Discover the best of Provence & explore its charming towns & cities, medieval abbeys, storybook castles, & Roman monuments. Follow this guided tour through its magical landscapes
- fields of red poppies, fragrant lavender, olive trees, & sunflowers. The tour begins in Avignon, famed for its Palais des Papes, & moves into the surrounding countryside, including Orange & its Roman-era coliseum, & the charming hill towns of Gordes, Roussillon, & Bonnieux. On to the Bouches du Rhone, featuring Arles, van Gogh`s old haunt; Les Baux & its troubadour-era remains; the Camargue, the marshy land of Provencal cowboys & flamingos; & chic & elegant Aix-en-Provence. After exploring revitalized Marseille, with its new museum, you are introduced to the Var, with its Mediterranean paradises of St. Tropez, Antibes, & the resort islands of Hyeres, Porquerolles, & Port-Cros. Farther east awaits the fabled French Riviera, including the glittering towns of St. Tropez, Cannes, Nice, regal Monaco, & Menton, with its new Jean Cocteau museum. Finally, you discover Provence`s more rugged side in Haute Provence, domain of the Gorges du Verdon.