Provence: Recommended itineraries, places to stay and attractions

In Nice, there is a real difference between the areas: the Promenade des Anglais is expensive and noisy, the old town is full of life but also noisy until the small hours, and the station area is significantly cheaper and less pleasant. In the article, I divided the recommendations by budget and by area, including vacation apartments for families and hotels that I myself have stayed in.

Antibes offers two worlds: the old town within the walls, with small boutique hotels within walking distance of the market and the port, and Cap d'Antibes to the south, where some of the most expensive hotels in France are located. The article has recommendations in both categories, as well as an explanation of when it is worth choosing Juan-les-Pins, which is right next door.

In Cannes, the price depends mainly on the distance from the Croisette: one or two steps into the streets behind it, and the price plummets without really compromising the location. The article has recommendations based on budget, and also an important warning about May, when the film festival doubles and triples prices throughout the city.

The route is built around a single accommodation base in Nice, and from there departs each day for a different destination: Nice's Old Town and Castle Hill, Antibes and Cap d'Antibes, Cannes and the nearby islands, and the artists' village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Each day has a suggested agenda, exact train and bus travel times, and recommendations for what to skip if you have less time.

Nice is not just a beach. It has a completely Italian old town, a daily flower market, a castle hill with the best view in the area, and two museums worth dedicating an entire morning to: Matisse and Chagall. The guide goes over the attractions, the neighborhoods, the weather in each season, and what I recommend doing on a Sunday in the city.

Antibes is, in my opinion, the most beautiful city on the Riviera: a fortified city whose walls still stand, an indoor market that operates every morning, and a Picasso museum that sits inside a castle on the sea. The guide includes the city's attractions, a walking trail in Cap d'Antibes, and an answer to the question of what to do here with children.

Without the film festival, Cannes is a quiet and very pleasant resort town, with an excellent Fourville market, an ancient neighborhood on a hill called La Souk, and a short cruise to the islands of Lerne. The guide covers the attractions, the restaurants worth knowing and the question of how much time is really worth devoting to the city.

A fortified village on a hill, twenty minutes' drive from Nice, which became home to Chagall, Yves Montaigne and Simone Signoret in the 1950s. It has more galleries per square meter than anywhere else I know, and nearby is the Magg Foundation, one of the finest modern art museums in Europe.

Nice was a city of the House of Savoy for centuries, only becoming French in 1860, following a political agreement between Napoleon III and the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. The article traces the path from the Greeks who established a colony here to the British who built the Promenade, and explains why the local cuisine still sounds and feels Italian.

For centuries, Antibes was a border town of France, and the walls it is surrounded by were built to stop the other side of the Var River. The article tells how the city moved from a military role to a cultural one, and how Picasso came here in 1946 and stayed in the castle that became a museum named after him.

Cannes was an insignificant fishing village until a British nobleman got stuck there in 1834 due to the blockade, fell in love, and built a villa there. The article also touches on the strange story of the islands opposite, where, according to tradition, an unnamed prisoner was imprisoned, and on the political moment when the film festival was born as a French answer to Mussolini's festival in Venice.

An old house that has been completely renovated, in the city where Nostradamus was born and is also buried. The location is the big advantage: from here you can reach Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, the Camargue reserve and Avignon in less than an hour, so you can stay in the same place for a whole week and see half the province. The service is personal and the house is maintained to a high standard.

A 16th-century mansion with a pool and gardens, run by guide Nurit Gaon, who knows Provence better than most locals. The place is especially suitable for families and groups who want a quiet base with a kitchen and courtyard, rather than a hotel room. Book in advance, as it fills up months before the season.

The university city of Provence, and in my opinion the most elegant of them all: Avenue Mirbeau with its cafes, more than a hundred fountains, and a daily market where I can wander for two hours without buying anything. Paul Cézanne was also born and lived here, and you can visit his studio and the quarries he mentioned repeatedly. The article includes attractions and guided tours in and outside the city.

The oldest city in France, from 600 BC, and the least Parisian port city there is. The old port, the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde, the historic district of La Fannie, MuCEM and the reconstruction of the Cosquer Cave, and the Château d'If on the coast. The article also includes the Calanques, the only national park within the borders of a major city in Europe, and a full guide on how to get there, where to sleep, and how to get around the city.

In summer, its sound is impossible to ignore, nor is the fact that it is printed on every napkin and jar of honey in the region. The article traces how a noisy insect became the brand of an entire province, through Frédéric Mistral and the movement that sought to revive the Provençal language, and through one porcelain manufacturer who recognized an opportunity.

According to Provençal tradition, Mary Magdalene arrived by boat on the shores of the Camargue, and spent 30 years in a cave in the Saint-Bom mountains. A large church in Saint-Maximin, a pilgrimage route that is still active, and an entire religious tourism industry were built around this story. The article separates what has a historical basis from what was added later.

A Marseille story that connects the Israeli band Duvdevan, songs translated into Hebrew, and the Kalanki: the white rock coves south of the city, which in my opinion are the most beautiful scenery in all of Provence. The article is both an introduction to the man and a good reason to dedicate a day to walking among the coves.