PICTURESQUE PROVENCE
 WHAT'S INCLUDEDSelected departure dates throughout 2008 & 2009
From 5 day durations
Return executive coach travel or Eurostar & TGV options
Return ferry or Eurotunnel
From 4 nights half board 3 star hotel in Provence
FREE INSURANCE on selected dates EXCURSION OPTIONS
Avignon - This is your base for 5 nights and Avignon is the cultural heart of the Provence region & is a beautiful and fascinating city. Surrounded by massive ramparts the old town is dominated by the immense and imposing Palais des Papes, the headquarters of the Catholic Church from 1309 to 1377. The building’s heavy fortification reflects the violent nature of 14th Century religious life, whilst its luxurious trappings were either looted or destroyed during the Revolution of 1789. There is still lots to see here including the Grand Tinel tapestries, Stag Room, Consistory Hall, Benedict XI’s Cloister and Grand Chapel. Elsewhere in the city, major sights include the famous incomplete Pont St Benezet bridge, partially destroyed by floods in 1668, that lends its name to the famous song "Sur le Pont d’Avignon", Petit Palais, several churches including the Notre Dame Cathedral, two museums and the heart of the city the Place D’Horloge. Uzès, capital of the region called l'Uzège, is situated in the centre of the Ales-Nimes-Avignon triangle, where garrigues (Characteristic low-growing vegetation on limestone hills) alternate with vineyards and fields. Its lifestyle, the quality of its housing, and the number of year-round activities make it a lively town in which all services and shops are available, despite its modest size. The city centre is listed as a protected historical sector with the castle of the Ducs d'Uzès, the Cathedral of St. Théodorit, the church of St. Etienne, the King's and Bishop's Towers and the Place aux Herbes. .Uzès was the starting point for the Roman Aqueduct of Nîmes and the seat of a diocese until the Revolution. The very powerful dukes of Uzès were the first Dukes of France and the town was marked by the Wars of Religion, but it was affected little, if at all, by the Industrial Revolution. It preserves its glorious heritage. Some of its famous local products include truffles, wines of the Duché d'Uzès & olives. The former capital of Provence is Aix, which is a former spa town with an array of fountains, classical mansions and elegant boulevards. The city’s most famous son is Paul Cezanne, whose studio is preserved exactly as he left it when he died in 1906. Other sights include the Cathedral of St Sauveur, noted for Fro ment’s "Triptych of the Burning Bush" and several museums, particularly the Musée Granet of fine art and archaeology and Tapestry Museum. It is a wonderful place to relax and watch the world go by in one of the many outdoor cafés, especially on the elegant Cours Mirabeau. Orange has two of the finest Roman monuments in Europe; the Theatre Antique d’Orange and the Arc de Triomphe, which was built to celebrate Caesar’s victory over the Gauls. The old town is also worth exploring with its 17th Century Hotel de Ville, Notre Dame Cathedral, and peaceful, shady squares overlooked by terrace cafes. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is located between Avignon and Orange, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape spreads out at the foot of the remains of it's fortress castle. The village looks over the plain of Comtat and the 3 000 hectares of vine fields. The village is almost completely dedicated to its world famous wine "Châteaunef du Pape" which is also part of the similarly famous Cotes du Rhone. In the XIVe century Pope Je an XXII, chose Chateauneuf as the location for their summer residences, and then decided to plant vines on the stony land which surrounded their landholdings. For a long time the wine production remained a secret but started to become well known in the XVIIIe century but it was in 1929, that it was officially recognized and bestowed with it's own appellation Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This appellation means that the wine production in Chateauneuf du Pape is subject to strict controls to ensure that the 55 vineyards produce an extremely fine wine. When you visit the village, take a moment to stop at the "place de la Fontaine, which is in the centre of the village where you will find a number of wine tasting cellars from the different domaines. If you don't know exactly what you are looking for the choice will be very difficult and wine tasting can quickly make you dizzy ... The cellar facades are all different from each other. Some seem luxurious even pretentious, others are extremely simple. Some are on the ground floor of a village house, others you need to go through a small doorway or down a narrow passageway. Whatever, here all the roads lead to the altar of good fine wine. Continue your village visit down the twisting narrow streets with their numerous beautiful fountains including the XIV° century Souspiron fountain, you'll see the ancient bread oven and olive press and you can walk as far as the Papal castle built by his holiness Pope Jean XXII between 1316 and 1333. Wide stone staircases take you up to the fortress where the Popes lived until 1377, and their return to Rom e. The fortress was badly destroyed by fire during the religious wars and then further damaged in 1944. Little remains apart from a short stretch of wall, one of the high towers and a lower room. However from the ruins there is a 360 ° panoramic view over the Rhône valley , the Luberon, Avignon and the papal Palace which can be seen in the background.. At the exit to the village there is an interesting little museum of wine making equipment at the Anselme vineyard. The Museum displays a large collection of wine making tools and machinery some of which date back to the XVI° century. These include a wine press, barrels and numerous cork screws Nîmes may have been one of the richest and finest Roman cities of Gaule. Several important remains of the Roman Empire can still be seen in and around Nîmes: The elliptical Roman amphithe of the 1st or 2nd century AD, is the best-preserved Roman arena in France. It was filled with medieval housing, when its walls served as ramparts, but they were cleared under Napolean. It is still used to day as a bull fighting and concert arena. The Maison Carree (Square House), a small Roman Temple dedicated to sons of Agrippa was built c.19 BC. It is one of the best-preserved Roman temples anywhere. The 18th-century Jardins de la Fontaine (Gardens of the Fountain) The nearby Pont du Gard also built by Agrippa, is a well-preserved aquaduct that used to carry water across the small Gardon river valley. The nearby Mont Cavalier is crowned by the Tour Magne ("Great Tower"), a ruined Roman tower. "The Luberon" applies to a range of mountains running about 55 km between Cavaillon and Manosque, and a regional park, the Parc Régional du Luberon. The western end of the range is called the Petit Luberon and the eastern end is the Grand Luberon. The two parts are divided by the beautiful Combe de Lourmarin that cuts across the mountains from Bonnieux and Lourmarin. There are scores of lovely, ancient villages, many with castles, forts, ruins, towers, and other geographical and historical sites. This is the area that inspired Peter Mayle’s ‘A Year in Provence’. We will visit the régional Park and its picturesque villages. Descending into the valley, "la Fontaine de Vaucluse" bursts out of nowhere. Discover the freshness and mystery that makes this site unforgettable before continuing to the régional Park of the Luberon and the Abbey of Senanque surrounded by its lavender fields. Visit one of the most beautiful villages in France, Gordes before continuing onto the colourful village of Roussillon with its red cliffs and the ancient open quarry. We will pause briefly in the village of Bonnieux, and also in Lourmarin to see the spectacular 16th Century castle. PRICE & SUPPLEMENTSPrice on application
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