Taking in everything from exquisite Basque beaches to lush green lowlands, with snow-capped mountains in between, the Pyrenees are the lower key, more laid back and authentic alternative to the French Alps. The entire range is traversed with amazing hiking trails, particularly around the Parc National des Pyrénées, with its 3000-metre-high peaks, streams, forests and wildlife. If you’re a fan of glitz, glam and great surf, Biarritz is the place to go, while Lourdes is a world-famous spiritual site. It is said that the Virgin Mary appeared to a young girl, Bernadette, on 18 occasions here, in an underground grotto filled with icy-cold spring pools. Each year the cave is visited by countless pilgrims, who come to seek healing from the holy waters and ponder the mysteries of the rosary.