Provence is very pretty, as is the Dordogne. Both have become quite crowded and second home markets for Brits. This is a source of great angst for the French, who can get quite vocal about it in public places around there. The prettiest countryside in all of France, to me, is the Lot River Valley to the south of those areas and near Carcassonne. It is true farm country, home of the best foie gras and the Cahors black wine, as well as vast fields of lavender and sunflowers. There are spectacular, unspoiled caves with refined Neanderthal art and unlike the caves at Lascaux, they are open to the public and mostly undiscovered. There are many prehistoric stone features called dolmen that dot the countryside. A really fun outing is motoring around the countryside in search of mapped dolmens, stopping in the tiniest villages for a superb meal in a little restaurant. The Lot offers boating, bicycling, hiking, and other recreation. It is also home to what has been called the prettiest village in France, right on the banks of The Lot. The largest town is Cahors and the best place to fly into is Toulouse. You can also take a train from Paris.
