Marseille attractions

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 number of “bistrot”.

Marseille museums

Nearby you can visit the Musée des Docks, which contains examples of goods dating back to the first century B.C. and the Muséee du Vieux Marseille, where you see a model which reproduces the city as it was in Roman times. Also dedicated to local history is  ‘Musée d’Histoire de Marseille‘, which also contains the remains of an old boat (3rd century BC) discovered in the Old Port area.

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Triumphal Arch in Orange, France

The Triumphal Arch in Orange (near Avignon) is about 22 meters high and 21 metres wide, and consists of three arches.

It is located on the ancient Via Agrippa (the Roman trade route from Lyon to Arles) and features numerous ornate carvings relating to the history of the conquests of Augustus, the Roman supremacy over the Gauls and various religious symbols.

In the nineteenth century it was called the Arch of Marius because it was assumed that it was erected in honour of the Marius’ victory against the Cimbri and the Teutons in 101 B.C., but today it is accepted that the arch was a dedication to the victory of Augustus at Actium (31 B.C.), and later also to the Emperor Tiberius.

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Grimaud, Provence village

The action packed town of Saint-Tropez stands just a few kilometres from Grimaud, and in dramatic contrast!

If you are visiting the Riviera and want to leave the car behind, why not take the train? It is possible to get to Grimaud on a little tourist train that parts from Port Grimaud, the coastal ‘twin’ of Grimaud and itself a sophisticated town – a nice hassle free way to reach the village.

A visit to this super-attractive perched viillage is a highly recommended excursion if you can tear yourself away from the beaches. It is a very pretty place, with narrow cobbled streets winding up the hill between houses clad with greenery – including the bouganvillea flowers, the  ‘trademark’ of the region.

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Calanques National Park

On my travels last year I took a rare break from rushing around visiting and photographing places to chill-out on a two hour boat ride. Although I still called it work when I was telling Mrs B what I’d been up to.

Setting off along the coast from Cassis towards Marseille, the trip was to pass by several of the so called Calanques of Marseille.

These stunning rock formations are dramatic white limestone cliffs that plunge hundreds of feet into the turquoise sea below, with inlets (calanques) leading to tiny beaches. (You can see more pictures at the bottom of this Marseille Calanques page). They are an unmissable highlight of a visit to this region and a pleasant trip from Avignon if you want to avoid staying in Marseille itself.

Anyway the boat trip is a dim and distant happy memory – but the reason I mention it now is because the region is set to become the first National Park to be created in France in the last 30 years – the Calanques National Park.

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Exotic gardens of Monaco

Yes, I know that Monaco is not in Provence, or France.I’m allowed to take liberties, especially for somewhere so attractive as the Exotic Gardens of Monaco.

If you are in this part of south-eastern France a visit to these gardens is indispensable. Covering about 3 acres the garden is set on a cliff overlooking the bay of Monaco and the French and Italian Riviera. It is absolutely stunning.

Cacti and Succulents as well as Mediterranean plants cover the cliff and have achieved a size and maturity rarely seen outside their natural habitats. There are more than 1000 varieties of cacti and succulents to admire.

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Visit the Var

The coastal section of the Var department is quite well known, with the resorts including Toulon, Saint-Tropez and Saint-Raphael attracting very large numbers of visitors. But what lies inland in the Var department?

Heading towards the centre of the region you pass first through the forested (or deforested, where fires have destroyed the ancient woodlands) hills of the Massif des Maures. Head for the remote Chartreuse de la Verne, or follow the road between Cogolin and Collobrieres for some of the highlights.

Changing from forests to vineyards, we have the the attractive countryside of the Cotes de Provence wine department – you’ve seen it on the wine bottle labels, come and see where it is produced! The region around Les Arcs and Lorgues is the heart of this wine producing region, and offers ample opportunities to sample the wine.

Continuing north you come to Haut-Var, the Upper Var region. Quiet towns and villages, typically Provencal in nature, dot the landscape of olive trees and lavender, as the landscape becomes more rugged and more remote. the villages of Aups, Entrecasteaux and Tourtour (a classified most beautiful village) are representative of the region – steep streets, ruined castles, belltowers with wrought iron campaniles, the trademark fountains of the region…sleepy dogs and tightly closed shutters, washing hanging out to dry on high balconies…this is perhaps Provence as it was before being ‘discovered’.

Continuing even further north, to the border with the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, we find one of the great natural wonders of France at the Gorges-du-Verdon – but that is another department, and perhaps a different visit, to this special part of France, because Var itself has more than enough to entertain you for one holiday.

Marseille calanques

On a recent trip across southern France I at last give into temptation and stopped off at Cassis, south-east of Marseille, so that I could take a boat trip along the calanques.

The coast in this part of France consists of high craggy cliffs that plunge into the turquoise sea below, with occsional inlets where boats can enter to be surrounded by this dramatic landscape – these inlets are known as the Marseille calanques.

Some of the calanques even have small beaches at the head of the inlet, which makes a perfect beach setting and backdrop.

There are two ways to admire these calanques – by footpath along the coast, or by boat-trip departing from Cassis. Both are very worthwhile, since this is some of the most beautiful coastline to be found in France.

Although the schedule advertises that the boat visits up to eight of the calanques (pay more, see more) some are much more impressive than others – there are perhaps four or five that are spectacular.

Pay attention, it is the view out to see from inside the calanques that is the most impressive – don’t be distracted into staring too much in an inland direction and miss out on a great part of the attraction!

Boats don’t need to be booked in advance (indeed, can’t be booked in advance) just turn up and pay and get on the boat. The trips take an hour or so. See more details of boat trips prices and destinations at Marseille Calanques. Don’t forget your camera!

If you have a short while to wait take a walk around the harbour at Cassis – small but very pretty. To relax after the trip take a look at the beach – Cassis beach is right next to the harbour and also in a very scenic ‘cliff-backed’ setting.

Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer

OK, I grant you, this picture could have been taken anywhere in France, or plenty of other places in the world. So you are just going to have to take my word for it, it was taken at Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, a resort on the French Riviera betwen Sanary-sur-Mer and Bandol.

Be that as it may, it’s a lovely photo with the inevitable bright colours and reflections that you look for in a picture of this type that really does give you the urge to climb in and row off into the sunset.

Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer was once a cluster of separate places – the ports of La Madrague and Les Lecques, and the village of Saint-Cyr itself.

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Luberon

The Luberon is towards the west of the Provence region. It is the beautiful region made famous by Peter Mayle during his year in Provence. It is to the east of Avignon and to the north of Marseille.

The Luberon is best known for its hilltop ‘perched’ villages – small, often steep, traditional villages built centuries ago on top of rocky spurs in the region. Many of these ‘perched villages of Provence’ are now also classified as ‘most beautiful villages in France’ – the region has perhaps more of these than any other part of France.

The area is also quite compact – hence it is easy to visit several of the villages during a week vacation in the Luberon without spending too much time in the car, and still allowing plenty of time to sit by the pool at your villa!

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