From the Calanques National Park to the Camargue plains, you can escape into natural landscapes bathed in sunshine. However, it won't take long before you’re searching for relief in the shade, either under arbors or inside galleries or museums. Between Marseille and Montpellier, art is expressed with refinement and passion, with a focus on new architectures, contemporary art, photography and theater. Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, and Arles are magnificent cities that have managed to combine the art of living with culture.
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Restaurant and hotel on the seafront. To love Marseille means to love the Mediterranean, inseparable from the city, just like Gérald Passedat’s three-star cuisine. First come sea anemones, bonito, sea urchins, crabs and shellfish. Then fish occupies the heart of his cuisine. More than 65 varieties are fished locally over the year, such as tub gurnard, rascasse, red porgy, comber fish, common dentex, in compliance with the guidelines for the protection of maritime resources. The cult dish is “Bouille Abaisse”, light, iodized and zephyr-like, and also the famous Lucie Passedat sea bass. Sea views are everywhere… from the terrace, from the restaurant and from your spacious bedroom, overlooking the distant horizon. ... Learn moreless
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Château de la Gaude offers epicureans a sense of escape just ten minutes from the center of Aix-en-Provence. The Sainte-Victoire mountain seems to watch over this 18th-century estate, which features formal gardens classified as historic monuments–just like the main building. Calm and refinement reign supreme here: nature, gastronomy and wine rub shoulders with the works of contemporary artists, notably those of Philippe Pasqua–the property is also a residence for artists and regularly exhibits their works. In the gardens, stroll along floral avenues that are a haven for butterflies, and lose yourself in the middle of a boxwood maze. The authentic charm of the property's exteriors contrasts with the minimalist decor of its rooms and suites, which are distributed between the main building and estate farmhouses. The hotel also offers more unusual stays in one of three contemporary cabins overlooking its vineyards. The Château de la Gaude's four restaurants include Le Art, featuring authentic Provençal cuisine, and Kaiseki, showcasing Japanese cuisine. Wine lovers can taste ‘AOC – Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence’, estate-grown bottlings. To complete your experience, discover a spa entirely dedicated to your well-being. ... Learn moreless
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Hotel and restaurant in town. Paul Cézanne missed Aix terribly whenever he left, and never ceased to be inspired by its beauty. Many after him succumbed to the charm of this town and the ambience of this Florentine residence. The rooms are sumptuously decorated, and open onto a private garden filled with the fragrance of lavender. The cuisine pays tribute to Provence with dishes like sautéed loin of lamb and aubergine caviar with olives, black garlic sauce and fried basil. Try the famous local speciality of Calisson, sweets flavoured with melon and orange. Villa Gallici offers a special “Cézanne package”, which includes a visit to the painter’s studio. ... Learn moreless
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Hotel and restaurant in the country. In the heart of the Luberon Regional Nature Park, stop and enjoy a break at Domaine de Fontenille. Worthy of a novel by Giono or Pagnol, this mansion wrapped in cedars and century-old olive trees is a celebration of the charm and magnetism of the Provençal countryside, the perfect setting to experience French art de vivre. Elegantly combining period details and craftsmanship, the property’s decor draws inspiration as much from family homes full of keepsakes as from the contemporary art centre in its former cellar — original works adorn the nineteen rooms and suites overlooking the park, which include an old wash house converted into a romantic little den. Le Champ des Lunes, the Michelin-starred restaurant of chef Michel Marini, adds to the magic of this place, as do the spa and the centuries-old vineyard and kitchen garden that are open to the public. ... Learn moreless
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Hotel and restaurant in a village. Le Prieuré in Villeneuve-lez-Avignon, tucked away in the mediaeval village, with its cottage garden and its trailing wisteria, emanates a rare charm. Jean-André and Geneviève Charial, who also own two properties in Les Baux-de-Provence, say that this former convent epitomises silence and relaxation. In the different rooms and suites contemporary style meets ancient tradition. The menu also pays tribute to the region, with dishes such as duck foie gras with Gariguette strawberries from Nîmes and pot-roasted Costières wood pigeon with fresh sage. Le Prieuré’s mouth-watering cuisine is served in surroundings which bring all the senses to life. ... Learn moreless
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Hotel and restaurant in town. It is in Montpellier, in the highly coveted Occitanie region of Languedoc, where Hôtel Richer de Belleval reveals its splendour. Meticulously renovated by the finest specialists in historical restoration, this former 17th-century mansion has been transformed into a true family home, and now includes a gourmet restaurant and contemporary art foundation. Carrying on the rich romanticism of the Age of Enlightenment, this exceptional hotel reveals the charm of its ornamental and architectural prowess with the same spirit of heritage and artistic harmony. Past and present intertwine in this unique place, as evidenced by the 20 luxurious rooms tinged with classicism and spiced up with whimsical and bohemian touches. A stay at this peaceful haven near the Mediterranean Sea is one of infinite sweetness and reward. As you enjoy the views of the famous Place de la Canourgue, a taste of the Southern-infused contemporary cuisine of the Jardin des Sens is not to be missed. This restaurant is helmed by twin chefs Jacques and Laurent Pourcel, who have found in Hôtel Richer de Belleval a setting worthy of their culinary expression. ... Learn moreless
**Offer cannot be combined, valid for an itinerary in at least 2 different Relais & Châteaux establishments, reserved with Relais & Châteaux concierges, discount applicable on certain rates and certain establishments. List available from our concierges.
Total price communicated as an indication, based on a stay of the number of nights recommended on this webpage, taking place in the next 3 months, and based on double occupancy (excluding recommended activities, excluding properties not bookable online).
To give you inspiration, Relais & Châteaux presents the Routes du Bonheur:
Suggestions for travel itineraries that you can fully personalise according to your wishes and the experiences you would like to discover. Our consultants are available to help customise your route and assist you in making reservations at our properties. It is up to you to reserve any recommended activities on-site or nearby that might interest you.
** Offer cannot be combined, valid for an itinerary in at least 2 different Relais & Châteaux establishments, reserved with Relais & Châteaux concierges, discount applicable on certain rates and certain establishments. List available from our concierges.
Call our concierge to tailormade your booking and itinerary*. *Price of a local call
"Why did the greatest artists come to Provence? For the light, of course! So it gives me the greatest pleasure to invite you to come with me on a route of ‘major sites’, where, under clear and crystalline skies that are the envy of the world, we shall visit the most symbolic towns and landscapes of Provence. Avignon, the Alpilles, Salon de Provence, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, you must admit that there are worse journeys you could make! When I think of this route, simple words and images comes to mind. Avignon and its immense, inescapable and indeed improbable Palais des Papes. Les Alpilles, a small mountain range with discreet little villages built into the folds in the limestone. Salon de Provence and the immense Nostradamus… Aix-en-Provence, that magnificent ‘chocolate box’, the ‘ideal’ city for art, education and countryside! Last of all, ‘egocentric’ Marseille, with its 2,600 years of History, a huge vibrant city and the cradle of Provence. I am sure that you, like me, for I never tire of it, will discover many wonderful things on this route through the ‘major sites’."