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Frommer's Favorite Experiences
Partying in the Land of Festivals: Provence is called the Land of Festivals with good reason: It hosts some 500 with an astonishing 4,000 events. The ultimate example is the you-won't-believe-it-until-you've-seen-it Cannes Film Festival in May. July and August are the busiest months, as Aix-en-Provence, Toulon, and Nice host jazz festivals, and Nîmes and Arles stage theater and dance performances. On May 16, St-Tropez's riotous bravades honor the saint in theory but are really just an excuse for revelry. Many festivals have deep roots in Provençal folklore, honoring the bounty of earth and sea: the wine harvest in numerous villages, the rice harvest in Languedoc's Camargue, and the apple harvest in Peyruis. Everything seems to end in a feast where the wine and pastis flow. Contact any tourist office for the free booklet Provence -- Terre de Festivals.
Absorbing a Unique Lifestyle: Provence and Languedoc share a uniquely Mediterranean lifestyle. Compared to the rest of France, the air here is drier, the sun beats down more strongly, and the light beloved by so many painters appears more clearly. Nothing could be more typical than a game of boules played under shade trees on a hot afternoon in a Provençal village. This is a region that respects time-honored crafts; Picasso might have arrived here a painter, but he left a potter. And nothing is finer in life than to be invited into a Provençal kitchen -- the heart of family life -- and smell the aroma of herbs and wines cooking with the catch of the day. To walk in the gardens filled with vegetables, flowers, and fruit trees is reason enough to visit. Attend a harvest, not just of grapes, but perhaps of linden blossoms. Discovering this land of ingrained traditions and making it your own is one of the great rewards of all European travel, especially if you go in the best months: May and September.
Dining & Drinking Provence Style: Many people flock to the south of France specifically to enjoy cuisine Provençale, a Mediterranean mix of bold flavors with an emphasis on garlic, olive oil, and aromatic local herbs like thyme and basil. The world's greatest bouillabaisse is made here, particularly in Marseille; Provençal lamb is among the best in France; and the local vegetables (such as asparagus, eggplant, tomatoes, and artichokes) fill the markets of France. Regional wines, though not equaling those of Bordeaux and Burgundy, are the perfect accompaniment, ranging from the warm, full-bodied Châteauneuf-du-Pape to the rare Bellet, from the hill slopes of Nice.
Spending a Day in St-Rémy-de-Provence: Our favorite town in Provence is St-Rémy. To wander St-Rémy's streets is to recapture Provence's essence, especially its Vieille Ville (Old Town). After exploring its alleys, pause in one of its immaculate leafy squares, then search out an art gallery or two, and reward yourself with a painting and a memory..
Following in the Footsteps of the Great Artists: Modern art wasn't born in Provence, but artists from all over came here to paint the "glaring festive light." Most of these artists left behind fabulous legacies. Perhaps it all began when Monet arrived with Renoir in 1883. In time, they were followed by a host of others, including Bonnard in St-Tropez. Van Gogh arrived in Arles in 1888, and Gauguin showed up a few months later. Even the Fauves sought out this region, notably Matisse, whose masterpiece is his chapel at Vence. Not long afterward, Picasso arrived at Antibes. Deeply jealous of Picasso and Matisse, Chagall moved to Vence and was later infuriated that the street on which he lived was renamed avenue Henri-Matisse. He got over it and lived and painted on the Riviera until he died at 97.
Sunning & Swimming on the Riviera Beaches: There are greater beaches but none more fabled, overcrowded though they are. Most of them are sandy, except those stretching from Antibes to the Italian frontier, including the beaches in Nice. These are shingled (covered with gravel or pebbles), but that doesn't stop the world from flocking to them. A beach mattress works just fine on the shingles, and umbrellas are for rent when you want to escape the relentless sun. Along the Riviera, topless sunbathing is de rigueur. Legend says it began with Brigitte Bardot, who pulled off her bra and said, "Let's wake up sleepy St-Trop." Nudist beaches also exist, notably at Cap d'Agde and Port Cros. If you decide not to go topless or bottomless, you can still wear your most daring bikini or thong.
Having Fun Day & Night: If nothing else, the Riviera is about the art of entertainment, both high and low. The Côte d'Azur offers not only beaches and race cars and yachts, but also fêtes and festivals and even real Spanish-style bullfights in the old Roman arenas at Arles and Nîmes. Glittering casinos are seemingly everywhere -- Monte Carlo, Cannes, Cassis, and Beaulieu, to name a few. Many cities have elegant restaurants and opera houses with resident companies. But mainly the Riviera offers white-hot nightclubs and dance clubs for all sexes and sexual orientations, especially in Cannes, Nice, Monte Carlo, and St-Tropez.
Breaking the Bank at Monte Carlo: Few other casinos can match the excitement generated at the Monte Carlo Casino. The world's wealthy flocked to Monaco when the casino was opened by Charles Garnier in 1878. But since 1891 much of the nonwealthy world has followed -- even those who can't afford losses. During a 3-day gambling spree that year, Charles Deville Wells, an American, turned $400 into $40,000, an astonishing amount back then. His feat was immortalized in the song "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo." Even if you do no more today than play the slot machines, a visit to this casino will be a highlight as you bask amid the extravagant decor and under the gilded rococo ceilings. (Some not as lucky as Wells have leaped to their deaths from the casino windows or the "Suicide Terrace.")
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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