Summary Itinerary

Roman & Medieval Provence

pages 1-5

Getting there and away page 5 Accommodation

Self drive discovery tour

page 5

Hotels - Prestige pages 6 & 7 - Luxe pages 7 & 8

SD05 Prestige & Luxe –

A 8-day tour, a travel through Provence history, a discovery of these cultural sites, most of them are ranking among UNESCO World heritage.

Day 2 - Visit of Villeneuve les Avignon and Avignon

Day 1 - Avignon, visit of the town

Nom de l'organisation

Avignon was already an important town during the XII century thanks to the Benezet Bridge, which allowed the crossing of the river. Along with the Popes arrivals during the XVI century, it became a second Rome. The Palais des Papes, is the biggest gothic palace in Europe and the famous Pont Benezet - which was swept away by the floods several times– are both ranked among the UNESCO World Heritage sites. The town harbors many monuments, numerous churches, magnificent plazas, the Saint Louis Cloister, fortifications, quaint alleys, private hotels and last but not least, districts such as the ‘Teinturiers’ (Cleaners) which are a must to visit.

In the morning a taxi shall take you to Villeneuve les Avignon located on the other bank of the Rhone river. Founded around the Abbey of Saint Andre and built during the X century atop Mont Adaon, the town was located at the frontiers of the French Kingdom and was a strategic site. Philippe Le Bel ordered the building of a fortress which only remains are the Donjon (Tower Philippe Le Bel). During the Papacy stay in Avignon, the town became residence to Popes, Cardinals and Prelates of the pontifical court. They erected fortified palaces or livrés, churches and monasteries such as La Chartreuse du Val de Bénédiction (Charterhouse) or the collegiate church of Notre Dame. You shall reach Avignon on foot to better admire the Benezet Bridge. You shall then continue to visit Avignon, its quaint districts and numerous museums. the Petit Palais (Italians and Provencal paintings dating from the XIII to the XVI centuries), the Calvet Museum…

Sentiers de France

1

Day 3 - Carpentras and Vaison la Romaine

Day 4 - Orange, Uzés & the Pont du Gard You will reach Orange by passing through vineyards and picturesque wine-producing villages as Rasteau, Cairanne or Ste Cécile les Vignes. Today, the town is mainly renowned for its antic monuments such as the Arc de Triomphe and its antic theater, one of the best preserved of the Roman Empire era. You cannot afford not to visit the old town and the Cathedral Notre Dame of Nazareth.

Visit of the ancient town of Carpentras. This city has always been a place for trade and flourished when the region became property of the Papacy. Once surrounded by fortifications, unfortunately destroyed during the XIX century, it is home to the Saint Siffrein Cathedral, a southern gothic masterpiece, numerous palaces, churches as well as the oldest synagogue in France. You shall then go round the Dentelles of Montmirail, the first sign of the Alps in the Rhone River’s valley. These low altitude hills (from 500 to 735 meters), covered by Mediterranean flora aromatic plants, green oaks, Alep pine trees are dominated by a limestone crest, finely sculpted by the erosion conferring their name as white stone ‘Dentelles’ – Laces- You shall then discover Baumes de Venise, famous for its sweet wines Vacque ras, perched atop a hill and which kept part of its Medieval fortification - Gigondas, set in its fortifications on the side of the hill - Sablet, built upon a hill top and which concentric streets mount towards the church atop the village and Seguret, a magnificent Medieval village nested on the hill side. Visit of Vaison-La-Romaine, Roman ruins from the Puymin and Villasse districts, the ruins of the Roman theater and the famous bridge. You may also see Notre Dame of Nazareth Cathedral and its cloister, the Saint Quentin chapel as well as the Medieval town dominated by its imposing castle perched upon a rocky headland.

You shall then cross the brush land to reach Uzés. You just must visit this Medieval city which lost its fortifications but preserved its charm with the help of the Duché – a feodal castle remarkably preserved even though it evolved during centuries; the Fenestrelle Tower, the only remain of the Roman cathedral destroyed during religion wars and its numerous alleys and private hotels. The Pont du Gard is the most beautiful edifice and the most important of the aqueduct, which used to take water from sources of the Eure River to the castellum in Nîmes for over 50 kms. It is the tallest aqueduct bridge in the Roman world with its 49meter high and its three levels of archway.

Sentiers de France

2

Day 5 – Beaucaire, Tarascon, Nîmes, Aigues-Mortes and Camargue Beaucaire knew three golden ages that make the city you see today. The fortified castle, partly destroyed at Richelieu time, towered the old town with its luxurious hotels and prestigious monuments. You shall cross over the Rhone to reach Tarascon, city of the legends and stories. The chateau Rene stands proudly on the Rhone bank and is one of the most beautiful medieval castles in France. Close to the chateau, the Collegiate Church Ste Martha, built in the 12th and 13th centuries, houses the relics of the Saint. You will stroll through the picturesque streets of the city, discovering beautiful mansions, some restored houses and the Souleïado museum that exhibits the famous Provencal fabrics. You shall arrive at Nîmes. The town was built thanks to a source, the Fountaine source that was deificated by the first inhabitants five centuries before the arrival of the Roman . You will visit the arenas, very well preserved – La Maison Carrée, a magnificent temple - The Fountain Garden located at the bottom of a hill -

tecture from the XIII century. You shall walk along the Salins (salty lands) and the high salt mountains to reach Les Saintes Maries de la Mer, lost between the Mediterranean Sea and the ponds. From afar, you shall see its fortified church, which used to protect villagers from enemy attacks and the home to the remains of the saints. You shall then cross rice fields to reach Arles, the capital of the Camargue region.

Day 6 – Visit of Arles An ancient residence to the Celts, colonized by the Greeks, Arles became Roman by Cesar’s grace when he installed veterans from his legions back in 46 BC. That started the golden age of the Little Rome from Gaul, which became later on a big religious center at the beginning of Christianity. Battled and bruised from invasions during the Middle Age, the town was resuscitated during the XII century and the splendor of its Medieval monuments are testimonies of its liveliness and richness

in those times. During the XVII and XVIII, numerous private hotels were built. They may be seen in the quaint center of town where many classified monuments are regrouped, an inheritance of 2000 years of a rich past. Since 1981, the ensemble of the Roman and Latin monuments is c l a s s i f ie d among the UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The Mount Cavalier, overlooked by the Magne Tower. The garden is host to the Diana’s Temple, a delicate edifice which true function remains unknown. Further down the Castellum was the arrival of the famous aqueduct, which, passed over the Pont du Gard. From Nîmes, you shall cross the Petite Camargue to reach Aigues-Mortes, a medieval city built among ponds and swampland. French King Louis IX bought this land back from monks in 1240 to set up a port, a departure point of two crusades. You shall be able to admire the fortifications, the Porte de la Garderette as well as the Constance Tower, a true example of the military archi-

Sentiers de France

3

Day 7 – Historic and religious sites in Alpilles Day starts with the visit of the Montmajour Abbey. Built on a rock in the middle of swampland, which have now been dried and turned into rice fields, this Benedictine abbey has always been transformed and embellished. Its cloister, dating from the XII century, is one of the most be autiful of the Provence region. Acqueducts and flour mill at Barbegal. Built in the first centuries, these acqueducts carry water to Arles and to a roman water-powered factory, sole unit known in the Roman world. You shall make a stop in Fontvieille and go up towards the Alphonse Daudet’s windmill (famous French writer), which is erected, on a magnificent site from where you shall have a marvelous view of the Alpilles Mountains. At the bottom of the Alpilles is nested the tiny and beautiful St Gabriel chapel, a Provence Romanesque masterpiece. The road meanders through vineyards and olive tree fields before reaching the Baux de Provence, a rocky fortress overlooking the valley. This city of the Princes of the Baux, abandoned during the XVIII century and restored during the XX century. You will visit the quaint village and its alleys, the chapel of the White Penitents, the Saint Vincent church and the fortifications of the castle. You shall then cross the Alpilles Mountains to discover the antique city of Glanum, which, during centuries, was an important commercial center on the Avignon road at the bottom of the Alpilles. Only the center of town was unearthed. You shall admire the Antiques: the Arc de Triomphe, an entry to the town, which symbolizes the victory of Rome against the Gaul and, the Mausoleum, the only Roman mortuary monument of its kind in Europe. Further down, on the road to Saint Remy, you shall make a halt to visit the Saint Paul of Mausole’s monas-

tery where Van Gogh resided and which church and cloister are remarkable. St Remy of Provence, its hotels and quaint residences, its shadowed plazas with their fountains and its quaint alleys will charm you without a doubt.

Day 8 – Luberon and abbeys You shall leave Saint Remy for Fontaine de Vaucluse. This city is famous for its Fountain ,mysterious hole where the Sorgue River springs, as well as for the humanist and poet Petrarque who lived there for many years. You shall then follow the first foothills of the Mounts of Vaucluse. The road leads you to the glen of the Senancole where the Senanque Abbey is nestled. Austerity and esthetic are the main characteristics to this Cistercian abbey, which w i t ne s s ed many ordeals but always managed to preserve the majority of its buildings of Roman origins (XII and XIII centuries).

Your way shall then take you to Gordes, which spreads out from the slopes of a cliff. You shall discover this quaint Provencal village while strolling down its pebbled alleys. Through the vine and orchard covered plain, you shall reach Roussillon. Built upon a rocky peak, this ochre facade village is surrounded by quarries and ochre cliffs.

Sentiers de France

4

You will visit Apt, typical Provencal city with streets shaded by venerable plane trees, small squares and its fountains, the lanes around the St Anne cathedral. You shall take the direction of the Luberon mountain and pass the Pont Julien (bridge), built by the Romans during the year 3 BC. You shall cross the Combe de Lourmarin where the Aigue Brun River carved narrow gorges with steep inner walls. For centuries, this only passage was protected by the Fort of Buoux built atop a rocky peak. You will go through Lourmarin, pleasant village topped by its castle. you shall cross the Durance river to reach the Abbey of Silvacane. This monastery was built in 1144 on a deserted stretch land covered by swamps. The pure Roman style church was built between 1175 and 1230, its cloister and the cloistered buildings dating from the XIII and XIV centuries. The cloister was abandoned during the XV century after pillages and poor harvests. Tour ends at Avignon

hotel. We can arrange this extra. By train : 2 rail stations in Avignon - Avignon TGV train station (Quartier de Courtine) Direct TGV to Paris (2h40), Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport, Lille, Nantes, Rouen, Metz, Montpellier, Geneva, Brussels, Lyon, Marne la Vallée, Rennes, Strasbourg and Toulouse. Bus connection to centre city - Avignon centre city train station (boulevardd St Roch) Regional trains, inter-city trains and Paris TGV (3h20), Eurostar Avignon-London in summer. By plane - Avignon Caumont airport Direct flights for Paris Orly west 4 times a day 3 flights a week from Southampton and Exeter (Flybe) from March to October - International Marseille airport— from the airport, shuttles to Saint Charles rail station (every 20mn) and train to Avignon central station (journey time : 1.15 hours) Car rental : Pick up office at Avignon Centre.

Tour end The tour ends at Avignon (day 8 in late afternoon) Car rental : return office at Avignon centre or TGV rail station. The tour package will be delivered to you at your last hotel you will stay before the tour or at the pick up office

Accommodation Prestige category 7 B&B accommodation in 4*Luxe hotels

D1 & D2: Avignon - Hotel d’Europe D3 :Orange – Chateau de Rochegude D4: Castillon du Gard – Le Vieux Castillon D5 & D6 : Arles – Hotel Jules Cesar D7 : St Rémy de P. – Chateau Vallon de Valrugues or equivalent depending on vacancies

Getting there and away Arrival The starting point of the tour is at Avignon that you can reach By car : A7 and A9 motorways or N7 and N100 National roads We recommend you to arrive on site the day before and stay overnight in the neighbourhood or in the first tour

Luxe category 7 B&B accommodation in 3 & 4*Luxe hotels + 2 dinners

D1 & D2: Avignon - Le Cloître St Louis D3 : Vaison la Romaine – Le Beffroi (dinner) D4: Pont du Gard – La Bégude St Pierre (dinner) D5 & D6 : Arles – Hotel Particulier D7 : St Rémy de P. – Chateau Vallon de Valrugues or equivalent depending on vacancies

Sentiers de France

5

Prestige hotels Hotel d’Europe at Avignon The building dates back to 1580, when it was the city home to the Marquis of Gravezon. The Gravezon and the Forbin families lived in this luxurious residence which looked out onto the most beautiful square of Avignon until the French revolution. In 1799 Madame Pierron, ladyfriend of Napoleon Bonaparte , created her hotel, then giving it the name it still bares today : Hotel d'Europe. (Napoleon was no stranger to that idea). Hotel d'europe has 41 appartments and 3 suites each of which offers a rewarding union of legendary style, upto-the-moment convenience and luxurious comfort.The streetside rooms benefit from a highly perfectioned soundproofed atmosphere (double windows-double glazing) . All rooms and public areas are equipped with air conditioning through individual units, providing the optimal in temperature regulation. The restaurant, expertly run by Chef Bruno d'Angelis, has since many years received excellent write-ups in the best known guide books. Best quality products are the base of the Chef's cuisine, savour and colours are his guidelines. Creativity and innovation are expressed through this regional approach with many Mediterranean.

Château de Rochegude near Orange During the thousand years of this château's existence, its owners have included popes, dauphins, and less prominent aristocrats who showered it with taste and money. This magnificent XIIth century fortress, once the summer residence of the Marquis de Rochegude, towers majestically above the Côtes-du-Rhône and its sumptuously furnished, air-conditioned rooms offer superb vistas of the vineyards. Today each room is outfitted in a style inspired by a specific emperor or king. The setting is 20 acres of parkland adjacent to the Rhône, outside Orange. The Château's main building was rebuilt in the 16th and 17th century and surrounds the 12th century tower. The private 10 ha (24.7 acres) park has a heated outdoor swimming pool and a tennis court. Enjoy Philippe Boucher’s inspired cuisine in the restaurant or on the terrace. The chef learnt his trade with two French masters Bocuse and Georges Blanc. He is accompanied by André Trestour, the outstanding wine waiter.

Le Vieux Castillon at Castillon du Gard Between Nimes and Avignon, close to the Cevennes national park, the Camargue and the Alpilles, this hilltop hamlet offer breathtaking vistas of the Ventoux Valley. With its magnificent patios, medieval architecture and honey-colored stone terraces set in the heart of a Provencal village, Le Vieux Castillon is a truly unique domain. Enjoy musical evenings, sun-drenched cuisine and an exceptional selection of Cotes-du-Rhone.

Hotel Jules Cesar at Arles Where better then, to feel the weight of history than in a 17th-century convent in the heart of the old town, now a luxury hotel. Hotel Jules César is close to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Alyscamps, Arles' famous Roman Arena and the Roman theatre. The hotel offers 21stcentury facilities in this former 17th-century convent. The nun's cells have been turned into large, indulgent bedrooms. The cloistered galleries now house the Restaurant Lou Marques offering Provençal cooking that knows no moderation while the lavender gardens, where monastic peace still prevails, envelop a heated pool.

Sentiers de France

6

Hotel du Vallon de Valrugues at St Remy de Provence Hostellerie du Vallon de Valrugues is a charming hotel set within a Roman villa close to the gem-like village of SaintRemy-de Provence. Each of Hostellerie du Vallon de Valrugues' 53 rooms and suites offers absolute comfort and the Provençal magic of the Alpilles, one of the highlights of Southern France. When the time comes to dine, whether in the glorious restaurant hall or under mulberry trees by the hotel swimming pool, you'll enjoy dishes that make Provençe a gourmet's delight. There's a whole range of activities on the premises and near at hand. Or simply relax over a quiet drink at the bar. No matter what pace of life you desire, Hostellerie du Vallon de Valrugues will give you a new appreciation of the 'l'art de vivre'.

Luxe hotels Le cloître Saint Louis at Avignon Situated in a historical building dating back to the 16th century, the hotel offers an extremely quiet and serene environment. Initially a religious school for Jesuits, the Cloister saw its function changed over the centuries to a military hospital, and a home for the elderly. After a thorough renovation in 1990, the building is now a prominent cultural center and a four star hotel. Rooms and facilities are found both in the ancient cloister, and in the splendid modern extension designed by the famous French architect from Nouvel. The spacious rooms, all furnished in a contemporary design, are located in the 16th century Cloister and in the modern extension. The majority of rooms are overlooking the Cloister inner courtyard (superior and suites) or the peaceful private garden (standard garden view). Unheated open-air pool (MaySeptember), roof-top sun terrace and peaceful interior garden.

Le Beffroi at Vaison la Romaine This hotel high up in the medieval part of Vaison consists of several mansions joined together. The buildings’ character has been preserved with tiled floors, polished paneling, spiral staircases and beautiful antiques, paintings, and curios. The bedrooms are all different; antique lovers will be especially taken by the quality of the period furniture. The lounges are also pleasantly furnished and have open fireplaces. A superb terrace garden offers a lovely view over the rooftops of Vaison

La Begude Saint Pierre by Vers Pont du Gard This property, located near Pont du Gard, was a seventeenth-century postal station and later a farm house. Today the property is a charming hotel with twenty-eight rooms and a gastronomic restaurant. Rooms and suites are all decorated in Provençal style and include TV, mini bar, telephone and airconditioning. Many of the rooms have beautiful wood beam ceilings. The hotel's restaurant serves both lunch and dinner. In summer, meals featuring meats from the outdoor grill and salads are served around the pool. There is also a wine bar located in the complex with views into another enclosed courtyard.

Sentiers de France

7

Hotel Particulier at Arles Located right in the heart of Arles ancient district, secretly hiden behind its large gate is L’Hotel Particulier. Smooth indolence in the centurial leafy garden and daydream by the pool. Invitation for a sensual journey from your gently luxuriant suite, to the heavenly scents and whispering waters of the white paved hammam… High ceilings, huge rooms and beds, big windows opening to the leafy courtyard below.. The owner has tastefully and uniquely restored this historic property. If you are a fan of Charleston or Savannah, this hotel is for you. Lovely French breakfast served al fresco by the pool. Candles scent the air. Quiet nights lulled by cooing pigeons and bubbling pool fountain. History and elegance lovers wil appreciate this XVIIIth century old mansion, where the first owner, Baron de Chartrouse's prestige goes along with today's comfort and sophistication.

Hotel du Vallon de Valrugues at St Remy de Provence

Sentiers de France

(see page 7)

8