Camargue
Built on the potential first site of Christianity in the Camargue, this fortified church is of uncertain vintage, but probably hails from the 12th century…
Must-see attractions in Provence & the Côte d'Azur
Marseille
One of Provence’s most enduring Christmas traditions is its santons (plaster-moulded, kiln-fired nativity figures), first created by Marseillais artisan…
Antibes
This beautiful Cap d'Antibes villa, designed in 1867 for a Dutchman who scrambled the name of his wife, Cornélie, to come up with the villa's name, has…
Côte d'Azur
This famous factory at the foot of Biot village produces bubbled glass by rolling molten glass into baking soda; bubbles from the chemical reaction are…
Antibes
Stroll along the rampart walkway to the harbour, where luxury yachts jostle for the limelight with Nomade (2010), an 8m-tall sculpture of a man looking…
Côte d'Azur
In 1862, following Beaulieu's decision to leave the Kingdom of Savoy and join France, the French government built a customs house and fort along the…
The Luberon
This part-ruined, 9th-century château once belonged to the scandalous Marquis de Sade (1740–1814) but was bought in 2001 by the couturier Pierre Cardin…
Nice
This cool old 19th-century railway station was originally built to provide train service from Nice into the Alps. A century later, when it was replaced by…
Musée Archéologique de St-Raphaël
Côte d'Azur
The waters off St-Raphaël are home to the largest number of antique shipwrecks in France, and this museum explores the town's maritime heritage. You’ll…
Gorges du Verdon
Moustiers’ decorative faience (glazed earthenware) once graced the dining tables of Europe’s most aristocratic houses. Today each of Moustiers’ 15…
Monastère Notre Dame de Cimiez
Nice
Painters Henri Matisse and Raoul Dufy are buried in the cemetery of this monastery, a five-minute walk across the park from the Musée Matisse. To reach…
Arles
Just as social, political and religious life revolved around the forum in Roman Arles, so the busy plane-tree-shaded place du Forum still buzzes with life…
Aix-en-Provence
A wonderful terraced garden perfect for a picnic, from where Cézanne, among others, painted the Montagne Ste-Victoire. The view of the jagged mountain is…
Côte d'Azur
In comparison to some of Provence's other Roman ruins, Fréjus' amphitheatre is a little underwhelming – it was badly damaged during archaeological digs,…
Marseille
This niche museum is housed in the city’s former sanitary station, operational from 1948 until 1971. It’s essentially a graphic art museum exploring…
Marseille
Guarding the southern side of Marseille’s harbour (and threatening its sometimes rebellious citizens, who attempted to destroy it during the Revolution)…
Nice
Originally Queen Victoria’s wintering palace, this monumental edifice was subsequently converted into apartments. In the 1940s Matisse lived here, using…
Nice
It’s hard to imagine that this beautifully landscaped park was once a bus station, a multistorey car park and an ill-loved square. Completed in October…
The Luberon
A museum all about the history of breadmaking might not sound like a Bonnieux must-see, but it’s actually an intriguing visit. Located in a 17th-century…
Marseille
Nestled around this picture-postcard fishing village, a remnant of old maritime Marseille long since swallowed by modern sprawl, are traditional cabanons …
Marseille
Five kilometres south of central Marseille, this 17th-century park encompasses a lake, a miniature of the Notre-Dame de la Garde cathedral, a botanical…
Fonds Régional d’Art Contemporain
Marseille
The FRAC for Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur moved to this modern centre in La Joliette, with its striking plate-mail façade, in 2013. It hosts temporary…
Arles
Complicated restoration projects mean this 12th-century church, dominating Arles from the highest point in the city, can only be admired from outside…
Aix-en-Provence
South of Aix’s centre is the peaceful Parc Jourdan, home to the town’s Boulodrome Municipal, where locals gather beneath plane trees to play pétanque. An…
Musée de la Préhistoire des Gorges du Verdon
Gorges du Verdon
A small museum exploring the gorges’ natural history and archaeological treasures, detailing the prehistoric wildlife that once roamed here, the…
Nice
The hodgepodge of Roman artefacts in this archaeological museum is rather ho-hum – but if you've already bought a Nice museum pass, it's worth a visit…
Arles
These partly preserved Roman baths were built for Emperor Constantin's private use in the 4th century. While much of the complex has been built over…
Côte d'Azur
Built over an 11th-century predecessor in the 13th, and extended in the 15th, this chateau was destroyed during the Wars of Religion (1562–98). Rebuilt in…
Town Walls & Tour de Constance
Camargue
Scaling the ramparts of the picturesque town of Aigues-Mortes rewards you with sweeping views. Head to the top of the 13th-century Tour de Constance (in…
Arles
The 16th-century hospital where Van Gogh had his ear stitched on and was later locked up hosts the occasional exhibition (which attracts an entry fee). At…
The Luberon
The palatial Château d’Ansouis can be visited by guided tour, and in August it hosts classical-music concerts at its hedged-in courtyard. Tours run at 3pm…
Nice
A landmark building overlooking the grand sweep of the Promenade des Anglais, built in 1912 for Romanian innkeeper Henri Negresco. Its rosy-pink dome and…
The Luberon
This curious village museum was founded by Provençal painter and diver Georges Mazoyer, whose passion for the sea shows in the museum’s fossil exhibits…
Mémorial du Débarquement de Provence
Toulon
Near the summit of Mont Faron, Mémorial du Débarquement de Provence commemorates the Allied landings of Operation Dragoon, which took place along the…
St-Tropez
Chapelle de la Miséricorde was built in 1645 in the Gambetta neighbourhood by the local confraternity of 'black penitents' (a quasi-official religious…
St-Tropez
A cast from a 19th-century cannon peers out to sea here. The bailli (bailiff), Pierre André de Suffren (1729–88), was a sailor who fought with a Tropezien…
The Luberon
Apt's various industries – ochre-mining, fruits confits and faiences (glazed ceramics) – are explored at this modest but well-curated museum in the middle…
Musée Peynet et du Dessin Humoristique
Antibes
A bit of an enthusiast's museum, but if you're a fan of bandes dessinées (comics), you might want to take a look at the work of Antibes-born Raymond…
Avignon
Construction on this Romanesque and Gothic Carmelite church and cloister began in the 13th century. It became one of the first theatre and dance venues of…
St-Tropez
Predating St-Tropez’ citadel are three medieval towers guarding the port: Portalet, Jarlier and Suffren, the oldest building in St-Tropez, dating from the…
