Nestled in the heart of Provence, you will find a true Hidden Gem – Château de Mazan. The former residence of the Marquis de Sade, an 18th Century French aristocrat, politician and writer who was infamous for his outrageous, libertine lifestyle, this stunning Château is an ideal destination for a relaxing …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: If you love Provence, you will love this exhibition. Charles Camoin was born in Marseille and spent his later years living in Saint-Tropez and painting all along the Mediterranean coast. The Musée Granet’s exhibition, ‘Camoin dans sa Lumiere’, has wonderful examples of his works showing Marseille, Cassis and …

Twenty years ago, my husband, daughter, and I rolled into Marseille on the high-speed train from Paris.  If I recall correctly, the Aix-en-Provence TGV station had not yet been built. We rented a car and drove to Aix-en-Provence, where we would spend several nights before moving to Lourmarin, the small …

Are you an intellectually curious traveler? Context Travel aims to be different, far removed from the average tourist tour, and certainly not with just any tour guides. Tour leaders at Context Travel are called docents, with good reason these are multi-degreed (MBA, Ph.D.) specialists in their fields of study who are keen …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: I hadn’t heard of Raphaël Ponson before visiting the exhibition at Marseille’s Musee Regards de Provence but thoroughly enjoyed seeing his work produced during the 19th century; it gives us an insight into the region in its pre-modern tranquillity. The Vieux Port is shown as …

Occasionally, I get asked what do I enjoy the most about Perfectly Provence? Hands down it is the personal connections forged via this online community of contributors and readers. Some of my favourite moments (to date) include a lady’s lunch in Nice, exchanging recipes and wine pairing ideas with new …

The sprawling ‘Les Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles’, this year in its 47th edition, will for the first time, overflow to Marseille, Avignon and Nimes. The venues will be, respectively the Villa Mediterranée, the Collection Lambert and the Carré d’Art. In all, there will be 39 different expos showcasing the …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: …as it used to be known, comes back into service for the season on Saturday 23rd April. Boats start at Marseille’s Vieux Port and take 100 passengers to either Pointe Rouge or L’Estaque. Each journey takes about half an hour and last year cost 5 …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: Last autumn, it was announced that two mansions in centre ville were for sale. The town authorities wished to divest themselves of buildings which weren’t functional and cost too much to maintain. Now there is some progress to report on one. The Hotel de Valbelle, currently …

Author Mary Lou Longworth and her family have lived in Provence for nearly 20 years. They long ago fell under the spell of the natural Provencal beauty studded with olive trees, vineyards and cobalt sky. Life in France has included a few expat struggles and the birth of series of …