Introduction to Apt

52km (32 miles) W of Avignon; 52km (32 miles) N of Aix-en-Provence; 726km (451 miles) S of Paris

Known as Colonia Apta Julia, this was an important Gallo-Roman city and today is a bustling market town. Ignore the modern industrial area and head for the Vieille Ville to capture the beauty of Apt. Here you can walk long, narrow streets that wind between old houses, where every nook and cranny offers something waiting to be discovered.

Apt is known for its wines -- it's a region of the Rhône Valley where the grapes that go into Côte de Luberon and Côtes de Ventoux are grown. It is also known for its basket- and wickerwork and has been a producer of hats since the 17th century. Others know it as the capital of fruit-confits, the crystallized fruit so beloved in Provence.

The old Roman city faded into history and was eventually deserted and covered by silt from the river and the hillsides. Roman remains are still buried around 5 to 10m (16 -- 33 ft.) below the current town.