Winter Festivals and Events in Provence So many images of the Provence and the Côte d’Azur are summer scenes with ribbons of blooming lavender fields, glasses of rosé with beads of condensation, and beautiful people in straw hats enjoying their holidays. Perhaps wintertime in Provence garners less attention, but it’s …

Established in 2007, the Parc Naturel Régional des Alpilles covers the mountain range and its flanks. As a protected natural area, there are restrictions on construction and park usage. However, the artifacts from human settlements discovered in these hills date back to the Neolithic era, and the range is the …

The Camargue region is one of the most unique areas in France, a vast salt delta of marshland and sand dunes encompassing more than 247,000 acres, nestled between the two branches of the Rhône River, the Grand and Petit, both originating in the Swiss Alps. The word Camargue derives from …

I have never lived in a village in France. I lived in a city (Paris), but I’ve always lived in the countryside in Provence. Never far from a town, but not actually in one. As we are working out a plan for a full-time life in Provence, I thought it …

Not helped by its setting for gangster and crime movies, France’s second-largest city – Marseille – used to have an image problem. However, ask any local; this city is pure magic. Situated on the Mediterranean, Marseille residents can swim at their favourite beach before work and watch the sunset over …

Whether this is your first trip to the French Riviera or you are a regular visitor to the Côte d’Azur, the only problem is overwhelming choices. Where should you start? In alphabetical order, we have highlighted ten (10) of our favourite places to visit along (or near) the coast. However, …

The Luberon is a great area to explore on foot. There is a wonderful network of well-marked hiking trails, with many of the villages having their own circular walks too. While, in the height of summer, it can be too hot to really walk any distance, and many of the …

Calling all nature and bird lovers! During your trip to Provence, you won’t want to miss the family-friendly Parc Ornithologique de Pont-de-Gau. This birding hot spot in the Camargue is near Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, where you will see pink flamingos and many other birds. See Flamingos and More This is far from …

We often take day trips away from our home in Sablet (book your stay here) to explore the Vaucluse and surrounding Departments. We probably go most often to the hilltop villages of the Luberon, including Venasque, which is what we did a few weeks ago. Venasque is a pretty small …

My wife and I live part of the year in St-Rémy-de-Provence, a town famous for its Roman ruins, Vincent van Gogh, and its fabulous weekly market. I’ve written two guidebooks about the area, plus hundreds of articles, so I get many questions from people planning a visit. While this isn’t …