Provence for Art, Architecture, Views, and Photography

Provence is best with a car, and that will allow you to stay in some smaller villages (not Avignon or Arles) and avoid major crowds. St. Remy is a popular choice for a base at the west of the Luberon. It’s well positioned for drivers. Aix is quite far to the east by comparison, but seems universally beloved. Those are probably your top choices, with perhaps a third between (Roussilon?) depending on your style.

Though there’s no shortage of artistic history here, there’s not so much in the way of real artworks. I enjoyed Arles, but imo all the Van Gogh references feel thin. Still, the amphitheater, ruins, and Roman Museum are excellent and the town is rather lovely. Avignon is a bust, and the Papal Palace is the bust of busts on the bust. Seriously, don’t even bother going in. It’s empty. Resist the expensive temptation of walking out on the stupid bridge too. Combine Pont du Garde with a quick stop in Avignon and get out.

I think you’ll find Provence’s markets very rewarding, and many of the towns on your list have good ones. Schedule them in. They’re all a bit different, and to me they are the encapsulation of the region.

I stayed Vaison-la-Romaine, in the Dentelles de Montmirail. This is an awesome area too, though farther north than your other destinations. The Roman theatre in Orange is amazing, and not quite as far. The town itself is average, but a quick side trip for the theatre is well worth it.

There are a number of art museums, each devoted to a single artist, that may interest you. I am remembering Picasso (Antibes), Leger (Biot), and Renoir (Cagnes sur Mer),

to add to the above, I second the Picasso museum in Antibes and the Renoir home -- both better than you'd expect.

re: Orange, if you're an Albert Belleroche fan then you'll hit the jackpot in Orange's art gallery. Also great for WWII events.

Nimes fans will also chime in; Rick's guidebook for Provence has great itineraries.

Just one problem with the above two suggestions: the OP is visiting Provence. Antibes, Biot, and Cagnes are on the Côte d’Azur. They are in the same region, PACA, but are different areas. The closest suggested is 2 hours away.

We stayed in Roussillon and Les Beaux on our trip to southern France in early to mid July 2015 and did day trips from those locations. It will not just be hot but also humid but if you want to see the lavender and sunflower fields that is when you have to go.. Look for hotels with ac and if possible a swimming pool to cool off. I did a lot of hand washed laundry on that trip because after being out all day our clothes were unwearable. But I knew that would be the case and went anyway to see the lavender. It was worth it. I agree that Avignon was not very interesting and definitely don’t bother going in the papal palace. But Avignon might be worth a brief look see if you have time. The arts festival was going on when we were there and crazy busy. Definitely go to the Carrieres de Lumieres. It is beautiful and also a cool respite from the heat and humidity. Enjoy your trip to Provence. It is spectacular.

Thanks to each of you for your very helpful info. I do have 5 nights planned for Nice. I doubt I can resist a day trip for the glitz and glamor of Monte Carlo, perhaps Menton - but I was saving that for a separate post. I need to nail down the plans for Provence first.

You saved me from making Avignon a base. Of the three: St Remy, Aix, and Roussillon, which has easier/free parking? It would be nice to get back to a town with options for meals and such.

Thanks!
Lee

We were in the Luberon Valley near Gordes at the end of June, timed specifically to see the lavender fields. It was wonderfully warm - I don’t recall extreme heat being an issue. But the lavender fields….oh my goodness!

Is the Carrieres de Lumieres worth it?

It depends on what the show is. Last summer it was about Tintin, a character very dear to a French person's heart, less to an American. This month a new show is beginning: Monet and a short segment on Caillebotte. The Carrière is the original venue of these light shows, and much more reasonably priced than those I've seen advertised in the US.

Look into Uzès. We went on their market day. We bought items for a picnic at Pont du Gard which we went to as the next stop.

I agree with Elizabeth about it depending on what is showing at Carrières des Lumières. The venue itself is very unique but if you do not like what they are showing, you may not find it worthwhile. I will say my mom has been to a couple of other immersive art-type shows in the U.S and she said they did not come close to Carrières des Lumières. Carrières des Lumières was my first and only experience with this type of show and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Have a wonderful trip!

Lee, If I recall correctly, the arena you mention in St. Remy is probably the one in Arles...well worth seeing as well as the other Roman ruins there. Re. parking, I would say that Aix will be much more difficult than St.Remy. I do not know about Roussillon.

And Elizabeth is correct about the Cote d'Azur being the location of some recommendations here. Another thread perhaps.

With a car you can get to just about all your locations. I like to get a Michelin paper map of the an area and see the big picture before planning out my drives, to save backtracking and make the most of my time without spending forever in the car. We always mark our drives on the map and save it as a souvenir and aide-memoir of our trips. The regional/local maps from Michelin (the yellow ones or orange ones) are so much better than a map on a computer to "see" where you are. Also, the Micherlin green guides give a ton of detail about everything there is to see.

As for where to stay.....though I have visited most of your places, I have only stayed overnight in St. Remy and Arles. Both were a real
treat. Have a wonderful time. Amusez-vous bien!

If the reason for visiting L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is to see the town rather than the market, you'll want to avoid market days. It's hard to appreciate the town's architecture for all the market booths. The markets (which I did enjoy) are on Thursday and Sunday. The Sunday market is considerably larger. I don't believe the Thursday market features antiques/brocante. If you decide to visit on a market day, I recommend Googling for information on parking ahead of time.

If you go to Aix, I can highly recommend going to the Terrain des Peintres (Field of Painters). It's a gorgeous public space where Cezanne would to paint. I went in the morning and the light was magnificent. The view was breathtaking - I literally felt like I was standing in one of Cezanne's paintings.

I also enjoyed the Musee Granet and the Musee Granet XXe (one ticket gets you into both museums)

Thank you all for your suggestions and replies.
I'm looking forward to seeing these lovely places!

At this point, I think a car from Isle sur la Sorge is all that is needed. I'm looking into trains and buses now to get me around. If that fails, then small group tours.
Your help is appreciated.
Lee

Traffic, parking and having a car in general in L'Isle sur la Sorge was a nightmare for us, but that was way back in 2018. Maybe things are better now. (Or, maybe not. I'd think the latter.) We day-tripped there from Roussillon. I'll give another vote for Maison des Ochres, where we stayed for about a week. They are only a few blocks from the center of town, but are on a street with easy access and an outdoor parking lot. I have a vague memory of it in an inner courtyard, but I'm not totally sure, so if you're interested in Maison, I'd contact them to be sure they didn't put the pool in the parking lot!