Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: Every year in France there is a fantastic initiative called the European Heritage Days (Les Journées Européennes du Patrimoine) where residents and tourists have the opportunity to access many historical, cultural and architectural sites for no or heavily reduced entrance fees. This year the …

Sparkling azure waters, chilled pink wine, cicada-led symphonies and the market aromas of rotisserie chickens it is easy to see how one might get drunk on the sensory indulgence of Provence. Intoxicating PJ Adams grew up in California where she studied, before heading to the London School of Economics. Her …

Since 1969, Arles has established itself as a European focus for the art of photography. The vast Recontres d’Arles festival sprawls across town with 60 different exhibitions in museums, chapels, halls, showing the work of masters of the art – and new practitioners.

The bull running, local village fêtes, pastis and rosé drinking aren’t slowing down just yet. Here is my selection of the many events going on this month, primarily in the Bouches du Rhône region of Provence. As you can see, I’ve favoured village festivities because these are the hardest to …

The Jardin Remarquable label was created in 2003 to celebrate the incredible gardens of France. Meeting strict criteria these gardens are an amazing treat to visit, even for non-gardeners. Read about Ginger and Nutmeg’s first hand experience visiting one of Provence’s Jardin Remarquable gardens here: Remarkable Gardens – Jardin Remarquable in France, …

Reading MFK Fisher’s Two Towns in Provence, you might be surprised that it was written so long ago. The Cours Mirabeau, the cultural center of Aix, looks much like it did when Fisher and her two daughters sought solace at Les Deux Garçons or ambled down the boulevard so many …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: After the success of the first-ever “Chill for Charity” event, the team at Chances for Children are organizing a second event! On Friday 11 September, please invite yourself to come relax, rejuvenate and recharge! With summer coming to a close it’s time to chill …

This beautiful art book illustrates the many different ways people choose to live in Provence. It is part of a “Living in…” series of publications about living in different parts of the world including places like Tuscany or Bali. This particular volume was published in 2012 to celebrate the 25th …

You can believe there was a lot of competition and jealousy among artists in Aix. In fact, the poster boy for Aix-en-Provence, Paul Cézanne, was spurned by fellow artist and curator of The Museum of Aix from 1892 to 1925, Henri Pointier. Pointier, who never excelled to the degree that …

The Luberon in Provence is best known for its beautiful ‘villages perchés’ which visitors flock to in large numbers especially during July and August. Many are unaware of the existence of Pont Julien and indeed some visitors simply stumble upon it while visiting the most well known of these villages, …