South of France

Marseilles is a city with an ancient seafaring vocation, so an essential route to see the attractions of Marseille should depart from the ‘old port’ of the city. Built in an area protected by the hills of Saint Lorent, Moulins and Carmes and two fortress (Saint Jean and Saint Nicolas) it is also a characterful place with its wharves dating back to the seventeenth century, and the sight of colourful fishing boats at anchor, the fish market and a great [...]

Carcassonne is situated in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. It is one of the most interesting towns in the region, indeed in the whole of France. The history of the town dates back to the medieval Cathar Wars, in which the town played a very important role. Located 90 km to the south-east of Toulouse, Carcassonne is in the ‘gap’ between the Pyrenees and the Massif Central, at the crossroads of two major traffic routes in use since Antiquity: [...]

Bordeaux is a vibrant city and one of the most beautiful in the South of France. Half of the city, more than 1800 hectares has recently been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on account of its historic buildings. The dominant architecture is classical and neo-classical and has remained virtually unchanged for 2 centuries and so it is incredibly unspoilt. Bordeaux used not to have a great reputation but in 1996 Alain Juppé began an urban regeneration project which included [...]

Biarritz is in the south-western corner of France, close to the border with Spain. There are several good reasons to visit this attractive city: – the town itself contains very impressive grand 19th century townhouses with wrought iron balconies and other decoration, and is a pleasure to explore – it is a lively town, where you can shop, eat and drink at all hours

One of my favourite cities in the south of France is Toulouse. The city centre is small enough and calm enough to be manageable, but big enough to always have something new to discover. It always seems to be a modern active city, while keeping one eye carefully on the past and the important architectural heritage it contains. Many of the buildings in Toulouse are constructed from the local bricks – small red bricks, left ‘on show’ (ie not covered [...]

I recently had the opportunity to explore the Camargue region of south-western Provence and two important towns that fall just outside its eastern boundary – Nimes and Arles.