The early visitors to the region were the Greeks and the Romans and in the 14th century, even the popes abandoned Rome for the more pleasant surroundings of Avignon. History lovers are mesmerised as reminders of the rich Roman and Greek heritage are everywhere.
During the revolution, the rousing song sung by the volunteers of Marseille as they marched north to support their revolutionary brothers was adopted as the anthem of the new nation.
From the Alpine mountains down to the sand beaches of Saint Tropez, Cannes and Nice, the region is an important destination for tourists, offering a favorable climate all year round.
The luminous landscape inspired many famous artists including Picasso, Gauguin, Van Gogh and Cézanne and changed the course of modern painting.
There are an impressive number of major cities for urban enthusiasts including:
Nice – Cosmopolitan and chic, a wonderful Riviera seaside city filled with shopping, restaurants and fabulous markets
Marseille – Wrapped around the Vieux Port, the largest commercial port in France. The city is like the bouillabaisse soup foe which it is famous – steaming hot and pungently spiced with a little bit of everything mixed in.
Toulon – With it’s strategic location, the city with an impressive military history and has also developed an interesting cultural heritage as well.
Aix-en-Provence – Well known as a city of arts and lights, it is famous for its superb preservation of architecture.
With more visitors during the summer than any other region in France, you could spend a lifetime of holidays here and still not scratch the surface of possibilities.
