The Alternate Provence, France: 5 Great Days that Introduce You to Provence, France

Get Beyond Avignon and Arles and Find Real Gems of Experience

Susan Brink
Provence, France is filled with charming villages, small country roads and great restaurants, as well as nearby major art and history sites such as Avignon and Arles. But to get into the real Provence you need to move from the well known villages to the small experiences. Here are a few that you might be tempted to overlook but that will introduce you to the region, discovered as we vacationing in Provence, France over ten years.

Markets. The Antiques Market and dealers at Isle sur la Sorgue, France. The charming small town of Isle de la Sorgue, France has streets and bridges that wind over and around the river Sorgue. Hundreds of antique dealers featuring French country furniture and old linens line the streets. Every Saturday and Thursday, the market displays the variety of produce from Provence.

History. Fountaine de Vaucluse, France and the History Museum. Located in Fountaine de Vaucluse, France, the Fountain de Vaucluse is a tourist attraction for all French. A short walk on a concrete pavement take you a grotto which serves as exit for a underground river coming from the Alps. the water gushes and sprays the summer crowds. While you are there visit the History Museum, Fountaine de Vaucluse, France. This extensive museum will give you a picture of the deprivation experienced during World War II by the French and how the resistance was organized in Provence. While the exhibit information is in French, by the exhibits speak for themselves.

Rousillion, France is situated in the middle of the Luberon. The architecture is typically Provencal while the colors of the buildings sing in beautiful shades of red, yellow and orange. After walking around the village, take time to walk through the red cliffs and ochre quarries that have made Rousillion world famous. If you are taken with the brilliant colors you can take some home and paint your walls to remember an unforgettable day in the Provence sun.

Check out the Olives and Olive Oil. Always a staple in Provence. A visit to the Nyons Olive and Wine Coop, Nyons France will introduce you to premium olive oil and a variety of tasty olives and olive produces. to see what is happening today, take a loop drive through the olive groves around Nyons to get a feel for the terrain. To get a feeling for how long this has been happening in France visit the ancient underground olive presses in Gordes, France

Grab some Lavender. Lavender Festival, Sault France. A drive to Sault, France will take you through picturesque towns with vistas of lavender fields. Arriving in July may assure that you see the lavender in all its glory before cutting. In the middle of August the small town of Sault stages a Lavender festival with lavender products and a cutting contest.

Published by Susan Brink

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  • Isle sur la Sorgue, France, hundreds of antique dealers line the streets
  • Red cliffs and ochre quarries have made Rousillion, France world famous for the beautiful red ochre
  • A visit to the Nyons Olive and Wine Coop in Nyons France will introduce you to premium olive oil.
In the middle of August the small town of Sault stages a Lavender festival with lavender products and a cutting contest. This is definitely something you will see no where else.

1 Comments

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  • Catherine Dagger3/7/2010

    This is the region I live in and you're right - it's beautiful! We're under snow here in March though - very unusual for Provence.

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