Traveling through Provence by bus. Routes around Provence, advice needed
It's worth renting a car. Count on public transport- means deliberately refusing to visit many interesting places, since the bus network in the region is not very well developed.
Lavender fields of Provence
Where can I find them and when is the best time to come? Let's find out!
Lavender usually blooms from mid-June to mid-August, but the optimal period for a visit is considered to be from the last week of June to the end of July. At this time, numerous festivals (Lavender fête) and parades dedicated to lavender take place: in Valensole, Riez, Digne-les-Bains, Sault and other cities.
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To see as much as possible, it is worth renting a car. If this is not possible, contact one of the travel agencies that organize one-day tours to lavender fields from Avignon and other cities of Provence.
Where to go? There are several options:
Plateau de Valensole . Quite a lot of lavender fields are concentrated in a relatively small area. To see them all, from Valensole take the D56 to Puimoisson, then the D953 north to the Poteau de Telle junction and from there take the D8 back to Valensole.
Mont Ventoux . The lavender fields of this region are concentrated around settlements So, Apt and Gord. In the area of the village of Gord there is also interesting village of stone buildings borie, and to the north is the abbey of Senanque, next to which there is one, but large and famous lavender field.
Pays de Valensole . You will have to arrive in Castellane, then travel 45 kilometers to the west, visiting the famous Verdon Gorge along the way, and reach the village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, which is included in the list of the most beautiful in France. There is a road going up from it that will lead you to the fields. This area will be of interest to those who vacation on the Cote d'Azur (it is located closest to the coast).
A useful gift for loved ones is lavender soap, which can be purchased at any souvenir shop in the region. Prices are affordable - 1-3 EUR per piece.
Culinary Provence
An ideal starting point for a gourmet tour of the region - . Try the fishermen's favorite dish called pan-bagnat, which is bread stuffed with a mixture of tuna, eggs and lettuce. Also popular is the niçoise salad, which contains tuna, anchovies, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers and olives. For breakfast, order omelette de poutine - an omelette made with olive oil, to which parsley and lemon juice are added. Fans of unusual tastes will appreciate fried zucchini flowers in tomato sauce, called beignets de fleurs de courgette. If you prefer something heartier, try soupe au pistou - bean soup with tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, pesto and olive oil. There are many worthy establishments, but the best is considered to be the French restaurant Jean (12 Rue Lascaris), where lunch will cost from 45 to 165 EUR, and dinner (set menu) - from 100 to 165 EUR per person.
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The next city that should be included in the route is a resort
on the Cote d'Azur. Those with a sweet tooth will not be able to resist lemon cream pie (tarte au citron) or orange pie (fougasse mentonnaise). The first place in the ranking of city establishments rightfully belongs to the Michelin-starred restaurant Mirazur (30 Avenue Aristide Briand). The cost of lunch on weekdays is 50 EUR, dinner will cost on average from 70 to 135 EUR per person.
Then head to - the homeland of the famous bouillabaisse soup. Its preparation is a virtually waste-free process; poupeton soufflé is obtained from the remaining parts of the fish. Do you want something non-standard? Order oursinade - a dish made from sea urchins. The restaurant AM par Alexandre Mazzia (9 rue Rocca) is worthy of attention, where you can have lunch for 35-55 EUR and dinner for 90-110 EUR per guest.
Are you ready to continue? Cavaillon awaits you, where the famous Cavaillon melons are grown. One of their fans was Alexandre Dumas, who traded 194 of his books for a delivery of 12 melons annually for the rest of his life. Arriving here in July, you will witness a unique event - the melon festival. As part of the four-day event, a pyramid of melons rises on the Place de Clos, processions with the participation of members of the Order of the Melon follow the streets, music is played, cooking master classes are held (from melons, of course!), and everyone can visit the farms with a tour .
You can complete the journey in the town of Carpentras. Provence is the main supplier of truffles to restaurants and shops . According to statistical data, up to 50% of the total volume of “black gold” mined in the country is sold on the local market. On the menu of any restaurant you will find dishes that include truffle. Take a look, for example, at Chez Serge (90 rue Cottier), where you can taste pasta or an omelette with truffle for 25 EUR or order a set dinner for 29-119 EUR per guest.
Excursion Provence
If you are into history and love colorful ruins, come to Avignon! The city's most visited attraction is the listed Palais des Papes (papal palace). World Heritage UNESCO. Admission ticket costs 5.5-11 EUR, excursion support - 120 EUR per group. Audio guide rental (available in 11 languages, including Russian and English) - 2 EUR. Also interesting Cathedral Notre Dame, the Palais du Rour (XV century), where exhibitions are constantly held, and the Saint-Benez bridge. Be sure to take a stroll through the Banasterie quarter, lined with buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries. When planning your trip, keep in mind that the Avignon Festival begins in mid-July and lasts three weeks. At this time, up to 200,000 tourists come here, so sightseeing and finding a place to dine will be problematic.
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Avignon is also a convenient starting point for trips around the area. Remember at the beginning of the article we said that you need a car in Provence? So, in Avignon during the season there are difficulties with parking. You can limit yourself to those cities and villages where people go regional buses. For example, in Orange there are two attractions that are protected by UNESCO: the ancient Roman amphitheater (one of the best preserved in the world) and Triumphal Arch, erected in honor of the victories of Julius Caesar. Entrance ticket to the amphitheater with admission historical museum costs 7.5-9.5 EUR (price includes audio guide rental).
Also take a look at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, located 20 kilometers from Avignon, which is called the “Venice of Provence.” The city will be of interest not only to lovers of beautiful views, but also to connoisseurs of ancient L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is the third most important antiques trade center in the world, second only to London and Paris, with international fairs held twice a year: on 15 August and at Easter.
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It is definitely worth setting aside time for a visit to Nîmes. An ancient Roman amphitheater, which was built in 60 BC, has been preserved here. It is protected by UNESCO and periodically serves as a stage for performances by world-famous stars such as Depeche Mode, Metallica and Rammstein. The entrance ticket to the territory costs 8-10 EUR, the price includes the rental of an audio guide. Not far from the city there is another grandiose structure of the same era - the Pont du Gard aqueduct, which is also included in the World Heritage List.
Provence for art lovers
This region played an important role in the destinies of many famous artists. For example, the surroundings of the city of Aix-en-Provence, in particular the Montagne St-Victoire ridge, inspired Paul Cézanne. While walking around the city, look for nails on the asphalt with the letter “C” on the head - they mark points associated with his life and work. You can visit the family estate of Jas de Bouffan, look into the workshop on the hill of Lov or the Bibemus quarries, where Cézanne came to work on paintings under open air. There are only 32 points - from the house where the artist was born to the cemetery where he found his last refuge. From April 1 to October 31, you can go on a walk with a guide; the cost of a two-hour tour is 5-9 EUR per person (for children under 7 years old - free).
Hello, forum users!
We are going to Provence on June 10-14.
We plan to spend the first two days in Marseille, and 12-14 to move to the Manosque area.
The preliminary plan is:
Spend the afternoon on June 12 in the vicinity of Monosque. Is there something particularly pleasant and beautiful in the immediate vicinity that you would recommend?
On June 13, go towards the Luberon. We are planning Gord. There are also plans for a Lavender museum.
What else would you recommend from your visits there? Roussillon? Who has been to the lavender museum, please tell me, is it interesting? Worth to visit?
On June 14, go towards Verdon. We are planning Valensole, lake. A visit to Moutiers-Sainte-Marie is in doubt.
What else would you recommend in Verdon? Do you recommend Moutiers-Sainte-Marie?
I would like a leisurely inspection, beautiful views.
I would also really like to visit some of the following: workshops for the production of lavender oil (maybe there is a lavender museum?), private wine houses where you can taste and buy delicious wine (are there such in that region?), perhaps something also from places where they produce something local.
Tell me from experience, will the lavender fields bloom at this time or not?
Where is the best place to find lavender at this time? Near the Senac Abbey?
Thank you all in advance for your advice, opinions and recommendations!
it will begin to bloom in the Luberon, near Bonnier.
Moustiers Saint Marie is a must, amazing town.
But Manosk...what do you need it for?
Valensole he did not stand next to Verdon,
they are just hoping for lavender, and then passing from Moustiers to the Luberon.
The city itself is no good.
and what about your reservation?
Actually, the championship is just starting there and everything is very bad
and tickets and hotel reservations, and it’s a shame the prices are on the ceiling.
What I mean is that from Marseille your wishes are not feasible,
only sequential route with hotel reservations
to Moustiers, Ile-sur-la-Sorgue, back to Marseille or Cassy
Pug, thanks!
Manosque because housing is planned there and because it was chosen as such a midpoint between Luberon and Verdon.
In your opinion, is it better to go to Gordes early in the day and then to Bonniere (hoping to catch lavender :))? If Bonnier is set in the navigator, will we not miss the lavender fields?
Have you been to the Lavender Museum?
Do you think you can skip visiting Valensole? Straight to Verdon, then to the lake and then to Moustiers-Saint-Marie?
Tell me, where is the best place to drive up to the lake in order to go down to it?
Or maybe there is the best viewing place near the lake?
We are going to visit the Luberon and Verdon from Manosque.
I understand that it’s a long way from Marseille.
From Marseille we would like to visit the calanques from the Cassi side and walk to D'en-vo.
It's like 1 hour walk from the port of Cassi? Right?
I think parking there will be difficult. Maybe tell me where it is better parking search?
Vasilisa.
Firstly, there are developed minute-by-minute routes around Provence,
don't be lazy, take a look
I have three different ones.
I would go from Marseille to Verdon through Draguignan to Castellane,
capturing part of the Road of Eagles
from Castellane to Moustiers, along the northern route.
But if you are staying overnight in Manosque, then your driver will have a hard time.
You first go to the Ritz, then to Valensole - this is a drive through lavender fields.
Then to Manosque, and late in the evening you will be in Manosque.
This is a very inconvenient base, better than Moustier, then you will have time everywhere.
From Manosque you can reach the Luberon
Ask Roussion, Gordes, Lacoste, Bonnier and back.
But the route is very strenuous.
In Bonnier, the lavender is right at the BONNIER sign, below, not on the mountain.
At least last year there was a field.
But I also saw Gu, if anything.
There is always a problem with parking in Cassi.
There is one near the port, for a limited time, I think for an hour or two.
There are a lot of parking lots, just drive around everything and you'll get lucky somewhere.
I wouldn’t waste time on the calanques, on a hiking trip.
Take a boat, take a ride and you will understand that you need it on foot.
Stressful and hard for the driver why?
Is the road itself so difficult?
Even if one day from Manosque to Gordes and back, and on another from Manosque to Verdon and back?
You have me puzzled. I thought that this should be tolerable and not stressful.
These are narrow roads, narrower than ours, and on Verdon there are serpentine roads and about 20 stops on it..
You can go from Marseille to Manosque by expressway,
although why is it needed, nothing is visible on it.
One route north or south of Verdon takes half a day,
and it is impossible to jump from it to the expressway in your case.
Yes, and there are no expressways there.
Alas, I’m running out of time; on Monday we’ll come up with a route based on your realities.
Let's put together a run through the Luberon:
165 km =3h25 min
57 km =1h04 min
Manosque - ROUSSILLON 84220 Roussillon
- 8 km =0h11 min
GORD 84220 Gordes
- 11 km =0h17 min
Menerbes
- 7 km =0h10 min
LACOSTE 84480 Lacoste
- 7 km =0h10 min
Bonnier
- 56 km =1h00 min
FORCALIER 04300 Forcalquier
- 22 km =0h26 min
Manosque
These are all very interesting places.
In Gorda there is a parking lot in the city center, a circle next to the cathedral, 100 meters up.
In Lacoste, stop at the bottom and climb up on foot to the chateau of the Marquis de Sade.
In Forcaglia you need to climb the mountain, there is a path there.
I would advise you to hold out until Ile sur la Sorgue, but I’m afraid it will become a bit difficult for you.
on Gord Verdon
Manosque
22 km. =0h26 VALENSOLE 04210 Valensole
- 28 km. =0h40 Moustiers 04360 Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
from MOUTIERS by the southern route, cross the bridge
- 16km = 0h21 to Aegina 83630 Aiguines,
further to observation deck Col d'Illoire Col-d 'Illoire
further along the cornice of Sublim to the Mescla balcony Balcons de la Mescla.
- 34km =0h45 Trigance 83840 Trigance
further after the Point Sublime bridge turn left onto
- 21km =0h25 La Palud 04120 La Palud-sur-Verdon,
- at the intersection of Rue Moustier and Rue Castellane, enter the Cretan road D23 ROUTES DES CRETES - there the traffic is CLOCKWISE!
“...the loop of the D23 road starts from the gas station and the Aberg restaurant...”
- along the northern side of Verdon we go back to
- Moustier.
- Manosque
I don’t put down the mileage and time, it’s pointless in the mountains on serpentine roads
Time costs count half a day to Triganza, as the highest point of the route
And it takes the same amount of time to go back, time it.
Leave at dawn, the route is difficult.
Before and after Valensole there will be lavender fields.
At Gord Verdon, reach the middle and turn.
Don’t go towards Castellan, it’s not that interesting anymore.
You leave Moustiers for the second half, a very unusual town.
There's a problem with parking there; you have to park on the highway.
Lake Sainte-Croix is more interesting to look at than to take water treatments.
If you have time in the evening, set the direction from Valensole to Oraison.
There are other lavender fields on this road and a spectacular descent from the plateau.
When you come down from the plateau, set Manosque on the road along Durance.
pug, you are just super! Some kind of wizard!
I have now built your routes on Google to see what the trips will look like - super-super-super! Conveniently, what I wanted to eat and even much more! Thank you!
Tell me, but Cote d'Azur What would you recommend as a must visit for your taste? What cities/villages?
Your opinion is very interesting.
I will join the discussion))). But you say “there are developed minute-by-minute routes around Provence.” Where can I look? We are from Barcelona and want to see the lavender and the Verdon Gorge. Uv. Pug, where should we be based? I wanted more Roussillon and Grasse. The trip is planned for 4 days on June 23. Will there be any sporting events or something else at this time? And can you tell me a French website for booking private accommodation? I would like a private house (or part of it) with a separate entrance.
Unfortunately, there are almost no circular routes to wander around the Provençal villages on foot or by bicycle, which makes the experience of traveling, for example, by car less complete.
Tours are:
In the Russian-speaking group
- Classic tours– sights, wines, gastronomy. Transfers by minibus;
- "Big Walks"– sights and walks from village to village (2-3 hours before lunch and the same amount after);
In the English speaking group
- "Big Walks"– sights and walks from village to village (2-3 hours before lunch and lunch after);
- "Big Walks" premium
- Bike tours around Provence with a guide;
Individual tours
- "Big Walks"– individual tours without a guide– a trip to Provence with detailed guide. Most popular today. It is possible to purchase a voucher from 2 people. The price does not depend on the number of tourists in the group;
- "Big Walks" without a premium guide– accommodation and dinners in the “Charm” category;
- Bike tours around Provence without a guide with a detailed guide;
- Family tours, thematically focused on children;
What are “Great Walks”?
Villages of Provence... The only question is how pleasant it is to move between them!
- Every day, or almost every day in a new village Provence - in a cozy small hotel - most often maintained by the owners, like a family business in an old building.
- Baggage is carried in the morning to expect you in the evening.
- Walking lightly along a route planned for sightseeing and physical activity. Two or three hours of leisurely walking or pedaling between picturesque ancient villages before lunch and the same amount after, visiting attractions along the way.
In such a magnificent setting as Provence, it is more pleasant to feel its aromas, the breeze, its earth under your feet in the fresh air - on walks between villages than from the window of a minibus. Fortunately, there are many excellent paths between villages here, and they are maintained in perfect condition especially for tourists, and the stable weather rarely disappoints with rain.
Now you can go to the catalog! Go on a trip with us or create your trips to Provence based on the routes of the tours we offer!
So, we invite you to explore Provence - historical region, located in southeastern France. You can choose from those offered individual tours from regional French tour operators, the one that best suits your idea of travel.
If you are a conservative, then traveling with a guide who will tell you about each interesting village Provence.
Travel for families– especially for little tourists, where will be held interesting events, telling about rich history and crafts of the region.
If your English or French the language can help you out, you are a lover of freedom, and the villages of Provence are not the place where you are afraid of getting lost, you can choose independent “Great Walks”. A detailed guide will show you the way, and sometimes, if desired, GPS navigator with the track!
Walking can be not only on foot, but also on a bicycle.
Also, some routes are designed as walking with a pack donkey. Yes Yes! It is very popular in France today. Especially on tours with children. In this case, your luggage will move with you, but... on a donkey! In villages, hotel staff take care of their "maintenance" upon arrival. In all other options, the tour operator undertakes the delivery of your luggage.
Thus, your trip to Provence passes lightly, and at the place of your new overnight stay your things are already waiting for you.
You do you prefer exclusive? Then premium tours are especially for you. This is an overnight stay in ancient castles, former residences of noble people and original guest houses, delicious dishes for breakfast and dinner. Such trips can be either with or without a guide.
An important feature of independent individual tours from ProjectFrance is that only those people you want to take with you go on a trip with you - your friends, loved ones, children.
What to see in Provence
Southern Provence – cycling tour to the Mediterranean Sea
Skirting the hills of Montanette and the Alpilles, you will come across small village squares filled with hundred-year-old plane trees, rural markets, as well as amazing historical and cultural monuments located in the fortified historical villages and towns of Tarascon, Beau, Saint-Rémy and Avignon.
Approaching the sea, travelers will visit Big city Provence's Arles and the Camargue region, famous for its steppes, salt lakes, free-grazing horses and bulls, and pink flamingos.
You are driving along the Arles Road, part of the great pilgrimage route of Santiago de Compostela (the Way of St. James), and on the way are the ruins of the Barbegal aqueducts, built during Roman rule, the Nimes Costieres vineyards and, of course, the lovely villages of Provence.
Haute Provence
Lavender fields and clear distances. And above all this stretched a piercing blue sky. At night, it will allow you to penetrate, under the cover of darkness, with the watchful eye of a telescope from the Albion Plateau Observatory into the secret life of celestial bodies.
For those who love history and just want to enjoy the natural beauty, we recommend a trip to the villages beautiful Provence. Discover the secrets of the Luberon plateau, overlooking the Durance Valley, between Manosque and Cavaillon.
Here you can take leisurely strolls through endless fragrant gardens and villages with what they call a “melodic” atmosphere that has inspired generations of artists. The Regalon gorges, the Provençal Colorado and the fragrant Claparède plateau will delight you with their beautiful views.
Each village here has its own history and its own secrets. A journey through Provence will lead you to the village of Lacoste - the estate of the Marquis de Sade.
In the village of Bonnieux, there is a 12th-century church, the architecture of which contains elements of Romanesque and Gothic styles, as well as the remains of towers and fortifications from the same period.
In the village of Buu, you can see not only the remains of a fortress built in the 11th century and destroyed by the Sun King, but also a castle, the chapel of Sainte-Marie, built in the 13th century and representing an example of the Romanesque style in architecture, like its eldest on for a century the Priory of Saint-Symphorian de Buu.
The Provence village of Seignon is notable not only for its interesting location, but also for its historical monuments, such as the chapel of Saint-Michel-de-Transy, dating back to 1032, the church of Notre-Dame des Pitiés (XI-XII centuries), as well as the abbey Saint-Ezebe, built in the 7th century.
Provence Mediterranean
You can choose a 7-day trip along the coast around Marseille to see such wonderful seaside towns of Provence as Estac, Calanque, Blue Coast, Ciotat, Cassis... which inspired European artists.
Premium tours
(or as they are called here, the “Charm” category)
Historic villages of Provence... Here you will find an overnight stay in the most amazing places. So, you will spend the first night of your trip in La Prévote, a 17th-century monastery located in the very center of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Here you will be allocated 4 cozy and elegant guest rooms, and the restaurant located here will serve Provençal cuisine.
You will spend the second and third nights in Balsam's house - a cozy mansion located at the entrance to Gordes. You will spend the fourth night of the trip in a bastide - a traditional fortified house-farm in Provence, located a few steps from the village of Goult. Here you will fully feel the spirit of Provence and appreciate the rural peace.
And around - natural Park The Luberon, with its low mountains, fragrant fields and hidden gorges, the scent of garrigues, olive groves and historic villages perched on the hills.
Traveling through Provence in style Long walks“- this is unexpected, extraordinary and not boring. And most importantly, it’s dynamic and cool. Fragrant clean air and walks will put you in good shape. And they will whet your appetite! And if you travel without a guide, then one way or another - this is a real adventure! Recommended for traveling alone or with friends!
France in an unusual light
ProjectFrance will help you get to know France better and see it in an unusual light.
You will love not only this charming country, but also the very idea of “Great Walks”, filled with the spirit of adventure and freedom!
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 the province more, I highly recommend staying in the village of Les Baux-de-Provence, instead of Avignon, and this will not affect travel time in any way. At the end of the route, after the abbey, Les Baux-de-Provence is the same distance as Avignon, but this village is simply a stunning place and is home to 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 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 culmination is somewhere in the middle of the Cretan road (the title photo of the post), but further ones also open up interesting views, all the way 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 Abbey of Senank(Librairie de l'Abbaye de Sénanque), founded in 1148, where there is also a large lavender field. 
To go along the route, it will be enough to 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
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 :)
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:
So, we see: Marseille - Salon de Provence - Avignon - Lyon - Ebens (Podgrenoble :)) - Manosque - Grasse - Cannes - Fréjus - Marseille.
But first, a flight from Moscow to Marseille Marignan airport.
The airport is located approximately 25 km northwest of Marseille. We had no goal of going to Marseille, and so we immediately went north and then northwest - to the small town of Salon-de-Provence, where we would spend the night before starting a wonderful trip.
The distance is a little less than 40 km.
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. I won’t give historical information (not to copy Wikipedia, really), but I will share a couple of interesting photographs. 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.
But what he is 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... I, a person terribly afraid of heights and mountain roads, should have paid attention to the fact that part of the route runs through the mountains, and part has characteristic mountain slopes with sharp turns. 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 a mountain cliff: in some places there are no guardrails and you can see a cliff with a mountain river rumbling below, 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 sheer 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.
