France travel Forum

Provence
Carbone Fontaine, Place d'Albertas, Aix-en-Provence
No other region of France stirs the imagination and stimulates the senses as strongly as Provence. The soft light and its vivid landscape of pastel colours have inspired writers and artists from F. Scott Fitzgerald and Edith Wharton to Van Gogh and Picasso.

The fragrant countryside, redolent with wild herbs, is scattered with historic fortified medieval towns such as Avignon and Aix-en-Provence and the ancient Roman towns like Orange and Arles with their great monuments, arches and coliseums.

Provençal cooking is known worldwide for its contributions to French cuisine, including Seafood Bouillabaisse, Ratatouille, and Daube Provençale Stew. Its wines have a poorer reputation, but have improved considerably in recent years and Provençal rosé is becoming increasingly popular as a Provence souvenir.

On the coast is the great port of Marseille, a melting pot of cultures so in contrast to the traditional social landscape of most French provincial towns. Low-cost airlines and a fast TGV train from Paris have made Provence increasingly accessible and this, combined with glorious weather, puts it high on any list of the world's most desirable destinations.



Resorts

See our separate guides to the following Provence holiday resorts: Aix-en-Provence and Avignon


Attractions

Chateauneuf du Pape, Avignon

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a medieval village on the side of a hill, dominated by the ruins of an ancient château towering above. The château was the pope's summer retreat from the Palais and although all that remains are the foundations and two outer walls, it...  see full details



Orange Theatre

Orange

Just north of Avignon, Orange was the former seat of the Counts of Orange, a title created in the 8th century and passed to the Dutch crown in the 16th century. The family's most famous member was Prince William, who ascended the English...  see full details



Palais des Papes © Jean-Marc ROSIER

Palais des Papes

Towering over Avignon the imposing Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes) is the symbol of the city's medieval power. The palace consists of the ascetic Old Palace, commissioned by Benedict XII, and the extravagant Gothic New Palace of Clement VI. It was...  see full details



Petit Palais © abrocke

Petit Palais

Just below the Palais des Papes, the Petit Palais contains a wonderful collection of 13th to 15th-century paintings and sculpture. Most are the work of Italian masters from that era and, as you progress through the 19 rooms, you can observe how they wrestled...  see full details



Pont d'Avignon © Donald Albury

Pont d'Avignon

Behind the Petit Palais is the much photographed Pont d'Avignon, known best from the famous children's song of the same name. The bridge was originally built in the 12th century to shorten the journey for the busy traders ferrying their goods between the Mediterranean...  see full details



Saint Rémy de Provence

While it's a bit off the beaten path for most holidaymakers in France, St-Rémy de Provence is among the most attractive and interesting towns in Provence, and is well worth the 12-mile (19km) journey from Avignon. The city centre has many beautiful buildings, including...  see full details



Starry Night © Vincent Van Gogh

St Rémy de Provence

While it's a bit off the beaten path for most holidaymakers in France, St-Rémy de Provence is among the most attractive and interesting towns in Provence, and is well worth the 12-mile (19km) journey from Avignon. The city centre has many beautiful buildings, including...  see full details


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