PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTE D'AZURE
The region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azure has the following Departments:
(4) Alpes de Haute Provence,
(5) Hautes Alpes,
(6) Alpes Maritimes,
(13) Bouches du Rhône,
(84) Vaucluse and
(83) Var.
The reference to the Departments are often found in French travel guides and publications by Michelin. Some of the towns and cities that we have visited include:
- Abbaye de Sénanque
- Aix-en-Provence
- Antibes
- Arles
- Avignon
- Cagnes-Sur-Mer
- Châteauneuf du Pape
- Fontaine-de-Vaucluse
- Gordes
- Grasse
- Nice
- Orange
Other places of interest in Provence include
Annot
Located about 32 km from Castellane, or 70 km from Digne. This is an old town has narrow streets, vaulted passageways and courtyards with Plane Trees that are 100 years old.
Apt
Located about 52 km from Avignon, this is a small town that has boulevards lined with the famous Plane Trees of Provence. There are part of the old ramparts left, and of course an old fountain in the town.
The Grande Corniche is the 31 km drive from Nice to Menton. Leave Nice on the D2564. Although a narrow road there are some look out points. It will take about 2 1/2 hours to drive this stretch, with some stops, but there are great views and the memory of the road and the colour of the water will stay with you for some time. The Lower Corniche is a 35 kim drive also from Nice to Menton, it takes a little longer to drive as you have to go slow. Great views.
Abbaye de Sénanque
In 2004 we visisted the Abbaye de Sénanque located just outside of the town of Gordes. The Abbaye dates from the 12th Century. So many start at that time as there was a massive expansion in building monasteries across Europe. In the 12th Century over 700 were built.
A community of cistercian monks returned to the abbaye in 1988 and today live and pray in the abbaye. Tours of the abbaye are limited to specific times as this is an "active" abbaye. More information in the Cloisters Site.
The abbaye church is plain, as nothing was to detract the monks from their prayers. Cistercian Abbayes are known for their extreme simplicity in design. Only light, a symbol of God, is allowed to transform the space.
Aix-en-Provence
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Located about 170 km from Nice, Aix is at the classey end of the spectrum when it comes to town in Provence. The look of the city is grand with buildings dating from the 17th and 18th Centuries. There are almost 200 mansions that were built for the parliamentary of the time. The city has numerous squares and shaded streets to walk.
The Cours Mirabeau is lined with the famous plane trees found in Provence and the street is full of cafés -- this is the place to slow down and enjoy your holiday. It is sometimes referred to as one of the greatest avenues of the world.
The Place Richeime has the flower market has the morning market. The Place de L'Hotel-de-Ville has the flower market that takes places on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings.
The St. Sauveur cloisters are of note and date from the late 12th Century. The Cathedral is also very impressive. It has architecture that covers from the 5th to the 18th Centuries.
The springs have been in use from the Roman times.
Our first visit to Aix did not start that well. We arrived too late in the day. It was a reminder to put a reasonable limit on the distance to cover in any single day of driving. After 4:30 the streets that are oh-so-quiet between 12-4 explode with activity. We arrived at the height of traffic. So it all resulted with a big dispute. Leaving the car, returning and somehow finding the hotel. It was all worth it.
Antibes
One year, rather than staying in Nice, we decided to stay in Antibes, as it is only 23 km from Nice. I am not sure if I would do that again as we found ourselves driving into the Nice to see things like the flower market and other sights. But Antibes was nice. IT is located on a bay and has numerous colourful streets. It is known from its roses which are exported all around the world.
Arles
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| Roman structure in use today! | Bull fights. I was betting on the bull! |
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Arles is a very interesting town and our first visit we were drawn to see the Roman Arena and experience a bull fight. On the later, I don't thank I want that experience again. But years later we returned to see the Roman architecture, and I must saw, that wasmore rewarding.
Arles was once a major Roman city now it is a great destination within Provence. The Boulevard des Lices is a good starting point, as this is where it all happens in this town. Lined with plane trees, cafés and markets (Wednesday and Saturday mornings). At the Place de la Républic is the obelisk that originally in the Roman Circus - in Rome.
In 1981, Arles, was listed as a World Heritage site due to the number of Roman monuments outside of Italy. The Cathédral Saint-Trophime, and its cloister are impressive.
You won't find this a sleeping town of Provence. There are bus loads of tourists in the summer.
The buildings from the Roman era include the arena, the theatre and the cryptoporticus. the baths of Constantine and the necropolis of Alyscamps. Of course there are buildings from the Medieval times that include the Saint-Trophime and its cloister (11th and 12th centuries). The catherdral is considered one of Provence's major Romanesque monuments.
This was an important location for the Romans. They even built a floating bridge to cross the Rhône and through Arles was the land route from Italy to Spain. So established was Arles that it was the first area outside of Italy that Roman officers were given land on which to retire.
In 1888, Vincent van Gogh came to Arles to live and created over 300 paintings and drawings here -- this is where Starry Night Over the Rhône was created. Despite this, don't be looking for exhibitions of his work. You'll have to go back to Paris for that!
The Cathédrale St.Trophime with its bell tower and Romanesque doorway is stunning. The cloister is considered one of the best in Southern France. Four galleries and a courtyard.
The Roman Theater, or Théâtre Antique is a semicircle of tiers facing towards the stage house with its Roman columns with two columns remaining. The Amphi Theater - the Arènes could hold 30.000 people. Two tiers of the arches remain as during Medieval times, the upper levels were taken away to build other buildings in Arles.In fact, in medieval times, the arena was used as for with more than 200 houses built inside.
Oh yeh, about that first visit. The bull fight was not something that I would want to see again. They basically torment the bull until it runs around the arena is a state of confusion. I particularly like the shot I captured of the man jumping for his life over the wooden fence. At the point the bull tried to jump the fence and came crashing down on the wood. Enough.
Avignon
This is a town that one often hears on the itinery of a trip to France, and so it should be. Connected to Paris by TGV, you can travel from Paris to Avignon in about 5 hours.
There was the usuall toss and turn for the control of the city. By the end of the 12th century Avignon was an independent republic. That did not last long. When the people would not open the gates of the city to France's King Louis VIII of France and the papal Legate there was a battle, they lost and were required to take down the ramparts and fill up the moat that had protected their city. The walls that remain around the town were later built by the Popes.
But the city is known for its history with the Popes. In 1309 Pope Clement V selected Avignon as his place of residence even though the city was rule by the kings of Sicily from the house of Anjou. There were "trades" and "sales" of the city that are hard to follow, but it belonged to the Papacy until 1791. It was during the French Revolution that Avignon was once again part of France.
Seven popes lived in Avignon and tours of the papal palace are one of the big drawing cards of this town. The palace has walls that are 17–18 feet thick. Of course, anywhere the popes go, money follows, and banking agents from Italky settled and built up the city.
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You will find it an easy city to get to and visit.
Cagnes-Sur-Mer
We came here to see Haut-de-Cagnes - the old quarter that is up on the hill away from the coastline. We also wanted to stay in the Cagnard - the hotel restaurant that is buid into the walls of the Grimaldi castle. All round it was a great stay and we even returned with fiends a few years later and had one of the most expensive, but one we remember, meals at Le Cagnard.
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| Old medieval streets of Haut-de-Cagnes | Don't be fooled by this unimposing door to Le Cagnard. | |
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Oh live in Cagnes-Sur-Mer looks good. | |
Châteauneuf du Pape
After many tours through the more northern areas of France with the great vineyards around Beaune and in the Medoc the very famous wines of Châteauneuf du Pape are from nowhere near those areas. Located some 10 km south of the city of Orange, in Provence-Alpes-Côte D'Azur on the D68.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is near the remains of it's fortress castle. The appellation "Châteauneuf-du-Pape" means the wine production meets the controls of some 55 vineyards.