The 112th edition of the Tour de France is no longer exciting.

First and second place in the final standings are already secured. The battle is now only for third place, for the podium. The competition for the green jersey also seems decided. The Tour de France brings approximately 10 to 12 million tourists to the entire country; that means big money for the local economy. In this second blog about the 2025 Tour, we continue with the most important tourist cities in the Pyrenees and the Alps. Travel tips for you if you are visiting France as a tourist after the Tour de France?

Wines from France

The Tour caravan also travels through several wine regions, including the area around Auch, where Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine is available. France is one of the most prestigious and respected wine countries in the world, known for its rich history and diverse wine regions such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, the Loire, and the Rhône. The country is known worldwide for its quality wines, ranging from powerful red wines made from grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Merlot, to crisp white wines from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and rosé wines from Provence.   Important French wine regions and their characteristics:

• Bordeaux: Responsible for many famous red wines and white dessert wines from Sauternes, with an emphasis on grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
• Burgundy: World-famous for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and also known for the origin of the grape from which champagne is made.
• Champagne: A region synonymous with sparkling wines, with various well-known brands.
• Loire: Known for its crisp white wines, such as those made from Sauvignon Blanc.
• Rhône: Offers a wide range of wines, including the powerful red wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
• Provence: Particularly famous for its rosé wines.

 

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

In the south of France, at the foot of a medieval castle, lies the Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine region. Primarily complex red wines are produced in this Rhône region. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, literally “the new castle of the Pope,” owes its name and fame to the popes who established their residence in Avignon in the 14th century. During this period, Pope John XXII had a summer residence built in the nearby village, marking the beginning of the flourishing of viticulture in this region. Papal influence brought not only prestige but also stimulated wine production and quality. The region was one of the first in France to receive official AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) status in 1936, protecting the origin and quality of the wines. Today, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is known for its powerful red wines, often made from a blend of grape varieties, including Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre.   Popular grape varieties from France:

• Chardonnay: Used for white wines, with neutral aromas that vary from apple in cool regions to pineapple in warmer regions, and also used in Champagne.
• Cabernet Sauvignon: A small grape with a thick skin, resulting in red wines with aromas of blackcurrants and spicy notes.
• Sauvignon Blanc: Produces super-fresh white wines with characteristic aromas of grass and gooseberries.
• Pinot Noir: A grape used for red wines, with aromas that vary depending on the region.
• Merlot: Often combined with Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux, resulting in red wines with fruity and spicy notes.

 

Toulouse

Toulouse is a city in the south of France, the prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and the capital of the former Midi-Pyrénées region and of the new, larger Occitanie region. It is situated on the Garonne River. With 511.684 inhabitants as of January 1, 2022, Toulouse is the fourth largest city in France after Paris, Marseille, and Lyon. The city has had a university since the 13th century, the first in France outside Paris. The Capitol of Toulouse, which houses the city hall, is located on the Place du Capitole, in the city center, on the right bank of the Garonne. Toulouse has been a stage town in the Tour 28 times. Two riders have won twice in Toulouse: the Belgian Rik van Steenbergen (1949 and 1955) and the Frenchman André Darrigade (1958 and 1963). The last time a stage finished in Toulouse was in 2025, when the Norwegian Jonas Abrahamsen won.  

Pau (FR)

Pau is a city in France. With 78.620 inhabitants on January 1, 2022 (206.230 in the metropolitan area in 2022), it is the largest city and also the prefecture of the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. It is located in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Until 1914, Pau was a fashionable spa town, where mainly the English came to seek the healthy mountain air. The villas of those days have given way to concrete apartment buildings, but the Boulevard des Pyrénées with its view has remained. Pau is the third economic and university center of southwestern France after Bordeaux and Toulouse. The Château de Pau is a 13th-century castle with a 14th-century keep, which was restored in the 19th century. After Paris, Pau is the most frequently included stage location in the route. Pau owes this to its location near the Pyrenees mountain range. Because the area north of Pau is flat, both flat and mountain stages lead to Pau. The Italian Alfredo Binda was the first to win there in 1930. Many famous names followed, including Fausto Coppi, Federico Bahamontes, Gerrie Knetemann, Jean-Paul van Poppel, and Erik Breukink. Thymen Arensman won stage 14 of the 2025 Tour de France, a tough mountain stage from Pau to Luchon-Superbagnères. He secured his victory with an impressive solo, following an early attack on the Col de Peyresourde. Other riders who finished in the top three were Tadej Pogacar (second) and Jonas Vingegaard (third). Three riders even won there twice. Those are the French. Bernard Hinault and Pierrick Fédrigo and the Belgian Eddy Pauwels. In 2025, Pau was a stage location for the 76th time and the eleventh time in twelve years. The municipal budget includes an amount of 120.000 euros for the stage start (a finish or both cost even more). The Top 10 list of places where a stage has passed through:

1. Paris
2. Bordeaux
3. Pau (FR)
4. Luchon
5. Metz
6. Grenoble
7. Perpignan
8. Nice
9. Marseille
10. Briançon

 

Montpellier

Montpellier is a city in southern France, the prefecture of the Hérault department and (until 2016) of the former region of Languedoc-Roussillon (now in Occitanie). The city is located in an urban area with 540.000 inhabitants in 2009, of which Montpellier is the main city. Montpellier itself had 307.101 inhabitants on January 1, 2022, of which approximately 55.000 were students. Montpellier has a historic city center with narrow streets lined with shops and sights. The main square in the center of Montpellier is Place de la Comédie. Street artists and musicians can be found here several times a week. In the middle lies the Place de l'Oeuf, an oval square within the actual square. In the center of this oval square stands the Trois Grâces fountain, or the Three Graces. The Opéra Comédie is also located on the Place de la Comédie. Montpellier has been a stage town in the Tour 33 times. The Frenchman Georges Speicher won twice (in 1934 and 1935) in Montpellier. To mark the visit of the Tour de France to Montpellier, some thirty pieces from the collection of the former founder of the MHSC are on display in the city hall until August 1st. These include jerseys of famous riders who have made the Tour de France legendary. These are exceptional and rare moments.  

Mont Ventoux

Mont Ventoux is a mountain and regional nature park in the Vaucluse department in southern France, located about twenty kilometers northeast of Carpentras on the border between the municipalities of Beaumont-du-Ventoux and Bédoin. This peak in the Massif des Cèdres is the only one of this height (almost 2000 m) in the Provence region and is therefore also known as the Giant of Provence. The name 'Mont Ventoux' is derived from the Occitan word vent, meaning wind, and is said to have been dedicated to Vintour, the Celtic (Ligurian) god of wind. Wind speeds of up to 300 km/h have been recorded at the summit of the mountain. Another explanation for the name dates from the 1st or 2nd century AD. The Gallic name can be reconstructed as 'Ven-top(s)', which means 'snow-peak'. In the 10th century, the names Mons Ventosus and Mons Ventorius appear. The region produces AOC Ventoux wine and Banon AOC and 'fromage fort du Mont Ventoux' cheeses. Ventoux is a bestseller by author Bert Wagendorp. There is also a film version. Four men, friends since high school, go to France to climb Mont Ventoux. They do this to honor another mutual friend whom they lost 30 years ago during the descent. During this visit to the mountain, an old girlfriend also drops by. This upcoming visit triggers memories of the past. The summit of Mont Ventoux lies at an altitude of 1913 meters. The difference in elevation from the foot of the mountain is 1614 m. A weather station with a large transmission mast is located at the summit. The mountain is known because its ascent has repeatedly been included in several renowned cycling races, such as the Tour de France, due to its difficulty and the barren 'lunar landscape'. The ascent on foot was already described in the Renaissance by Petrarch in his Ascent of Mont Ventoux.  

Albertville

Albertville is a city and municipality in the Savoie department in the French part of the Alps. The Arly river flows through the city. On January 1, 2022, Albertville had 19.706 inhabitants, who are called Albertvillois. The city is the sub-prefecture of the Albertville arrondissement. The Musée d'art et d'histoire d'Albertville (MAHA) is a regional museum showcasing the history of Albertville and the surrounding area, from the Gallo-Roman era to the beginnings of ski tourism. The museum is recognized as a Musée de France and is housed in the 14th-century Maison Rouge.   In 1992, the Winter Olympics were held here, with events in the Les 3 Vallées ski areas, La Plagne and Les Arcs. To the west of Albertville lies the Olympic Park with various stadiums, and the Olympic House can be found in the city. Albertville has been a stage town in the Tour eight times. Only in 1998 was Albertville a finish town, and this stage over the Col de la Madeleine was won by the German Jan Ullrich.  

Pontarlier

Pontarlier is a municipality in the French department of Doubs (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region). The municipality had 17.928 inhabitants on January 1, 2022. Pontarlier has been a stage town in the Tour de France eight times. Willy Teirlinck, Jørgen Vagn Pedersen, and Erik Dekker, among others, won a stage there. The city was the center of absinthe until it was banned in 1915. Since then, the city has once again had several distilleries.  

Paris / Montmartre

The finish of the Tour de France returns to Paris in 2025 on Sunday, July 27, with a spectacular final stage that sees the riders climb the Butte Montmartre three times before finishing on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. This marks a return to the traditional finish location following the alternative finish in Nice in 2024 due to the Olympic Games. The final stage of the 2025 Tour de France will not only finish on the Champs-Élysées but also include a passage through Montmartre, with three ascents of the Butte. Montmartre via Rue Lepic.

Last year the Tour ended with a time trial; this time, Paris is once again the familiar finish line. The route is as follows. The cobbled climb towards the Sacred Heart (as also happened during the Olympic road race last year) has been included in the course. The lap over the cobbled climb is 16,7 kilometers long and is also on the menu three times. This is followed by three laps of 6,8 kilometers on the Champs-Élysées with the final sprint.  

<strong> More info: </strong>

Tour de France 2025: https://www.letour.fr/fr/ NOS De Avondetappe: https://npo.nl/start/serie/nos-de-avondetappe/seizoen-25 Radio Tour de France (NOS). You can also enjoy the final nine days of the Tour live in the Tour Café, completely immersed in a French atmosphere. Come and visit us: https://www.nporadio1.nl/thema/tour-de-france Previous Tour de France blogs: https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/tour-de-france/ For those who are primarily fans of French wines: