Pays d’Aix
From the turn of the 20th century until the 1950s, soap was a buoyant business in Salon, making fortunes for manufacturers such as Marius Fabre. Run by…
Must-see attractions in Provence & the Côte d'Azur
Marseille
One of Provence’s most enduring Christmas traditions is its santons (plaster-moulded, kiln-fired nativity figures), first created by Marseillais artisan…
Antibes
This beautiful Cap d'Antibes villa, designed in 1867 for a Dutchman who scrambled the name of his wife, Cornélie, to come up with the villa's name, has…
Pays d’Aix
Michel de Nostredame, popularly known as the prognosticator Nostradamus, lived here from 1547 until his death in 1566. A physician and philosopher, he…
Côte d'Azur
This famous factory at the foot of Biot village produces bubbled glass by rolling molten glass into baking soda; bubbles from the chemical reaction are…
Antibes
Stroll along the rampart walkway to the harbour, where luxury yachts jostle for the limelight with Nomade (2010), an 8m-tall sculpture of a man looking…
Var
Sitting in a delightful 500-hectare valley planted with ancient vines and olive groves, Château de Miraval was a monastery in the 13th century, then…
Vaucluse
The façade of this eye-catching hôtel particulier dating from 1900 is pure romance. Sitting pretty in pink on the left as you walk from the car park to…
Bouches-du-Rhône
On Marseille's northern outskirts the little port of L'Estaque is renowned as an epicentre of the impressionist, Fauvist and cubist movements. A trail…
Côte d'Azur
In 1862, following Beaulieu's decision to leave the Kingdom of Savoy and join France, the French government built a customs house and fort along the…
The Luberon
This part-ruined, 9th-century château once belonged to the scandalous Marquis de Sade (1740–1814) but was bought in 2001 by the couturier Pierre Cardin…
Nice
This cool old 19th-century railway station was originally built to provide train service from Nice into the Alps. A century later, when it was replaced by…
Musée Archéologique de St-Raphaël
Côte d'Azur
The waters off St-Raphaël are home to the largest number of antique shipwrecks in France, and this museum explores the town's maritime heritage. You’ll…
Var
A eucalypt-shaded pétanque pitch dominates central place d’Armes, which, as its name suggests, was once a parade ground. Music concerts fill Église Ste…
Gorges du Verdon
Moustiers’ decorative faience (glazed earthenware) once graced the dining tables of Europe’s most aristocratic houses. Today each of Moustiers’ 15…
Monastère Notre Dame de Cimiez
Nice
Painters Henri Matisse and Raoul Dufy are buried in the cemetery of this monastery, a five-minute walk across the park from the Musée Matisse. To reach…
Arles
Just as social, political and religious life revolved around the forum in Roman Arles, so the busy plane-tree-shaded place du Forum still buzzes with life…
Aix-en-Provence
A wonderful terraced garden perfect for a picnic, from where Cézanne, among others, painted the Montagne Ste-Victoire. The view of the jagged mountain is…
Var
A cubist maze of concrete and glass, the villa was designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens in 1923 as a winter residence for devoted lover of modern art Vicomte…
Côte d'Azur
In comparison to some of Provence's other Roman ruins, Fréjus' amphitheatre is a little underwhelming – it was badly damaged during archaeological digs,…
Institut Océanographique Paul Ricard
Var
This research institute on the Île des Embiez, dedicated to understanding and conserving the Mediterranean's marine environment, has a small aquarium to…
Marseille
This niche museum is housed in the city’s former sanitary station, operational from 1948 until 1971. It’s essentially a graphic art museum exploring…
Marseille
Guarding the southern side of Marseille’s harbour (and threatening its sometimes rebellious citizens, who attempted to destroy it during the Revolution)…
Nice
Originally Queen Victoria’s wintering palace, this monumental edifice was subsequently converted into apartments. In the 1940s Matisse lived here, using…
Vaucluse
Two kilometres north of Le Barroux along thread-narrow lanes, this abbey hears Gregorian chants sung by Benedictine monks at 9.30am daily (10am Sundays…
Nice
It’s hard to imagine that this beautifully landscaped park was once a bus station, a multistorey car park and an ill-loved square. Completed in October…
Marseille
Nestled around this picture-postcard fishing village, a remnant of old maritime Marseille long since swallowed by modern sprawl, are traditional cabanons …
The Luberon
A museum all about the history of breadmaking might not sound like a Bonnieux must-see, but it’s actually an intriguing visit. Located in a 17th-century…
Collégiale Notre Dame des Anges
Vaucluse
In the very heart of the old town, the stately exterior of the Collégiale Notre Dame des Anges shows no sign of the baroque theatrics inside – 122 gold…
Parc National du Mercantour
Surrounded by a fine public park, this intriguing museum explores the valley's history. Highlights include a fascinating collection of Bronze Age…
Var
While there's been a fortress on this site since the 11th centry, the present handsome pile was assembled piecemeal between the 15th and 18th centuries…
Marseille
Five kilometres south of central Marseille, this 17th-century park encompasses a lake, a miniature of the Notre-Dame de la Garde cathedral, a botanical…
Fonds Régional d’Art Contemporain
Marseille
The FRAC for Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur moved to this modern centre in La Joliette, with its striking plate-mail façade, in 2013. It hosts temporary…
Arles
Complicated restoration projects mean this 12th-century church, dominating Arles from the highest point in the city, can only be admired from outside…
Aix-en-Provence
South of Aix’s centre is the peaceful Parc Jourdan, home to the town’s Boulodrome Municipal, where locals gather beneath plane trees to play pétanque. An…
Musée de la Préhistoire des Gorges du Verdon
Gorges du Verdon
A small museum exploring the gorges’ natural history and archaeological treasures, detailing the prehistoric wildlife that once roamed here, the…
Jardin Emanuel Lopez & Conservatoire Botanique National Méditerranéen
Var
This wonderful ornamental garden is planted with palms, cypresses, vanilla and grenadier trees, cactus and bamboo, sweetly scented jasmine, and every herb…
Nice
The hodgepodge of Roman artefacts in this archaeological museum is rather ho-hum – but if you've already bought a Nice museum pass, it's worth a visit…
Arles
These partly preserved Roman baths were built for Emperor Constantin's private use in the 4th century. While much of the complex has been built over…
Parc National du Mercantour
In Tende, this museum provides useful context if you're visiting the prehistoric carvings of the Vallée des Merveilles. Inside the striking modern…
