We are a party of 4 arriving Marseille with villa reservations in L’lsle sur la Sorgue in late April. We will pick up rental car and drive to villa upon mid week arrival at MRS. We enjoy wineries, food tours, art, historic sites and gardens. We have 8 full days in Provence with plans to return rental to MRS. Looking for do’s and don’ts for the area and also “must see”.
Posted by
Paris
6897 posts
Well, there are many threads about Provence already, and a lot of tourist "literature". It is generally easier to comment on a list of places you want to visit, than to suggest one from scratch. What brought you to the area in the first place?
Main draws typically include:
- the various Roman sights at Pont du Gard, Nîmes, Arles, Orange, Vaison la Romaine, Glanum outside St Rémy
- the hilltop villages in and around the Lubéron (Gordes, Roussillon, Ménerbes, Vénasque...), les Baux de Provence falls into the same category
- the charming streets of old Arles and Avignon
- the vineyards, most of which are around Orange (Châteauneuf du Pape, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Cairanne...)
- natural sights (Mont Ventoux, Nesque gorge, Camargue...)
And so on, and so forth. There is plenty to fill weeks of sightseeing, so you'll have to make choices.
And plan to stay in town on Sunday: the antiques market is fun!
Posted by
Washington DC
27111 posts
Rick has a guidebook focused on southern France, "Provence & the French Riviera". As much time as you're spending in Provence, you would really benefit from that book. The most recent edition was published in December 2020.
Posted by
100 posts
Balso's list, as always, has a lot of the key highlights!
We stayed in Pernes les Fontaines a few years ago and loved the area. The drive around the Gorges de la Nesque doesn't make it into most travel listings (but is in Balso's!), and it's beautiful. The best views are on the D942 between Villes sur Auzon and Monieux.
https://www.ventouxprovence.fr/en/mont-ventoux-a-destination-to-explore/the-gorges-of-the-nesque.html
We also enjoyed the drive up Mont Ventoux, especially as we are cycling fans. Ate dinner in Bedoin after descending.
the ochre hills outside Roussillon and the Colorado Provencal park in Rustrel are also pretty.
Posted by
Paris
6897 posts
Glad to see someone who went to the Nesque gorge as well!
For more context, while not quite as dramatic, it is a great alternative to the Verdon gorge for people who cannot or do not want to make the trip there. The drive from Villes sur Auzon to Monieux takes 45-60 minutes plus stops; it is a little bit scary (check Google Streetview, bearing in mind that since the camera is on the roof of the car it makes it look scarier) but traffic is very light - do mind the cyclists though. It is very easy to combine with the recommended drive up Mont Ventoux, and with a stop in Pernes-Les-Fontaines or Vénasque.