Read reviews of the best Provence events
The grapes have been harvested, the boats have left Saint-Tropez, and many hotels and restaurants are closing up for the winter season. With daylight now fading away at the end of the afternoon, it looks like the perfect moment to start your hibernation. But wait! There's still one party to go to: the chestnut festival.
In many ways the Christmas holidays in Provence are not much different than those elsewhere. Towns and villages are decorated with lights and evergreens, shops do a brisk business with the sales of Christmas decorations, toys, perfumes, electronic gadgets and other thoughtful gifts. Mailboxes are stuffed with catalogs from supermarkets, encouraging people to add foie gras, langoustine, oysters or champagne to the holiday dinner tables. But there are details in the celebration that are unique to Provence.
As 15,000 people cycled the penultimate stage of the Tour de France 2016, from Megeve to Morzine in the Etape du Tour on Sunday, the drama of the actual race was unfolding in the Pyrenees.
Provence is a vast region, stretching from the mountains in the north, through rolling hills and perched villages, all the way to the Mediterranean coast and as you'd imagine there is always something to see, do, taste or experience.
More than just an exhibition of photography, Les Recontres d'Arles is a three month long photography festival, with seminars and workshops that takes over the city of Arles each summer.
In September, the tranquil countryside of Provence undergoes a dramatic change. Heads pop up in the vineyards, farmers stoically take over the departmental roads with tractors pulling the harvest to the coopérative. It's the month of the Vendange!
It's the beginning of October and the crazy summer crowds appear to have left the port of Saint-Tropez. The painters still display their art, but in a month they too will take their easels elsewhere, perhaps working on next year's supply.
The black bull is pawing the ground and bellowing in anger. A man darts past the bull, deftly plucking a tassel from its horns and sprints away. The bull charges across the sandy arena, almost catching the man before he leaps over the head-high barrier to safety. As the bull crashes into the wooden fence behind him, music from Bizet’s Carmen blasts out and the delighted crowd applauds the bull’s spirit and the man’s bravery.
With the Easter holidays fast approaching and a couple of public holidays to enjoy, a trip to Provence this April could be just what you need.
At this time of the year (May) the local vineyards look spruced up, the leaves green, the paths cleared of weeds, the tiny grapes ready to develop. It is just a matter of time and patience, a little rain and lots of sunshine, before the September harvest can begin. A perfect time, so a French national wine association must have decided, to celebrate what is and what is to come, by creating a day of the vineyard and the wine - La Fete de la Vigne & du Vin.
The start of summer and there are literally hundreds of things to see and do.
Summer is in full swing in Provence and there are lots of events to enjoy during your visit.
Winter is releasing its grip on Provence and spring is on its way. At this time of year there's still plenty going on, especially in the main cities of Avignon and Aix-en-Provence.
Friday marked the first performance of 'Mondes Magiques' at the Pont du Gard. A truly epic display or lighting and fireworks, this is an event not to be missed.
The city of Nimes is well worth a visit in its own right; it’s got all the classic attractions like the amphitheatre, Maison Carrée, roman ruins and a fantastically huge park at the north of the city which is great for a stroll around with views spanning the entire city.
Stage 17 of the Tour de France 2016 took the riders from Bern, the capital of Switzerland, to Finaut-Emosson on the Swiss-French border, just around the corner from Chamonix-Mont-Blanc.
First launched in 1984 by the French Ministry of Culture, the third Sunday in September is the designated day for historical monuments, museums and even private areas across the country to open their doors and allow the public access to places they would not normally be able to experience.
When driving through Provence you may stumble upon a large flock of sheep, guided by its shepherd and driven by a trio of smart dogs. Much less common than a hundred or even fifty years ago, these flocks nevertheless subsist in the same way as they did then. During the winter and spring months they remain in the lower regions, during the summer and autumn the return to higher altitudes. The long trek from low to high, and vice versa, is called La Transhumance.