The Region
Marked by gorges, saltmines and wild-romantic lavender-fields, the Provence in the South of France with its lonely plateaus and villages offers a paradise to travellers and nature lovers. Its landscape is typically Mediterranean: hills steeping towards the sea, villages perching on cliffs or hanging secluded on hill slopes. The place fascinates teeming with insects, birds and other varieties of animals and plants growing in a great variety of habitats; at the Mediterranean Sea as well as in the wetlands – reaching as far as the remote peaks of the Alpes-Maritimes, all this owing to hot, dry summers and mild winters. The spring with its luxuriant blossoms attracts rare birds, too. Many of the wild areas are now wildlife parks.
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Culture & Sights
Among the most fascinating characteristics of the Provence are the villagespérches, the perching mountain villages. They rise like a pointed top on a hill where they had been built during the turmoil of the Middle Ages. Surrounded by thick protective walls they make up an ensemble of cobbled streets, lanes, stairs and archways. The wrought-iron bell towers are a peculiarity of the Provence, their light and open structure allow the strong winds pass through and carry the sound of the bells for miles on end. Nîmes attracts tourists all around the year by its exquisite Roman architecture, the most impressive edifice being the amphiteatre. The scarcely inhabited Camargue in the South is among Europe’s most outstanding wetlands and sights of natural history. A considerable number of water and marsh birds nest here.By no means should you miss out Marseille, France’s most important port and oldest city. Alexandre Dumas already referred to this 2600-year old town as the “meeting place of the world”.
Cuisine
The Provençal cuisine is characterized by simplicity and abundance in combination with herbs and wines. The herb-flavoured fish dish bouillabaisse is a speciality of this region. You should also try socca, a thick pancake sprinkled with pepper and olive oil. The selection of wines is as varied as could be. Both white wines from the Côte-du-Rhône and the red wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape are to be recommended.
The Country and its People
The Provençals are known as generous and open-hearted, very polite as hosts. Traditions are very important to the people of the Provence. Many artists travelling through the Provence for its landscape and light have found their inspiration here.
