Museum / Gallery Sights in Provence

Orange boasts the best preserved Roman Amphitheatre in the western world.

The tour will tell you the fascinating story of soap in Provence, which starts in the Middle Ages.

Located in the heart of Arles the Museon Arlaten is really the 'Museum of Arles' itself. The museum was the initiative of the great local poet Frederic Mistral (1830-1914), it presents a all encompassing view of Provence from the end of the 18th Century up to today.

Opened in 1991, the Yves Brayer Museum displays a hundred or so canvas paintings, watercolours and drawings representative of the artist's work.

With items from prehistoric times, and fine arts and decorative arts from as early as the 17th century, all the way up to the first half of the 20th century.

The Musee Reattu presents collections of ancient and contemporary paintings, sculptures, tapestry, photography and sounds. Amongst these is a collection of some fifty seven drawings by Picasso.

Grasse is the world capital of perfumes. At this museum you can discover the ancient tradition of parfumerie and learn how to create your own, unique scent.

This area is well known for it's ochre pigment found in the soil, and a tour of the Mines de Bruoux show you the underground caverns that were created.

Museum charting the history of transport in the area, with lots of old vehicles to look at. Located in an old rail warehouse in Breil.

The Collection Lambert is a wonderful gallery featuring modern art from the 1960's.

Finally visitors will be able to experience the cave paintings of the Grotte Chauvet in the state of the art replica that has been created by artists and builders.

Vincent Van Gogh moved to Arles in 1888, as so in hommage to the great master, the Fondation Van Gogh has collected works by contemporary artists that are in the style of Van Gogh.

This museum was created to protect one of the most important petroglyph sites in Europe, in the Merveilles Valley (valley of Wonders).

The Musee des Tapisseries houses a rich collection of 17th and 18th Century tapestries, including a collection called 'Grotesques' - theatrical taspestrie made in Beauvais cir. 1689, and also 'L'histoire de Don Quichotte' of 1735 unique in the world.

Some 50 white marble sculptures by Maria de Faykod, renowned sculptor with numerous existing works. She had the original idea to open a garden which exhibit some of her work to the public.

After your explorations in Glanum, it's worth visiting the asylum where Vincent van Gogh spent one year after the dramatic incident in Arles. The Monastère de St-Paul-de-Mausole is just a short ride from Glanum. Since 1605 it has functioned as a psychiatric hospital, remaining so today.

This historic perfume factory is in the heart of the Old Town and is one of the oldest in Grasse, constructed in 1782.

This small museum can be found in the centre of Cucuron and houses the collection of a local photographer & prehistorian, Marc Deydier who lived from 1845 to 1920.