Villa Ephrussi - St Jean Cap Ferrat
Upper
Provence
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| WWelcome to
Provence,
France's most popular tourist region |
To list
everything that there is to see and do in this region would
defeat the object of this website, which is to provide tourists and
travellers with a selection
of ideas to occupy a week or two's holiday in this beautiful region.
However, we have selected more than enough ideas for day trips or
outings to keep most visitors occupied for far longer than a short
holiday.
Culture
and heritage
For information on Provence's greatest historic monuments, see the
Heritage and traditions page.
Places and sites:
HISTORIC PROVENCE
Aix-en Provence (13) : the old town is a gem, with its narrow streets
and honey-coloured stone. The main street is the Cours
Mirabeau, a wide tree-lined avenue with shops, pavement
cafés and restaurant. Do not miss the Cathedral of
St. Sauveur and the Cézanne Museum, among other
sights.
Arles (13): this small town in the Rhone Delta has classical remains,
as well as the very famous "Saint Trophime church, and a
number of museums. The Vincent Van Gogh Foundation has a small
gallery with works in homage to Van Gogh by modern artists including
Francis Bacon and David Hockney
Avignon (84) The old city is clustered within impressive mediaeval
walls. The most important monuments are the Palace of the Popes and the
Calvet Museum. There is also the famous "Pont d'Avignon", the remnants
of a medieval bridge across the Rhône. Across the river, the
ruins of the castle of Villeneuve d'Avignon are worth a visit. The
centre of Avignon is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Les Baux de Provence (13) The remains of what was once a town
of 4000 inhabitants, built on the Alpille hills at the edge of the
Rhone plain. A lot of the buildings have been renovated since the 1970s.
Briançon; (05) capital of the Hautes Alpes
department; at an altitude of 1350 metres (over 4000 ft) this
is the second highest town in Europe, after Davos. The high town is
encircled by ramparts built by Vauban. Nearby is Les Ecrins national
park
The Camargue (13) A major wetland and nature reserve in the Rhone
Delta; it is famous for its white horses, water birds including pink
flamingoes, and for bulls that are bred there
Cassis (13) This small port is popular with yachtsman; the coastline
east of Cassis is famous for the "Calanques", a series of rocky inlets
where limestone cliffs come down to the water's edge. The area is
popular with ramblers.
Cuges-les-Pins (13): the OK Corral - a western theme park with rides
and activities, plus cowboys and indians. Not very
Provençal, but something to keep the kids happy.
Fontaine de Vaucluse (84): the dramatic source of the river Sourgue,
which emerges as a full river at the foot of a cliff. It is the fifth
largest spring in the world.
Gordes (83) Reputedly one of the prettiest villages in France, Gordes
is a large Provençal village standing on a rocky outcrop
above the Calavon valley. The renaissance castle is worth a visit.
Marseille (13) Marseille is the oldest city in France. A large port
city, it boasts a number of monuments, including the Abbaye Saint
Victor and the Fort Saint Jean, both near the old port. A
must at Marseilles is a boat trip to the Chateau d'If, a historic
castle / prison built on a small island in the bay.
Mont Ventoux (84): the last outcrop of the pre-Alps, rising to 1909
metres, to the east of the Rhone Valley northeast of Carpentras. A road
leads to the summit. For much of the year, the snow-capped summit is
visible from Avignon.
Orange (84) Famous for its Roman remains, notably the amphitheatre
(used for the annual festival) and the triumphal arch.
Pont du Gard (30) Just outside modern-day Provence, 11 miles west of
Avignon, this dramatic Roman aqueduct is listed as a UNESCO world
heritage site.
Saint-Rémy de Provence (13) Roman remains.
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (13) is a small village on the coast in the
Camargue, with a fortified church: it is famous as a pilgrimage spot
for Gypsies or Roms, who come here from all over Europe each year in
May, for the festival of Saint Sara.
Tarascon (13) City on the banks of the Rhone, with a remarkable
mediaeval fortress.
ALPES
MARITIMES / RIVIERA
Antibes
(06): One of the most famous seaside towns of the Riviera,
with 17th century ramparts and a mediaeval castle. There are a number
of sights of special interest, including notably the Picasso museum (in
the castle) and the Archeological Museum, which has vestiges from
Antibes classical past. There are also some beautiful gardent to visit,
notably the Exflora gardens and the Eilenroc gardens.
Cannes
(06): a Riviera city famous for its festivals and business conventions,
and particularly for its annual Film Festival
Chemins
de Fer de Provence; the only public-service private
railway in France, the CFF is a narow-gauge line running 151 km. from
Nice (06) to Digne (04); from sea livel at Nice, the line rises to over
1000 metres before dropping back to under 600 metres. The journey, by
diesel railcar, goes through spectacular scenery. A steam service is
operated on part of the route during summer weekends.
Grasse:
(06) twenty kilometres inland, Grasse is famous as the centre
of the French perfume industry; tons of flowers are harvested
annually for this industry, including jasmine and lavender.
Juan-les-Pins
(06): very popular and attractive Riviera resort, fashionable with the
jet set, film stars and tourists in general.
Menton,
(06) an old coastal town almost on the Italian border, is
famous for its warm climate and its gardens.
Nice
(06) The capital of the riviera, Nice was made ppular almost 200 years
ago by the English, and the seafront is known as the Promenade des
Anglais. The town has plenty to offer including a Matisse museum, a
Chagall museum, the famous flower market, the old town, and the gardens
of the castle.
Saint
Jean Cap-Ferrat.(06) One of the most exclusive places to
live, this is a small peninsula just east of Nice. The peninsula has
some fine sandy beaches and a coastal walk. The Villa Ephrussi de
Rothschild is a beautiful Italianate villa set among sepctacular
gardens overlooking the sea.
Saint
Paul de Vence (06) : small mediaeval walled town in the
hills just inland from Nice. Popular with artists and musicians, it is
home to the Maeght Foundation, a remarkable private
museum and collection of modern art.
Saint
Tropez (83) : very chic resort, popular with film stars
and TV personalities.
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