Overview
Provence and Cannes: the perfect combination. Imagine spending two days at the Cannes Film Festival: by day walk the seaside promenade with the stars and by night enjoy your luxury hotel high above the Mediterrannean. From the flash bulbs and red carpet, it's off to Provence to cycle through fields of lavender, stroll cobblestone streets of ancient hilltop villages and taste splendid Grenache and Syrah wines and you've just described a small part of your Spyns adventure. Challenge your guide Ryan to a before-dinner game of Pétanque (the regional game) or quietly soak in the sights and sounds of St Rémy that so inspired Van Gogh.
- Fully guided
- Luxury hotels and inns
- 7 days / 6 nights
- Start: Avignon or Marseille / Finish: Nice
- Destinations: Cannes, St Remy, and Mazan
- Activites : Biking (4 days) Hiking (2 days)
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Highlights
Detailed Itinerary
Days 1 and 2: Transfer from Marseille to our luxury accommodation, le Château de Mazan (pictured here) in the heart of
Provence's Lubéron region. The Château was the former residence of Le Marquis de Sade. Enjoy two days of breathtaking rides around the base of Mont Ventoux,
Provence 's highest peak. Choose to scale the mountain or opt for leisurely rides through lavender fields and vineyards. The sun-drenched villages around Mazan are known for their excellent wines and truffles. Join the group for an exclusive tasting or simply knock on a friendly door to discover wines with a local.
Days 3 and 4: Riding south through quaint villages, we reach our home for the next two days, the modern Hôtel l'Atelier des Images in the ancient city of St Rémy de Provence. Choose your own adventure for the next few days either opting for a relaxed walking tour of St Rémy or a robust ride through Roman ruins to Les Baux, an ancient fortress once belonging to Monaco's Royal Grimaldi family.
Days 5 and 6: Transfer from St Rémy to the bustling Côte d'Azur to enjoy 2 days of sun and celebrities at the Cannes film festival. The latter part of this adventure is a study in contrasts: bouncing from our luxury hotel nestled high above the Mediterranean, Le Cagnard in Cagnes sur Mer, to the frenzy of activity that is Cannes. The south of France has some spectacular cycling so opt for an early-morning ride before heading to Cannes, or simply enjoy breakfast in bed before joining the rich and famous on the beach promenade.
Day 7: Take another ride in the hills high above the Mediterranean, meet with the group for a morning Yoga class, or simply stroll around the medieval streets of Cagnes before your shuttle to Nice and your final destination. Holiday perfection.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR TO BOOK THIS TOUR CALL 888.825.4720 OR EMAIL info@spyns.com
 
PROVENCE HISTORY
Provence (Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a former Roman province and is now a region of southeastern France, located on the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to the Italian border. It is now part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. The traditional region of Provence comprises the départements of Var, Vaucluse, and Bouches-du-Rhône in addition to parts of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes. Provence is so named because it was the first Roman province outside of the Italian region.
Provence has been inhabited since ancient times. It was known in ancient times as part of Narbonensis, inhabited by Ligurians and later Celts. The coastal strip was settled by Greeks and Phoenicians from around 600 BC onwards, with Marseilles becoming one of the great trading cities of the Mediterranean. It was progressively settled by the Romans from the 2nd century BC, eventually becoming a province of the Roman Empire. This gave it its name, from the Latin nostra provincia (our province), as Provence was one of the first areas conquered by Rome outside of Italy. Christianity arrived in Provence very early and the region was already extensively Christianised by the 3rd century AD, with numerous monasteries and churches being constructed. Provence fared badly in the aftermath of the fall of the Roman Empire, suffering repeated invasions: Visigoths in the 5th century, Franks in the 6th century and Arabs in the 8th century as well as repeated raids by Berber pirates and slavers. It subsequently passed into hands of the Counts of Toulouse as a fief of the Counts of Barcelona (later Kings of Aragon).
From 1032 to 1246 the county was part of the Holy Roman Empire. It became a fief of the French Crown from 1246, under the rule of the Angevin dynasty. Upon the death of Charles du Maine in 1481, Provence was inherited by Louis XI. It was definitively incorporated into the French royal domain in 1486. Significant enclaves existed within Provence for many years afterwards: Orange remained under the control of the House of Orange-Nassau until 1672; the Comtat Venaissin, centred on Avignon, was under Papal rule until 1791; and Nice and Menton were not added to Provence until as late as 1860. The now-extinct title of Count of Provence belonged to local families of Frankish origin, to the House of Barcelona, to the House of Anjou and to a cadet branch of the House of Valois. Provence is nestled in between the Alps and Italy to the east and the Rhône River to the west, with the Mediterranean Sea providing its southern border. It has very varied topographical feautures, ranging from fertile plains in the Rhône valley to mountains in the east (notably Mont Ventoux, the Luberon range and the Alpilles), to marshlands in the south (the Camargue). The Principality of Monaco is nestled between Nice and Italy. Marseilles, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon and Arles are other cities of importance in Provence. Marseilles is by far the largest city in Provence,being the principal city of both the 'Bouches-du-Rhône' department and the 'Côte d'Azur' region, however,the chef-lieu (capital city) of Provence is in fact the second largest city, Aix-en-Provence, which is north of Marseilles, more centered in the region.
The climate of Provence is typically Mediterranean, warm and dry. However, the legendary Mistral is a strong, cold wind from the north that occurs mostly in the winter and spring. The higher regions of Provence get snow in winter. Temperatures can be as high as 44°C. The climate in Provence results from the combination of three factors: high annual daylight hours (up to 2900h, only 1600h in Dunkerque in the north of France) limited precipitation (snow, rain, etc); in winter the wind called mistral/mistrau drives out the clouds after short but intense downpours dry weather (the area could have dryness one month and rain the following, but still have significant dryness overall). It rains only 30 to 50 days in the plain, but more in the Alps; by comparison, it rains more than 70 days in London. The annual average temperature on the coast is 15.1°C in Marseilles to 17.3°C in Menton, compared with 16.5°C in Barcelona, 18°C in Tunis, and 10.2°C in London. During the coldest month, the temperature in the day is from 11°C to 14.8°C on the coast (8°C in London).
Excellent rosé wine is produced under the Côtes de Provence appellation, using some of the typical grapes of southern France, Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Cinsault. It is often at its best young. The other Appelations of Provence are Bandol AOC, Les Baux de Provence AOC, Bellet AOC, Cassis AOC, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence AOC, Coteaux Varois AOC and Palette AOC. Provençal is the adjective used to describe things originating from this region, as well as being the name of the local Romance language. Instead, it is part of the Romance languages' dialect continuum that stretches from Italy to Portugal.
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