PROVENCE
Vacations and Sightseeing
Vacations and Sightseeing
| Basic information | |
| Official language | French |
| Capital | Marseille |
| Area | 31.443 km² |
| Population | 5,131,187 (2021) |
| Currency | euro (EUR) |
| Web | .fr |
| Code. | FRA |
| Tel. | +33 |
Popular destinations FRANCE
| Alsace | Ardeche | Auvergne |
| Brittany | Burgundy | Cevennes |
| Corsica | Cote d'azur | Dordogne |
| Jura | Languedoc-roussillon | Loire valley |
| Lot | Normandy | Picardy |
| Provence |
Vacations and Sightseeing
The tertiary sector currently provides the most employment in Provence (70-80% of the workforce), especially tourism, which also generates about 15% of gross income. A holiday in Provence is popular. Ever since the beginning of the 19th century, the Riviera has developed into a place of residence for the French and English nobility. Later on, artists and writers joined them.
From the 1960s, Provence was invaded by mass tourism, which started in Saint-Tropez and then spread to rural tourism in the interior of Provence via the entire Cote D'Azur.
In the summer months, this region with its combination of sun, sea, beach and culture is one of the most visited in France with millions of tourists every summer. The departments Vaucluse and Bouches-du-Rhône are the most popular. The most visited places are Nice, Marseille, Orange, Les Baux, Arles, Avignon, Tarascon and Aix-en-Provence.
In Aix-en-Provence, tourists should not miss a visit to the Cours Mirabeau. It is a wide passageway, planted with double rows of plane trees and surrounded by beautiful houses and fountains. The old city wall divides the city into two parts. The new town lies to the south and west of the wall. The old town, with its wide but irregular streets and old mansions from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, is located in the north. Tourists often visit the Deux Garçons, the most famous brasserie in Aix. The brasserie dates back to 1792 and had many famous visitors like Paul Cezanne, Émile Zola and Ernest Hemingway.Avignon is the capital of the Vaucluse department and borders the left bank of the Rhone River. The historic centre with its medieval ramparts is well preserved. The entire old city is under the protection of UNESCO as a world heritage site. According to the 2010 census, the city has a population of 94,787. Of these, 12,000 inhabitants live in the old town. The city is a famous centre of art and culture.
The Avignon Festival, the annual theatre festival, is known far beyond the borders of France. The most interesting part of Avignon is the old city surrounded by its defensive walls. There, you will find a number of grandiose historical monuments. The buildings along the main street, Rue de la Republique, belong to the period of the Second Empire (1852-1870) with facades by the architect Haussmann around the central square. The neoclassical town hall and the theatre district are worth seeing. There are interesting statues on Place de l'Horloge, the central square of the city.
Nice, the capital of the Côte d'Azur, is a truly cosmopolitan tourist destination. This part of the French Riviera is the perfect holiday destination for sun lovers. There are many fashionable terraces and good eating places. But Nice is not only sun, sea and beach, culture lovers will also find plenty to enjoy with many top museums (often free of charge), a Arts-Nouveau quarter and ancient Roman excavations.
Sources
Blisse, M. / Provence
Lannoo
Eck, N. van / Provence, Côte d’Azur
Gottmer/Becht
Guérin, R. / Provence
Van Reemst
Jardinaud, M. / Provence
ANWB
Provence
Lannoo,
Williams, R. / Provence & Côte d’Azur
Van Reemst
Zwijnenburg, H. / Provence, Côte d’Azur
ANWB
CIA - World Factbook
BBC - Country Profiles
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