The region
• Nicknamed the “City of the Popes”, Avignon retains the indelible mark of the stay of the Popes. The city was for a century the capital of the medieval West. Today, it is a radiant cultural capital with in particular its internationally renowned Theater Festival. Bordering with the departments of Gard and Bouches du Rhône, the surroundings of Avignon are full of little nuggets to discover.
• Avignon intramural magic with its cobbled streets, its churches by the dozen, its paddle wheels in the rue des Teinturiers, its place de l’Horloge with the Town Hall and the Opera, the famous Pont Saint-Bénézet and of course the Palace of Majestic popes overlooked by the Jardin des Doms.
• Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, on the other side of the Rhône, with in particular its Chartreuse, the fort and the Saint André Abbey and its Tour Philippe Le Bel; a small town where life is good.
• The Pont du Gard fifteen minutes from Avignon, its superb walks, its magical viewpoint, and the descent of the Gardon river by kayak from the village of Collias. You have to drive a little further to reach the Duchy of Uzès, unique in France, with its castle and its magnificent village center. Do not forget the Haribo candy factory on the way.
• The Luberon to the east of Avignon, with its perched villages more beautiful than the others: Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux and Lacoste, Ménerbe, Oppède, Lourmarin and as far as the sub-prefecture of Apt where you can taste its famous candied fruit. After Apt, direction Manosque where the Alpes de Haute Provence extend their arms to you.
• L’Isle sur la Sorgue and its region await you to stroll through the city center crossed by the Sorgue river and its paddle wheels, its watershed and its world famous antique shops; but think of going to the village of Fontaine de Vaucluse where the famous Vallis Clausa is located (which gave its name to the department of Vaucluse) and the resurgence of the Sorgue that Commander Cousteau dived in 1947 making it famous.
• The Alpilles in the South open their doors for you for rich walks amidst olive trees and within its massif of small, steep and charming mountains. Take the small road from Maillane to Les Baux de Provence, visit the famous Carrières de Lumière and enjoy the medieval village of Les Baux. On the way back, a stopover is essential in Saint-Rémy de Provence where you can enjoy the city center and the Glanum archaeological site.
• The Camargue is further south, with compulsory visits to the City of Arles, famous for its Roman museum, its ancient theater and its arenas, then continue to Saintes Marie de la Mer where the Mediterranean awaits you unless an hour from Avignon. Other cities obviously deserve the detour like Aigues-Mortes and its ramparts, its place Saint-Louis, or even Port Camargue for its marina, the Grau du Roi and further La Grande Motte and its special architecture.
• In the North, do not forget the city of Orange, famous for its ancient theater where the Chorégies Opera Festival takes place in July. Its pedestrian town center is charming, a stroll is essential in the park of the Sainte Eutrope hill, but also around the ancient Arc on the national road 7. Do not forget to make a detour by Châteauneuf-du-Pape and its famous vineyards. Finally, set off for the famous Mont Ventoux in the footsteps of the illustrious Tour de France riders.
• In the South, magnificent cities are absolutely to be seen: Aix-en-Provence and its Festival of Lyric Art, its terms, its magnificent city center, its museums (Granet, Vasarely Foundation, etc.), but also Marseille as the we no longer present! The Marseille region has assets of great beauty: the Calanques, the Blue Coast and the Garlaban Massif. But the beauty of the City is also undeniable: the Old Port, the City Center, the Stock Exchange, the Opera, the shopping streets, the Pharo and the famous Corniche which covers the entire South coast of the City, passing by the Catalans, the Vallon des Auffes, the Prophets’ beach to Borély and Pointe Rouge, the village of Goudes and the start of the Calanques, but also Mucem, the village of l’Estaque, etc.
Many places are undoubtedly missing from this non-exhaustive list, but your host will be there to guide you on this magnificent region.