 |
Places to See and Things to do in Provence... |
|
|
Wherever you are based in Provence, you will find yourself surrounded by sights of historical and architectural importance, spanning the centuries from the Roman splendours of Glanum just outside St. Remy de Provence, to the stunning achievement of the new Millau viaduct.
The main chateaux in the Drôme Provencal are in Montelimar (also home to delicious Montelimar nougat), Grignan and Suze la Rousse. Click here to find out more about the Chateaux of the Drôme
http://www.pontdugard.fr/index.php?langue=GB
The Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1377 during which seven popes, all French, resided in the walled city of Avignon on the banks of the Rhone. The city reflects the richness both of the Papacy and the salt merchants on whose wealth the city was developed. These days it is the capital of the Cotes du Rhone wine industry. See the Palais des Papes, the Pont D'Avignon, Art museums or just hit the shops.
The area around Vaison la Romaine has been populated since the Bronze age. The Roman ruins and the modern town are in the valley on the banks of the river Ouvèze which is crossed by an ancient bridge from the first century. A lovely market, good shops and lots of restaurants make it a great place for a day trip.
The medieval town is high on the rocky cliff. The valley floor was safe from attack in Roman and modern times. In the Middle Ages attacks were frequent, and the town retreated up-hill to a more defensible position.
There are things to do in Provence for all ages, stages and interests – including Golf, Canoeing in the Ardeche, (click here to find out more), horseriding in and around the villages and through the vineyards, and rockclimbing. If you fancy emulating Lance Armstrong, you can cycle up Mt. Ventoux or just drive up and have a wonderful walk and perhaps a picnic, with views across to the Alps, or ski and snowboard in the winter. www.ventoux-en-provence.com Find out more about places to see and things to do in Provence, check out: http://www.bienvenueenprovence.fr/
|
South
of Avignon, the world heritage site of the Pont du Gard is an amazing
feat of Roman engineering. Designed to carry the water across the small
Gardon river valley, it was part of a nearly 50 km (31 mi) aqueduct that
brought water from springs near Uzès to the Roman city of Nemausus
(Nîmes). The full aqueduct had a gradient of 34 cm/km (1/3000),
descending only 17 m vertically in its entire length and delivering 20,000
cubic meters (5 million gallons) of water daily.