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Spend a week or two exploring the south of France. This is an area of great contrasts. There are the saltflats of the Camargue, the perfumed lavender fields of Grasse, the ochre hills of Roussillon and vineyards everywhere. This area, on ancient trading routes, was important to the Romans, and they have left many fine buildings. Artists and writers have been drawn by the scenery and clarity of the light. Follow in the footsteps of Van Gogh, Cézanne and Mayle.
Pont du Gard |
Avignon. Massive ramparts still enclose the town. Visit the monumental Palace of the Popes, home to the pope from 1309-1377. See the "sur le pont" bridge.
Orange. A Roman theatre with perfect acoustics dating from 1stc. AD. It is still in use. A Roman triumphal arch. Vineyards of the Côtes du Rhône.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The 14thc. popes had a palace here. Famous wine.
Les Baux-de-Provence. Home to powerful feudal lords in the Middle Ages. Spectacular setting on a crag.
St. Rémy-de-Provence. The birthplace of Nostradamus in 1503. Van Gogh spent time in the local hospital. Roman ruins at Glanum.
Arles. Best known for its Roman remains. The Roman amphitheatre is still used for bull fights. Connections with Van Gogh.
Roussillon. A rich red-yellow soil in this area.
Aix-en-Provence. Founded by the Romans. An elegant city with tree-lined avenues. Visit the studio of Paul Cézanne.
Luberon. A huge limestone ridge with picturesque villages. Peter Mayle has written about this area.
The Gorges du Verdon. One of the most beautiful natural sights in Europe. Dramatic viewpoints.
St. Tropez. The Musée de l'Annonciade has a wonderful picture collection.
Grasse. Surrounded by fields of flowers, this is the centre of the world's perfume industry.
Antibes. Founded by the Greeks. The Château Grimaldi houses the Musée Picasso.
Nîmes. The Maison Carrée is a Roman temple built 1stc. BC. The Castellum is where water arrived from the Pont du Gard. The Roman amphitheatre is still used for concerts, operas and bull fights.
Pont du Gard. A 2,000 year old Roman aqueduct across the Gardon gorge.
Camargue. The Rhône delta is home to white horses, black bulls and many different bird species.
Gordes. One of the 'perched villages' built on top of hills for defensive reasons. Museum displays abstract work by Victor Vasarely. The Village des Bories contains small huts built with no mortar and inhabited from 16thc.
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. The source of the river Sorgue. The most powerful spring in France runs a papermill. Petrarch lived here.
St. Paul-de-Vence. This pretty little town with ramparts is very crowded now. The winding streets and medieval buildings are original. Fondation Maeght is one of Europe's finest modern art museums.
Vence. The Chapelle du Rosaire was decorated by Henri Matisse.
Nice. The capital of the Côte d'Azur and the largest resort on the Mediterranean coast. Founded by the Greeks. Remains of a Roman settlement. Musée Matisse, Musée Chagall and Musée des Beaux Arts are all worth visiting.
Eze. Another 'perched village' with views over the Mediterranean.
Monaco. Bought from the Genoese in 1309 by the Grimaldi family, the world's oldest monarchy. Known for the Grand Casino, the Monte Carlo Rally and Grace Kelly.
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