Rick Steves - Rick Steves Provence & the French Riviera

Roussillon huddling atop its ochre cliffs

Provence and the French Riviera are an intoxicating bouillabaisse of enjoyable cities, warm stone villages, Roman ruins, contemporary art, and breathtaking coastlines steaming with sunshine and stirred by the wind. Theres something about the play of light in this region, where natural and man-made beauty mingle to dazzle the senses and nourish the soul. It all adds up to une magnifique vacation.

Provence and the Riviera stretch along Frances southeast Mediterranean coast from the Camargue (south of Arles) to Monaco, and ramble north along the Rhne Valley into the Alps. The regions combined are about the same size as Massachusettsyou can take a train or drive from one end to the other in just three hoursyet they contain more sightseeing opportunities and lets-live-here villages than anywhere else in France. Marseille and Nice, the countrys second- and fifth-largest cities, provide good transportation and an urban perspective to this otherwise laid-back region, where every day feels like a lazy Sunday.

In Provence, gnarled sycamores line the roads that twist their way through stone towns and between oceans of vineyards. Frances Riviera is about the sea and moneyits populated by a yacht-happy crowd wondering where the next scene will be. Provence feels older and more espaol (with paella on menus and bullfights on Sundays), while the Riviera feels downright Italianwith fresh-Parmesan-topped pasta and red-orange, pastel-colored buildings. For every Roman ruin in Provence, theres a modern-art museum in the Riviera. Provence is famous for its wines and wind, while the bikini and ravioli were conceived on the Riviera. You cant go wrong.

This book covers the predictable biggies, from jet-setting beach resorts to famous museums, but it also mixes in a healthy dose of Back Door intimacy. Along with Pont du Gard, Nice, and Avignon, well introduce you to our favorite villages and scenic walks. Youll sample delicious wineries and find yourself alone at overlooked Roman ruins. Youll marvel at ancient monuments, take a canoe trip down the meandering Sorgue River, and settle into a shaded caf on a made-for-movies square. Claim your favorite beach to call home, and at days end dive headfirst into a southern France sunset. Youll enjoy tasty-yet-affordable wines while feasting on a healthy cuisine heavy on olives, tomatoes, and spices. Just as important, youll get on a first-name basis with many of our Provenal friendshoteliers, restaurateurs, vintners, and lots more.

This book is selective, including only the most exciting sights and romantic villages. There are beaucoup de Provenal hill towns...but we cover only the most intriguing. And though there are scads of beach towns on the Riviera, we recommend our favorite three.

The best is, of course, only our opinion. But after spending more than half of our adult lives writing and lecturing about travel, guiding tours, and gaining an appreciation for all things French, weve developed a sixth sense for what touches the travelers imagination.

Rick Steves Provence & the French Riviera is a personal tour guide in your pocket. Better yet, its actually two tour guides in your pocket: The co-author of this book is Steve Smith. Steve, who has lived in France several times, now travels there annually (as he has since 1986) as a guide, a researcher, a homeowner, and a devout Francophile. He has restored an old farmhouse in Burgundy and today keeps one foot on each side of the Atlantic. Together, Steve and I keep this book up-to-date and accurate (though for simplicity, from this point we will shed our respective egos and become I).

Provence & the French Riviera Almanac

Official Name: Provence and the French Riviera are part of the Provence-Alpes-Cte-dAzure (PACA), one of 27 administrative regions of France.

Capital: Marseille is the regions capital city.

Regional Population: Over 4.5 million.

Main Cities: Marseille (860,000), Nice (350,000), Aix-en-Provence (140,000), Antibes (80,000), Cannes (75,000), Avignon (13,000 people live within the walls), St-Tropez (5,700).

Language: French is the official language. More than 1.5 million people in the south of France speak one of two lesser-known dialects: Occitan, and specifically in the Provence region, Provenal (both dialects are closely related to Catalan, a dialect of Spanish).

Geography: Located in the southeast of France, the Provence-Alpes-Cte-dAzure region spans over 71 miles of Mediterranean coastline, from Marseille and Toulon in the west, to Monaco and the Italian border in the east, where the Alps stretch to the north.

Climate: The Hautes-Alpes and Rhne-Alpes shield the region from severe weather and give Provence and the Riviera the highest average temperatures in France (a comfortable 72 F in summer, and around 43 F in winter). Locals enjoy more than 300 days of sun per year, but experience more storms (70-110 per year) than other parts of France.

Economy: The Provence-Alpes-Cte-dAzure region is the third wealthiest in France and annually contributes nearly $158 billion (7%) to Frances GDP. Tourism and service industries account for 80 percent of jobs, but the region is also a leading center for agriculture, biotechnology, and microelectronics.