The very name of "Provence" summons up to most Europeans the land of sunshine and laughter, music and wine; a Mediterranean land redolent of sweet smelling herbs and lavender; a cuisine that is rich and varied; a people colourful and exuberant, and a countryside alive with the strum of crickets. It is all this and more.

This large area, once independent of France, is arguably the most varied and many faceted region of Europe: from the vast Rhône Delta and the Camargue to the mountains of the Alps, from the plains of the Crau to the wooded hills of the southern Drôme, from the new to the ancient as in the Roman arenas of Fréjus and Arles, from the warm blue sea to snow covered peaks, from rolling vineyards to fields of yellow sunflowers and rice paddies, from the stark spectacular rocks of Les Baux to the hills of the Luberon... the contrasts are many and great. Even the people are different from area to area: from the fishermen of Martigues to the sophisticates of Nice, from the people of Marseille, with their laughter and joie de vivre, to the hardy folk of the mountain areas whose hospitality is legendary... sunshine is always somehow evident in the faces, voices, gestures and life-styles of all.

Provence has essentially four faces: to the west the areas of the Bouches-du-Rhône, the Vaucluse and the Southern Drôme dominated by the mighty Rhône and Durance rivers with their valleys, vineyards and fruit growing areas, and equally dominated by their hills and mountains (the Luberon, the Alpilles and Mont Ventoux), and famed for the towns of Orange, Avignon and Aix; to the south the Camargue, Arles, Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and Marseille... these two areas encompass the best and most famous of Roman Provence; to the east the long seaboard of Provence the names of whose towns conjure up thoughts of hot sun and blue sea: St. Tropez, Cannes, Antibes and Nice to name but a few. French Affair offers a wide range of villas near Aix en Provence and Avignon as well as some handpicked villas in the Luberon, which offer a perfect base to visit all the treasures of Provence. Please click here to find your ideal villas near Avignon, Aix en Provence and in the Luberon.

The fourth face of Provence is what the French call the "arrière-pays" or hinterland - a land of unbelievable beauty: forests of cork and evergreen oaks, mimosa and lavender, hills and mountains, rivers and lakes, picturesque perched villages... untamed country where it is still possible to travel all day and rarely see more than the odd inquisitive visitor. Here is a green land full of birds, butterflies, wild flowers and rare species of animals, a land discovered only by the discerning traveller. Nobody can visit Provence without a burning desire to return to discover new aspects and re-experience already discovered delights. This is a magical land of sunshine and contrast.

Places of Interest

So much is of interest in Provence on every level that it is only possible to give a few pointers here as to what should not be missed!

Arles, Orange and Vaison-la-Romaine have retained many well-preserved buildings from their Roman past and their arenas and theatres are also the scene of summer dance, music and drama festivals of international repute. Lovers of nature will be spellbound by the vast natural parks and reserves of the Luberon, the Camargue and the Mercantour. Equally breathtaking is France's answer to the Grand Canyon: the Grand Canyon du Verdon. There are a number of large inland lakes such as the Lac de Ste Croix and the Lac de St. Cassien.

Provence is a region of picturesque villages to delight the visitor, villages such as Lourmarin and Bonnieux, Callian and Fayence, Mirabel-aux-Baronnies and Dieulefit, St. Agnès and Cabris... all giving a taste of a bygone age.

Provence enchants the eye: Van Gogh painted some of his finest paintings in and around Arles, whilst Cezanne was inspired by the Mont Sainte Victoire near Aix and Renoir spent his last years at Cagnes. The sites all three painted, can still be visited.

The open air markets of Provence have been famed since the Middle Ages and still to this day are an institution. One of the best known and most colourful is the Saturday market at Arles, but most towns and villages have perhaps smaller, but equally colourful markets, too. Be part of this vibrant culture and rent a vacation villa in Provence with French Affair now and click here to find your ideal vacation villas in Provence.

Food and Wine

Rich in contrast, the cuisine of Provence has given the world many a dish from ratatouille to bouillabaisse, salade niçoise to crystallised fruit. Olives, garlic, herbs and Mediterranean vegetables are widely used; seafood is plentiful (even to the more unusual sea urchins and sea anemones!) and cheeses are usually of goat's or ewe's milk. Meat dishes are often based on beef and mutton (estouffade and daube). There is a wide range of cakes often flavoured with orange blossom such as fougasse. Savours and smells, colours and textures, all is here to delight the senses.

The vineyards of Provence date back to Greek times and offer a full range from good rosés and whites as in the Côtes du Provence to the reds of Bandol and Châteauneuf du Pape. Wine tasting is available in every wine growing area. We can guarantee that our villa rentals in Provence will allow you to taste all these treasures. Please click here to find your ideal villa rentals in Provence.