Provence is a wonderful region in the sunny south eastern corner of France. Provence itself stretches from the perfume town of Grasse in the east to the Rhone valley in the west, from the mountainous Alps in the north to the Mediterranean in the south. 2Provence is concentrated around the departments of Var and the Alpes Maritimes, from the coast and about 50 km inland in the mountainous interior.

Culture

Provence is easily the most beautiful region in France and the history of the area is just as varied as the landscape. Few of France’s regions have experienced such a varied and changing history and there are very few places where one can see the clear historical traces that can be seen in Provence. Provence was the Romans’ first province in Gaul and there are very few places in the Roman empire where so many fantastic buildings are preserved in the way they are here.

Nature

Provence is the epitome of breathtaking scenery. Tall, slender cypresses, knotted olive trees and pine trees with broad canopies, dominate the landscape. But the nature also consists of areas with bare, wild mountains and desolate stretches. Towards the north, the Alps rise up with fortified villages, clinging to the mountainside. It is a distinctive alpine area and the further north one goes, the higher the snowcapped mountains become.

The southern region is the most characteristic part of Provence: Soft, green-clad mountains, fertile plains with orchards, mimosas and lavender fields, olive groves and famous vineyards with Côtes du Rhône, Côtes de Provence and Bandol wines. Here, you will also find large forest areas with pine, cork oaks and chestnuts amongst the idyllic villages and the impressive buildings from the Middle Ages.

Provence also has a long coastal stretch with beautiful sandy beaches and clean, warm bathing water. Most people have an image in the back of their minds of the famous Riviera towns - beaches, harbours with large yachts, millionaire villas, luxury hotels and fashionable life – the pictures do not lie

Climate

Provence is known as the Kingdom of the Sun. Statistically, you can expect 300 days of sunshine a year and an annual rainfall of less than 800 mm. However, when it does rain, it pours. The temperature is usually around 7 degrees in the interior and about 11 at the coast in the winter, but it can dip below zero for short periods of time. On the Côte d’ Azur, the temperature can easily go above 15 degrees in the winter. In the high season, the temperature rises to between 28-35 degrees, but not as much at the coast. Provence has a temperate climate in contrast to the subtropical climate of the Côte d’ Azur which has relatively higher temperatures in the winter and relatively lower ones in the summer. The summer is generally warm and dry and the winters are mild and sunny.