The land of light.
Driving towards the sun on the Autoroute du Soleil is a real pleasure, but only to be enjoyed in the off-season. Endless queues and traffic jams are the rule during the Rhône Valley summer, which is a shame, as this area has many lovely towns. But there is another way to get to Provence and the Côte d'Azur: the Route Napoléon. Of course, one must take the time, but the path that Napoleon took in 1815 to regain power over Paris is definitely worth the trip. It passes along the Mont Blanc, the mountain region of Savoy, and a part of the French Alps with its many great skiing destinations – a mountain lover’s dream. Especially the untouched nature of the Parc National du Mercantour along the Italian border is a great region for mountain tours. The colours, scents and the atmosphere of the South are more intense here in Provence and the Languedoc-Rousillon than they are anywhere else. Sun and heat soak the countryside from the Lower Rhône, the karst cliffs of the Haute-Provence down to the Côte d'Azur and the foothills of the Pyrenees. Classic Provence lies in a rather small triangular area Avignon-Aix-en-Provence-Arles, where the Ancient Greeks and Romans settled. The towns on the coast itself, from Nice and Cannes to St. Tropez, are no longer reserved for the rich and famous. Every summer brings new visitor records. And the beaches of the Languedoc-Roussillon and La Grande-Motte all the way to the Spanish border are no less desirable. Haute-Provence and the backcountry of Languedoc-Roussillon are home to amazing natural reserves such as the Grand Canyon du Verdon, the Gorges du Tarn, and the Corniche des Cévennes. And no matter what town, one can always stop to watch groups of men playing at boules on the village square, an authentic, timeless pastime.
