Alpilles : a small outcrop of arid hills in the middle of the Rhone delta, south of Avignon. Camargue
- Rhône Delta: wetland area, spreading out in a triangle
between Arles
and the coast. The area is famous for its nature reserves,
its
wildlife, including pink flamingoes, and its white horses. Rice is
cultivated in paddy fields, and the area also produces a
rosé wine
known as "vin gris". Côte d'Azur - See Riviera. Drome
Provençale: the southern part of the Drome
department, which was historically attached to Provence. Esterel :
The dry and rough range of hills, of volcanic origin, that runs along
the Riviera coast from the Var to the Alpes Maritimes departments. Haute
Provence: the Provençal Alps, rising to an
altitude of over 3000 metres, near the Italian border. The
Luberon / Le Lubéron: a band of hills and
mountains running east from the Rhone valley to the Alps, between the
river Durance and the department of the Drome, from Cavaillon to
Manosque. This is where Peter Mayle's "Year in Provence" is
set. The area is largely a protected natural area, with dry, wooded
limestone hills. Pays
d'Aix: very dry
area of low hills around the town of Aix en Provence, and typically
covered by Mediterranean pine forest. The Riviera (French Riviera) :
there is no formal definition for the extent of the French Riviera; but
normally the term is used to describe the south-east facing coastline
between Hyères and Menton. Sometimes the term is used to refer to the
French Mediterranean coast to the east of Marseilles. More information on the French Riviera . Verdon:
An area
along the river Verdon, running east-west betwen the departments of the
Var and the Alpes de Haute Provence. The dry limestone hills, crossed
by rivers running down from the Alps, have been cut through by deep
gorges, notably the Verdon Canyon, the depest gorge in Europe (20 km
long and 300 metres deep). Administrative
departments
The "Provence
alpes Cote d'Azur"
region is:
04
Alpes de Haute Provence
05 Hautes alpes
06 Alpes Maritimes
13 Bouches du Rhône
83 Var
84 Vaucluse
Historic
Provence is also parts of 26 Drome and 30 Gard
Main
cities and towns:
Aix en Provence. Historic university city, once capital of
the
province. Very attractive old town. Antibes:
popular seaside resort Apt:
town situated in the Luberon regional nature reserve. Arles:
Centre for the Camargue, historic city with several major monuments. Avignon:
Historic walled city, capital of the Vaucluse department; the old city
is a UNESCO world heritage site. Briançon:
at an
altitude of over1300 metres, the highest town in France, and one of the
highest in Europe. Cannes:
A famous Riviera resort, and major venue for festivals and congresses. Carpentras:
an old country town in the Vaucluse, not far from the foot of the Mont
Ventoux.
Digne les Bains: between lower Provence and the Alps,
Digne is at the heart of a magnificent mountainous area Draguignan:
small inland town in the Var, close to the Gorges du Verdon. Fos sur
Mer: port on an inlet 50 km west of Marseilles,
with petrochemical complex and other industrial sites Fréjus:
Attractive old town on the riviera coast, with
historic centre and big marina. Gap:
standing at an altitude of 750 metres, Gap is the capital of the
southern Alps Grasse:
capital of the French perfume industry Ile sur la Sorgue : small town
in the Vaucluse department, north of Avignon, famous for its bric à
brac and antiques markets - notably the Sunday morning antiques market,
one of the biggest in France. The town, once an important silk-spinning
centre, also has fine old water wheels that are still working. Marseilles.
Regional capital, and capital of Bouches du Rhone department. France's
biggest port, and the third biggest city in France. Martigues:
an old town beside the canals linking the lagoon known as the Etang de
Berre with the sea. The centre is pretty. Menton:
very old seaside town almost on the Italian border, famous for its
magnificent gardens. Nice:
Capital
of the Alpes Maritimes department, a major tourist resort famous for
its long beaches and mild climate, but also for its museums (Chagall
and Matisse museums in particular). Saint
Raphael: Riviera seaside resort, with an attractive old
town, markets and harbour. Toulon:
A major naval port, capital of the Var department.
La
Seyne sur Mer: a suburb of Toulon, once one of France's
major shipbuilding centres.
