Page 495 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

5 DAYS

in Western Provence

Day 1 Afternoon Wander the vast necropolis
Morning Start your trip in Orange (p512) at Les Alyscamps (p499). Romans believed
with coffee and a croissant in a café on it was haunted and shunned it at night,
place George Clemenceau. Once refreshed, so it became a secret nocturnal meeting
stroll up rue Victor Hugo for your first place for persecuted early Christians.
taste of Orange’s Roman heritage at the Evening Visit the place du Forum to dine
massive Arc de Triomphe. at the Restaurant-Café Van Gogh, still
Afternoon A la Maison (4 Place des decorated as it was when it inspired the
Cordeliers) is a pleasant spot for lunch, artist to paint Café Terrace at Night in 1888.
before exploring the Théatre Antique and
tracing the city’s history at the Musée Day 4
d’Art et d’Histoire d’Orange. Morning Start early to make your way to
Evening For a sunset panorama, climb Marseille (p528). After settling into your
through the leafy park to the top of the hotel, stroll along the Canebiere to find a
Colline St-Eutrope. Finish your evening at bistro where you can sip a glass of pastis,
Le Parvis (55 Cours Pourtoules); the six- the city’s signature aperitif.
plate degustation menu is a revelation
and surprisingly affordable. Afternoon Spend a couple of hours at
the Museé des Civilisations de l’Europe et
de la Méditerrannée, then hop on a boat
Day 2 from the Vieux Port to Chateau d’If (p529),
Morning By car, Chateauneuf-du-Pape an island prison of literary legend.
(p513) is just 15 minutes from Orange, Evening Sample bouillabaisse, Marseille’s
a drive that takes you through some of ultimate traditional dish, at Michelin-
France’s most revered vineyards. starred L’Epuisette (Vallon des Auffes).
Afternoon The ruins of a papal château,
built in the 14th century, dominate the Day 5
village. After a ramble, visit the Caves du
Verger des Papes (2 Rue Montée du Château) Morning After a leisurely breakfast, head
for a tasting session in cellars stocked with north to Aix-en-Provence (p516). Upon
hundreds of the region’s vintages. arrival, stretch your legs with a stroll
through the historic centre to visit L’Atelier
Evening Dine on the terrace of Le Verger de Cézanne. The artist’s studio is preserved
des Papes in the grounds of the château, as it was when he died in 1906. The Terrain
with a fabulous view over the Rhône and des Peintres is nearby, the vantage point
a menu of dishes like Bigorre porc noir. from which Cézanne often painted the
summit of Montagne Ste-Victoire.
Day 3 Afternoon For art of a different kind, visit
Morning After breakfast, head back to Fondation Vasarely, where works by the
Orange, where you can catch a short train king of Op Art, Victor Vasarely (1908–97),
to Arles (p498). First stop is Les Arenes, are on show in a futuristic building.
the 20,000-seat Roman theatre still used Evening Dine along the elegant Cours
for concerts and other events. Next, tour Mirabeau at brasserie Les Deux Garcons
the Cryptoportiques, a Roman-era labyrinth (53 Cours Mirabeau), a one-time favourite
carved 20 m (60 ft) beneath the city. of Cézanne, Picasso and other artists.
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