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France
Vaucluse
Following the Rhône-river to the west and the Durance to the south, The Vaucluse is the gate to the Prealps to the east. A part of the region is flat and goes under the name of the Comtat Venaissin. To the south you will find the impressive mountain range of the Lubéron with its vast and relatively untouched, regional park, le Parc Régional du Lubéron, and to the northeast there are the extraordinary and curious looking peaks of the Dentelles. The main part of the area is covered by another big mountain range, le Plateau de Vaucluse, which has, as its northern boundary, the highest mountain of Provence, the legendary Mont Ventoux (1912 m) with its permanently white summit.
En savoir plus sur Vaucluse Toutes les locations de vacances - VaucluseThe Vaucluse offers a wide range of sports activities such as walking and hiking, climbing, horseback riding, canoeing, sailing, cycling, paragliding and golfing. Here, you can explore the beautiful nature scenery, visit idyllic medieval villages like Gordes, an incarnation of a Provencal village and probably the most interesting one as well. You can also visit some of France’s finest wine cellars, in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, or you can enjoy the refined cuisine with its abundance of herbs, fruit and vegetables.
The Mont Ventoux, blooming cherry trees in Malaucène, vast fields of lavender in Sault and the copper shaded mountains of Roussillon, these are some of the things to enjoy in the Vaucluse. It is also here you can find one of nature’s biggest wonders in France, the powerful springs of the Sorgue river in Fontaine de Vaucluse. The cultural pearl of the Vaucluse is the ancient fortified papal city of Avignon with its impressive Palace of the Popes. The heritage of the Romans is in evidence in the old Roman city in Orange with two of Europe’s finest monuments from Roman Times: a Roman theatre from the 1st century A.D., one of the best preserved antique theatres in the world and an imposing triumphal arch from the same period - or in the important archaeological sites in Vaison-la-Romaine. Carpentras is another Roman city, deserving closer attention; also, France’s oldest synagogue is to be found here.
The Vaucluse has a mild temperate coastal climate. The summer is hot with an average temperature of 30°C, while the winter is relatively cold with an average temperature of 5°C. The rainy season is in the autumn and spring, periods also marked by the strong Mistral wind.
Apt
Apt is known for its local very high quality products and the town can also boast of being classified as”site remarquable du gout” (a remarkable place for flavours). Apt has primarily specialised in candied fruit, truffles, pottery and bottled lavender essence. The local market in Apt offers a rich choice of the regions produce and attracts many...
Beaumes-de-Venise
Beaumes-de-Venise est bien protégé du mistral en contrebas de la crête montagneuse des Dentelles de Montmirail, et c'est précisément cet emplacement qui a offert aux viticulteurs locaux d'exceptionnelles opportunités de production de vin depuis des siècles. Ce sont les Grecs qui ont introduit le raisin Muscat à Beaumes-de-Venise au Moyen Âge, et...
Bédoin
Bédoin can boast of having one of the largest and most interesting forests (6300 hectares) in France. It is without any doubt the forest in Vaucluse with the most diversified vegetation. - There are more than 1200 different species of plants. Guided walking tours are arranged for those interested in the area’s fauna and flora. The most remarkable...
Carpentras
The old part of town, surrounded by broad boulevards, has narrow streets, well restored houses, spacious squares, and lots of shops, restaurants and bars. Carpentras was in the Middle Ages the home of an important Jewish society. As a monument to that period Carpentras has France’s oldest synagogue –dating from the 15th century. Carpentras also...
Caseneuve
Caseneuve is nothing but a small spot on the map, but the town has, however, lots of attractions. It is a typically Provencal, medieval village with narrow streets, old stone houses, vaulted passages and old fortification walls. Some of the newer houses are integrated in the old fortification walls where there are three original towers. The town...
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse
The town’s greatest sight is the springing source of the Sorgue-river, amongst nature’s greatest wonders in Provence. Above the village, at the foot of a 230 metres high cliff the water breaks through as a full river. It is the most powerful spring in France and the fifth most powerful in the world. Every year 630 million cubic metres of water...
Gordes
Gordes is primarily known for its impressive location on top of a small cliff. At first glance, it looks as if the village may at any moment crash from the top of the cliff to which the houses cling. But over the centuries, this distinctive location has greatly helped the city's defenses. Gordes has had an extremely interesting past. It has...
Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is most of all known for its many brocante and antique shops. Twice a year, at Easter and over the 15th of August holiday, more than 500 antique and second hand dealers expose their finds at the important fairs - les salons d’antiquaires et les foires internationales à la brocante. L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is an extremely...
Le Barroux
Le Barroux is a typical Provencal mountain village with narrow, winding streets, old well-restored stone houses, small shady squares and several old fountains. The town is dominated by an enormous castle which originally dates back to the 12th century. In the 16th century it was transformed into a very beautiful renaissance castle, one of the...
Maubec
Coming from Robion in the west to Maubec, one can’t overlook the beauty of old Maubec lying in the midst of the vineyards. The old part of town is typically Provencal with old, well-restored houses, narrow, winding streets, old doors nicely faded over time, and a baroque style church with its bell tower, dating back to the18th century.
Ménerbes
Ménerbes is nominated one of the prettiest villages in France and Ménerbes has, in fact, managed to retain big parts of the cultural and historic relics from its turbulent past. Ménerbes was a protestant stronghold during the religious wars in the 16th century. In Ménerbes one can find several historical monuments, amongst others la citadelle, la...
Mondragon
In Mondragon one can still today find the remains of the town’s medieval fortifications. In Rue du Moulin there is a gate with embrasures, bearing the town’s coat of arms. At the top of the town there is a medieval castle which is still inhabited although it was badly damaged during the religious wars. The castle’s strategic position enabled its...
Orange
Orange is an incredibly exciting city with a great many historic and cultural remains. First of all Orange is home for two of Europe’s finest monuments from Roman Times, le Théâtre Antique and l’Arc de Triomphe. Theatre Antique is from the 1st century A.D., and one of the best preserved antique theatres in the world. The theatre is famous world...
Robion
Robion is a typical Provencal mountain village with lots of charm. The town has narrow alleys, steep paved stairways, old stone houses, small shady squares, a very beautiful old fountain, which is surrounded by huge plane trees and a big Roman church with a beautiful bell tower. In the upper part of the town one can find the remains of the...
Roussillon
Roussillon is built decoratively on red cliffs and surrounded by pine forests. The soil is rich in ochre and since Roman Times this has been extracted from the quarries and used for paint, cosmetics and numerous other things. The region is special in character because of the red, yellow and brown cliffs and the town is very interesting with its...
Sarrians
Sarrians is a typical Provencal medieval village with narrow streets, old stone houses and small pleasant squares. There are still remains from the old town walls and at some places the houses are built against them, at other places they are built directly on their foundations. In Sarrians one can also find a church from the year 1000 and an 18th...
Saumane-de-Vaucluse
Saumane-de-Vaucluse is a typical Provencal medieval village with narrow winding streets, beautiful stone houses and fountains as well as remains of the old ramparts. Right at the top of the village there is an impressive fortified castle, Château de Saumane, which, at the time, belonged to the uncle of the very famous French author Marquis de...
St-Roman-de-Malegarde
The old part of the village in St-Roman-de-Malegarde is built on a hill. It is a typical Provencal mountain village with narrow winding streets and charming old stone houses. In the village one can find a 13th century church whose facade is decorated with a sundial dating back to the 18th century and a Maltese cross. At the highest point of the...
St-Saturnin-lès-Apt
Saint Saturnin-lès-Apt is situated on the ancient Roman via Domitia, constructed in the year 120 B.C. to link Italy with Spain. This has contributed to the town’s cultural and historic richness. The village is dominated by the remains of a medieval castle and an old windmill from the 17th century. Saint Saturnin-lès-Apt is a typical Provencal...
Vaison-la-Romaine
In Vaison-la-Romaine two archaeological sites display a magnitude of historic relics. A Roman bridge leads into the quarter with the sites. In the “upper site” there are ruins, statues, mosaics and a beautiful Roman theatre, one of the best preserved from Emperor Augustus’ time. The theatre is still used for cultural events in the summertime. In...
Villelaure
Villelaure is a typical Provencal village. It does not have that much to offer but if you enjoy silence and exploring the beautiful Provencal hinterland, Villelaure is a perfect starting point for the holiday. In Villelaure one can find the remains of Château de Trésémines, a testimony to the town’s turbulent past. After having passed through the...
Avignon
Avignon is one of the most exciting cities in southern France. The inner city is still today enclosed by its 5 km fortification walls with 39 towers and 7 gates. Inside the walls is a city with a very rich culture, its own opera and university, schools for foreigners and several theatre troops. The city’s historical centre has, since 1995, been...
Locations de vacances recommandées
84.560 | Maison de vacances Ménerbes, France
84.099 | Maison de vacances Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, France
84.257 | Maison de vacances Saint-Martin-de-Castillon, France
84.561 | Maison de vacances Oppède, France
26.175 | Maison de vacances Mollans sur Ouvèze, France
84.275 | Maison de vacances Beaumes-de-Venise, France
84.245 | Maison de vacances Vaison-la-Romaine, France
84.834 | Maison de vacances Vaison-la-Romaine, France
84.106 | Maison de vacances Cavaillon, France
An incredibly exciting town full of atmosphere and situated in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône. The old quarter lies in the heart of Arles and has numerous Roman remains. The greatest sight is Les Arènes, a Roman amphitheatre from the 1st century A.D. There is also a Roman theatre from the 1st century B.C., Théâtre Antique, which is often used as a centre for the town’s many cultural arrangements, and Roman baths from the 4th century and a cathedral from the 12th century with its cloister-garth.
Aubagne lies in the hinterland from the coast, east of Marseille. The town is famous for being the birth place of the Provencal author Marcel Pagnol. The Pagnol-society has dedicated a 3 hours walk into the hilly landscapes around the town to Pagnol so you can visit the universe, described in his books and the places where the films were made.
The medieval city, Avignon, is the main city of the department of Vaucluse. The inner part of town is still encircled by its 5 km long fortification walls with its 39 towers and 7 gates. Avignon has a great many attractions. The greatest sight is without any doubt the majestic Palace of the Popes: www.palais-des-papes.com; www.mairie-avignon.fr/en/musees/palaisen.php, which overlooks the Rhône river. Because of unrest and anarchy the Popes preferred Avignon to Rome for almost one hundred years (1309-77). Another of Avignon’s famous sights is Pont St-Benezet, immortalized in the children’s’ song Sur le Pont d’Avignon.
A very popular, medieval village in the department of Alpes Maritimes, best known for its glassware. Here one can also find a very interesting Fernand Léger-museum.
Cagnes-sur-Mer, situated between Nice and Antibes, first of all offers a magnificent, fortified old quarter, Haut-de-Cagnes, perched high up on top of a small rock. The town is intersected by steep, winding streets and stairways and a multitude of small, idyllic squares. At the top of the town you will find the ancient Grimaldi castle from the 14th century.
The most fashionable town on the French Riviera with its long elegant promenade La Croisette and the luxurious Hotel Carlton. Lying across from Cannes is Iles de Lérins, two charming flower filled little islands, Ste-Marguerite and St-Honoret. Ste-Marguerite, the island closest to the mainland is almost covered in pine forest. It is particularly renowned because of ”the man with the iron mask” who was imprisoned here and whose identity is still unknown. At St-Honoret there is a beautiful old monastery, dating from the 11th century. In earlier times, St-Honoret was a religious centre for southern Europe and the monastery owned most of the land along the Mediterranean including Cannes. The island is still inhabited by monks. A museum and a church can be visited by the public.
Cassis is a charming fishing port, situated between two large protected nature reserves: Cap Canaille, Europe’s biggest cliff (going directly into the sea) with its 416 metres and les Calanques, the protected rocky coast from Cassis to Marseille. There are twelve narrow deep inlets with crystal clear water. At the bottom of these inlets there are nice little beaches. From the harbour there are tour boats several times a day. Les Calanques is an absolute must. It is strongly recommended to take the Route des Crètes, which winds up and down, ending in la Ciotat. One fantastic view after the other – just fabulous.
Cavaillon is France’s biggest vegetable garden, primarily well known for its good melons. The local market competes with the market in Apt for holding the position of the biggest market in Vaucluse. The old quarter in Cavaillon has winding streets, small squares full of flowers, well-restored houses, one of Europe’s most beautiful synagogues from the 18th century, a Jewish museum, a cathedral from the 12th century with its monastery and a Roman triumph arch from the 1st century A.D.
Has almost grown together with the neighbouring town St-Raphaël. In Fréjus one can find a characteristic French promenade with nice, little cafés and a multitude of restaurants, bars and discos, seething with life every night. The marina is the normal meeting point in the evenings, and here there is a really good atmosphere. In Fréjus there are quite a few Roman monuments, among other things a small arena which is still used for concerts and bullfights. One can also find a big amusement park with a Marineland.
Golfe Juan, situated between Cannes and Antibes, offers one of the very best beaches on the French Riviera, an impressive marina, restaurants, cafés and boutiques. It was also here Napoleon landed in 1815, when escaping from Elba. In Golfe Juan there is a 5 hectares public park, Exflora Park, showing different Mediterranean gardens exactly as they were in Roman Times and in the sumptuous 19th century.
Gourdon has a beautiful location, perched as an eagle’s nest on top of a mountain. An old medieval village with wide views, fine restaurants and boutiques.
Situated between Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Var. The breathtaking canyon, Gorges du Verdon, is one of Europe’s greatest nature wonders - an outstanding nature experience that one must experience. At the Verdon river, which is cutting 700 metres down into the cliff, one can go hiking, climbing, canoeing and rafting.
The French centre for perfumes, producing perfume extracts and essences. Grasse is beautifully situated at 333 metres altitude, in the hinterland of Cannes. The old city is very exciting with a labyrinth of streets and narrow passages. Here, there is a multitude of small, interesting boutiques.
Istres is beautifully situated on the big lake, Etang de Berre, between Marseille and la Camarque. The old quarter, in the middle of the town, has a charm typical of Provence with narrow, winding streets, old stone houses and shady squares. One can also find several pleasant parks and flowery boulevards. From the tower of the church, Notre Dame de Beauvoir, there are magnificent panoramic views of the town and its surroundings.
La Camarque lies just south of Arles, in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône and still; you have the impression of being in another world. La Camarque differs completely from all the other regions in Provence. It is one of Europe’s biggest wetlands, covering a surface of 140.000 hectares, and one of the biggest bird sanctuaries in France. La Camargue is an exciting “world” with real cowboys, half-wild horses, black bulls, flamingos and big salt and rice fields.
La Ciotat lies beautifully in a bay, by an isthmus. Like Cassis la Ciotat also has some calanques, but they are far from being of the same interest as in Cassis. The old town with its many monuments testify to its rich historic past. It was here the Lumière brothers with their invention of the cinematograph in 1899 laid the ground for today’s film cameras. In La Ciotat one can also find the world’s very first cinema from 1895.
Le Cannet is perched high up above Cannes, and enjoys, for this reason, a fantastic panorama of the bay of Cannes and the island group, Îles de Lérins. Le Cannet is especially well known for its artists’ quarter which is dominated by art craft workshops and galleries. It is an extremely nice and picturesque old town with skilfully restored houses, narrow, steep streets with numerous small, homely restaurants and cafés.
Mandelieu-la-Napoule is a beach resort between Cannes and Fréjus. It has good beaches, a nice marina, lots of restaurants and cafés and a huge variety of water sports.
Manosque is a busy industrial town which houses the national French nuclear research centre, Cadarache. For this reason lots of scientists and their families have settled in the town, giving it a dynamic and modern touch. Luckily, it has not destroyed the town’s medieval character. Two gates from the 12th century lead into the very interesting old town (pedestrian area). The old town has narrow, covered streets, small pleasant squares, and old stone houses as well as a beautiful old church with its usual Provencal wrought iron campanile. It is in this town the important Provencal author Jean Giono lived all his life while writing his books about the laborious life in Haute Provence. In Centre Jean Giono his life story is told.
Marseille is France’s third largest and oldest city and today the country’s most important port. Despite what many people think, Marseille is a most fascinating town. The old port, Vieux port, is an exciting sight with lots of life and numerous restaurants. Here you can eat Marseille’s world famous fish soup, la Bouillabaisse, which is served with all its fish and variety of prawns.
The Principality of Monaco (pop.: 31,842) is a sovereign state lying out to the Mediterranean and surrounded by the French Alpes Maritimes department. Its geographical extent of 2 km² makes Monaco the world’s smallest country. Monaco is nicknamed The Mediterranean Manhattan as it is packed with sky scrapers and sumptuous villas. It is a constitutional monarchy and Prince Albert’s family, the Grimaldies, have reigned in Monaco since 1297. Monaco consists of three towns: The old town, Monaco-Ville, with the Royal Palace on top of a cliff, Monte-Carlo with its very famous Casino and the residential area la Condamine, with its big marina.
The Lubéron Mountains consist of two massifs, Grand et Petit Lubéron, separated by a narrow canyon Combe de Lourmarin. The whole area was laid out as National Park in 1977. It covers 120.000 hectares and stretches from Cavaillon in the west to Manosque in the east and from Gordes in the north to Pertuis in the south. It is a fantastic region with unspoiled nature, perfect for hiking or bicycle tours.
A fantastic, medieval mountain village beautifully situated. Here one can also find one of the most famous restaurants in France, Moulin de Mougins.
The main city in the department of Alpes Maritimes, France’s fifth biggest city and the most important city on the Riviera. Famous for its beautiful location by the Baie des Anges, surrounded by mountains, Nice first of all offers a very interesting old city, the magnificent promenade, Promenade des Anglais, the museum of modern art and Chagall and Matisse museums.
The town first of all offers an enormous basilica which is reputed to hold the relics of Mary Magdalene. According to the legend, Mary and her followers were wrecked and brought safely ashore at the coast off La Camargue. Built between 1296 and 1532, this big basilica is considered one of the most impressive examples of Gothic architecture in Provence. A little south of the town one can find the grotto, where Mary Magdalene is meant to have spent 30 years of her life until she died in St-Maximin. It takes a good walk through a thick forest to reach the grotto. The old town and the medieval Jewish quarter offer leisurely strolling, discovering the old houses with facades from the 13th century and the ancient fortifications from the 14th century.
The artists’ town, St-Paul-de-Vence, is one of the prettiest and most picturesque villages in the region. Here one can find Auberge Colombe d’Or, one of southern France’s most famous restaurants.
This town has almost grown together with the neighbouring town, Fréjus. Since the middle of the 19th century St-Raphaël has been a popular holiday resort with nice, sandy beaches, marina and good shopping facilities. It was at this place Napoleon landed on his way back from Egypt in 1799, and so did the French- American troupes in 1944. One of the greatest sights in the town is a Templar’s church, dating back to the 12th century.
This town is one of the biggest pearls in Bouches-du-Rhône. St-Rémy-de-Provence is very well known because of its very rich cultural and historic past. Here, one can find the remains from the Gallo-Roman city Comptoir de Glanum, founded in the 3rd century B.C. and later ruled by the Romans under Julius Cesar. There are still excavations going on. Les Antiques, at the outskirts of the town, has two unique Roman monuments, an arch from the 1st century B.C., and a very well-preserved mausoleum.
Originally St-Tropez was a small, humble, fishing village, until Brigitte Bardot, Françoise Sagan and other celebrities discovered the town in the 1950’s and pulled in the whole jet set. In high season (August), around 80,000 tourists arrive at this extraordinary holiday resort. Despite this “big circus” in the summer, the town is definitely worth a visit.
A most charming medieval village, situated between Cannes and Nice, only 14 km from the coast. It is renowned for its culture of violets. Tourrettes-sur-Loup is very much worth a visit.
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