Sights in Provence
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Palais des Papes
This Unesco World Heritage Site, the world’s largest Gothic palace, was built when Pope Clement V abandoned Rome in 1309 and settled in Avignon. The immense scale of the palace, with its cavernous stone halls and vast courtyards, testifies to the wealth of the popes; the 3m-thick walls, portcullises and watchtowers emphasise their need for defence.
Today it takes some imagination to picture the former luxury of these vast bare rooms. You can catch whispering glimpses in the wonderful 14th-century chapel frescos painted by Matteo Giovannetti; in the dark-blue walls of the Pope’s apartment, threaded with dusky red flowers; and in the superb Chambre du Cerf, alive with med…
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City Walls
Wrapping around the city, Avignon's ramparts were built between 1359 and 1370. They were restored during the 19th century, minus their original moats - though even in the 14th century this defence system was hardly state-of-the-art, lacking machicolations (openings in the parapets for niceties like pouring boiling oil on attackers or shooting arrows at them).Within the walls are a wealth of fine museums - the Avignon Passion booklet lists the whole gamut.
The Avignon Passion pass entitles you to 20% to 50% discounted entry on your second and subsequent visits to museums and monuments (the equivalent of student prices), as well as reduced prices on the tourist office walki…
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Musée de l'Arles et de la Provence Antique
The fabulous story of Roman Arles takes centre stage at the state-of-the-art showpiece Musée de l'Arles et de la Provence Antiques. Within the triangular structure, which is fronted by a striking cobalt-blue façade, you can trace the area's evolution from 2500 BC through to the end of antiquity in the 6th century AD, or hone in on thematic aspects of trade, the economy and day-to-day life.
Highlights include Roman statues, artefacts, and a renowned assortment of early Christian sarcophagi from the 4th century.
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Théâtre Antique
Still regularly used for projections and plays, the Théâtre Antique dates from the end of the 1st century BC. For hundreds of years it was used as a convenient source of construction materials, with workers chipping away at the 102m-diameter structure (the remaining column on the right-hand side near the entrance indicates the height of the original arcade).
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St Bénézet's Bridge
The fabled Pont St-Bénézet (St Bénézet's Bridge) was completed in 1185, a bridge linking Avignon with the settlement across the Rhône that later became Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. The 900m-long wooden structure was repaired and rebuilt several times before all but four of its 22 spans were washed away in the mid-1600s.
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Trompe l'Œil Portrait
To peek at Avignon's nine popes in their fashionable garbs of the day, seek out their trompe l'œil portrait on the side of the conseil général (general council) building.
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Les Trains Touristiques d'Avignon
Trundling a 40-minute circuit around town, the little tourist trains Les Trains Touristiques d'Avignon are a winner with kids and adults alike.
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Cézanne Sights
His star may have reached its greatest heights after his death, but the life of local lad Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) is treasured in Aix. To see where he ate, drank, studied and painted, follow the Circuit de Cézanne (Cézanne Trail), marked by footpath-embedded bronze plaques inscribed with the letter C. An informative English-language guide to the plaques, Cézanne’s Footsteps, is available free from the tourist office.
Though none of his works hang here, Cézanne’s last studio, Atelier Paul Cézanne, 1.5km north of the tourist office on a hilltop, is a must for any Cézanne fan. It’s painstakingly preserved as it was at the time of his death, strewn with his tools a…
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Le Panier
North of the Vieux Port, Marseille’s old city, Le Panier quarter (2e), translates to ‘the basket’, and was the site of the Greek agora (marketplace). Today its winding, narrow streets are a jumble of artisans shops and washing lines strung outside candy-coloured houses. Expect to get lost (even locals get turned around); that’s part of the fun. On warm evenings, cafés at place de Lenche provide great people-watching.
Marseille architect and sculptor Pierre Puget (1620–94) was born in the house opposite 10 rue du Petit Puits, and designed the arcaded courtyard of the Centre de la Vieille Charité. Initially built as a charity shelter for the town’s poor, the stunni…
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Parc National du Mercantour
The Mercantour National Park is Provence at its most majestic. Europe's highest mountain pass, Col de Restefond la Bonette (2802m/9190ft), strides through the Vallée de l'Ubaye, the park's most northern and wildest area. Come winter, the Ubaye and its southern sisters, the Vallées du Haut Verdon and de la Tinée, offer fine skiing.
The Vallées de la Vésubie, des Merveilles and de la Roya offer a heady mix of gorges, ageless rocks and white waters, all within easy reach of the Côte d'Azur. The park is home to a dazzling array of birds, including the golden eagle and the bearded vulture. Its higher-altitude plains shelter marmot, mouflon and chamois (a mountain antelop…
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Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation
Visionary architect Le Corbusier redefined urban living in 1952 with the completion of this vertical, 337-apartment ‘garden city’, also known as Cité Radieuse (Radiant City). Along its darkened hallways, primary-coloured downlights create eerie tunnels leading to a mini-supermarket, architectural bookshop and panoramic rooftop ‘desert garden’. However forward-thinking the architecture, it has esoteric appeal: many just see a concrete apartment block.
For Le Courbusier lovers, stay at Hôtel Le Corbusier, two floors in the middle of the tower. ‘Cabins’ are tiny cells; studios look sharp, particularly those with sea views and Le Corbusier chairs, but for design reas…
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Église St-Trophime
Arles was an archbishopric from the 4th century until 1790, and this Romanesque-style church was once a cathedral. Built in the late 11th and 12th centuries on the site of several earlier churches, it’s named after St Trophime, a late 2nd- or early 3rd-century bishop of Arles. If you look on the far right of the left-hand side of the western portal, you’ll see an intricately sculpted facade of biblical scenes (more spectacular than the interior), with St Trophime holding a spiral staff in his right hand. Inside the austere church, the most fascinating feature is the treasury, containing bone fragments of Arles’ bishops who were later canonised. Many of the statues inside …
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Les Arènes
Arles' remarkable Roman amphitheatre, Les Arènes, was built around the late first or early second century AD. With a slightly smaller capacity but marginally larger dimensions than its counterpart in Nîmes, it was the venue of choice for chariot races and gladiatorial displays where slaves and criminals met their demise before jubilant crowds.
During the Arab invasions of early medieval times, Les Arènes became a fortress. Three of the four defensive towers still stand (one of which is accessible). Parts of Les Arènes are undergoing restoration, creating community debate about whether the structure should remain in its original condition. But the amphitheatre is far fro…
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Vieil Aix
Art, culture and architecture abound in Aix and is a stroller’s paradise, especially the mostly pedestrian old city, Vieil Aix.
The graceful cours Mirabeau is the heart of Aix. Cafés spill onto the sidewalks on the sunny northern side. The southern side shelters a string of elegant Renaissance hôtels particuliers (private mansions). The mossy fontaine d’Eau Thermale, at the intersection of cours Mirabeau and rue du 4 Septembre, spouts 34°C water, a pleasant hint of what awaits at the Thermes Sextius.
South of cours Mirabeau, Quartier Mazarin was laid out in the 17th century, and is home to some of Aix’ finest buildings. Further south still is the peaceful parc Jour…
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Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde
The opulent, domed 19th-century Romano-Byzantine basilica occupies Marseille’s highest point, lording it over the city skyline. Built from 1853 to 1864, it’s ornamented with coloured marble, murals depicting the safe passage of sailing vessels and intricate gold-laid mosaics superbly restored in 2006. Crowning the bell tower, a 9.7m-tall gilded statue of the Virgin Mary stands atop a 12m-high pedestal. Bullet marks and shrapnel scars on the northern facade evidence the fierce fighting of Marseille’s Battle of Liberation (15–25 August 1944).
Bus 60 links the Vieux Port with the basilica. Or, the ‘little train’ departs from the port and remains for 20 minutes before…
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Unité d'Habitation
Visionary architect Le Corbusier redefined urban living in 1952 with the completion of his vertical, 337-apartment ‘garden city', Unité d'Habitation , also known as Cité Radieuse (Radiant City). Along its darkened hallways, primary-coloured downlights create eerie tunnels leading to a minisupermarket, architectural bookshop and panoramic rooftop ‘desert garden'.
Even if you're not staying at the onsite Hôtel Le Corbusier, you can arrange to visit this tour de force, including its private apartments, or dine at its restaurant, with sweeping views of the Mediterranean - and of the proliferation of high-rises that Le Corbusier inspired. Catch bus 83 or 21 to the Le Cor…
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Îles du Frioul
A few hundred metres west of the Château d’If are the Ratonneauand Pomègues. The tiny islands (each about 2.5km long) were linked by a dyke in the 1820s. From the 17th to 19th centuries they were used to quarantine those suspected of carrying plague or cholera: the city was ravaged by plague in 1720, when a merchant vessel carrying the disease broke quarantine to avoid losing its shipment. The resultant epidemics killed around 50,000 of the city’s 90,000 inhabitants. The island of Ratonneau has ruins of the old yellow-fever quarantine hospital. Seabirds and rare plants thrive on the islands, which also have uncrowded beaches.
Boats to Château d’If also serve the Île…
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Centre de la Vieille Charité
Marseille architect and sculptor Pierre Puget (1620–94) was born in the house opposite 10 rue du Petit Puits, and designed the arcaded courtyard of the Centre de la Vieille Charité, initially built as a charity shelter for the town’s poor, the stunning arched pink-stone courtyard now houses Marseille’s beautiful Musée d’Archéologie Méditerranéenne (Museum of Mediterranean Archeology) and Musée d’Arts Africains, Océaniens & Amérindiens (Museum of African, Oceanic & American Indian Art). The latter contains a striking collection of masks from the Americas, Africa and the Pacific.
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Pont St-Bénézet
According to legend, pastor Bénézet had three saintly visions urging him to build a bridge across the Rhône. Known to countless kids as the Pont d’Avignon from the chirpy French rhyme, it was completed in 1185 and linked Avignon with Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, controlling trade at this vital crossroads. It was rebuilt several times before all but four of its spans were washed away in the mid-1600s. If you don’t feel like paying to visit the bridge, you can see it for free from the Rocher des Doms park, Pont Édouard Daladier or from across the river on the Île de la Barthelasse’s chemin des Berges.
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Centre de la Vieille Charité
Marseille architect and sculptor Pierre Puget (1620–94) was born in the house opposite 10 rue du Petit Puits, and designed the arcaded courtyard of the Centre de la Vieille Charité. Initially built as a charity shelter for the town’s poor, the stunning arched pink-stone courtyard now houses Marseille’s beautiful Musée d’Archéologie Méditerranéenne (Museum of Mediterranean Archeology) and Musée d’Arts Africains, Océaniens & Amérindiens (Museum of African, Oceanic & American Indian Art). The latter contains a striking collection of masks from the Americas, Africa and the Pacific.
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Centre Chorégraphique National
Long at the forefront of contemporary dance, Aix is home to France's first purpose-built choreography centre, the Centre Chorégraphique National (CNN, National Choreographic Centre; rue des Allummettes). This glass, steel and black-concrete box, Pavillon Noir, houses a 378-seat auditorium, roof deck and glass-walled rehearsal studios.
The skeletal building, masterminded by French architect Rudi Ricciotti, allows passers-by to peer into the illuminated studios to watch the agile artistry of dancers.
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Musée d'Arts Africains, Océaniens & Amérindiens
Initially built as a charity shelter for the town's poor, the stunning arched pink-stone courtyard of the Centre de la Vieille Charité now houses Marseille's beautiful Musée d'Archéologie Méditerranéenne and Musée d'Arts Africains, Océaniens & Amérindiens . The latter houses a diverse and often striking collection, including masks from the Americas, Africa and the Pacific.
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Château d’If
Immortalised in Alexandre Dumas’ classic 1840s novel Le Comte de Monte Cristo (The Count of Monte Cristo), the 16th-century fortress-turned-prison Château d’If sits on a 3-hectare island 3.5km west of the Vieux Port. Political prisoners were incarcerated here, along with hundreds of Protestants (many of whom perished in the dungeons), the Revolutionary hero Mirabeau (who didn’t fare so badly, once he’d seduced the cook) and the Communards of 1871.
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Fondation Victor Vasarely
This thrilling centre, 4km west of the city, was designed by the optical art innovator himself, in a series of repeating triangles and hexagons, right down to the honeycomb ceiling glass. Though in need of repairs, the building is a masterpiece: 16 interconnecting six-walled galleries, purpose-built to display and reflect the patterning of the artist’s acid-trip-ready, floor-to-ceiling geometric artworks. Take bus 4 or 6 to the Vasarely stop.
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Van Gogh trail
Accompanied with a brochure (in English) handed out by the tourist office, the evocative Van Gogh trail, a walking circuit of the city marked by footpath-embedded plaques, takes in spots where Van Gogh set up his easel to paint canvases such as Starry Night Over the Rhône (1888). At each stop there's a lectern-style signboard with a reproduction of the painting and interpretative information (also in English).
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