At first blush, many visitors may not realize that the Alpes-Maritimes department expands from the beaches of the French Riviera to the ski resorts of the southern Alps to the Italian border. Surrounded by the Var and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the Alpes-Maritimes has densely populated urban areas, famous Côte d’Azur cities, …

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is nature’s patchwork quilt featuring mountains, gorges, rolling valleys, lavender fields and pockets of remote villages and busy towns. The Durance River plays an essential role in this department that features high mountain peaks of the Alps and the lower alpine foothills with remote villages. While there are other …

Bouches du Rhône Department Like other departments, the Bouches du Rhône combines large urban centres and unspoilt countryside. Visible traces of Roman history weave throughout the region, which is one of many reasons to visit Arles and its monuments. Beautiful Aix-en-Provence and seaside Marseille, the second-largest city in France after …

As is the case in the rest of France, in Provence and along the Mediterranean coast, you don’t need to go far for the landscape to change dramatically. There are mountains, vineyards, orchards, gorges, lakes and sometimes crowds. So, if you feel like you need to get away without going …

Those iconic images of rows of lavender, fields of sunflowers and bright red poppies, Roman ruins and cobblestone villages are beautiful landscapes of Provence but not likely to interest your children for long. Family Vacation in Provence Whenever friends visit the Alpilles with their families, it has been our experience …

Steve Wilkison is a web designer, writer and photographer who lives in Vence, France, with his wife Carole Richmond and their dog Myla. Originally from southern California, he first became enchanted with France when he backpacked throughout Europe at the age of 18. He fell in love with Vence the …

The department stretches from the French Riviera beaches to the southern Alps ski resorts to the Italian border. Surrounded by the Var and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the Alpes-Maritimes includes densely populated urban areas and famous Côte d’Azur cities. However, from vineyards to hiking trails, plenty of untouched wilderness awaits exploration. Since …

The Durance River plays a crucial role in this region, which features high mountain peaks of the Alps and the lower alpine foothills, as well as remote villages. While there are other rivers, most of the watershed from the mountains runs down the Durance towards the Mediterranean. Digne-les-Bains Goldsworthy’s Refuge …

When Life Gives You Lemons. We Make Gin! The Citron de Menton has been cultivated since the 15th century, reaching its peak in the 18th century, when millions of lemons were shipped to the United States and Russia. Plagued by scurvy, many sailors were saved by eating lemons. In the …

The massif looks like a fortified stone ridge or a sharp triangle pointing to the sky, depending on how you approach Mont Sainte-Victoire. Regardless of the time of day or season, the only certainty is that the mountain, located on the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence, never looks the same twice. Artists …