"Provence 2008 - Off Season" Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur by calcaf38

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Travel Guide: 6,666 reviews and 17,241 photos

Marseille - Quartier du Panier - Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

My mother moved to Aix en Provence after I left home, back in 1980. I never lived in Provence, but I have visited regularly over the years.

Although I am not a tourist when I visit Provence, I took some photos in the fall of 2008 to build this page, which in no way claims to be complete or even comprehensive. These are just a few scattered impressions.

What makes Provence so special is the uninterrupted chain of high civilization from the Greco-Roman era to our times. Be it in the fields of technology, arts, or just refined living, Provence is always at or near the top.

I was with my teenage son on this trip, and he must have come home thinking "Provence is chilly and gray, but at least there are no tourists there."

Pros and Cons

Pros:Legendary destination with superb infrastructure for travelers
Cons:Increasingly processed, costly
In a nutshell:Worth the fuss

Last visit to Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur: Dec 2008
Intro Updated Dec 20, 2008
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Reviews (13)

Les Baux-de-Provence - Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

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Marseille, La Vieille Charité - Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Marseille, La Vieille Charité Things to Do (9)

This is a former hospital (not meaning just hospital, but hospital + almshouse, the way it used to be). The complex was... more travel advice

Comments (5)

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Nemorino Oct 7, 2011 at 2:32 PM

Hello Oliver, how’ve you been? I hope to visit Aix-en-Provence next July for the opera festival – but I say that every year, and nobody believes me any more. Maybe next year will be the year.
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Beausoleil Dec 3, 2010 at 4:15 PM

Beautiful photo.
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toonsarah Feb 22, 2009 at 3:40 AM

A nice overview of this region. Apart from Marseille I've not been here but really must do so sometime. The Calissons sound delicious, as does the restaurant!
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Bwana_Brown Jan 28, 2009 at 7:47 PM

Oliver, you have some beautiful photos here to illustrate your excellent tips! The photos of Le Pont Du Gard and Les Baux-de-Provence make we want to jet over immediately for an up-close look! Also, not a bad idea to travel in off-season re crowds!
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craic Dec 21, 2008 at 6:20 AM

I have eaten calisson - didn't know it was called that though