In the majestic setting of the Alpilles, between Avignon and Arles, lies a little jewel: Saint-Rémy de Provence. Beautifully restored houses, Renaissance and 18th century mansions, chapels and convents line the small winding streets of the historic centre. Shaded boulevards, squares embellished with old fountains and café and restaurant terraces are all invitations to the Provencal art of living. A beautiful heritage enriched by the archaeological site of Glanum and the Antiques, of which the Arc de Triomphe and the Mausoleum of Julius are the exceptional testimonies of the High Antiquity. The town, which saw the birth of Nostradamus, has been and still is a source of inspiration for many artists. Seduced by the setting and atmosphere of the town, many have taken up residence here and numerous studios and art galleries flourish in the town centre.
The historic centre of this former city of the popes is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Avignon, a city in Provence in south-eastern France, is crossed by the Rhône. From 1309 to 1377, the Catholic popes took up residence in the city. It remained under papal rule until 1791, when it became part of France. The Palais des Papes, which is located in the city centre, is surrounded by medieval stone ramparts and bears witness to this history.
Le centre historique de la ville, le Palais des Papes, l’ensemble épiscopal et le pont Saint Bénezet sont inscrits au patrimoine mondial par UNESCO. A l’origine Forum d’Avenio – la ville romaine au 1er siècle av. J.-C. – la Place de l’Horloge reste le «centre» d’Avignon. Ici se trouve l’Hôtel de Ville, bâti entre 1845 et 1851 à l’emplacement d’une ancienne livrée cardinalice dont il a conservé la vieille tour fortifiée transformée en beffroi au XVe, ainsi que l’horloge à Jacquemart. A côté, le théâtre municipal, aussi du XIXe, abrite l’opéra d’Avignon et tout en haut de la place, tourne le joli carrousel Belle Époque.
Lieu de rencontres, bordée de terrasses de cafés et de restaurants, la place est toujours très animée. Tout comme la Place du Palais plus haut, une vaste esplanade investie en été par des saltimbanques de rue. Et comme son nom indique, ici se trouve le formidable Palais des Papes, emblème de la ville et témoin monumental de l’importance d’Avignon dans le monde chrétien au Moyen Age. Construit à partir de 1335, principalement par deux papes bâtisseurs, l’austère Benoît XII et son successeur, le beaucoup moins ascétique Clément VI, le palais deviendra le plus grand édifice gothique de tout l’Europe. La visite, qui comprend les appartements privés avec leurs fabuleuses fresques, est l’un des incontournables d’Avignon.
Ville d’Art et d’Histoire riche en vestiges antiques. Arles est une ville située sur le Rhône, dans la région de Provence au sud de la France. Elle est réputée pour avoir inspiré les peintures de Van Gogh, qui a influencé l’art contemporain exposé à la Fondation Vincent Van Gogh. Autrefois capitale provinciale de la Rome antique, Arles est également renommée pour ses nombreuses ruines datant de cette ère, notamment l’amphithéâtre d’Arles, accueillant désormais des pièces de théâtre, des concerts et des corridas.
Aix en Provence, here history is the theatre of a daily life where the pleasures of shopping and the nobility of heritage, the happiness of a terrace and the architectural beauties, the strolls in town and the baroque wonders are combined. The squares with their fountains that each have their secret, sumptuous mansions with their stories. Aix-en-Provence is a canvas of happy impressions, in the colours of festivals, celebrations and traditions, gastronomy, markets of Provence, nature walks and leisure activities in freedom. Aix-en-Provence in the colours of Cézanne, an encounter with the painter that you will experience among the places and landscapes that marked his life and his vision. This city in Provence is welcoming in all seasons, and gives you so much to see, feel and discover.
Mediterranean city, with its shopping pleasures, its heritage, the pleasure of a terrace with a view of the Mediterranean, its architectural beauties. Marseille with the Old Port, the lungs of Marseille. In the 18th century, the Old Port was at its peak: ships, quays crowded with merchandise, carpenters, sailors, shipowners, convicts from the Arsenal... Fort Saint-Nicolas and Fort Saint-Jean, which protected the entrance to the port and kept an eye on the inhabitants of Marseille. But also its islands, the Goudes, so many things to discover with the flavour of the south.
Known as the "Venise Comtadine", L'Isle sur la Sorgue is one of the most attractive towns in the PACA region because of its exceptional living environment. It draws its attraction from the Sorgue, a river whose source never dries up, giving the strange impression of a miraculous suspension of time. The antique shops, the boutiques with character, the galleries, Campredon Art Centre, a cultural Mecca, all these ingredients maintain the myth of the "L'Isle sur la Sorgue" phenomenon. Nicknamed "the Venice of Comtadine", L'Isle sur la Sorgue is one of the most attractive towns in the PACA region due to the exceptional character of its living environment. It draws its attraction from the Sorgue, a river whose source never dries up, giving the strange impression of a miraculous suspension of time. The antique shops, the boutiques with character, the galleries, Campredon Art Centre, a cultural Mecca, all these ingredients maintain the myth of the "L'Isle sur la Sorgue" phenomenon.
The commune of Fontaine de Vaucluse nestles around its chasm in a valley at the foot of a cliff in the Monts de Vaucluse. It is indeed the valley that gave the name to the department of Vaucluse - Vallis Clausa or the Close Valley. The small sunny village lends itself well to a little "Sunday walk". At your own pace you can stroll in the coolness emanating from the spring, admire the vestiges and small historical monuments, visit the local craft shops (glass and crystal, stationery, confectionery, jewellery and pottery), the santon eco-museum, or recharge your batteries on the terrace of one of the restaurants or ice-cream parlours after having climbed, gently, up to the source of the Sorgue.
In Roussillon, "the red Delphi" as Jean Vilar called it, the "ochre trail" resembles a painter's palette. To understand the treatment and use of these pigments, a visit to the "Conservatoire des Ocres et des Pigments Appliqués", set up in a former ochre factory, is a must.
Classified as one of the "most beautiful villages in France", this magical site is a picturesque maze of narrow streets and squares. A stroll from the lower town to the top of the Castrum - the castle - and its panorama is a must.
At the top of a rocky outcrop overlooking the vineyards, Ménerbes celebrates, through its wine and truffle production, the entire Luberon terroir. From Nicolas de Staël to Peter Mayle, via Picasso and Dora Maar, many artists have been seduced by the gentle way of life in the village.
Discover one of the most beautiful jewels of the Luberon. If you like atypical places full of history, don't miss the old underground stone quarries. You can also admire the belfry with its wrought iron campanile, a 12th century church, an old Protestant temple from the 19th century and many bories, these dry stone huts typical of the South-East.
The village of Goult dominates the Calavon and Limergue valleys. Skillfully restored with a love of old stones, the village offers beautiful houses with stone and ochre facades. Narrow streets, vaulted passages, arcades and old porches guide the charmed steps of visitors towards beautiful squares in the shade of hundred-year-old hackberry trees. The castle and the remains of the ancient ramparts seem to preserve the art of living and the gentle Provencal soul that reigns in the village.
Lourmarin fait partie des plus beaux villages de France. Au pied du Luberon le village est une des seules portes qui permet de traverser le massif, par la Combe de Lourmarin. Lourmarin possède ce charme unique des villages de Luberon où les calades (ruelles pavées) serpentent du beffroi à l’église, rencontrant des fontaines et longeant des façades de pierres rustiques. Ces rues sont régulièrement animées le vendredi matin par un marché paysan et, occasionnellement, par des étals d’artisans
Un superbe village perché au cœur du Luberon. Aux confins du Parc Naturel Régional du Luberon, au cœur des monts de Vaucluse, Gordes est l’emblème du village perché provençal. Mille fois décrit, photographié, admiré, il doit son aura aux illustres artistes qui l’ont autrefois révélée et y ont laissé une empreinte culturelle toujours vivace.
Le Pont du Gard est situé au cœur d’une région au riche patrimoine historique à proximité de Nîmes, Uzès et Avignon. Monument antique le plus visité de France, aqueduc classé par l’Unesco, le Pont du Gard reste l’un des grands chefs-d’œuvre de l’humanité. Merveille de l’Antiquité, prouesse technique, c’est aussi un site magique, redevenu sauvage depuis son réaménagement.
It is 48 metres high and has a triple row of superimposed arches: 6 arches on the lower level, 11 on the second and 35 on the third. Its length reaches 273 metres in the upper part (originally 360 with 12 additional arches). It was used until the 6th century, then became a toll house in the Middle Ages, and finally a road bridge from the 17th to the 20th century.
Castillon-du-Gard est idéalement situé entre Avignon, Nîmes et Uzès et se trouve à 6km du Pont du Gard. Perché sur un éperon rocheux, le village médiéval domaine l’extrémité des Gorges du Gardon. Le village du XIIIe siècle avec ses ruelles pavées et ses gargouilles, son ancienne tour de garde ou sa chapelle romane vous invite à la découverte de son passé et de son patrimoine architectural.
The Camargue, a vast wetland area located in the Rhone delta, is an exceptional region: biological wealth, diversity of flora and fauna, variety of landscapes, the grandeur and history of Provencal culture...
From sandy beaches to reedbeds, from rice fields to wheat fields, from salt marshes to the Grande Bleue, the Camargue Regional Nature Park offers visitors many faces. Born from the struggle between the Rhône and the Mediterranean Sea, the Camargue is, from a biological point of view, one of the richest regions in Western Europe. Situated on the migration route of birds from northern Europe to Africa, the Camargue is a major migratory stopover. It is also home to the only nesting place in France for pink flamingos, its world-famous emblem. Pink flamingos, but also bulls, horses, little dukes, gulls, sea swallows, herons, beavers, stilts... a multitude of animal and bird species live in this exceptional territory.
The Abbey of Notre-Dame de Sénanque was founded on the 9th of the calendar of July 1148 (June 23), by Cistercian monks from Mazan in the Ardèche. Notre-Dame de Sénanque is the fourth Cistercian abbey founded in Provence, after Le Thoronet, Aiguebelle and Silvacane...
The Abbey of Notre-Dame de Sénanque has been nestled in the hollow of its Provençal valley since the 12th century and is one of the purest examples of early Cistercian architecture. As it was 900 years ago, the Abbey is home to a community of Cistercian friars who live according to the Rule of Saint Benedict. Seven times a day, the community gathers in the abbey church to pray. The monks of Sénanque, in a spirit of sharing, open the doors of their Abbey to visitors: the visit thus allows visitors to admire the abbey church, the former dormitory, the cloister, the chauffoir room and the chapter house, built in the 12th and 13th centuries.
Premier duché de France. Située dans un triangle formé par les villes de Nîmes, Alès et Avignon, la discrète mais ô combien élégante ville d’Uzès a conservé en son sein de nombreux témoignages de son riche passé. Ceinturée par le boulevard Gambetta, la ville médiévale est un dédale de ruelles et de places ombragées bordées d’hôtels particuliers du XVIIè et XVIIIè siècle. Sous les arcades de la Place aux Herbes et dans les rues avoisinantes se tient chaque samedi un marché dont la réputation a depuis longtemps franchi les limites de la région. Vous y trouverez profusion de produits du terroir, dans l’atmosphère chaleureuse et colorée des marchés de Provence