Travel to Provence is a wonderful independent trip through the southeast of France in September for a week.
Provencal travel prices and options
- WHEN -
- HOW TO GET THERE - It is better (and easier) to get to the southern French coast by air. Airports have many local cities (Marseille, Avignon, Grenoble, Nice, Toulon, Aix-en-Provence, Nimes). From the capital of the state to Avignon can be reached by express train.
- TRANSFER - in Nice, in a \\ p Charles de Gaulle (Paris), in Marseille.
- TRANSPORT NETWORK - Most of the settlements along the coastline are connected by excellent road and rail links. In addition, you can always rent a car.
- WHERE WE GO - Nice, Arles, Nimes, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Orange, Cannes.
- EXCURSIONS - in France
- WEATHER CONDITIONS - at the beginning of autumn the weather here is comfortable in summer. On average, the daily temperature is about + 24 ° С. In the evenings, it is only slightly cooler.
- ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD - You can get comfortable in hotels in Arles, Avignon and any other coastal towns. There are more than enough small hotels and boarding houses. Provence cuisine is quite traditional French cuisine at its best. There is a place for a variety of fish, sea / dairy products, vegetable variety.
- DURATION - 7 days
Flavors of Provence
The best way to get to know the picturesque places is to visit the oldest port in the country, Marseille. Take a walk around this city, Longchamp, the majestic cathedral of Sainte-Marie-Major, the local abbey, dine at a restaurant, be sure to try the famous bouillabaisse fish soup. At the end of the day, drive to Aix-en-Provence, stopping by Château d'If on the way.
On the second day - Arles, Nimes
In the Vaucluse department, which includes the towns of Avignon and Orange, we recommend spending a couple of days at once. Here you will not only see the world famous sights, but also be able to properly in solitude and peace.
On the fifth and sixth day - Cannes
Drive through the Haute-Alpine department with its many villages to Cannes. It is worth seeing the Church of Our Lady of Hope and the delightful Russian Church in honor of the Archangel Michael. Don't forget to take a stroll along the Croisette and the coast.
On the seventh day - Nice
It is worth completing the journey by going to Nice, in which a huge number of unusually work. Quite often it is a good luck to meet celebrities on the coast, having a rest by the sea.
After that, nothing prevents you from finishing the trip and going home. Our journey to Provence is over.
Have a nice holiday!
Coolest Provence route by car in 1 day! July 24th, 2015
The route is quite simple, and it can start not only from the city of Castellana. You can stay in any city on the Côte d'Azur: Nice, Cannes or my favorite Menton. You just have to leave early anyway, since the route is quite intense and intense. 
You can also end up not in Avignon, but in some other city. But Avignon is one of the most interesting places in Provence, the “Papal City” with one of the largest medieval buildings in the world - an impressively powerful papal palace. And for those who love the province more, I highly recommend staying in the village of Les Baux-de-Provence, instead of Avignon, and this will not affect travel time in any way. At the end of the route, after the abbey, there is as much to Les Baux-de-Provence as to Avignon, but this village is just a stunning place and here is the most visited castle in France.
The route is conventionally divided into two parts, the first is Verdon Gorge, Moutiers-Sainte-Marie village and lavender fields.
Here is the area with the gorge in more detail. 
The first views start from the intersection of D925 and D955, and the Cretan road D23 begins from the village of La Palud-sur-Verdon. This is a serpentine road and you need to drive along it clockwise (as shown on the map), because the other half is completely one-sided. The culmination is somewhere in the middle of the Cretan road (the title photo of the post), but further interesting views also open up, up to Lake Sainte-Croix. More photos with a gorge in a separate one. 
Immediately after, we are greeted by Lake Sainte-Croix, which, if desired, you can call in for a swim. 
Then we will stop at the village Moutiers Sainte-Marie (Moustiers-Sainte-Marie). 
Here we will have lunch and we can work up an appetite a little, go upstairs (262 steps) to the Notre-Dame-de-Beauvoir chapel. 
And, of course, have lunch. For lunch I recommend Bistrot provencal La Treille Muscate (located on the Place de l "eglise, Google finds it by name), a real French restaurant with local cuisine and a touchy chef, if the meat is suddenly ordered above average. There is only one caveat - they only speak You can reserve a table by mail to [email protected], or by phone +33 4 92 74 64 31. Incredibly delicious.
Then we go to Lavender fields, on the D8 or D6 road. There will also be lavender fields after Valensole along the D6, up to Manosque, but less often. 
I really liked the pictures of lavender fields near trasyy
, here is one photo.
The most important thing is not a beautiful view, but a smell. But you can see and smell them only from mid-late June to early August. And the best time is the beginning of July.
The second part of the route is a beautiful road through Serest (it is not necessary to stop there) and between the villages Lacoste (Lacoste) and Proud (Gordes), where on the sides of the road there will be vineyards, orchards, ancient stone walls. And at the top of Lacoste is the castle where the Marquis de Sade once lived. 
The last leg of the route is larger. 
Lacoste (Lacoste) and Proud (Gordes) are very pretty villages that are the quintessence of an idyllic Provencal village with ancient stone streets buried in flowers and stunning views of the surrounding valley. 
And the last stop, just after Gordes, is abbey of Senanque (Librairie de l "Abbaye de Sénanque), founded in 1148, which also has a large lavender field. 
To go along the route, it will be enough to print this post (namely screenshots of google maps) and go. In general, the route can be divided into two days, then there will be more free time to walk. Before traveling, I recommend reading my
There are enough places in Europe that you need to visit at least once in your life. In addition to standard European "must visit" - London, Paris and Rome, dictating politics travel in Europe, - there are also less hackneyed routes. How do you like the idea of \u200b\u200bgoing to an authentic French village?
"If you don't speak French, don't come to France"
A widespread myth about the disgust of the French towards those who do not speak their native language is being wrecked in gallant Paris. but away from the capitalindeed, they will speak to you exclusively in the language of Voltaire. Do not take this for an insult - the French are extremely friendly people. You can tell by their smiles and polite nods. In addition, after spending a week or two in Provence, you yourself begin to twitter in a language vaguely reminiscent of French.
What to do in Provence?
There is no better thing to do than travel from one village to another in Provence. Any road lies here through glossy vineyards, flowering lavender fields and cherry orchards, olive groves and romantic ruins of castles, and roadside vineyards give a pleasant sour taste to wandering across the expanses of France.
Tiny cities are found in Provence every few meters. Stone villages, even from a distance, do not resemble the usual Russian villages. Here you will not see rickety wooden huts or dull cabbage beds. A sea of \u200b\u200bdifferent colors catches your eye: balconies and terraces are buried in bright pelargoniums and vervains, not to mention endless lavender fields. And in Luberon, for example, not only grow lavender, but also produce essential oils... The best time to dive into the blue french lavender fields - mid-June, and from the beginning of July you can observe the collection of flowers.
Calm, only calm
The idyll of Provence is best illustrated by a local proverb, which says that after dinner it is so quiet here that you can even hear the olives falling from the trees. Yet, during the season provence roads filled with miniature "Peugeot" and "Renault", you can get into a traffic jam.
Provence road route
There are two ways to organize a Provencal auto trip. In the first scenario, you can settle in a specific city and explore the surroundings every day. Another way is to travel along a pre-planned route. Here is an example of one of the possible routes in Provence:
Avignon
Medieval Avignon, surrounded by strong walls, is often called the city of the popes. This city is great for the role starting point of travel in Provence... The main city attraction is the Papal Palace, where the papal residence was located in the XIV century, transferred from the Vatican. For 70 years, the entire Catholic Church was ruled from Avignon. Another Avignon hit is the medieval Saint-Bonese bridge, which is only partially preserved.
L "Ile-sur-la-Sorgue
A small medieval town located along the five branches of the Sorg River. Numerous canals, coupled with obscenely narrow cobblestone streets, make up an amazing urban ensemble. The banks of the canals, connected by pretty bridges, are decorated with huge millstones of water mills. Every Thursday and Sunday there is a market at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.
Valley Luberon
Roussillon, Gordes and Apt are just three of the many charming villages Luberon Valley... The brightest (in the literal sense of the word) - Roussillonbased on the location of ocher deposits. Besides the traditional beauty of Provence, Roussillon boasts colorful ocher mines. To take full advantage of the striking rock outcrops, take a stroll along the Centires des Ocres hiking trail. Roussillon's houses, by the way, also do not lack color - they are all painted in shades of red.
Greu-les-Bains
The town of Greu-les-Bains is based on the banks of the Verdon River. During the Roman Empire, Greu-les-Bains was famous for its baths. And today he is famous for healing springs, whose temperature reaches 42 degrees. The city also houses a 12th century fortress.
Aix-en-Provence
Central boulevard Cours Mirabeauplanted with neat trees is the main attraction of the village of Aix-en-Provence. In addition, in Aix-en-Provence you can see many large and small fountains.
Salon de Provence
The town of Salon de Provence stands on a hill, surrounding amperi castle, which was built in the XII-XV centuries. and is considered one of the most beautiful castles in Provence. Another must-see attraction in Salon de Provence is wonderful mossy fountain in the form of a mushroom. Salon de Provence is also famous for the fact that the famous medieval prophet spent and died here 19 years of his life Nostradamus.
Les Baux-de-Provence
The village of Les Baux-de-Provence is surrounded by olive groves and vineyards, and one of the main natural attractions here is Valley of hell with fantastic rocks. Les Baux-de-Provence is a textbook example of a fortified provencal village... There are many craft workshops and souvenir shops in the city, which are located on the ground floors of medieval houses.
Use of Skartoy materials.
Provence is an area in southeastern France that has inspired more than one artist and poet to create timeless masterpieces. It was here that Renoir and Matisse worked. Travelers come here to see the vibrant, mosaic-like nature and architectural monuments of antiquity. Bus tours and travel planned by the tour operator are unlikely to allow you to fully enjoy Provence and its atmosphere, so we suggest you.
How to rent a car
The itinerary that we have compiled assumes that you start your journey from Marseille. You can rent a car right there, just going down the plane, but if you want to save money, it is better to use one of the proven aggregators in advance. We recommend rentalcars.com. Also on this site you can see car rentals in other cities of Provence.
Day 1 and 2 - Marseille
Day 3 - Aix-en-Provence
From Marseille to Aix-en-Provence 33.5 km, travel time about 35 minutes.
Aix-en-Provence is a picturesque city with Baroque, Gothic architecture and many beautiful fountains.
What to see in Aix-en-Provence
Boulevard Mirabeau. The central and largest street in the city. Medieval temples and city museums are located in the immediate vicinity.
Church of Saint-Jean-de-Malte. Gothic cathedral of the 17th century. The bell tower of the cathedral is the highest point in the city. Address: 24 Rue d "Italie.
Granet Museum. Named after François Granet. The basis of the exhibition is the work of the painter himself, but thanks to benefactors from private collections, masterpieces of other famous artists got here. Address: Place Saint-Jean de Malte.
Where to live
We recommend staying at Escale Oceania Aix-en-Provence, Campanile Aix-en-Provence Sud - Pont de l "Arc. For more Aix-en-Provence hotels follow this link.
Day 4 - Abbey of Notre Dame de Senanque and lavender fields
The distance between Aix-en-Provence and Senanque is 80 km, travel time is 60 minutes.
The Senank Abbey is not just a monument of the Middle Ages of the 12th century, but also a functioning monastery, in which several dozen monks still live. They are engaged in obtaining honey and growing lavender flowers. The well-preserved refectory and scriptorium (the place where texts were copied by hand) is considered the pearl of the monastery. But the main attraction of Senank is considered to be the huge lavender fields that stretch around the monastery for many kilometers. In the flowering season, they look like a fluffy lilac carpet without end and edge.
Where to live
Travelers usually do not stop in the Senanka area and, having examined the surroundings, go further.
Day 5 - Avignon
The distance from Senanque to Avignon is 38 km, travel time is 42 minutes.
Avignon is one of the most beautiful Provencal medieval cities, famous for its rich history and architecture. In the Middle Ages, the city was the seat of the popes, the castle-palace of the pontiffs is perfectly preserved.
What to see in Avignon
Saint Benese Bridge. The main symbol of Avignon, built in the 12th century. Only 4 arches have survived to this day, but once the bridge was a real miracle of medieval architecture, having 22 arched spans (today there are only 4) and reaching a total length of 915 meters.
Papal Palace. The palace was built in the 14th century. Also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The palace is the largest Gothic building in the world. Address: Place du Palais.
Opera Theater. The theater was built in the 19th century by the outstanding French architects Chaprentier and Fejche. Popular classical operas and plays are staged here. Address: 1 Rue Racine.
Where to live
We recommend staying at the Avignon Grand Hotel, the Mercure Pont d "Avignon Center or the Ibis Avignon Center Gare.
Day 6 - Orange
The distance from Avignon to Orange is 30 km. Travel time is 30 minutes.
Orange is a small town located on the banks of the Rhone. It is considered the warmest city in France. Gauls once lived here. They gave the city its name in honor of one of the main pagan gods.
What to see in Orange
Roman amphitheater. Built before our era by the Romans, the amphitheater can accommodate 12,000 spectators. Previously, gladiator fights and theatrical performances took place here. Now, thanks to very good acoustics, opera music festivals are held here.
Triumphal Arch. Another well-preserved ancient Roman building. It was erected in honor of the defeat of the Gauls by the Romans. The arch is 20 meters high. Located on the road from Orange to Lyon.
Cathedral of Notre Dame de Nazareth. It is a Catholic church that once served as the seat of an Orange bishop. The building was erected in the 6th century.
Where to live
It is better to stay in the city center. The highest ratings are for Chambres d "Hôtes Mas Julien, Campanile Hotel Orange, Hotel Arene.
Day 7 - Pont du Guar and Nimes
The distance from Orange to Nimes is 50 km, travel time is 60 minutes.
- a huge aqueduct across the Gardon River, built by the ancient Romans. One of the well-preserved monuments of ancient Roman culture. Located near Nimes. Address: 400 Route du Pont du Gard.
Nîmes is a charming southern city, famous for its architectural monuments and an unusual coat of arms in the form of a crocodile and a palm tree.
What to see in Pont du Guar and Nimes
Amphitheater. Built in the 2nd century BC, the Nimsk amphitheater is almost an exact replica of the Roman Colosseum. The amphitheater was the main arena for gladiatorial battles. Its dimensions are truly impressive: the amphitheater is 120 meters long and 100 meters wide.
Maison Carré. An excellently preserved temple from the 2nd century BC. The temple was built in honor of the beloved grandchildren of Emperor Octavian. Address: Place de la Maison Carrée.
Where to live
Day 9 - Arles and bullfighting in the arenas of Arles
The distance between Nimes and Arles is 33 km. Travel time is 24 minutes.
Arles is a small town that can be completely explored on foot. It is famous for the fact that Gauguin and Van Gogh lived and worked here for a long time.
What to see in Arles
Cathedral of St. Trofim. Located right in the center of Arles in the main square. It was built in ancient times and reconstructed in the 12th century. Address: 6 Place de la République.
Amphitheater. Located a hundred meters from the cathedral. Built in the 1st century AD. Accommodates up to 25 thousand spectators.
In the summer, the Camarkan bullfight is held in Arles. Prestigious bullfights take place in amphitheater arenas and attract thousands of tourists. The performance, of course, is cruel, but incredibly spectacular.
Where to live
10-12 days - Camargue and the beaches of Saint-Marie-de-la-Mer
Day 14 - return to Marseille
Distance from Montpellier to Marseille - 168 km, travel time - 2 hours 10 minutes.
Have a nice trip!
Almost a year has passed since I promised to tell you about one of my most beautiful travels. This was the south of France, Provence. And now the day has come! :)
Thanks to my memory - I seem to still remember how it was :)
Go!
Since we went to this region for the first time, we wanted to see everything at once, so that we could understand for sure where we wanted to return. It turned out a little at a gallop, but we still managed to form a relatively clear impression. In some cities I wanted to spend more time, in some I have already traveled for the second time and, if everything goes well, in October I will go for the third.
Traveling requires: a good mood, a passion for French cuisine, the ability to entertain yourself on quiet evenings, a car, a desire to look and see, a little endurance (I will tell you about this separately) and love for rural landscapes.
And yes forgive me my passion for hipstamatic and amateur photography :)
At first I struggled for a long time over the route, but then he somehow drew himself:
So, we see: Marseille - Salon de Provence - Avignon - Lyon - Ebens (podgrenoble :)) - Manosque - Grasse - Cannes - Frejus - Marseille.
But first, a flight from Moscow to Marseille Marignane airport.
The airport is located about 25 km northwest of Marseille. We had no goal of going to Marseille, and so we immediately went north and further north-west - to the small town of Salon de Provence, where we had to spend the night before the start of a wonderful trip.
The distance is just under 40 km.
Salon de Provence is a small town with a population of just over 40,000. He gained fame thanks to soap factories and the fact that in the 16th century Michel Nostradamus lived there for the final 25 years of his life. There is a museum in the city, but we have not reached it.
Evening of the first day. Nice little interior of the hotel room.
And morning!
After lunch we went to Avignon. The distance is about 60 km. An ordinary road, not a track, and therefore very picturesque.
On the way to Avignon:
Avignon is located on the left bank of the Rhone. The city is famous and beautiful. I will not give a historical background (not copying Wikipedia, in fact), but I will share a couple of amusing photos. And yes: you need to go to this city.
Small restaurant with Michelin stars. Great meat and chilled wine, friendly staff and a delightful patio.
A bit of a city.
A street of burnt cars.
We didn’t spend the night in Avignon and went to Lyon. The distance is about 240 km.
For the sake of fairness, I will say: this map is not entirely correct - in fact, we first drove along a country road, and then pulled out onto the autobahn - approximately in the Valence area.
But the most beautiful, of course, was along the country road - VINEYARDS!
Lyon in person.
This, of course, is no longer quite Provence - Lyon is the administrative center of the Rhône-Alpes region.
What to tell about this city? He's amazing! An unambiguous must-go. Was there the second time last November and will come again and again!
Nice details.
Theater.
Carnot Square.
Restaurants await guests for dinner.
We stayed in Lyon for a day, and it turned out to be painfully short. I repeat: must go!
After Lyon we went to the town of Ebens - it's not even a town, but a commune! The distance is about 120 km. On the way we stopped in Grenoble, but the city did not make any impression.
But the road was amazing!
A little bit of Grenoble.
And here we are at Ebens' cute little spa hotel.
Funny prose.
Hotel territory: cozy gazebos, silence, wonderful air. Height - 408 meters above sea level.
The most wonderful tea party!
And a little girlish joy - greetings from Lyon :)
Hills and mountains.
We are driving along the so-called Napoleon road (N85), laid from Cannes to Grenoble - it was along this road that the emperor returned from the Elbe in February 1815.
A little Chablis at the foot of the Alps never hurts!
Gap turned out to be a small town of funny statues.
Late in the evening we drove into Manosque.
But what is he like in the morning!
Nice little town.
We stayed in Manosque until lunchtime, after which we stopped at the small airfield of Vinon-sur-Verdon.
Small picnic :)
Then we were going to go to the legendary city of perfumers - Grasse. The navigator offered me 2 routes. They differed in length - 10 kilometers, and I, of course, chose a short one, but ... I, a person terribly afraid of heights and mountain roads, should pay attention to the fact that part of the route runs through the mountains, and some have characteristic mountain slopes sharp turns. Distance is about 160 km.
And then the horror story begins! :)
At first, everything is pretty cute: such a coniferous forest.
Rough slides ...
The most beautiful lake of Saint Croix!
Soon after which the Verdon Gorge begins.
This, I tell you honestly, is very beautiful, but terribly scary! Literally behind this bend, the road goes into the shadows and the next 40 kilometers goes along the cliff of the mountain: in some places there are no bumpers and you can see a cliff with a mountain river rumbling below, there are no road markings anywhere, and oncoming traffic is very unnerving.
In fact, this is such a huge fault: on the left, a sheer rock goes up, on the right, it goes down.
Further I do not photograph, because I am trying to do two things: not to die of horror and not to strangle myself for such a route.
