The enchanting Provence

The scent of thyme and lavender blowing in the Mistral, cypress and olive trees on the horizon ... A handful of words can conjure up the essence of Provence, but it takes the literary talents of Daudet, Giono and Pagnol, or the vision of Van Gogh and Cézanne, to do justice to its depth and intimacy.

The Provençaux are justly proud of their art of living, and of the centuries of glory that lie behind the prestige of Orange, Avignon, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and Vaison-la-Romaine. Each of these towns made its contribution to the influence of Provence, a region that would seem to have been blessed by the gods, in which the ancient Romans recognized their own home-land, christening it Provincia romana.

Yet from the gorges of the Verdon to the valley of the Durance, from the Mont Ventoux to the Camargue and the Calanques - the rocky inlets so characteristic of the Mediterranean coast - the traveler will be constantly surprised by the infinite diversity of the Provençal landscapes, with their sharp contrasts, and the countless treasures they reveal.