Provence Travelers Recommend

Start at the Palais des Papes, the spot which was once the center of the Western world when the Popes made Avignon their home-away-from-Rome in the 14th century. The forbidding stone walls still exude an air of chilling authority. The palace’s Grand Chapel is an imposing bare space, but if you want decoration, the beautiful chapels of Saint Martial and Saint Jean are where it’s at. Stop in at the Notre Dame des Doms Cathedral with its squat, square spire on your way to the original bridge to nowhere, the Pont d’Avignon (actually Pont St-Bénézet). Dancing optional. The morning is devoted to epoch-hopping art appreciation. Walk along Avignon’s charming winding streets and take your pick from antiquities reflecting Avignon’s Roman roots at the Musée Lapidaire, the Petit Palais, which displays art from the Popes’ Avignonian sojourn, and the Musée Angladon which boasts a Van Gogh among its small but impressive collection concentrating on Post-Impressionists.

As well as lavender, the soil of Provence is of course the source of some outstanding wines. Grape cultivation was big business around here even before the Roman Empire came along, and today Provencal wines grace tables the world over. Set out from the walled medieval city of Avignon and get acquainted with places which until now have just been names on bottle labels. Let someone else take care of the driving as you tour local vineyards, tasting the best that Provence’s winemakers have to offer. The best-known examples are the red and white varieties of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, produced in picturesque vineyards on gently rolling hills. The Provencal climate also ensures the perfect conditions for producing and – as it happens – enjoying rosé; sample refreshing Tavel, France’s oldest rosé, before moving on to Lirac, for more of the full-flavored reds for which Provence is renowned.

Avignon is the ideal starting point for a full- or half-day journey filled with stunning vistas and bewitching aromas. In summer, the roads are lined with rows of lavender under bright Provencal skies as you journey to such towns as Sault or Roussillon, where you can stock up on perfumes, soaps and other delightfully scented products, right at the source. And there’s a whole museum devoted to lavender in the village of Coustellet. The stunning hill-top village of Gordes, with its distinctive dry-stone walls, is another favorite destination. Notable historic landmarks in the region include the beautiful 12th century Sénanque Abbey, which looks over its own lavender fields, and the miraculously preserved 1st century aqueduct Pont de Gard. There are more Roman traces in the village of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, birthplace of Nostradamus and the subject of Van Gogh’s most famous painting, Starry Night.

Get your bearings in Aix-en-Provence with a stroll through the Vieil Aix (Old Town), where you can admire the eclectic Cathedrale Saint Sauveur, wander the former City of the Counts and haggle with the locals at the many weekly markets. Stop off for lunch at one of the alfresco cafés along the historic Cours Mirabeau, one of the prettiest streets in all of France. Take a day trip around the key sights of the Provence region, starting with a visit to the UNESCO-World Heritage listed city of Arles, home to an impressively preserved Roman amphitheater and the architectural masterpiece of Cathédrale St-Trophime. A cycle or horse ride around the distinctive marshlands and salt plains of Camargue is next up. On the cusp of the glitzy French Riviera, the coastal region of Provence benefits from a similarly glorious Mediterranean climate and exploring the beaches and historic ports south of Aix-de-Provence is a must for summer visitors.

Everyone's first stop should be the Vieux Port, Marseille's beating heart since roughly 600 BC. Its massive facilities are home to working and pleasure boats, and the architecture along its quais are pure southern France. Search out some good bouillabaisse, and have lunch while you check out the scene. Then head over to Cours Julien, a hip area of town, and see the newest street art; shop at the funky boutiques in La Plane, another cool neighborhood; and spend time in the museum complex known as the Centre de la Vielle Charite. Cassis itself is a small fishing village that looks like it appeared fully formed from a postcard, and is home to the eponymous liqueur that gives a kir, the popular aperitif, its color and sweetness. Even if you've been to other markets in France, it's guaranteed you've never seen anything like the Marché des Capucins – unless you've also been to Northern Africa.

This region contains numerous towns where antiquities rub shoulders with buildings from the Middle Ages and beyond. The amazing arena in Orange is one of Europe’s best-preserved Roman theaters, while more traces of the Empire await in Arles, once home to troubled genius Vincent van Gogh. You can explore the towns and terrain which so inspired the artist, or follow your nose to Provence’s famous lavender fields. And if you can’t decide between these options, combine them all by joining a select group of travelers on a full day tour of inland Provence. The Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard, the picturesque towns of Roussillon and Gordes and Tarascon’s Medieval castle are just some of the highlights. Or for a different perspective, cruise the Rhone River before exploring the fascinating walled port town of Aigues-Mortes. And that’s just the merest taste of the Provencal coast, a magnificent stretch of sea-front where superlatives come to get a work out.