A Provençal Itinerary for Travelers

A Fodor’s Great Itinerary for Peter Mayle Country
Follow Peter Mayle’s footsteps and experience the best of Provence for yourself. This special itinerary, compiled by the resident-experts at Fodor’s, gets to the heart of the region—its history, its architecture, its markets, its cafés, and more. Duration: 8 days

Days 1 & 2: Avignon
Visit the Pope’s Palace then make a pilgrimage to the Les Halles market Mayle describes in A Year in Provence. Drive to Orange to see the Roman theater, home of the famous annual opera festival.

Days 3 & 4: Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
Aim for a Sunday to peruse the famous antiques market along the waterwheels and canals of the Sorgue River. Enjoy the unpretentious backstreets of the old town, then make a half-day pilgrimage to Fontaine de Vaucluse, worth visiting for both its lovely setting and its natural wonder, the torrent that wells up from deep under spectacular cliffs.

Days 5 & 6: Bonnieux
Use Bonnieux as a base to explore other Luberon hill towns: Oppéde and Ménerbes, ochre-red Rouissillon, and Gordes, with its mystical stone huts called bories.

Days 7 & 8: Aix
View the handful of Cézannes in the Musée Granet, then visit the artist’s studio. Wander the twisting streets of the old town and visit the cathedral with its Froment triptych and its 5th century baptistery. But mainly, pull up a café chair on the grand and graceful cours Mirabeau and watch the world go by.

—Excerpted with permission from Fodor’s Gold Guide to Provence and the Cote d’Azur, 4th edition. Copyright 1999, Fodor’s Travel Publications, Inc.