When do the leaves change in France?

France's beech and chestnut forests turn gold through the Vosges, the Alsace wine road and the Dordogne's oak valleys, while larches glow amber above the treeline in the Alps and Pyrenees, peaking mid-to-late October.

Autumn foliage at Forêt de Fontainebleau
📍 Forêt de Fontainebleau, France· Photo: Rémih / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Known for

  • Vosges Mountains beech forests
  • Alsace Wine Route
  • Dordogne Valley oak woods

Things to do in fall in France

1 iconic stop — scenic drives, farms, haunts, and the views locals plan their October around.

Forêt de Fontainebleau

Forest

Fifty square miles of oak and beech south of Paris, threaded with sandy trails and famous sandstone boulders. A royal hunting forest since the 12th century, it's now France's benchmark autumn walk, peaking late October to mid-November.

Don’t miss: Boulders of the Gorges · Barbizon village edge · Route Ronde trails

See it on the map

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