France’s 7 ‘cool refuges’ as the summers heat up

The scorching summer of 2026 broke all sorts of records, but those records may not last long on a warming planet. In fact, the city of Paris is already running emergency planning operations for the day when the temperature hits 50C.

So it’s no surprise that people are already researching the places in France to escape the heat – Brittany, with its reputation for low temperatures and drizzle, has already seen the benefits in a heatwave tourist boom.

But for those thinking more long term, a group of experts at Lyon’s Lumière Lyon 2 university, lead by geographer Guillaume Faburel, have come up with a list of seven ‘refuge’ areas that are judged least vulnerable to extreme heat and the associated climate issues, in their new report Où habiter ? (where to live).

The report looks at a variety of issues including how to make cities more sustainable, the ‘just in time’ model of food supply chains and whether moving to the countryside is indeed better for the planet.

But they also identify seven areas of ‘cool refuge’.

“To draw up this map, we cross-referenced 30 indicators,” Faburel told Le Parisien. “Both ecological and socio-economic criteria were taken into account, such as these regions’ capacity to accommodate new residents or to be self-sufficient.”

The seven identified ‘cool’ areas: Data: Lumière Lyon 2, Map: Magnific.com

The seven areas are;

Massif Central – the high plains of the Massif Central are part of France’s ’empty middle’, the sparsely populated centre of the country. In fact, the very remoteness of the area has often made it a key area for outlaw groups, from the Huguenots of the 16th century to the Resistance fighters of World War II.

Collines de Poitou – in western France is the historic region of Poitou, comprising the départements of Vendée, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne. While the marais poitevin is largely wetland, the collines are a series of hills and small mountains offering an upland area close to the Atlantic coast.

Morvan – in Burgundy, eastern France, the Morvan area is a designated natural park already popular with hikers and cyclists. Its large areas of green space with forests and hills mean that it stays relatively cool even during a heatwave.

READ ALSO: Morvan: Why you should visit one of France’s most beautiful and least known areas

The Pyrénées – areas at high elevation are always good for catching a breeze, and the Pyrenees are no exception – popular with skiers in the winter, the local tourist economy is engaged in a switch to summer tourism to attract hikers, cyclists and – increasingly – people fleeing the heat.

As the winter snows become less reliable, many ski resorts are working hard to diversify.

The lower slopes of the Alps – as with the Pyrenees, so with the Alps. The high-altitude resorts can still guarantee snow in winter, but many ski resorts in the middle and low altitude range have been forced to close. Local tourism is also diversifying into summer activities to attract those seeking refuge from the heat.

Brittany, specifically inland areas at the western tip – although Brittany is usually one of the coolest places in France, the region also saw record temperatures this summer.

READ ALSO: Climate refuge: Can you really escape the French heatwaves in Brittany?

However, its – slightly exaggerated – reputation as the place where it is always rainy and cool means that many French people are booking their summer holidays there, or considering moving to the region.

Normandy – next door to Brittany is Normandy, also benefiting from cooler temperatures along the north coast. An area with a strong farming sector, large parts of Normandy remain very rural and therefore generally stay cooler than the more built-up areas further east along the Channel coast.