Discovering Provence

Provence

Thanks to Bernadette and Frederic for this nice photo. (Click on it to enlarge)

Starting from Le Luc en Provence, a village in Central Var, at the junction between the A8 (AIX en PROVENCE - NICE) and the A57 (TOULON - LE LUC) motorways on the one hand, and the N7 (PARIS - NICE) and the DN 97 (TOULON - DRAGUIGNAN) trunk roads on the other, at the meeting point of sea and mountain, you can easily visit :

* SAINT TROPEZ (20 miles), the city of stars and artists, with its bay, its port and painters, and its suburbs, Grimaud, Gassin, Ramatuelle.

* The famous beach of Pampelone

* The "lacustre" city of Port Grimaud, the little Venise of Var.

* The Camarat cape

* The unique Verdon Gorges 40 miles), and near our home, the Cisztercian abbey of "Le Thoronet" dating back to yhe 12th century.

* GONFARON, the village of tortoises and of " flying asses", the legend (4 miles)

* NOTRE DAME DES ANGES, perched on a summit of the Maures massif, only 6 miles from our home, where you will discover a magnificent view on the bay of HYERES, the GOLDEN ISLES : the islands of "PORQUEROLLES, LEVANT and PORT-CROS, a paradise for lovers of peace and nature.

* THe coast and the beaches of FREJUS and St RAPHAEL (20 miles) and the ESTEREL coast.

* The leisure center of Le Luc and the <var circuit F1 (6 miles)

* The BARBAROUX golf club (6367 meters by 72=) at FLASSANS sur ISSOLE (10 miles)

* The waterfall of SILLANS : a very nice walk (less of 1 mile) conducts you to this marvellous cascade of 42 meters high formed by Bresque river and waters of Oure valley.

* The Sourn valley : near of  Correns, the “bio” village. It is situated in the Argens gorges. Its cliffs attract climbers of the whole world.

You can also go on a jaunt to :

* The Principality of MONACO with its Rock, Palace, Exotic garden, Oceanographic museum, port and casino (hardly an hour and a half's drive by the motorway)

* The city of AIX EN PROVENCE with its museums and fountains (an hour's journey).

* The huge Phocean metropolis of MARSEILLES with its old port, its calanques between MARSEILLES and CASSIS and the basilica of NOTRE DAME DE LA GARDE on top of the hill of the same name (about an hour and a half's drive)

* The sous-prefecture of BRIGNOLES, the medieval city of the Counts of Provence and its old town (a 20 minutes'drive)

* CANNES, the city of the world-famous film festival with its leisure port, its yachts, beaches and the well-known CROISETTE (an hour).

* NICE, the majestic city, head town of the ALPES MARITIMES, the gateway to nearby Italy, its beach, port, palm trees and the world-famous "PROMENADE DES ANGLAIS" (75 minutes).

* There are others sites in the region really worth  seeing :

* VARAGES, the home of earthenware.

* The beautiful villages of Center of Var : TOURTOUR, VILLECROZE, COTIGNAC.

* The SAINTE BAUME massif and the Basilica of SAINT MAXIMIN.

* COLLOBRIERES, in chestnut country.

* TOULON with its military port, the MONT FARON, the SAINT-MANDRIER peninsula and the beach of SABLETTES.

* The strengthened village of SAINT PAUL DE VENCE, the city of artistic painters ( one hour journey)

* The COTE D'AZUR (the French Riviera), GOLFE-JUAN, JUAN-LES-PINS, ANTIBES, CAGNES sur MER, MENTON.

* The VAR coast : BORMES les MIMOSAS, LE LAVANDOU, SAINTE MAXIME, the GIENS peninsula, the HYERES islands.

* Or simply a nice walk, on foot, till the top of hill "MOURIGNETTE", under the trees, behind the Bastide to discover the unique panorama of the plain of MAURES.