Read reviews of the best Provence events
One of the most pleasant ways to spend a vacation in Provence and learn something to boot is by signing up for one of the cooking schools in the south of France. There is a wide choice of schools and courses, some of which are booked a year or longer in advance.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There are a multitude of different concerts, exhibitions, events and things to see in Provence this July and since there's so much choice, we've picked our favourites to help you see the best of what's going on.
Great events, concerts, festivals and markets, with more to come.
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!
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.
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 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.
One of the great pleasures of spending time, even for a day, in Provence is to visit a local market. Practically every town or village has a weekly market - sometimes more often - where fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese and roasted chicken, herbs and olives, t-shirts and flip-flops are sold.
Le Tour de France 2016 kicked off last Saturday with stage one and the 'Grand Depart' being hosted by the stunning island community of Le Mont Saint Michel.
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.
Summer is rapidly approaching and as the days start to get a little warmer and the hours of daylight get longer, it's a good time to get out and explore the best of what Provence has to offer.
Arles is world renowned for its Roman history and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to its many incredibly well preserved monuments and buildings.
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.
So far we've seen not only some fantastic racing, stunning scenery and nail-biting sprints from the 2016 Tour de France, but we've witnessed several unusual crashes, the yellow jersey literally running up Mont Ventoux and more than one incident of an over-enthusiastic fan causing disruption.