Provence 7-day Itinerary

When the popes abandoned tumultuous Rome in 1309, they came to Avignon. Seven reigned here until 1377, in a colourful period of greed and depravity that the poet Petrarch labelled the ‘Babylonian captivity’. They left behind nothing less than the biggest Gothic palace of all time, built for luxury as well as defence.

Although much of its decoration has been lost over time, it has lost none of its power to amaze. It’s a big site not really suited to younger children, though ‘Les Luminessences’ – an outdoor 3D show, held every evening from mid-August to late September – is good for all the family.

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.

The paintings by Chardin, Manet, Cezanne, Degas, Modigliani, Sisley, Van Gogh and Picasso that fill this delightful museum were collected by Paris fashion designer Jacques Doucet – the Yves Saint-Laurent of the early 20th century. They were later donated to the city of Avignon by his great-nephew and wife, who were both artists and collectors themselves.

This inspiring selection of art is housed in the Doucet family’s elegant Avignon townhouse, with one floor preserved exactly as it was during their lifetime. Be sure to track down Van Gogh’s Railway Carriages, the only Van Gogh painting that remains on permanent display in Provence.

The Luberon in southeast Provence is a 600 square kilometres (230 sq mi) massif, consisting of three intersecting mountain ranges. With achingly beautiful landscapes, mesmerising fields of lavender, stipey vineyards, quaint hilltop villages and lively markets, it’s quintessential Provence at its most charming, traditional and picturesque.

The easiest way to explore it is to take an organised tour, or if you prefer to go independent, rent or bring a car and drive between scenic points. Make a circular tour, starting in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue with its canals, waterwheels and antiques shops; then visit the mysterious source at the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, before heading to golden stone Gordes, with its curious field of bories (stone igloo huts) and its lavender-growing Cistercian abbey, Sénanque. Finally, head to Roussillon, with its dramatic ochre quarries, and three neighbouring villages – some of Provence’s prettiest – Bonnieux, Lacoste and Ménerbes. If you have the time, stay along the way, and make it a road trip.

You can also tour by bike: there are numerous shorter routes, and a full 8-day, 240km circuit – called the Luberon a velo – that winds through the most beautiful parts of the region, along old country roads.

Roman theatres have survived across the Mediterranean, but few can match the glorious one in Orange, where the massive stage wall (much admired by Louis XIV) has survived intact.

Built early in the 1st century AD, it’s one of the best-preserved Ancient Roman theatres in the world and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It served as a venue for theatre and spectacles until the 4th century AD, when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire and the Church shut it down, believing the spectacles to be unholy.

Today up to 10,000 spectators can still sit and enjoy its pitch-perfect ancient acoustics, under the watchful eye of a statue of Augustus, when it’s used for live performances including summer’s fabulous Les Choregies d’Orange opera festival. A ticket to the ancient theatre includes admission to the Musée d’Orange (Museum of Orange), which contains archaeological finds and paintings from the area.

The remarkably preserved Pont du Gard is a masterpiece of Roman engineering. Built in the 1st century BC as part of a 50km aqueduct, it once supplied 30,000m³ of water daily to Nimes and until recently was used as a car bridge.

There’s a small museum on site that documents the history of the aqueduct, and explains how it was built with a variety of models, virtual reconstructions, multimedia screens and sounds.

Located alongside Arles’ Roman circus, where chariots once stormed around the track, this museum houses the city’s ever-expanding collection of finds from the region – dating from prehistoric times until the 6th century AD.

Housed in a striking triangular building designed by Henri Ciriani, the exhibits include Roman sculpture, ceramics, mosaics, scale models of Roman Arles, everyday items, and elaborate sarcophagi from the Alyscamps cemetery.

It also contains what some claim is the oldest known bust of Julius Caesar (founder of Roman Arles), which was discovered in the Rhone in 2007. Hortus, next to the museum in the ruins of the ancient circus, is the recreation of a Roman garden and frequently offers activities and ancient Roman games for children.

Set on a low hill, this is the biggest and one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres in France, where 20,000 would come to watch gladiators fight to the death.

Built in the late 1st century AD, it was inspired by Rome’s Coliseum, which had been built a decade earlier – and was later converted into a fortress in the Middle Ages (an era from which three towers still survive). Originally the amphitheatre had a third level of arcades, but even now there are lovely views over the rosy tile rooms of Arles from the top level.

A designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s now used as an arena again, it’s used for bullfights during Arles’ Easter and September festivals, as well as the bloodless Courses Camarguaises bullfights, and occasional gladiatorial re-enactments.

Be sure to visit the ancient theatre, too, which is included in the ticket – built in the century before the amphitheatre, it’s not as well-preserved, but still used for performances.

This evocative, romantic Roman burial ground – once the most famous cemetery in medieval Europe – is today a significant historical and archaeological site. It’s also been immortalised in paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin.

It stretches along a tree-lined avenue filled with sarcophagi and ancient tombs. It’s the burial site of the legendary St Trophime and the first bishops of Arles, and remains an important stop on the pilgrimage to Compostela. The site’s name translates to ‘Elysian Fields’, reflecting its importance as a resting place for the elite.

As you wander, you can explore the well-preserved sarcophagi, some adorned with intricate carvings and inscriptions. Also stop by the medieval Saint-Honorat Church and the remnants of the Romanesque Church of Saint-Césaire for a glimpse into the evolving architectural styles and religious practices over the centuries.

As prime spots where Van Gogh lived and painted, the towns of Arles and Saint-Remy both regret not hanging on to any of Van Gogh’s original works while he was alive. To make up for it, each has set up a self-guided Van Gogh Walk, pinpointing the scenic spots where the master planted his easel.

When doing the walk in Arles, spare some time to see the Espace Van Gogh in the former hospital on Place du Dr Félix Rey, where he had his ear stitched up and was later locked up. Inside you’ll find exhibits chronicling his stay. The hospital’s courtyard has been remodelled to resemble as closely as possible his famous painting ‘Le Jardin de l’Hôtel de Dieu’. You’ll also pass by the Reattu Fine Arts Museum, which houses many of Van Gogh letters, and the famous Café Terrace on the Place du Forum.

Quintessential to the mystique of the Provence region, La Camargue – the enormous Rhone delta just south of Arles – is Western Europe’s largest river delta and home to an important range of flora and wildlife, including nearly 400 species of bird. Almost 140,000 hectares are declared a national park. The Pont de Gau Ornithological Park is good for spotting some of the Camargue’s 400 species of birds, while the Marais Vigueirat Nature Reserve has nature trails and offers guided wildlife excursions.

Local tour operators in Arles and Les Saintes-Maries offer 4WD drive wildlife safaris and zodiac river safaris into remote areas; in winter, sand yachting on the long empty beaches is also possible. There are a number of cycle paths into the Camargue from the little coastal town of Les Saintes-Maries, where you can also find bikes to rent.

Other visitors come for the wild beaches by the picturesque seaside town of Les Saintes Maries-de-la-Mer, dominated by its famous fortified Romanesque church.

Located five minutes from Saint-Remy and 15 minutes from Les Baux-en-Provence, this beautiful 19th-century chateau is surrounded by a glorious 300-year-old park, with native and exotic trees.

Once famous for hosting France’s best-known politicians, artists and writers, today the romantic rooms – furnished with an astute mix of period and contemporary design – offer an atmospheric refuge from a more genteel era.

It’s an idyllic place to linger in and there’s plenty to do, with a beautiful heated pool, tennis and petanque courts, fitness and massage rooms, and electric bikes to hire; the exceptional restaurant is an added bonus. And Avignon, Arles and Aix are all within an hour’s drive.

This former monastery – a masterpiece of Provencal Romanesque – is famous for being the asylum where Vincent van Gogh stayed from May 1889 to May 1890. Van Gogh admitted himself here seeking treatment for his mental health issues. The serene environment and supportive care provided a refuge during a tumultuous period of his life. He stayed in a modest room with barred windows, which he painted in his iconic style. Despite his struggles, Van Gogh found inspiration in the surrounding landscapes and gardens.

During his year at St-Paul-de-Mausole, Van Gogh created almost 150 oil paintings and more than 100 drawings, from within and outside the facility’s walls. This incredible haul included some of his most famous works, notably ‘The Starry Night’, ‘Irises’, and numerous self-portraits. The peaceful setting, with its lush gardens and views of the Alpilles mountains, profoundly influenced his artwork, capturing the natural beauty and tranquillity he experienced there.

His room and reproductions of the paintings he made there are on display, along with temporary exhibitions.

Vincent Van Gogh moved to Provence in 1888, during a time of ill health. He fell in love with the landscape and the rich light, and decided to stay and try to set up an artists’ colony.

Initially, he settled in Arles, where he created over 300 paintings and drawings, some of his best-known works – including the famous ‘Sunflowers’ paintings (now held in the Neue Pinakothek in Munich, National Gallery in London, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Sompo Japan Museum of Art in Tokyo).

The following year however, in 1889, after a bout of poor mental health, Van Gogh committed himself to the St-Paul-de-Mausole asylum just outside Saint-Remy. There he painted more of his masterpieces, including The Starry Night, now displayed in New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

As prime spots where Van Gogh lived and painted, the towns of Arles and Saint-Remy both regret not hanging on to any of Van Gogh’s original works while he was alive. To make up for it, each has set up a self-guided Van Gogh Walk, pinpointing the scenic spots where the master planted his easel.

Just south along the road from Saint-Remy, towards the Alpilles are two remarkable Roman monuments known as ‘Les Antiques: a Triumphal Arch’, and the strikingly well-preserved ‘Mausoleum’ that stands as a memorial dedicated to Julius Caesar and Augustus.

Beyond those lie the extensive and impressive ruins of the ancient city of Glanum, which – amazingly – were only rediscovered in the 1900s. Ancient Glanum was a Gaulish fortified town founded around a sacred spring in the 6th century BC. It became an official Roman city in 27BC, in the wake of Julius Caesar’s conquest of the region.

The surrounding landscapes of olives and cypresses here are pure Van Gogh: he painted many of his best-known works in these parts.

Teetering atop the craggy Alpilles mountains, this once-impressive fortress was built in the 10th century to be the home of the Seigneurs de Baux (Lords of Baux), the meanest, toughest hombres in Provence during the Middle Ages.

For five hundred years it presided over ceaseless conflicts – but its court was just as famous for promoting courtly love and troubadours during that era. It was eventually ordered to be demolished by King Louis XIII, as part of his relentless campaign to suppress religious and feudal rebellion.

Today, the romantic ruins enjoy spectacular views over much of southern Provence. During the summer, staff recreate the feudal spirit by shooting catapults, trebuchets, crossbows and re-enacting knights’ duels. There’s also sword fighting in summer and the occasional life-size battering ram – great fun for adults and especially kids.

Each morning, Aix hosts one of Provence’s best markets, overflowing with the freshest fruit, vegetables, herbs, meats, seafood and cheeses from local producers. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, it expands tenfold and includes a massive flower market.

A must for any art lover, the Granet Museum has a fascinating archaeological collection (including a reconstructed Celtic ‘head cult’ temple from nearby Entremont) and a remarkable array of works by Rubens, Rembrandt and Ingres.

Its 10 Cezanne paintings include a portrait of Emile Zola, the artist’s boyhood friend in Aix. From the 20th century come works by Giacometti, Mondrian, Balthus and Morandi and the excellent Collection Planque, with paintings by Degas, Picasso, de Stael, Braque and Klee.

This magnificent townhouse (1715), a beautifully restored hôtel particulier, features lavishly furnished period rooms, an exquisite garden, a film on Cezanne and temporary art exhibitions; a good stop for lunch, afternoon tea or dinner too.

Cezanne’s studio on Les Lauves hill was designed by the artist himself in 1902, although he only used it when it was too cold to paint outdoors (he died in 1906, after getting caught in the rain while painting his beloved Mont Sainte-Victoire). Over the decades it has been maintained as he left it – a must-see for any Cezanne fan, the one place in Aix where his presence is tangible.

If you continue another kilometre or so north from the studio, along Avenue Paul Cezanne, you’ll come to Les Lauves, the Terrain des Peintures viewpoint – where Cezanne often planted his easel to paint Mont Sainte-Victoire.