Nice

The famous writer Somerset Maugham once famously mused that the French Riviera was a 'sunny place for shady people', and bold and brashy Nice does its best to epitomise this nefariously glamorous reputation. A collage of sultry cool and seedy decadence, Nice is a city that it is hard not to become enveloped in.
The traffic may be a nightmare and the tourist hordes can be suffocating in summer, but amongst the tack and the bawdy streets are a smattering of art galleries and museums (over 20 in total), a lively old quarter and the wide Mediterranean seafront that brought visitors here in the first place. The local authorities have recently signalled their intention to keep the city moving forward by the impressive redevelopment of the Place Massena, the city's largest civic space.
Modern Nice very much retains its split personality; you can revel in the world of such artistic greats as Matisse, Chagall and Picasso, marvelling at the famed local light that has always made Nice a mecca for artists. Then 10 minutes later you can delve beyond the centre and enter the insalubrious graffiti blighted suburbs that help make this the fifth largest city in France.
Nice may not always be a relaxed getaway or have the same exclusivity that its fin-de-siecle high society patrons once sought, but it has plenty to keep visitors occupied with in its own right. It's also a convenient base for longer explorations of the Côte D'Azur. And if it all gets too much, you can do what people have being doing for centuries: Turn your back on Nice and enjoy those sweeping Mediterranean views.

Strasbourg

Situated on the Franco-German border, lovely Strasbourg has been passed back and forward between the two countries for years. The result is a city and people with a distinctive local identity, combining the reputed efficiency and energy of the Germans with the joie de vivre and sophistication of the French.

Strasbourg is far enough away from the capital to be truly independent on a cultural level, with its own opera, France's only national theatre outside Paris and two international music festivals.

The Grande Ile (Big Island), in the midst of the River Ill, is the ancient heart of the city, with the vast main square, place Kléber at its centre. Close by is place Gutenberg - named after 15th-century Strasbourg resident Johannes Gutenberg, famed for his development of printing.

Strasbourg's great landmark is the Cathédrale Notre-Dame in the Vieille Ville (Old Town), which has remained unchanged since the Middle Ages. Around the Cathedral clusters an impressive array of museums, cafés and restaurants.

Stunningly picturesque Petite France, in the Grande Ile's southwestern corner, is Strasbourg's medieval quarter and a UNESCO World Heritage site. With its bridges and canals, half-timbered houses and narrow streets, it could not be more different from the ultra-modern City of Europe in northeast Strasbourg where the EU institutions are located.

Paris

Paris is the greatest city on earth – who would argue? Londoners and New Yorkers put up a fight, but in terms of architectural beauty, art history, gastronomy and sheer extravagance, it’s Paris that wins. And that is reflected in its visitors – there are more than any other city.

It’s more than the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre of course. Spending a few days in Paris can serve as a crash course in how to live. When you walk along the River Seine or take a seat in a corner café, it’s evident the finer things in life are appreciated. People don’t rush lunch. Children are doted upon. Hairdressers are always busy. And although you can’t take Paris with you, when you return home, that sense of pride will linger.

You can’t come to Paris and not indulge in culinary ecstasy. From light and flaky croissants in the morning to a rich slab of foie gras in the evening, Parisians love food. From the neighbourhood bistro to the Michelin-starred restaurant, dining out in Paris is a joy.

For the genuine foodie, Paris is the holy city. For the art lover, Paris is the holy city. For the lover, Paris is the holy city.