Côte d'Azur
Built over an 11th-century predecessor in the 13th, and extended in the 15th, this chateau was destroyed during the Wars of Religion (1562–98). Rebuilt in…
Must-see attractions in Provence & the Côte d'Azur
Pays d’Aix
This handsome church was built between 1344 and 1480 (aside from a brief hiatus when half the town had a touch of the Black Death). Nostradamus' remains…
Town Walls & Tour de Constance
Camargue
Scaling the ramparts of the picturesque town of Aigues-Mortes rewards you with sweeping views. Head to the top of the 13th-century Tour de Constance (in…
Arles
The 16th-century hospital where Van Gogh had his ear stitched on and was later locked up hosts the occasional exhibition (which attracts an entry fee). At…
Bouches-du-Rhône
An engaging little museum chronicling the area’s rich heritage, with fossils, dinosaur remains and other archaeological curiosities, as well as displays…
Parc National du Mercantour
From St-Dalmas-de-Tende, the D91 winds 10km west to this alpine lake (1390m), where trails lead into the valley (plan on eight hours' hiking, round-trip)…
The Luberon
The palatial Château d’Ansouis can be visited by guided tour, and in August it hosts classical-music concerts at its hedged-in courtyard. Tours run at 3pm…
Îles de Lérins
This abandoned WWII bunker sits on the southwestern shore of Île Ste-Marguerite, a reminder of the island's occupation by German forces in 1943 and 1944…
Nice
A landmark building overlooking the grand sweep of the Promenade des Anglais, built in 1912 for Romanian innkeeper Henri Negresco. Its rosy-pink dome and…
Bouches-du-Rhône
Modern and contemporary art exhibitions fill a beautiful 18th-century hôtel particulier (private mansion). There's also a recently expanded interpretation…
The Luberon
This curious village museum was founded by Provençal painter and diver Georges Mazoyer, whose passion for the sea shows in the museum’s fossil exhibits…
Mémorial du Débarquement de Provence
Toulon
Near the summit of Mont Faron, Mémorial du Débarquement de Provence commemorates the Allied landings of Operation Dragoon, which took place along the…
Vaucluse
Inside a 17th-century mansion, this museum's masterwork is Enguerrand Quarton’s The Crowning of the Virgin (1453), in which angels wrest souls from…
St-Tropez
Chapelle de la Miséricorde was built in 1645 in the Gambetta neighbourhood by the local confraternity of 'black penitents' (a quasi-official religious…
St-Tropez
A cast from a 19th-century cannon peers out to sea here. The bailli (bailiff), Pierre André de Suffren (1729–88), was a sailor who fought with a Tropezien…
The Luberon
Apt's various industries – ochre-mining, fruits confits and faiences (glazed ceramics) – are explored at this modest but well-curated museum in the middle…
Vaucluse
King Philip commissioned the Tour Philippe-le-Bel, 500m outside Villeneuve, to control traffic over Pont St-Bénézet to and from Avignon. The steep steps…
Var
This 17th-century fort, strengthened by Napoleon after being partly destroyed by the English, crowns the northwestern part of Port-Cros. You can climb its…
Musée Peynet et du Dessin Humoristique
Antibes
A bit of an enthusiast's museum, but if you're a fan of bandes dessinées (comics), you might want to take a look at the work of Antibes-born Raymond…
Avignon
Construction on this Romanesque and Gothic Carmelite church and cloister began in the 13th century. It became one of the first theatre and dance venues of…
Aix-en-Provence
Across from the Palace of Justice, this 17th-century church only received its monumental facade in the 19th century, and has an imposing obelisk out the…
St-Tropez
Predating St-Tropez’ citadel are three medieval towers guarding the port: Portalet, Jarlier and Suffren, the oldest building in St-Tropez, dating from the…
Antibes
Antibes' cathedral was built on the site of an ancient Greek temple, and has an impressive neoclassical façade (currently undergoing renovation). Its tall…
Viewpoint Where Van Gogh Painted 'Starry Night Over the Rhône'
Arles
This is the spot where Van Gogh painted Starry Night Over the Rhône (1888) now hanging in Paris' Musée d'Orsay. When conditions are right, you can see at…
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
A beautifully sited lavender factory near Thoard, along the Route du Temps. You can watch the distillation process and buy products in the onsite shop.
Côte d'Azur
This prestigious tennis club, founded at the turn of the 20th century, hosts numerous events on its eight clay courts, including a riveting ITF…
Arles
Completed in 1676, and still the seat of Arles' government, the handsome Town Hall is also the entrance to the subterranean Roman Cryptoportiques.
Cannes
Dating to 1876, Cannes' imposing four-storey town hall is one of the city's most prominent landmarks. Look for it along the waterfront between the Palais…
Grasse
Once a humble church, Notre-Dame du Puy became Grasse’s cathedral in 1244. The current façade dates to the early 20th century. Inside there are paintings…
Aix-en-Provence
In the centre of cours Mirabeau is this lovely sculpted fountain from 1823, depicting the 15th-century king holding muscat grapes (which he reputedly…
Avignon
Porte St-Charles is one of the entryways to Avignon's Unesco-registered walled city, located on the walls' southwestern edge; it's a modern-day breach cut…
Aix-en-Provence
Dating to 1667, this small fountain, the first along the Cours Mirabeau, is fed by 18ºC spring water that encourages the diversity of greenery with which…
Var
One of three estates comprising Domaines Ott, a winemaking concern with roots in the late 19th-century, Clos Mireille is still run by descendants of…
Pays d’Aix
This tiny, 9-hectare winery manages to cultivate 25 different grape varieties, many ancient and rare, producing highly respected, AOC-protected whites,…
Arles
Arles' cultural museum, founded all the way back in 1889 with the intent of documenting regional culture, styles and creators, is closed for renovations…
Maison du Miel et de l’Abeille
Parc National du Mercantour
This little museum celebrates the craft of local honey-makers. Needless to say, there are plenty of opportunities to taste the goods – this is France,…
Avignon
Porte de la République is one of the gateways to Avignon's walled city, located on the southern edge of the walls, and across from the central train…
Vaucluse
This Franciscan church was established in the 14th century and was the burial place of the princes of Baux. It was heavily damaged in the Wars of Religion.
Avignon
Porte de l'Oulle is one of the entryways to Avignon's walled city, located on the northwestern edge of the walls, near the River Rhône and Pont d'Avignon.
Avignon
Porte du Rhône is one of the entryways to Avignon's Unesco-registered walled city, located on the northwestern edge of the walls, near Pont St-Bénézet.
