Lacoste

Lacoste is the hilltop village where it all began, when Ellen attended Lacoste School for the Arts in 1992.  The school is now part of the Savannah School of Art & Design — you’ll see signs on the dorms, studios and galleries as you explore the village.  Dating back to the 12th century, Lacoste stood out as one of the few Protestant villages in a valley of Catholic strongholds.

Spend hours on the terrace at the Café de la France with its sweeping view of the valley, or walk up through the village to the the top where you can explore the partially renovated ruins of the Marquis de Sade’s castle. It has been under renovation since the 1950s, first by one man as a labour of love, then as a UNESCO project and now by the fashion designer Pierre Cardin, who also presides over an arts festival in July and August.