Best things to do in Provence
Seductive, sweet-scented and steeped in history, Provence epitomises all that’s irresistible about southern France.
Viewpoints and panoramas
Les Baux-de-Provence: The 11th-century citadel and picture-perfect village perché of Les Baux offer incredible views south over La Grande Crau to the sea.
Mont Ventoux: Visible from the valleys of the Rhône, Luberon and Durance, the 1912m summit looms high on the horizon east of the Dentelles - and affords the most sensational views.
The best districts
Vieux Port, Marseille: An intoxicating blend of food, history, water and sunlight at the very heart of France’s great Mediterranean metropolis.
Grand Canyon du Verdon: Walk, drive, cycle, raft or bungee, but whatever you do, don’t miss Europe’s largest and most spectacular gorge.
Vaison-la-Romaine: Walk actual Roman residential streets, complete with mosaic-floored houses, theatre and baths.
Museums
Musée Chagall, Nice: Custom-built to house Marc Chagall’s Biblical Message paintings, the Musée Chagall is unmissable for fans of the artist’s work.
Musée Alexandra David-Néel: Dedicated to the memory of an extraordinary, tenacious explorer, her house is stuffed full of fascinating photographs tracing her remarkable journeys.
Parks and gardens
Parc Borély, Marseille: One of Provence’s most alluring green spaces, this vast park boasts a boating lake, rose gardens, palm trees and a botanical garden.
Historical monuments
Chateau d’If: Take a boat from Marseille to the hulking fortress which looms large in the most iconic Provence-set novel of all, Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo.
Pont du Gard: 2,000 years old and still sublimely graceful, this towering Roman aqueduct spans the Gard River a few kilometres west of the Rhône.
Palais de papes, Avignon: This vast medieval building was home to successive popes – and anti-popes – during Avignon’s 14th-century heyday.
Things to do in different parts of the region
Arles: Visit its still-busy ancient Roman amphitheatre, baths, necropolis, underground vaults and superb archaeology museum.
Les Calanques: Best seen on a boat tour, or from the Corniches des Crêtes coastal road between Cassis and La Ciotat, the dramatic shoreline is quite a sight.
Activities for families in Provence
There are several weeks' worth of family-friendly activities to be enjoyed in Provence, everything from cool museums and zoos to some of Europe’s most scenic train rides.
Interactive museums: Provence is littered with kid-friendly museums, the best of which is the Musée Subaquatique de Marseille, a smartly conceived underwater museum dedicated to art, marine biodiversity and environmental protection. Note that museums are generally free to under-12s and half-price or free up to the age of 18.
Aquariums and zoos: Marineland in Antibes is the largest marine park in Europe, with performing dolphins, orcas and sea lions, while bears, elephants and big cats are on show at the La Barben Zoo, which also has plenty of child-friendly entertainment such as miniature train rides.
Train rides: The Chemins de Fer de Provence runs one of France’s most scenic and fun railway routes, the line running up the Var Valley into the hinterland of Nice to Digne-les-Bains, climbing through spectacular scenery as it goes.
Free things to do in Provence
You could quite easily spend a couple of weeks on your Provence holidays and barely spend a penny, given that there is so much free entertainment on offer.
Festivals: Provence abounds in wonderful events, many free: the Gypsy Pilgrimage in Les Saintes-Maries-De la-Mer is a marvellous annual spectacle of music, dancing and religious ritual; while the Fête de Transhumance in St-Rémy on Whit Monday sees a flock of 4,000 sheep, accompanied by goats, rams and donkeys, make a tour of the town before being packed off to the Alps for the summer.
Street Art: There’s fantastic free entertainment to be had on the streets of Provence; in Marseille’s cours Julien, the abundance of street art makes for a colourful wander and there are guided tours if you want to find out more about local graffiti artists and notable tags.
Lavender fields: Nothing says Provence like lavender, so make a beeline for the lush fields of purple in the Luberon and Valensole plateaus, best seen in bloom from late June to early August.
Village markets: The markets of Provence are a sensual treat as well as a lively social event, and you can spend as much or as little as you like - or nothing at all; the best of these are in Marseille, Avignon, Arles and Cassis.
Nature and outdoor activities
The benign climate of Provence encourages outdoor activities of all kinds, from swimming, sailing and diving in the clear waters of the Mediterranean to adventure sports for adrenaline junkies in the Grand Canyon du Verdon.
Water sports: Kayaking and canoeing in the Gorges du Verdon is first class, while there are opportunities for diving in the clear waters around Cassis, Bandol and Sanary. Swimming is most enjoyable in the Calanques of Marseille or around the quieter and more remote beaches away from the big cities.
Cycling: With its beautiful landscapes and relatively quiet roads, the Pays de Forcalquier is wonderful territory for cycling holidays to Provence, with a 78km signposted circuit of the region taking in Forcalquier, Lurs, Cruis and St-Étienne-les-Orgues. The 236km bike circuit of the Luberon is just as memorable.
Rock climbing: Buoux is the main centre for rock climbing, with qualified instruction available for beginners and more advanced climbers as well as mini-climbs for children, while the limestone cliffs in the Calanques and the Gorges du Verdon also offer superb climbing.
Horse riding: The Camargue has fantastic horse riding, as does Luberon, especially from Vaugines and Cucuron on the Luberon’s southern flank to Céreste, east of Apt.
Wildlife watching: The flora of the Calanques is exceptionally rich, while rare Bonelli’s eagles are among the 67 protected bird species found here, alongside 13 species of bats and nocturnal geckos. Meanwhile, the Camargue is a treasure trove of bird and animal species, both wild and domestic; its most famous denizens are bulls and white horses.