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 Arles is typically Provencal with tiled roofs, ochre walls and Roman ruins. It is the largest city in Southern France with a surface area of 758km2. Surrounding the city is countryside of exceptional beauty: the banks of the Rhône river, the arid plains of Crau, the Alpilles and the untamed land of Camargue.
Once a major Roman city, later Arles became a symbol of Christianity. The Roman arena, where bullfights take place in summer, offers a panoramic view of the city, while the ruins of the Antique Theater take on their original role each year when they house the Theater Festival of Arles. Finally, the Constantine Palace houses the Roman baths.
Arles is now the gateway to the Camargue. This is the land of the Gypsies and the meeting place of the Camargue cowboys. Today the ferias or running of the bulls and bullfights are held in the very same arena (12,000 seats) that was the location of the Roman games in the first century!
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 As you drive toward St. Remy and Les Baux is the attractive town of Maussane. It is located at the foot of the Alpilles mountain range and is surrounded by vast olive groves and superb countryside.
Maussane is situated on the ancient Roman road linking Arles to Aix. Today, only a few remains can be seen. Maussane's history is linked to Baux de Provence when people sought refuge in times of war. Over time, Maussane gained independence and prospered thanks to its many springs and fertile farmland.
In the 1830s, Maussane possessed more than 650 hectares of olive trees and no less than 12 windmills or "moulins à huile" used to make olive oil. Today Maussane and neighboring Mouries are the most important olive oil producing areas in the country.
There are only 2 "moulins à huile" left. During the olive-picking season, they are extremely busy. It is not unknown to have cars lining up for 10 miles in each direction to have their olives weighted, crushed and made into oil. This region continues to produce oil of exceptional quality.
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 The ruins of Les Baux is located in the extreme west of Provence on the southern edge of the Alpilles, just a few km from St. Remy de Provence. This unique ruined site is located on the plateau of a rock mass which rises above the Lower Town. The entire area can be visited only on foot. Parking is available outside the entrance to the Lower Town.
This elevated site was settled as long ago as the Early Stone Age. The first signs of overlords in Les Baux are found around the year 950. In the 12th and 13th C. Les Baux, which is Provençal for the Rocks, was the chief town of a county which embraced a great part of Provence and numbered more than 3,000 inhabitants. Being a stronghold of the Huguenots - there still exists a window from the former Protestant church of 1571 with the watchword "post tenebras lux", or "after the dark comes light" - and a refuge for rebels from Aix, in 1631 Louis XIII ordered the Duke of Guise to lay siege to the town and take it. The inhabitants wanted peace, and asked the king to take control of the town and to tear down the fortifications at their expense. This was done two years later. In 1642 Les Baux was given as a gift to the Grimaldi family. They remained Dukes of Les Baux until 1791, when they were dispossessed during a revolution. Charles Maxime de Grimaldi, who died in 1880, was the last to hold the title of Marquis des Baux.
According to the guide books, the best time of day to visit the Upper Town of Les Baux-de-Provence is in the evening, in order to experience the special light when the sun goes down; the ticket office is open until 7 p.m., but visitors can of course stay in the Upper Town later than that.
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 Situated in the heart of the Alpilles Mountain range, Saint Rémy is one of the "must-sees" in Provence. Surrounded by lush green perfumed valleys, its ancient streets are lined with beautifully restored old houses... you will soon be seduced by Saint Rémy's charm!
While strolling through the narrow winding streets, you will discover fantastic old fountains, shady squares, picturesque restaurants and elegant boutiques. From the place Jean Jaurès to the gates of the old town, you will come across a long succession of "hôtels particuliers" (often converted into museums or art galleries), convents, chapels, and ornate houses from the 17th and 18th century.
Saint Rémy has a wonderful Wednesday morning market. You will find charming souvenirs and delicious treats. There are plenty of ATM’s around so bring your card with you.
The beauty of the countryside and the quality of light has inspired many artists, writers and painters. Without a doubt, the most famous was Vincent Van Gogh who produced more than150 paintings of the countryside surrounding Saint Rémy de Provence. He came here in 1889 to be treated at the Saint-Paul de Maussole monastery, of which the gardens and 12th century cloisters are open to the public. |
 Marseille is divided into sixteen arrondissements which spiral out from the focal point of the city, the Vieux Port . North of the center lies the old town, Le Panier , site of the original Greek settlement of Massalia. The wide boulevard leading from the head of the Vieux Port, La Canebière is the central east-west axis of the town. The Centre Bourse and the little streets of quartier Belsunce border it to the north, while the main shopping streets lie to the south. From the headland west of the Vieux Port, the Corniche heads south past the city's most favoured residential districts towards the beaches and promenade nightlife of the Plage du Prado.
The Château d'If located on the tiny island of If, is best known as the prison for Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo . Having made his watery escape after five years of incarceration as the innocent victim of treachery, the hero of the piece, Edmond Dantès, describes the island thus: "Blacker than the sea, blacker than the sky, rose like a phantom the giant of granite, whose projecting crags seemed like arms extended to seize their prey". The reality, for most prisoners, was worse: they went insane or died (and sometimes both) before reaching the end of their sentences. Only the nobles living in the less fetid upper-storey cells had much chance of survival, like de Niozelles, who was given six years for failing to take his hat off in the presence of Louis XIV, and Mirabeau, who was doing time for debt. The sixteenth-century castle and its cells are horribly well preserved, and the views back towards Marseille are brilliant. Boats for If leave regularly from the quai des Belges on the Vieux Port (hourly 9am-6pm, last return at 6.40pm; journey time 15-20min; 50F/?7.63).
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