April 23, 2023
Applaud the ochre village of Roussillon, considered one of France’s prettiest towns, and the striking cliffside hamlet of Gourdon on this extraordinary journey to the heart of Provence. Wind along the gentle slopes and green pastures of Provence during your journey by coach, stopping briefly in photogenic Lourmarin. On the highest hills between the Coulon River Valley and the Vaucluse Plateau, you’ll find Roussillon, a dreamlike village tinted with vibrant colors. During your guided walking tour, see the storied ochre quarries that account for Roussillon’s rich tones and wander among the village’s distinctive streets. You’ll appreciate time on your own, perhaps partaking in lunch at a welcoming brasserie. Travel to charismatic Gordes, which rises dramatically in tiers atop a series of bluffs in the Vaucluse Plateau. Roam along timeworn lanes, under vaulted passageways and up stepped alleyways lined with arcaded medieval dwellings and the remains of age-old ramparts. You’ll long treasure your memories of this excursion to Provence’s fairy-tale villages.
Welcome a leisurely walking tour of alluring Aix-en-Provence, a graceful provincial city with a noble heritage. Rejoice in a picturesque drive through the Provençal countryside, a verdant patchwork of gentle foothills and bucolic valleys that stirs the imagination and stimulates the senses. Begin your exploration of magnetic Aix on Cours Mirabeau, a lively boulevard shaded by 200-year-old plane trees that is framed by cafés, bookshops and splendid mansions, whose attractive façades are enriched by wrought-iron balconies and finely carved doorways. You’ll cherish the verdant Mazarin District, founded in 1646 by the noted archbishop of the same name and later home to writers and artists such as Paul Cézanne. Admire Saint-Sauveur Cathedral, which was built over ten centuries, resulting in its intriguing meld of architectural styles. During time on your own, perhaps look for the 16th-century belfry that boasts a sophisticated astronomical clock from 1661 or relax at an inviting café beside one of the myriad fountains gracing this refined city.
