Travel to Provence on your own. Thematic routes around Provence

Almost a year has passed since I promised to tell you about one of my most beautiful travels. It was the south of France, Provence. And now this day has come! :)
Thanks to my memory - I seem to still remember how it was :)

Let's go!

Since we were going to this region for the first time, we wanted to see everything at once so that we would definitely understand where we wanted to return. It was a bit of a gallop, but we still managed to get a relatively clear impression. I wanted to spend more time in some cities, I have already visited some for the second time and, if everything goes well, I will go to the third in October.

To travel you need: a good mood, a passion for French cuisine, the ability to entertain yourself on quiet evenings, a car, a desire to look and see, a little stamina (I’ll talk about this separately) and a love of rural landscapes.

And forgive me my passion for hipstamatic and amateur photographs :)

At first I struggled with the route for a long time, but then it somehow appeared on its own:

Salon-de-Provence is a small town with a population of just over 40 thousand people. It gained fame thanks to its soap factories and the fact that in the 16th century Michel Nostradamus lived there for the final 25 years of his life. There is a museum in the city, but we didn’t get to it.

Evening of the first day. Nice hotel room interior.

And morning!

After lunch we headed to Avignon. Distance approximately 60 km. An ordinary road, not a highway, and therefore very picturesque.

On the way to Avignon:

Avignon is located on the left bank of the Rhone. The city is famous and beautiful. Historical information I won’t give it away (not to copy Wikipedia, really), but I’ll share a couple of interesting photos. And yes: you need to go to this city.

Small restaurant with Michelin stars. Great meat and chilled wine, friendly staff and a lovely patio.

A little bit of the city.

Street of burnt cars.

We did not stay overnight in Avignon and went to Lyon. Distance approximately 240 km.

To be fair, I will say: this map is not entirely correct - in fact, we first drove along a country road, and then got onto the autobahn - approximately in the Valence area.

But the most beautiful thing, of course, was along the country road - VINEYARDS!

Lyon himself.
This, of course, is no longer quite Provence - Lyon is administrative center Rhône-Alpes region.
What can I tell you about this city? He's amazing! A definite must-go. I was there for the second time last November and will come again and again!

Nice details.

Theater.

Place Carnot.

Restaurants are waiting for guests for dinner.

We stayed in Lyon for a day, and it turned out to be painfully short. I repeat: must-go!

After Lyon, we went to the town of Ebens - it’s not even a town, but a commune! Distance approximately 120 km. On the way we stopped in Grenoble, but the city did not make any impression.

But the road was amazing!

A little bit of Grenoble.

And here we are at the cutest little spa hotel in Ebens.

Funny prose.

Hotel area: cozy gazebos, silence, wonderful air. Height - 408 meters above sea level.

The most wonderful tea party!

And a little girlish joy - greetings from Lyon :)

Hills and mountains.
We are driving along the so-called Napoleon Road (N85), laid from Cannes to Grenoble - it was along this route that the Emperor returned from Elba in February 1815.

A little Chablis at the foot of the Alps never hurts!

Gap turned out to be a small city of funny statues.

Late in the evening we entered Manosque.

And here’s what he’s like in the morning!

The cutest little town.

We stayed in Manosque until lunch, after which we stopped at the small airfield of Vinon-sur-Verdon.

A little picnic :)

Next we were going to go to the legendary city of perfumers - Grasse. The navigator offered me 2 routes. They differed in length - about 10 kilometers, and I, of course, chose the short one, but... For me, a person terribly afraid of heights and mountain roads, you should pay attention to the fact that part of the route runs through the mountains, and part has sharp turns characteristic of mountain descents. The distance is about 160 km.

And then the horror story begins! :)

At first everything is quite nice: a coniferous forest.

Rough slides...

The most beautiful lake of Sainte-Croix!

Soon after which the Verdon Gorge begins.

This, I’ll tell you honestly, is very beautiful, but terribly scary! Literally around this turn, the road goes into the shadows and for the next 40 kilometers it goes along the cliff of a mountain: in some places there are no bump stops and you can see the cliff with the rumbling sound below mountain river, there are no road markings anywhere, and oncoming traffic is very unnerving.
In fact, this is a huge fault: on the left there is a steep cliff upwards, on the right it goes down.
I don’t take any further photographs, because I’m trying to do two things: not die of horror and not strangle myself for taking such a route.

The coolest route around Provence by car in 1 day! July 24th, 2015

The route is quite simple, and can start not only from the city of Castellana. You can stay in any city Cote d'Azur: Nice, Cannes or my favorite Menton. You just need to leave early in any case, since the route is quite busy and intense.

You can also finish not in Avignon, but in some other city. But Avignon is one of the most interesting places in Provence, the "City of the Popes" with one of the largest medieval buildings in the world - the impressively powerful Papal Palace. And for those who love more province, I highly recommend staying in the village of Les Baux-de-Provence, instead of Avignon, and this will not affect the travel time in any way. At the end of the route, after the abbey, it’s the same distance to Les Baux de Provence as to Avignon, but this village is simply a stunning place and here is the most visited castle in France.

The route is divided into two parts, the first is Verdon Gorge, Moutiers-Sainte-Marie village and lavender fields.

Here is the area with the gorge in more detail.

The first views begin already from the intersection of D925 and D955, and from the village of La Palud-sur-Verdon the Cretan road D23 begins. This is a serpentine road and you need to drive along it clockwise (as shown on the map), because... the second half is completely one-sided. The climax is somewhere in the middle of the Cretan road (the title photo of the post), but further interesting views also open up, right up to Lake Sainte-Croix. More photographs of the gorge in a separate section.

Immediately after, we are greeted by Lake Sainte-Croix, where you can go for a swim if you wish.

Next we will have a stop in a village Moutiers-Sainte-Marie(Moustiers-Sainte-Marie).

Here we will have lunch and we can work up a little appetite by going upstairs (262 steps) to the chapel of Notre-Dame de Beaubourg.

And, of course, have lunch. For lunch, I recommend Bistrot provencal La Treille Muscate (located on Place de l'eglise, Google finds it by name), a real French restaurant with local cuisine and a touchy cook if you suddenly order the meat cooked above average. Just one caveat - they only speak French there. You can reserve a table by mail [email protected], or by phone +33 4 92 74 64 31. Incredibly tasty.

Next we go to Lavender fields, on the road D8 or D6. There will also be lavender fields after Valensole along the D6, up to Manosque, but less frequently.

I really liked the photos of lavender fields trasyy , I give one photo.

The most important thing is not beautiful view, and the smell. But you can see and smell them only from mid-late June to early August. A best time- It's the beginning of July.

The second part of the route is beautiful road through Serest (no need to stop there) and between villages Lacoste(Lacoste) and Proud(Gordes), where on the sides of the road there will be vineyards, gardens, ancient stone walls. And at the top of Lacoste there is a castle where the Marquis De Sade once lived.

The last section of the route is larger.

Lacoste(Lacoste) and Proud(Gordes) are very pretty villages, representing the quintessence of an idyllic Provençal village with ancient stone streets, surrounded by flowers, and stunning panoramas of the surrounding valley.

And the last stop, right after Gordes, is Senank Abbey(Librairie de l'Abbaye de Sénanque), founded in 1148, where there is also a large lavender field.

To go along the route, all you have to do is print out this post (namely, screenshots of Google maps) and go ahead. In general, the route can be divided into two days, then you will have more free time to walk. Before traveling, I recommend reading my

Experienced travelers are planning their summer vacation now. Especially when it comes to independent trips to Europe: you need time to sort out transport, book accommodation, and explore the sights. For those who have long dreamed of a holiday in France, we have prepared a detailed story about Provence from eyewitnesses - independent travelers.

When you imagine Provence, many associations immediately arise: fields of lavender, aromatic spices, mountains, impressionists. People from all over the world continue to come here, just like 100 years ago. Artists are looking for inspiration, city dwellers tired of the hustle and bustle are looking for harmony, gourmets are looking for delicious cuisine. The secret of Provence is that everyone finds something of their own here, what they need.

When is the best time to go?

My favorite time in Provence is September. Firstly, there is no longer any heat, but the sea, on the contrary, is warmed up. Secondly, there are fewer tourists, and it is easy to find a place on the beach or park a car. Thirdly, prices in September are lower than in summer months. And, of course, September is fig season. In October it is also warm here and you can swim. However, it doesn’t change from year to year and you can get caught in the rain.

Summer in Provence is high season. It can be very hot on the coast at this time. But higher in the mountains the climate is mild and comfortable. During the day the temperature rises to 30 degrees and in the evening drops to 20.

How to fly

From Moscow there are direct flights to Marseille and Nice all year round. A ticket to Marseille will be cheaper. Direct flights to Marseille from Moscow are provided Air company France. To make your flight more budget-friendly, choose a flight with a transfer. Such a ticket with a stop, for example, in Frankfurt will cost about $300. How to get from Paris to Marseille by high speed train for three hours (approximately 40 euros per person).

Where to live

If you are planning a trip for 1-2 weeks and frequent trips throughout Provence, it will be convenient to book rooms in different hotels or apartments. For longer trips, especially with small children, it makes more sense to rent a house. For example, this is the second year that we have been renting a house with friends through the website www.homeaway.com. To obtain a visa, ask your hosts to send you an invitation. This invitation must include your name and the name of your host, as well as the period for which you intend to rent the house.

How to navigate

Upon arrival at the airport, we rented a car. It is best to choose a car in advance on the Internet. France has a well-developed network railways. It is called here TGV. You can view fares and train schedules on this website. However, if you want to see small picturesque villages, you will still need a car.

Almost all express roads in France are toll roads. So when planning a trip by car, budget for travel expenses. Check out the rates.

What to see

Provence is the most diverse region France. I will write about the places we visited and which we liked the most. I'll start with Aix-en-Provence, historical capital Provence.

Everything here testifies to prosperity and prosperity. And at the same time, Aix is ​​unusually alive - after all, there is a university here and the music festival. If you come to Aix by car, it will be easiest to find a space in one of the multi-level underground parking lots. When traveling by train, keep in mind that Aix has two stations. You need to get off at the station Aix-en-Provence center (Aix-en-Provence centre).

Start your exploration of the city from Boulevard Mirabeau. Admire the exquisite building facades. Stop by Les Deux Garcons for lunch, a café that has been in business since 1792. Paul Cézanne and Jean-Paul Sartre often came here. On the opposite side of the boulevard from Les Deux Garcons stands the beautiful mansion of Morel de Pontev. Its façade is decorated with sculptures of Atlanteans. There are morning and evening markets on the boulevard, where you can buy local soap, honey or a hat. Visit the Saint-Saver Cathedral. It was built at different times and combines three styles - Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque.

Marseilles

You can read a lot of unflattering reviews about Marseille. I can’t say that this is all fiction, that’s partly how it is. But nevertheless, Marseille is the capital of Provence with wonderful architecture and rich history. Therefore, I think that you need to visit here at least once.

One of the most famous landmarks of Marseille is the Basilica of Notre Dame de La Garde, built in the neo-Byzantine style in the 19th century. It rises above the city at an altitude of 154 meters. You can get to the basilica by excursion train (8 euros), which departs from the Old Port. After visiting the basilica, return to Old Port. In my opinion, this is the most charming place in Marseille. Located next to the Old Port Old town. The famous Rue La Canebière departs from here. You will see buildings on it opera house and exchanges, maritime museum and the Museum of the History of Marseille.

Marseille is the birthplace of the main character of the novel Monte Cristo. Go to the island with the Château d'If, where Dantes was imprisoned. You can get to the castle by boat departing from the Old Port. The cost of visiting the castle is 5.50 euros.

Cassis

Go to Cassis to simply enjoy the atmosphere of a small seaside town surrounded by cliffs and swim in the sea. The road going down to Cassis is a real pleasure. Amazing sea views open before you, and the road is bordered by vineyards.

The main attraction of Cassis is the calanques, local fjords. In the port of Cassis you can buy tickets for a boat trip to explore the calanques. The cost of a ticket for such an excursion depends on the number of places visited. A tour of 5 calanques costs 19 euros and lasts 65 minutes. The calanques can also be reached on foot along the road leading from the beach. Just be aware that there are difficult sections along the way, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes.

Village of Lourmarin

This is a very picturesque village. While you are traveling to Lourmarin, you never tire of admiring the beautiful fields and vineyards.

The small streets of the village are dotted with shops and cafes. There is a 15th-century castle in Lourmarin (visit €6.50). Pay attention to the wonderful spiral staircase. The castle hosts wonderful classical music concerts. Moreover, guests can arrive an hour before the concert, bring provisions with them and dine on the castle terrace.

Arles

In Arles the sun shines almost all year round, which makes this city even more attractive. If you come here by train, get off at the central station. From the station you can get to the city center in a few minutes by one of the buses. If you are traveling by car, leave it in the parking lot on the embankment and start exploring the city from here.

Arles is located on the banks of the Rhone River. Walk along the embankment to the Reattu Museum, where works by Pablo Picasso are kept. Then move towards the small square Place du Forum. And then Van Gogh’s famous yellow cafe appears in front of you.

Van Gogh became an iconic figure for Arles. The artist painted almost 200 paintings here. In the center of Arles there is an ancient theater and arena - monuments from the times of the Roman Empire. The arena makes a colossal impression with its grandeur. Around it there are many shops and stalls with souvenirs and spices. It is best to have lunch or dinner not in the center of Arles, but closer to the embankment on Docteur Fanton or Reattu streets.

Saint Paul

Saint-Paul is a former psychiatric hospital at the monastery where Van Gogh was treated after cutting off his earlobe. The Saint-Paul hospital is located a short drive from Arles, next to the ancient Greek ruins of Glanum.

Van Gogh was in the hospital for voluntary treatment. Its decoration has been restored to the same form as it was in the artist’s time. Van Gogh created many famous paintings here. Copies of the artist's paintings are displayed in the garden, and you have the opportunity to admire the views that Van Gogh painted.

Avignon

Avignon is surrounded by a ring of fortress walls. Behind them you will find beautiful city. There are two stations in Avignon - Avignon Center and Avignon TGV. You need to get to Avignon center station. Keep in mind that from many cities trains only go to Avignon TGV. Therefore, change here to another train to central station or take the bus.

Of course, the palace that attracts the most tourists to Avignon is the Papal Palace. Popes fled here from the Vatican and lived here from 1309 to 1377.

Tour of papal palace is an exciting journey. If you explore the palace on your own, as I did, I advise you to definitely take an audio guide (when purchasing entrance ticket The audio guide is provided free of charge), otherwise it is very easy to get confused in the numerous halls and passages. Entrance to the palace costs 11 euros. You can immediately buy a ticket to visit the palace and the Saint-Benez bridge (pont d’Avignon) for 13.50 euros.

Solo travel- this is not necessarily a trip to Asia, or a third world country, or somewhere very, very far away. Independent travel first of all assumes that you do not use the services of tour companies. That is, in general. And you take on all the worries and troubles of organizing the event.

Undoubtedly, travel is different from travel. Some require very careful and lengthy preparation. You can go to others by purchasing a ticket yesterday. Using the example of my next trip, I will tell you how I prepare for trips myself.

So, first things first! As I wrote, the first and most important thing is to choose the right direction.

For example, in the summer I like to travel to Europe. It's warm and sunny there. Everything blooms and smells. Overall beauty! Additional bonuses - short flights, familiar culture, European service, no need to think about vaccinations and a first aid kit. You can forget about everything and just relax!!!

So, after listening to Yolka’s song “Provence,” I really wanted to go there. I also remembered that I always wanted to admire the endless lavender fields. And also, what delicious cuisine there is. And as luck would have it, Belotserkovskaya’s latest book was on the shelf, I leafed through it, and I just couldn’t resist! Enough good reasons to go to the south of France :)

Buying flights

Opened Wikipedia. It became clear that we had to fly to Nice or Marseille.

To determine the best time to travel and fulfill another dream of mine, I asked when the fragrant lilac plant blooms. From mid-June to late July. This is the period I started asking all flight search engines. Almost no one flies directly from Helsinki to Marseille, but it was necessary to go there - to the capital of Provence. And since we decided to travel as a family, with a five-year-old child, I chose Lufthansa flights. A little more expensive, but convenient connections and proven service.

Although at first I thought about a trip of 5-6 days, the trip ended up being 8 days. The difference in ticket price would be too significant, almost twice as much, if we returned in five days. IN in this case, it seemed to me more reasonable to choose a cheaper flight and spend more time on vacation.

Collecting information about the country

In this case, this point is smoothly spread across all the others. I read about Provence even before buying tickets and am still reading now, having already booked my accommodation. What am I looking for? Flowering schedule of lavender fields - turns out to be in different regions The Provence plant blooms at different times.

looking for interesting places, such as the Pond du Garde or the Coliseum in Arles.

Downloading the Michelin restaurant guide to Provence. Practice shows that in Italy and France, star restaurants are often located in villages and small towns. The food in such places is no less delicious, and the price tag pleasantly surprises even for dinner with good wine!

Some information comes by itself; you should not ignore such clues from the Universe. I accidentally came across a photograph of a herd of white horses running on water. It became interesting where you can see such a miracle, it turned out to be in Provence :) So I opened the Camargue park with horses and flamingos.

The more information you have about the region when going on a trip, the more chances you will have to make your trip a pleasant pleasure.

Route planning

From my previous travels, and I had already been to Provence several times, I remembered that all the distances there are quite short. And the density of architectural monuments and other remarkable places is due to centuries-old history and ancient heritage. Everywhere is interesting, every town is ancient and special in its own way.

But since the purpose of the trip was primarily recreation, and not acquaintance with historical monuments, I only added lavender fields and Camargue Park to my must-have list. And this is for a whole 8 days!!! The rest of the time we will drink rosé, snack on goat cheese and do nothing! And with this option, there is always the opportunity to arrange a pleasant unplanned surprise for yourself, going “wherever your eyes look.”

Budget calculation

Having already had some travel experience, I can roughly estimate how much the trip will cost. So I calculated how much the flight, hotel, car rental and approximately everyday expenses would cost. I added a couple hundred for souvenirs and shopping. Voila - the budget is ready.

But as a rule, I never fit into the calculated budget, because I always want more. From the very beginning, without flying anywhere yet. If you choose a place to live, then, of course, next to the chateau and definitely with a swimming pool. If you buy wine, it is the best in the region. But if you know how to restrain yourself and limit yourself, the budget will be as you calculate :)

I took almost all the money with me in cash; in France, in small towns and villages there are problems with ATMs and card terminals. It is always more convenient to pay in cash in local shops and markets.

Search and book housing and cars

This turned out to be the most difficult point on this journey.

Firstly, I was not looking for a hotel room, but housing with two rooms and a kitchen. It turned out that placement in separate house a very popular practice in France. A variety of, usually authentic, houses, which have everything for life and are intended for rent, are called “gite”. For 1000-1500 euros, for example, you can get a whole chateau for ten people for a week!!! But I was looking for something smaller.

Secondly, summer is the high season; all the housing suitable for me was already occupied by the end of August. The second point was that accommodation is usually rented out for a week and only from Saturday to Saturday. We flew to Provence on Tuesday and flew out on Wednesday. In this case, it would be useful to find out before purchasing flights...

And finally, thirdly, all booking sites live on French. Moreover, even if you write a request to the owner or agent in English, you will still receive an answer in French! It’s good that we live in the 21st century and there is a wonderful Google Translit. Thanks to him, I even managed to answer in French. True, I’m not sure that I was understood correctly;) In my opinion, of the many booking sites, Live is the most understandable and convenient

After much searching and negotiations in French, I chose two lives, each lasting four days. The first is not far from Lambesque on the territory of a chateau with beautiful name De Libran, and the second is slightly higher and closer to lavender fields near the picturesque town of Baume de Venice. In fact, I asked the owner of another house, but it was busy, and she kindly offered me a huge house with four bedrooms and a pool, but available for the dates I needed, for half the price. And of course I agreed :)

I didn't want to rent a car, France has pretty good connections public transport, and we didn’t plan to move around much. But after thinking about it, I decided that with a child it would be easier and more mobile to be on wheels at any time. Even if we only use the car for a few days out of 8. Therefore, I was looking for the simplest car without any complaints, the most profitable thing was on the website, they work with Hertz, so the service is quite decent.

The trip is ready! Let's go!!!