic island abbey rising from tidal flats, with walkable causeway and guided bay crossings on foot.

The bare white-capped Giant of Provence at 1909m, a long relentless climb famous from the Tour de France.

A coastal national park of white cliffs and hidden coves with demanding rocky paths between Marseille and Cassis.

A vast high-alpine park of glaciers, 4000m peaks and turquoise lakes with a dense network of demanding trails.

A 2877m Pyrenean summit with an observatory and sweeping panoramic ridge views over the whole range.

Cratered WWII cliffs above the Normandy D-Day beaches, with clifftop paths and dramatic sea views.

A dramatic windswept headland at Brittany's western tip with crashing surf and exposed clifftop coast paths.

A thunderous confluence of cascades in the Pyrenees National Park, gateway to high mountain lakes and valleys.

A monumental Roman aqueduct spanning the Gardon river, with riverside and garrigue paths around it.

A long seafront promenade along the Baie des Anges, flat and scenic for runs beside the Mediterranean.

A grassy volcanic dome with a steep spiral path and 360-degree views over the Chaîne des Puys volcanic chain.

The Massif Central's highest summit at 1885m, with rugged ridge loops through the Auvergne volcanoes park.