Roman Theatre of Orange

Where to go and what to see in Provence to get the most from your trip – a 7-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.

Gorgeous landscapes peppered with beautiful villages, sunflowers and lavender, art-filled towns, lively cultural festivals and exquisite food and wine. Provence is everything you imagined it would be.

France’s oldest festival, featuring exceptional lyrical and opera performances, held in the beautiful, crumbling 1st-century Theatre Antique.

Postcard-perfect vineyards yielding world-famous wines – Provence is the home of the most prestigious Cotes du Rhone wines, including the reds of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, and Beaumes-de-Venise.

Nearly a thousand shows and exhibitions over three weeks, showcasing world-class drama, music and dance. France’s answer to the UK’s Edinburgh Festival.

The world’s biggest Gothic palace was home to popes during their 14th-century exile from Rome. Seven reigned here until 1377, in a colourful period of greed and depravity.

Papal Avignon was the centre of the European art for decades, and over 300 works of (mostly) Italian medieval and renaissance paintings and sculptures commissioned by the wealthy prelates of the church, including a Botticelli Madonna, are displayed in this 14th-century palace.

In Vaison, north of Avignon, the modern city, the medieval city, and the extensive remains of their Roman predecessor lie jumbled charmingly together. Ruins include four grand mansions, a theatre, a fine museum, and a picturesque bridge that still connects the two parts of the town.

Leading European travel writer Dana Facaros, with a passionate interest in archaeological sites, round-ups the best ruins and remnants of arguably the world’s greatest empire.