Provence, a historic region in southern France, is a place full of villages to discover and landscapes to admire. Many see it as a summer-only destination but, thanks to the mild climate and bright blue skies all year round, Provence also offers a lot during the low season. It is a perfect place for those who want to travel by car and only have a few days available.
Our mini tour, 1300 km long, lasted 4 days. If you are curious to find out more, here are the cities we visited.
Day 1: Avignon
Let's start our tour of Provence from Avignon, called the “city of popes”. Its historic center, all in Gothic-medieval style it is surrounded by 5 km of walls which are still well preserved and can be visited entirely on foot in one day.
Tips for Trips: it is better to park the car outside the walls. There are two large car parks connected to the center with free shuttles: the Parking des Italiens (where we parked), north-east of the old city and easily reachable on foot from the historic centre, and the Ile Piot which is part of the Ile de la Barthelasse.
After crossing the walls to enter the center we head towards the Rocher des Doms Park, perched on a hill. From here you can enjoy an excellent view of the Rhone river, the Avignon bridge and part of the historic centre. A good starting point to take a peek at the beauty the city has to offer.
We head towards the Saint-Bénezet Bridge, also known simply by the name of Avignon Bridge.
Tips for Trips: here you can purchase the single ticket for entry to both the bridge and the Palace of the Popes by choosing the time of the visit. By doing this you avoid the endless queue at the entrance and can access the Palace directly.
It is located on the Rhone River and originally led to the city of Villeneuve, on the opposite side of the river. It was built in the 12th century and its length was 900 meters made up of 22 arches. The force of the river damaged the structure of the bridge several times which was promptly restored until the umpteenth flood in 1668. Since then only 4 arches remain.
Hours: Open every day. January - March: from 10.00 to 17.00. April - June: 10am to 6pm. July - August: from 10:00 to 19:00. September - November 6: from 10:00 to 18:00. - 7 November - December: from 10.00 to 17.00.
We go up the hill and arrive at Place du Palais, where they are located Notre Dame Church – Avignon cathedral – and the imposing Palace of the Popes which dwarfs everything else around it, both for its size and its features. Let's move on as we booked the tour to the Palace in the afternoon to allow ourselves a walk around the center during the hottest hours.
We move to Place de l'Horloge, the main square of Avignon, which owes its name to the large clock located above the large town hall: theHotel de Ville. The square is full of bars and cafes - perhaps too touristy - and is animated by an ancient horse-drawn carousel and stalls of local artisans. Next to the town hall is the Opera House built in the 19th century.
A short distance away, on rue Collége du Roure, it is located Palais du Roure, dating back to the 15th century. It was a house built for a Florentine banking family, but has been transformed into a cultural center. We don't enter the building but stop to look at the suggestive entrance and the courtyard.
We move to Place Pie where the market overlooks, Les Halles, inside a building covered with vegetation - known as mur végétal due to its dimensions: 30 meters wide by 12 meters high - where Provençal and French gastronomic specialties are found. Les Halles it is only open in the morning so if you love markets the advice is to start from here as the first stop of the day to enjoy the market in peace.
Hours: Every day. Tuesday - Sunday: 6:00 am to 2:00 pm. Monday closed.
In the center of Place Pie stands out there Saint Jean Tower, built during the 16th century for the brotherhood of St. John of Jerusalem. Initially this tower separated the square from the Jewish quarter, but during the 19th century the buildings bordering the tower had been demolished. The tower was instead reinforced and equipped with a clock installed on its facade.
We enter the alleys of the center, full of life and more or less vintage shops. We get a little curious and get lost in the streets. Let's cross Saint-Didier Square with the church of the same name - dating back to the mid-14th century - which reflects the Gothic style of the entire city of Avignon. We're going as far as we can Place des Corps Saints where many bar tables occupy the small space. In the background a huge church: the Church of the Celestines built at the end of the 14th century on the initiative of the antipope Clement VII and king Charles VI.
We head towards the main street, but we stop at the beautiful one Saint Martial Church, a large church immersed in a small, well-kept city park far from the chaos of the centre, excellent for taking a break. Built in the 14th century as a monastery and school for the Benedictine order, it was abandoned during the French Revolution and converted into a natural history museum until the beginning of the 19th century. Today it is a Protestant church. On the external part, the ruins of the old cloister of Saint Martial are visible in the Agricol Perdiguier square.
We go up Rue de la République and make a small detour to visit the Basilica of St. Peter of Avignon, dating back to the 14th century. The entrance overlooks the very small one Place Saint Pierre and it seems almost hidden. The large main façade, in Gothic style decorated with two small towers on the sides, creates a very suggestive contrast with the small square in which it is located. Inside, the contrast is still evident, the basilica consists of a central nave almost 26 meters long, almost 10 meters wide and the total height is 15 metres.
To return to Place du Palais we cross the suggestive and beautiful Rue de la Peyrolerie. This small road, carved into the rock, runs alongside the Palace of the Popes and passes under one of its buttresses.
There Notre Dame Church it is located on a rock - the so-called Rocher des Doms - and is accessible from the square via a long staircase divided on two sides. It was built in the 12th century but at the beginning of the 15th century the original bell tower collapsed so the current one was built. This bell tower also represents the external facade of the church and is equipped with a gigantic carillon with 35 bells. On the top of the bell tower there is the statue of the Madonna, which from below appears to be of normal size but is 6 meters high and weighs 4500 kilos. Inside Notre Dame the structure is divided into four bays covered by barrel vaults.
It's time for Palace of the Popes, one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe, proclaimed a world heritage site in 1995. The palace, which stands on the old bishop's palace, was built by Pope Benedict XII and is made up of two adjacent buildings: Vieux Palais characterized by Tower of Angels, and the Palais Neuf with the papal apartments and the Chapelle Clementine which leads to the roof of the building. Inside, none of the 25 rooms retain their original furnishings but, thanks to the multimedia visit with tablet support - included in the entrance ticket - it is possible to view the rooms with their decorations and furniture, as they were furnished at the time. Furthermore, a treasure hunt is proposed – for the little ones, they say – in which in each reconstructed room you have to find a virtual object in which a coin engraved with the effigy of the popes is hidden. If you find them all at the end of the tour you win the history hunter diploma, needless to say the competition is on!
Hours: 15 March - 1 July: from 9.00 to 19.00. July, August and September: from 9.00 to 20.00. October: from 9.30am to 7pm. 1 November - 14 March: from 9.30am to 5.45pm.
In the evening, to return to the car, we skirt the entire center following the illuminated and beautiful walls and bastions. In total there are almost 5 km of 14th century walls with 39 towers and 7 main access gates. We only cover the southern part, starting from Porte de la République up to Port de Saint-Lazare.
Day 2: Marseille
Our second stop in Provence is Marseille. A controversial city, without half measures, about which I have heard a lot of opinions and stories - true or presumed - but if there is one thing for sure it is that you either love it or hate it... and I, I loved it straight away. It is a seaside city, with a multi-ethnic, lively and colorful nature, very different from the other cities of the Côte d'Azur and more similar in vocation to my favorite city.
Once in the city we park at Q-Park Vieux Port and this is where our itinerary begins. The Old Port of Marseille is the heart of the city, teeming with life and immediately catapulting you into the atmosphere of the place. After the redevelopment work of the architect Norman Foster, a large area was made pedestrian and theShadow, a large mirrored canopy. On the still warm autumn days it is pleasant to take a walk along the docks with the sea as your companion.
Let's go back up Place Villeneuve-Bargemon, a large pedestrian square shaded by centuries-old olive trees and plane trees created at the beginning of 2006 during the expansion of the town hall. Its beauty lies in its location: it offers a perspective that starts from the Old Port up to Notre-Dame de la Garde, creating a meeting point between the Port, the Town Hall and the Hotel-Dieu.
A little further on we visit the Notre-Dame-des-Accoules Church, one of the oldest in the city, built on the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to Minerva during the 11th century. Particular is the combination of many different styles due to the various destructions and reconstructions. Only the bell tower remains of its origins, today classified as a Historic Monument. The courtyard and the crypt are worth a stop.
Proceeding along Rue Caisserie we arrive at Eglise Saint Laurent, also known as the fishermen's church. It is in Provençal Romanesque style with simple lines with an octagonal bell tower and pink freestone masonry. The entrance door is located in the center of the long side and overlooks a small square that dominates the entire port and looks towards Notre Dame de la Garde and the Fort St. Jean to which it is connected by a walkway.
We cross the walkway and enter the Fort St. Jean a fortification built in 1660 by Louis XIV of France opposite the Fort Saint-Nicolas which is located on the opposite side of the port. The structure consists of several buildings divided into two levels. On the lower level there is the King Rene's Tower 28.50 meters high and composed of four rooms served by a spiral staircase of 147 steps that open onto the roof terrace. They also belong to this level Saint-Jean Chapel and a small square from which the cannon climb tunnel starts, passing under the officers' gallery to end on the upper level. At the highest level is the Round Lantern Tower which served as a lighthouse, the Officers' Gallery and the Old barracks demolished where the remains of a mill and an oven are still visible. All around the fort you can walk along the walls of the fort, the view of the sea and the coast is very suggestive.
We cross the second walkway that connects the fort with the Mucem – Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations – a large black block of honeycomb concrete. We cross it only in passing but the roof offers a point of refreshment and rest with a view.
We head towards the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore – one of the largest cathedrals in France – built in the second half of the 19th century. It surprises with its neo-Byzantine style, has multiple domes and is characterized by the presence of two twin towers on the green and white striped stone façade.
It's almost time for lunch, we move to Le Panier, Marseille's neighborhood par excellence, the true heart of the ancient city. The first Greeks settled here when they arrived. It was the fishermen's neighborhood, then the waves of immigrants arrived and over time also smuggling and crime. It continued to be a "difficult" neighborhood, beautiful, but run-down and dangerous. In 2013, with its candidacy as European Capital of Culture, the neighborhood opened up to tourism maintaining its popular character but with an alternative and hippie accent. Walking through its alleys we get lost among multi-ethnic restaurants and interesting clubs, an infinite number of ateliers and boutiques, vintage shops and artisan workshops. The neighborhood absolutely enchants us with its liveliness.
It is located in the center of the neighborhood La Vieille Charité built by Pierre Puget (architect, sculptor, painter born right here, in Panier, in 1620). It was built following an Edict (1640) of the Municipality of Marseille to provide a roof to the poor natives of the city. The building, saved by Le Corbusier in the mid-1940s, now houses several small museums, completely free, including a small Egyptian museum, a museum of African art, a bookshop and a café. At the entrance you are welcomed into a symmetrical courtyard enclosed by galleries on three levels, which protect the oval-shaped chapel and the baroque dome in the centre. It is immediately striking for its peace and tranquility, clearly in contrast with the rest of the neighborhood and the city.
The next stage is Notre Dame de La Garde, we choose to reach it via the tourist train which allows us to take the panoramic tour and also see the coast. We start from the Old Port, passing by the Corniche seafront enjoying the splendid view of the Fort Saint Jean and the Fort Saint Nicolas, the Palais du Pharo, the St Victor Abbey, the breathtaking panorama of the Pont de la Fausse Monnaie, the Château Valmer or the famous Vallon des Auffes. In the distance we admire the islands of Frioul and If Castle. We deviate towards the Vallon de l'Oriol, where we pass through the Marseille mansions perched along the hill.
We finally arrive at 162 meters above sea level, where it awaits us Notre Dame de La Garde and an extraordinary panorama, with a 360° view of the entire city. The basilica is in neo-Byzantine style. It is accessed via a long staircase and is surmounted by a 60 meter high bell tower with a statue of the Virgin and Child on top - the work of the sculptor Eugène-Louis Lequesne - which the people of Marseille call the "good mother". Inside there is a single nave covered by a ribbed vault with side chapels. The apse has a square plan and is covered by a dome. In the centre, on the main altar, there is the statue of the Dame de La Garde.
Hours: Every day. October - March: 7am to 6pm. April - September from 7:00 to 19:00.
We return to the port area in the late afternoon and walk along the very famous one Rue La Canebiere, main road that runs through the historic center of Marseille, from the Old Port to the Réformés district. At the end of the road there Church of San Vincenzo de' Paoli, in its splendid white Gothic style. Its bell towers, 70 meters high, stand out over the roofs of the city and are visible from the beginning of the street.
We treat ourselves to an aperitif, strictly Pastis, and end the evening with a typical dinner and a good wine at Place Thiars's fountain, full of lights and voices and warm colors.
Day 3: Aix-en-Provence
Today we stop in the city that is hosting us during this stay in Provence. Capital of Provence Aix-en-Provence it is a refined town, known for its fountains (they say more than one hundred), with a very rich architectural and artistic heritage, it is in particular the city of Paul Cézanne.
Our route starts from Place Saint-Jean-de-Malte (because it is the closest stop to the only car park where we found a place on this sunny and festive Monday in October). Here is the Church of Saint-Jean-de-Malte, the first Gothic church in Provence, built between 1272 and 1277. Its bell tower rises to a height of 67 meters and is the highest point in the city. Adjacent to the church Granet Museum which we didn't visit because it was closed - like practically half of the stops we wanted to visit, the French take the history of public holidays seriously - but I know that it has a notable heritage of paintings and sculptures. The chapel inside hosts "Granet XX", a recurring exhibition that displays numerous contemporary works, in particular works by Picasso and Kandisky.
Hours: Tuesday - Sunday: from 10:00 to 18:00.
We skirt the center and pass in front of the Church of the Magdalene, which dates back to the 19th century, of which only the façade can be admired as it is closed for renovation and stabilization works. In its square stands the Fontaine des Prêcheurs, consisting of a narrow, square basin with a low edge. In the center there is an imposing obelisk decorated with drapes.
Let's visit the Cathedral of Saint-Sauveur, the main place of worship in Aix-en-Provence. Built on the site of an ancient pagan temple dedicated to Apollo and then of the cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore, it was built in two phases: the Romanesque one between the 11th and 13th centuries, the Gothic one in the 16th century. From the rich and imposing Gothic portal, which reaches over twenty metres, the cathedral is equipped with numerous spiers and decorations, which also concern the large bell tower (70 meters high) and the interiors, in clear traditional Gothic style. In contrast to the external Gothic style, inside you can visit a beautiful Romanesque style cloister.
We pass the cathedral and continue walking until we exit the historic center and go up the hill along via Pasteur. At number 8, inside a courtyard, we come across the Joseph Sec. Monument, an imposing allegorical monument, also known as the Joseph Sec mausoleum, dedicated to the "law-observant" municipality of the city.
We continue to climb up the hill and after a 10 minute walk we arrive at theCézanne's workshop, in which Cézanne himself worked during the last four years of his life, from 1902 to 1906. The building is surrounded by greenery, the atmosphere is of absolute peace and it is easy to understand why the painter was so fond of to this place. Unfortunately we find the atelier closed - here we go again - but we read that it is a room of fifty square meters, illuminated by a large window, where everything has remained unchanged since the painter's death: brushes, colors and an enormous mechanical easel that Cézanne himself he built to support the larger paintings.
Hours: 11 January - 4 April (Tuesday to Saturday): from 9.30am to 12.30pm and from 2pm to 5pm; 5 April - 31 May (every day, except 1 May): from 9.30 to 12.30 and from 14.00 to 18.00; 11 June - 30 September (every day): from 9.30am to 6.00pm; 1 October - 31 December (Tuesday to Saturday): from 9.30am to 12.30pm and from 2pm to 5pm.
We head towards the Pavillon de Vendôme, a historic building, built in the second half of the 17th century based on a design by Antoine Matisse by order of the Duke of Vendôme Louis de Mercoeur, who wanted to build a "folie", a structure that included a monumental palace surrounded by large gardens (also called whim). Needless to say, we also find this closed. We spend some time in the magnificent French garden that surrounds it and admire its facade with baroque Atlantean ornaments, fruit garlands and a mask.
Opening hours: 15 April - 15 October: from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 13:30 to 18:00; 16 October - 14 April: from 10.00 to 12.30 and from 1.30 to 17.00; Closed on 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 January and 1 May.
We return to the center as it is time for lunch. We stop in Place des Cardeurs. The square originated in 1963 following the demolition of a block of unhealthy houses. Over time, the space was rehabilitated and divided between three natural stone platforms. The place has been filled with restaurants and terraces which transform the appearance of the square, giving it a special atmosphere on the still warm autumn days, when the restaurant terraces are full of people.
Let's stop at Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, in the heart of the pedestrian area. The square houses the city Town Hall inside a classic-style building decorated with wrought iron railings in the small balcony above the entrance, where the flags also make a fine display. Adjacent to the town hall is the Clock tower which, in addition to a clock and a sundial, is also able to indicate the season you are in. It occupies the center there Fountain of the Bénite water built in 1755, surmounted by a Roman column which completes the beautiful Provençal postcard represented by this square.
Among the many fountains in Aix, the most famous is certainly the Fountain of the Rotonde, on Place de Gaulle. It was built around the second half of the 19th century to celebrate the arrival of water in the city. At the top there are three marble statues of women - for this reason it is also called the fountain of the three graces - allegorical figures representing the three most important centers of Provence: Marseille, symbol of Agriculture, Aix-en-Provence, symbol of Justice and Avignon, symbol of Fine Arts.
It starts from here Cours Mirabeau which divides the new city from the old and represents one of the focal points of the city. The beauty of the Corso is also given by the homogeneity of the materials of the facades of the different buildings built using the same warm colored stone and decorated with wrought iron balconies and baroque style ornaments. On the course there are three beautiful fountains: the Fountain of the Nine Cannons, almost completely surrounded by vegetation that hides the sculptures, the Hot Water Fountain, covered with moss - so much so that it is sometimes also called the Moss fountain - from which thermal water comes out at thirty-four degrees and the Roi René Fountain, holding a bunch of muscat grapes in his hand - because it was he who introduced this grape variety to France - at the end of the Course. Not far from Course Mirabeau is located Place des Quatre-Dauphins, considered the oldest in the city.
We end the day by getting lost in the city centre, we admire the views and alleys that open onto small squares full of bars, restaurants and shops of all kinds. Here the Provençal atmosphere can be felt in the architecture of the buildings and in the typical products that each shop displays.
Day 4: Antibes
On the way home we allow ourselves a last short stop in the small town of Antibes. Located overlooking the sea, you just need to walk through its colorful alleys, full of flowers and artisans' shops and the large lively market to be struck by its picturesque charm.
Walking through the historic center, among shops and tourists, we get lost in a labyrinth of streets, hidden alleys, picturesque squares. Let's get to the Place Nationale and we walk along the liveliest streets rue Thuret, rue Clémenceau, rue Sade and Boulevard d'Aguillon and all the alleys around.
Attracted by the enormous shouting we move to Provençal market that fills us with festive smells and colors. From Tuesday to Sunday morning, Cours Masséna is filled with stalls of local producers offering the best of Provençal gastronomy, stalls of florists, market gardeners, fishmongers, butcheries, cheesemakers and producers of Provençal crafts.
From a small street we see the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Platea which immediately catches the eye due to the bright colors of the façade in the typical Provençal baroque style.
Continuing south we visit the Free Municipality of Safranier, founded in 1966 to preserve and perpetuate local traditions. Festivals are organized annually such as the corn festival, the grape harvest festival in September, the chestnut festival in November and the log festival in December. The flower-lined streets of this small neighborhood are enchanting.
It stands at the highest point of the ramparts Chateau Grimaldi. In the Middle Ages it was the residence of the Bishops, it later became a town hall and was then transformed into a barracks. Today it is home to Picasso Museum which – guess what? – we find it closed. In 1946, in fact, Pablo Picasso used part of the building as a laboratory. From the terrace of the castle you can enjoy a magnificent view of the sea and Cap d'Antibes.
Hours: Every day, except Mondays and January 1st, May 1st, November 1st and December 25th. 16 September – 14 June: from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00; 15 June – 15 September: from 10:00 to 18:00.
From the Picasso Museum we take a wonderful walk that follows the ancient walls, the Promenade de l'Amiral de Grasse: following the road we admire glimpses of the city overlooking the sea. From the Saleurs ramp, where fish was salted in the past, we walk along the sea, following the path of the ramparts.
After this splendid walk it's time to get back in the car and return home. We leave Provence with the idea of returning because there is still a lot to see in this splendid area.