| Provence is a former Roman province and is | | | | brief. Beware the Mistral wind, blowing down |
| now a region of south-eastern France, located | | | | the Rhone Valley, which can rage for days! |
| on the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to France's | | | | |
| border with Italy. It is now part of the | | | | Summers can be very hot although evening |
| administrative region of Provence-Alpes-Cote | | | | temperatures will drop. A haze can persist in |
| d'Azur (PACA). The traditional region of | | | | the early mornings but the sun quickly burns |
| Provence includes the departments of Var, | | | | it away. There are days of glorious sunshine. |
| Vaucluse, and Bouches-du-Rhone in addition to | | | | |
| parts of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and | | | | During Autumn (Fall), storms can spring up |
| Alpes-Maritimes. | | | | and be quite fierce in the mountains. Many |
| | | | days of sunshine with less haze and pleasant |
| Provence Landscape | | | | temperatures. |
| | | | |
| The Riviera is bathed in blue - the blue of | | | | Along the coast Winters are mild, and the sun |
| the sky and sea with its glamorous resorts | | | | will be shining brightly still! Snow rarely |
| Saint-Tropez, Cassis, Bormes Mimosas, Saint | | | | falls at lower levels but the mountains above |
| Raphael, Nice and Cannes. Inland features its | | | | 1500m will be covered during the middle of |
| perched villages, the Verdon Canyon, the | | | | winter. |
| Ventoux mount, the Alpilles and further along | | | | |
| the coast the unique Camargue ( Arles, the | | | | Getting there |
| Baux de Provence, the Saintes Maries de la | | | | |
| Mer) and its wild horses and flamingos. The | | | | By Plane: The Provence region is well served |
| Luberon - made famous by Peter Mayle - with | | | | by flights from the UK. Marseilles is served |
| its fields of lavenders, and architectural | | | | by Air France, BA and Easyjet. Air France, |
| splendour of Avignon. | | | | BMI Baby, EasyJet and BA to Nice. Ryan Air |
| | | | flies into Toulon. |
| Provence Attractions | | | | |
| | | | By Car: There are Autoroutes into Provence |
| When you tire of chilling out on the beaches, | | | | from Calais: about 10-12 hours driving! We |
| walking in the fields of Lavender, exploring | | | | suggest avoiding the Paris Peripherique |
| the wilds of the Luberon and Camargue, here | | | | route, and not to travel in August especially |
| are some attractions to visit: | | | | at weekends! |
| | | | |
| Palais des Papes (Pope's Palace), Avignon | | | | TGV: The TGV (high speed rail service) |
| | | | service is available to the South coast via |
| Avignon is a delight - full of surprises - | | | | Paris from Calais (or Eurostar from the UK). |
| from the river and its Pont d'Avignon to the | | | | Arrives in Aix-en-Provence |
| fortified city with its massive Gothic | | | | |
| palace, Palais des Papes, there are historic | | | | Provence population |
| treasures to admire. | | | | |
| | | | About 4.5 million: the population is |
| Musee Matisse, Nice, Cote d'Azur | | | | concentrated along the coast. |
| | | | |
| Surrounded by an olive garden, this museum | | | | Major Towns/Cities |
| has a collection of paintings spanning Henri | | | | |
| Matisse's life. | | | | Marseille (830,000 - including county |
| | | | 1,400,000) |
| Granet Museum (Musee Granet), Aix-en-Provence | | | | |
| | | | Nice (350,000) |
| This museum houses a collection of French | | | | |
| paintings from the 16th century onwards. It | | | | Toulon (165,000) |
| is named after the famous local painter | | | | |
| Francois Granet. | | | | Aix en Provence (135,000) |
| | | | |
| Atelier Cezanne, Aix-en-Provence | | | | Cannes (70,000) |
| | | | |
| This is the studio of the famous painter Paul | | | | Provence Prices |
| Cezanne. It has been preserved in its | | | | |
| original state. | | | | This is one of the most expensive regions of |
| | | | France. In the chic locations along the coast |
| Provence Weather | | | | prices are high and there is demand for |
| | | | quality apartments and villas. Away from the |
| In the spring, the weather can be very | | | | coast, prices drop substantially. Here you |
| changeable with sunny days mixed with partial | | | | can enjoy the benefits of rural France, yet |
| cloud and showers. However, when it rains it | | | | be within a short drive of the major resorts |
| pours. Fortunately, the showers are usually | | | | and towns along the coast. |