Activity Reviews in Provence

The Train des Pignes runs on the Chemins de Fer de Provence railway line and connects the Riviera town of Nice with the historic city of Digne Les-Bains, taking you from seaside to snowy mountains in just three hours and 30 minutes.

Take a gentle bike ride through Arles along the Rhône River to visit the subject of one of Van Gogh’s famous paintings.

Les Alpilles is a relatively little-known range of hills to the south of St Remy de Provence, awarded Parc Naturel Régional status in 2007. The peaks rise to a modest 500m, hence the name ‘little Alps’. Inhabited and farmed by man for thousands of year, these craggy limestone hills are dotted with pretty villages, roman remains and centuries-old vineyards and olive groves. They are also criss-crossed with paths and tracks, making them ideal for walking, mountain biking and, for the less energetic, riding.

Vaucluse ULM flight school are based out of a hangar in Avignon-Sud Airport where they are in possession of around ten different types of aircrafts – from gliders; to stunt planes, microlight aircraft and the bright yellow Auto-Giro that I’m going up in today.

The image we have of Provence is one of a small county house, probably surrounded by lavender fields in full bloom, flowers twisting their way over the door frame, someone in the yard stamping grapes in a wooden barrel with their bare feet, a picnic basket at the ready with a baguette, selection of cheese and a corked half bottle of wine...and probably some delicious Provencal style food on the wood stove...

With the many rivers around Avignon there are plenty of opportunities to kayak in gorgeous natural surroundings. We headed just 50 kilometres north-west to the village of Goudargues, near La Roque sur Ceze, to try Goud' Canoe’s “Nature” package; which is an 8km route with plenty of picnic areas, swimming spots and sun-bathing sites along the way.

Be welcomed as a guest into the studio in which Paul Cézanne created some of his most famous paintings; and immerse yourself in the life of the Aix-en-Provence artist.

Interested in a lovely Provençal bike ride? Don't feel like going through the pain of climbing Mont Ventoux? That's OK! A perfectly peaceful bike route is waiting for you just across the river from Avignon. A spin around Île de la Barthelasse will take you past beautiful farm fields, orchards and views of Avignon – plus it's all flat.

With a long bank holiday weekend in store it made sense to venture to the outskirts of Provence to see what the Ardeche region and the famous Ardeche Gorge has to offer.

Afternoon on a boat? Yes please! There are lots of awesome cruising options if you feel like exploring the Rhone during your stay in Avignon. Taking a tour or even a dinner cruise on one of the Grand Boats of Provence is a great way to see the region. Plus, the views are spectacular and the wind on the water is refreshing.

On Saturday I decided to go hiking on Mont Ventoux, the largest mountain in Provence. Popular nicknames include the ‘Beast of Provence’, ‘Giant of Provence’ and of course the ‘Bald Mountain’. After doing only a little research, I headed off in the direction of Bédoin, the town at the base of the mountain where Google Maps told me to go.

Provence Quad Location, situated in Graveson just a few kilometres outside St.Remy-de-Provence, offer guided tours through the Provençal countryside every day of the year. I was part of a group on the “Discovery” tour.

We meet at the back of the tourist office in Arles where 3 white safari jeeps were already parked with the canopied roofs wide open.

The history of Van Gogh is exposed with a flourish all around Arles as the artist completed some particularly famous paintings while living in the town. This walking tour brings you step by step to each of the places where Van Gogh would have set up his canvas to paint using the renowned Provençal sunlight.

Strawberries are a summer delicacy loved by many. In my time, I've eaten a fare share of strawberries – from wild ones, to freshly picked, to frozen to ...not so fresh squishy ones. Today, I had the best strawberry I have ever eaten, hands down. Obviously I ate the entire carton immediately.