209 Best Sights in Provence, France

Nîmes's oldest museum, inaugurated in 1895 in a listed 17th-century chapel, contemplates the natural and human sciences via a vast collection of stuffed beasts, menhirs, and other wonders. The setting has barely changed since the 1930s, when France was a still a vast colonial power. There's a planetarium, too.

Across the street from the Théâtre Antique, this small museum displays artifacts unearthed around Orange, including fragments of three detailed marble cadastres (land survey maps) dating from the first century AD. Upstairs, a vivid series of 18th-century canvases shows local mills producing Provençal fabrics, each aspect illustrated in careful detail. There are also personal objects from local aristocrats and a collection of faience pharmacy jars.

Between Arles in the north and Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer in the south, this former sheep ranch is now a museum devoted to the region's history, produce, and people, including the gardians. It's also a good place to pick up information about nature trails.

Owned by one of the original lavender families, who have cultivated and distilled the flower here for more than five generations, this chic museum sits at the edge of 80 or so acres of prime lavender fields about 3 km (2 miles) outside of Gordes (take the D2 southeast to the outskirts of Coustellet). Not only can you take in well-organized displays (note the impressive collection of scythes and distilling apparatus), see a fascinating movie, and play with interactive screens, but you can also participate in lavender workshops that are fun for adults and kids alike. The boutique sells a top-notch selection of sophisticated lavender-based cosmetics and essential oils.

Another claim to fame for Aubagne: it's the headquarters for the French Foreign Legion. The legion was created in 1831, and accepts recruits from all nations, no questions asked. The discipline and camaraderie instilled among its motley team of adventurers have helped the legion forge a reputation for exceptional valor—a reputation romanticized by songs and films in which sweaty deeds of heroism are performed under the desert sun. The Musée de la Légion Étrangère does its best to polish the image by way of medals, uniforms, weapons, and photographs.

Although it's a hike from the center, this state-of-the-art museum is a good place to start your exploration of Arles. You can learn all about the city in its Roman heyday, from the development of its monuments to details of daily life. The bold, modern triangular structure (designed by Henri Ciriani) lies on the site of an enormous Roman cirque (chariot-racing stadium).

The permanent collection includes jewelry, mosaics, town plans, and carved 4th-century sarcophagi. One wing of the museum features a rare intact barge dating from AD 50, as well as a fascinating display illustrating how the boat was meticulously dredged from the nearby Rhône. Seven superb floor mosaics can be viewed from an elevated platform, and you exit via a hall packed with magnificently detailed paleo-Christian sarcophagi. As you leave you will see the belt of St-Césaire, the last bishop of Arles, who died in AD 542 when the countryside was overwhelmed by the Franks and the Roman era met its end. Ask for an English-language guidebook.

In 1943, Germans destroyed the neighborhood along the Quai du Port—some 2,000 houses—displacing 20,000 citizens, but this act of brutal urban renewal, ironically and literally, laid the ground open for new discoveries. When Marseille began to rebuild in 1947, workers dug up the remains of a Roman shipping warehouse full of the terra-cotta jars and amphorae that once lay in the bellies of low-slung ships. The Musée des Docks Romains was created around the finds and demonstrates the scale of Massalia's shipping prowess.

Set in a contemporary building a block from the beach, this museum is an essential stop to learn about the long and fascinating history of this seaside town and the Camargue in general. More than 500 exhibits cover the area’s maritime and land-faring past—from the Etruscans and Greeks to the gardians—through archeological finds, marine artifacts, and the mid-20th century collections of the Marquis de Baroncelli, a local icon and one of the first protectors of the Camargue and its unique culture.

In the 17th-century Palais de l'Archevêché (Archbishop's Palace), this museum showcases a sumptuous collection of tapestries that once decorated the bishops' quarters. There are 17 magnificent hangings from Beauvais and a series on the life of Don Quixote from Compiègne. Temporary exhibitions highlight contemporary textile art. The main opera productions of the Festival d'Aix take place in the broad courtyard.

This residence of bishops and cardinals before Pope Benedict XII built his majestic palace houses a large collection of Old Master paintings, most of which are Italian works from the early Renaissance schools of Siena, Florence, and Venice—styles with which the Avignon popes would have been familiar. Later pieces here include Sandro Botticelli's Virgin and Child and Venetian paintings by Vittore Carpaccio and Giovanni Bellini. The museum café and tearoom, with a picturesque outdoor terrace in the mansion's ancient courtyard, is a favorite spot for lunch, coffee, or teatime (open 10–7).

You'll find an eclectic assortment of local treasures inside the Hôtel Estienne de Saint-Jean, a 17th-century mansion. The collection ranges from faience to santons (terra-cotta figurines) to ornately painted furniture. The building is lovely, too.

Housed in the 17th-century bishop's palace opposite the cathedral, this museum shows off garments embroidered in the exotic and vibrant style for which Nîmes was once famous. Look for the 18th-century jacket made of blue serge de Nîmes, the renowned fabric—now simply called denim—from which Levi Strauss first fashioned blue jeans.

There's no better way to learn about the local wine production than to spend an hour at the Musée du Vin Maison Brotte, a private collection of wine-making equipment displayed in the caveau (wine cellar) of the Brotte family.

The 18th-century Hôtel Estrine now houses this museum, which contains many reproductions of Van Gogh's work (along with letters to his brother, Theo) and hosts exhibitions of contemporary art, much of it inspired by Vincent. It also has a permanent collection dedicated to the father of Cubism, Albert Gleizes, who lived in St-Rémy for the last 15 years of his life.

Housed in a pretty little Jesuit chapel on the main shopping street, this collection of sculpture and stonework is primarily from Gallo-Roman times but also includes Greek and Etruscan works. There are several interesting inscribed slabs, a selection of shabtis (small statues buried with the dead to help them get to the afterlife), and a notable depiction of Tarasque of Noves, the man-eating monster immortalized by Alphonse Daudet. Most items, unfortunately, are haphazardly labeled and insouciantly scattered throughout the chapel, itself slightly crumbling yet awash with light.

Part of a network of marine museums around France, this branch, lodged in the graceful 18th-century section of the Toulon arsenal, is particularly fascinating. The rich maritime history in this part of the Mediterranean comes alive via model ships, paintings, mastheads, and a pictorial account of the city's role in World War II.

Below the abbey, one of the luxurious, 14th-century cardinals' manors contains a notable collection of art, including the spectacularly colorful and richly detailed Couronnement de la Vierge (Coronation of the Virgin), an altarpiece painted in 1453 by Enguerrand Quarton. One of the greatest paintings of the 15th century, it shows rows and rows of Avignonnais hieratically sitting around the figures of God the Father and God the Son. Depicted by Quarton—the leading painter of the Avignon School—as identical twins, they bless Mary and hover over a surreal landscape that places Montagne St-Victoire in between Heaven and Hell.

Three rooms of this museum, housed in a Knights of Malta priory dating from the 15th century, are dedicated to local painter Jacques Réattu. But the standouts are works by Dufy, Gauguin, and 57 drawings (and two paintings) done by Picasso in 1971—including one delightfully tongue-in-cheek depiction of noted muse and writer Lee Miller in full Arles dress. They were donated to Arles by Picasso himself, to thank the town for amusing him with bullfights.

This beautifully renovated 1948 architectural gem by Fernand Pouillon was once Marseille's station sanitaire, where every immigrant entering France was systematically "disinfected" to guard against epidemic. An absorbing 45-minute film (in English) and the intact machinery tell a fascinating story of Marseille as "gateway to the East." The light-filled second floor has spaces dedicated to the museum's permanent collection of 18th- to 20th-century paintings depicting Provence and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as to temporary exhibitions of works by contemporary painters. There's also a lovely boutique.  The museum café (open until 7) has some of the best views of the redeveloped port and is a great place for a gourmet lunch, a light snack on the terrace, or a restorative beverage.

Don't bother to rush to this eccentric little natural history museum, but since it's next door to the Institut Calvet museum (and free) you might want to stop in and check out the petrified palm trunks, the dinosaur skeleton, the handful of local beetles and mammals, and the careful and evocative texts (French only) that accompany them. The museum is named for a local naturalist and functions as an entrance to the massive library of natural history upstairs.

Souleiado’s famous cotton prints, produced in France since 1806, harken back to the 16th-century when colorful fabrics imported from India were all the rage in France. Trace the history of this emblematic French brand through a collection of artworks, textiles, and fashions by designers such as Chantal Thomas, Christian Lacroix, and Gucci. The Souleiado cotton-printing workshop is also on-site, as is the factory store, where you can buy fabric and ready-to-wear clothing a steep discount.

Prepare to get wet—preferably equipped with snorkel, flippers, and some goggles—at France's only underwater museum. Exhibits, which are 109 yards off Catalans beach at a depth of 15 feet, consist of 11 submerged sculptures that highlight marine diversity and the human capacity to both destroy or save what remains of this fragile and beautiful ecosystem.

The Hôtel de Porcelet, which dates from the 16th century, contains this museum with works by the local 20th-century artist Yves Brayer. Figurative and accessible to the point of näiveté, his paintings highlight Italy, Spain, and even Asia, but demonstrate, most of all, his love of Provence. His grave is in the château cemetery. The house at No. 4 on Place de l'Église is also decorated with frescoes by the artist.

Founded at the end of the 19th century by the Occitan writer and lexicographer Frédéric Mistral, this museum was a favorite before its 15-year-long restoration and reinvention and is a must-see now. It tells the story of Provençal life from the 18th century to the present in a setting that showcases architectural history—including the beautifully restored 17th-century Jesuit chapel, now an exhibition space—from the Roman era to today. The eye-catching scenography, displays of artwork and everyday objects, and state-of-the-art interactive features reflect the creative talents of top architects and designer Christian Lacroix, an Arles native.

Just east of Bandol on the D559, past the smaller resort of Sanary, as you turn left onto the D63 you'll see signs pointing to the small stone chapel of Notre-Dame de Pépiole. It's hemmed in by pines and cypresses and is one of the oldest Christian buildings in France, dating from the 6th century and modeled on early churches in the Middle East. The simple interior has survived the years in remarkably good shape, although the colorful stained glass that fills the tiny windows is modern—composed mainly of broken bottles.

Towering above the city and visible for miles around, this overscaled neo-Byzantine basilica was erected in 1853 by Napoléon III. The interior is a Technicolor bonanza of red-and-beige stripes and glittering mosaics, and the gargantuan Madonna and Child on the steeple (almost 30 feet high) is covered in real gold leaf. While the panoply of ex-votos, mostly thanking the Virgin for deathbed interventions and shipwreck survivals, is a remarkable sight, most impressive are the views of the seaside city at your feet.

The area's famous vein of natural ocher, which runs for about 25 km (16 miles) along the foot of the Vaucluse Plateau, has been mined for centuries, beginning with the ancient Romans, who used ocher for their pottery. Visit this museum housed in a former factory to learn more about ocher's extraction and its modern uses. English-language guided tours (50 minutes) are available. If the landscapes of Provence that inspired so many great artists have also inspired you, head for the on-site gift shop to pick up some bottled pigments or a set of ocher and indigo watercolors to use in your own creative endeavors.

The last vestiges of Toulon’s medieval and Renaissance past can be seen in this once-decrepit maze of narrow streets, alleyways, and squares that lies just behind the port. A targeted urban renewal plan has largely restored this storied quartier around the bustling Rue des Arts district, home to dozens of small galleries, cafés, boutiques, vintage shops, and bars. It also features murals and sculptures, like the trompe l’oeil painting on the Rue Chevalier Paul depicting the saucy ladies of the night who inhabited the famous red light district—still referred to by locals as Chicago—that catered to the sailors who once flocked here.

Inaugurated in 1869, this grandiose hilltop palace was built to commemorate the completion of an 84-km (52-mile) aqueduct bringing the water of the Durance River to the open sea. The massive, classical-style building surrounds—with impressive symmetrical grace—a series of fountains and has a museum in each of its wings. In the Musée des Beaux-Arts (Fine Arts Museum) are 16th- and 17th-century paintings, including several by Rubens; French 19th-century paintings by such artists as Courbet, Ingres, and David; and fine marble sculptures and drawings by the Marseille architect Pierre Puget. There are also delightful sculptures by caricaturist Honoré Daumier. In addition to prehistoric and zoological artifacts, the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle (Natural History Museum) has a large aquarium with fish from around the world.

As you drive the few roads that crisscross the Camargue, you'll usually be within the boundaries of the Parc Naturel Régional de Camargue, which covers more than 400 square miles of the of the Camargue’s 580 total square miles—basically, everything but a slice of the far western quarter around the gateway town of Aigues-Mortes. Unlike most national parks in the United States, this area is supervised by the state but privately owned, primarily by the manadier ranchers. Though there are several protected nature reserves, they have no regulatory power and primarily serve as consultants to local stakeholders.

Virtually all of the Camargue’s major roads, as well as its hiking, cycling, and horseback riding paths, are within the park. In fact, you’ll rarely feel you’ve gotten an off-the-beaten-path experience until you’re out of the car and exploring on foot, by bike, or on horseback. In the saddle, you’re likely to be with a group unless you book an individual tour in advance. Signs for horseback rides are everywhere along the main roads, and there are about 15 major cycling and trekking routes, most of which can be completed within one to six hours.

The best sources for maps and information, and what you’re likely to encounter, can be found at the tourist office in Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer, where many trails begin, or the Centre d’Information de la Réserve Nationale de Camargue, which also has exhibits on area wildlife and is the starting point of three discovery trails. You can also get trail maps and expert advice at the bike rental shops like Le Vélo Sainto ( www.levelosaintois.com) in Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer.

You'll need comfortable hiking shoes and a backpack to carry mosquito repellent, sunglasses, binoculars, snacks, and plenty of water. Provisions are available in the main gateway towns, and routes are well marked so there’s little worry about getting lost.