Towns & Villages in Provence

Aups is a typical Provençal market town, that sits in the foothills of the Alps and just to the south of the Verdon National Park.

You can't fail to miss Mornas as you drive down the motorway into the Vaucluse region. As the cliffs rise up to your left you can see the imposing fortress perched on top, overlooking the town below. 

When driving on the Highway of the Sun, l'Autoroute du Soleil, past Aix-en-Provence towards Brignoles and the Côte d'Azur, your eye will be caught by an imposing building that sluggishly towers over its neighboring houses, like a Gulliver in Lilliput.

The old village in Robion is quite a contrast to the built up area that you approach it through, with old cobbled streets, small church and a fountain shaded by plane trees. 

The town lies in the hills above Cannes and offers a fresher climate than the balmy coastal towns. A little bit scruffy in places, it does have some wonderful grand mansions in the centre and around the outskirts.

A busy market town of 30,000 inhabitants, Carpentras sits on the fertile plain of Comtat Venassin that is protected from the elements - in particular from the Mistral wind.

Cucuron is a pretty little village surrounded by glorious countryside where walkers can enjoy trails up to the Luberon's highest point, the Mourre Negre.

Just as other Provence perched villages, such as Ramatuelle or Mons, Bonnieux clings to the hill side, just below its top.

A peaceful place built on top of a hill by the Cèze river.

Apt lies at the heart of the Luberon and became a Roman colony thanks to its position on the Via Domitia - the Roman road built in France to link Italy to Spain.

Cavaillon, as with many towns and villages in Provence, has a diverse cultural heritage and you don't have to walk far to come across its old town, a first century Roman arch, France's oldest Jewish synagogue, or to enjoy the views from the St Jaques hill that overlooks the town.

Malaucène lies almost due west of Mont Ventoux and is a great place to base yourselves if you're thinking of cycling or taking part in any other activities in the area.

Named for being a station on the salt route in Roman times, Salon de Provence is a main town in the Bouches de Rhône region.

Collobrières is a pretty medieval village in the hills of the Massif des Maures.

The home of AOC Rasteau wines, the village of Rasteau is tiny and can be covered quite easily in an hour's walk.

Grignan is a small village that overlooks the plains of the Rhône valley, just over the border of northern Provence into the Drome region. It's a charming little place but most visitors come here to see its castle.

Banon sits on a hilltop overlooking lots of farm land, and its most famous regional product, lavender.

St Paul Trois Chateaux is located to the north of Provence in the Drome region. It's renowned for the production of black truffles whose quality is strictly controlled.