Hilltop villages, Roman Ruins, wine, and food. This South of France itinerary has everything to make your vacation memorable
Intro
France has pretty much everything for someone looking to discover a new land. The South of France has all this, and it’s wrapped up in stunning weather and one of the best climates in the world.
In my 10-day itinerary, we will cross the South of France, seeing ancient ruins and modern cities, and tasting local specialties along the way. It is a mix of places you know and dream about, and many hidden gems as well.
Travel Style
The south of France is well connected by train but I feel if you want to explore properly you need your own transport. There are a lot of small villages off the main lines that are unmissable.
Travel is easy outside the July/August high season where the traffic on the coast roads is excessive. The middle of summer is also quite hot. Travel in September is recommended, especially for wine enthusiasts as this is the famous vendage period when the grapes are harvested.
The 10 Day South of France itinerary in detail
10 days in the South of France allows you to explore the area in depth but at a relaxed pace.
Arrival in the South of France
Fly to Nice, or maybe Marseille or Toulouse, depending on what works for you. Adjust the days accordingly. To avoid excessive car hire costs, a trip back to your starting point works to prevent one-way rental fees. Also, it is probably easier to get suitable flights, killing two birds with one stone.
The Nice Cote d’Azur airport is the second largest international airport in the country, so it is a good choice for arrivals. Nice airport is also the Monaco airport. You don’t have to stay in Nice, but it isn’t a bad idea. Staying a little bit along the coast somewhere like Villefranche Sur Mer or in the direction of Menton isn’t a bad idea either. Decide whether or not you want to be in the city or in a small coastal town. I recommend the city.
Nice Cote d’Azur
Nice and its old town are pretty interesting and an excellent way to stretch the legs after a transatlantic flight the day before. The Promenade des Anglais is the famous beachfront promenade leading from the old town to the airport. The beautiful art nouveau buildings along the city side of the promenade bring to mind the riches of the early 1900s when Nice’s beachfront was the place to be. A trip up to the Chateau overlooking the coastline is worth the climb. Have lunch in the port area.
In the afternoon, head to Monaco. This tiny principality is an independent state, the second smallest in the world and is totally unique. However, there isn’t a lot to see here. As something of a tax haven and home to the world’s wealthiest people, it is somewhat secretive. That said, it is a unique place and something of a must-see if you are in the region. The area of Monaco-Ville on the hilltop promontory has the prince’s palace and the National Oceanographic Museum, which is worth a stop if you like sea creatures. It is up here that you get the best view of the city-state squashed between the sea and the mountains of the Alpes Maritimes.
On the way back to Nice, take the Moyenne Corniche, a spectacular cliff-hugging road that leads to Eze, a beautiful little hilltop castle. Watching the sunset over the sea from a terrace in the village is worth the effort of climbing the hills.
Cannes and Provence
Leave Nice and head towards Provence. The first stop in the morning could be Cannes. The seafront, known as la Croisette, is sort of a replica of Nice’s but just not as long. It is home to the famous film festival held in May every year. If you are only going to be in the area just once, it is worth a stop. If movies aren’t your thing, when you leave the main highway, head inland towards Grasse instead.
The hilltop town of Grasse is beautiful and known for its fragrances. It is the perfume capital of France. Chanel dominates the Jasmin production here and is an essential ingredient in their famous Chanel No. 5.
After lunch, the drive continues towards the spectacular Gorges du Verdon. You can stop for a hike. The beautiful scenery is quintessential Provence, in the foothills of the Alps. Finish the day in the village of Manosque. A beautiful Provencal town, it is at the start of the Luberon National Park.
Avignon – the city of Popes
Continue west the following morning to Avignon. The drive through the Luberon is beautiful, and you will arrive at an old and what looks somewhat run-down city. Avignon is a bit gritty, but it is well past its heyday. It was during the 13th and 14th centuries that the popes lived here. The papal palace and the cathedral are pretty impressive, considering the time they were built.
Take a walk around the city walls and through the alleys of the old town. The city might not have had the wealth of other cities since the popes left, but it is still a proper city to live in. The ‘renovations’ are a bit more haphazard, with things being rebuilt again and again throughout the ages. Outside the city walls lies the famous bridge of the song: On the bridge of Avignon. The bridge is now a ruin on the Rhone River. The river is still an important trade route between Lyon and Marseilles and is a great river for a cruise.
Half an hour out of town is the famous wine region of Chateauneuf du Pape. Named after the pope’s new castle, this area is renowned for its red wine. The wine is a full-bodied red with Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvèdre grapes. It is well worth a stop for a visit and a tasting.
In the late afternoon, continue onwards towards Nimes a mid-size city today but once a massive Roman center.
Arles and the Camargue
Arles, on its own, is quite a cute city, but there is a lot to be discovered in the region. From here, heading southwards is the Camargue. This area at the mouth of the Rhone is an internationally recognized wetland. The wildlife is fantastic, especially the birdlife. Flamingos are often seen in the brackish water as the river mixes with the Mediterranean.
A stroll on the beaches here is worth it, though if you are comfortable with it, a horseback ride rewards the extra effort. It is a bit of a cliche riding horses on the beaches of the Camargue, but it is something special. If you are lucky, you might see the wild white horses of the region.
From here head to Aigues Mortes. A classic walled city, the town is now something of a tourist attraction, but the locals are friendly, and the seafood is exceptional. Moules Frites or mussels with fries is a classic lunch, and you can’t go wrong.
In the late afternoon, continue onwards towards Arles, the one-time home of Vincent Van Gogh and many other artists. The unique light the area has in the evening (weather dependent of course) was what drew the artists to the area.
Have dinner here or return to your base in Nimes.
Roman Nimes and Pont du Gard
The City of Nimes is Roman. There are Roman ruins everywhere you turn. The arena, still in use today, and the Maison Carrée, a temple in the middle of town, are the two best examples but there are ruins all over the city. The best way to see the city is to get a local guide who will show you the little details.
The population in Roman times was as much as it is today, and getting water to the city was not easy. The summers in the South of France are very dry. However, Romans were the best engineers, and they decided that a 50-mile aqueduct was not too difficult to construct.
Just outside town is the Gard River, with a steep-sided river gorge that the aqueduct needed to cross. For the Romans, this was no problem. They just needed to build one of the best bridges in the history of the world. The Pont du Gard was built for this purpose.
A three-level bridge with the aqueduct on top and a toll bridge for people below the bridge is in near-perfect condition today. In fact, in the 1960s, there was a flood that destroyed all bridges on the river except for one. That was the oldest of them, the Roman-built Pont du Gard. There is a museum on site as well, but more interesting, to me at least, is the 2 hours guided walk along the ruins of the aqueduct as it leads away from the bridge.
Narbonne
Heading westwards, we drive towards Narbonne. Another Roman city, the ruins are a bit more hidden. However, the History of Narbonne spans more than just the Roman Period. The cathedral is a portion of the largest in Christendom. It wasn’t completed, but the portion that was built is bound to impress. The late 19th and early 20th centuries left important marks on the city as well.
Before we get to Narbonne, though, it is recommended to take a detour to Pézenas. This town of artisans was once home to the famous Bourbon-Montmorency family. We probably all know the first part of the name, that of the Kings of France. Quebecers will recognize the second part, which signifies the cousins of the kings. The Montmorency family attempted a coup in the 16th Century and were banished from the courts, eventually leaving for the newly discovered colonies of North America and settling in Quebec.
Their town therefore became something of a backwater, and the 16th Century town has been very well preserved. The number of classic townhouses is impressive in relation to the size of the town. Today, these houses are often occupied by artisans. Many artists call Pezenas their home, and a stroll through the independent small galleries is worth the detour.
In the afternoon, continue towards Narbonne and visit the old town center. If time allows, the cathedral and the Bishops’ palace are notable. The original paintings from the 14th Century in the Bishops’ Palace are worth the entry fee alone. However, there are also many mosaics from the Roman period in the attached chambers. Found around town during modern construction, the mosaics have been transferred to the museum and preserved.
The half-finished cathedral has some fantastic artwork, including a Carravagio and a portrait of a pope. Yes, the Bishop of Narbonne in the 1500s later became pope. It is clear from the size of the cathedral that one of the Bishops had an ego to match. The inner courtyard is beautiful and calm. The courtyard of the Bishops Palace (today the town hall and museum) has a beautiful marble floor. The local marble from between here and Carcassonne has also made it to the Whitehouse in Washington.
Make your base here or somewhere nearby for the next couple of days.
Carcassonne and Minerve
An hour east of Narbonne is the medieval cité of Carcassonne. Not to be confused with the City of Carcassonne. Cité is a French word for the old walled (mostly hilltop) towns of the Middle Ages. Carcassonne is one of the biggest and best preserved. Seeing it rise on the hills above as you approach feels like traveling back in time. Dating from the time of the Romans, the fortifications we see today are mainly from the 14th century, around the time of the Cathar Inquisition. The history of the Cathar religion and its persecution is significant in the region, though relatively unknown elsewhere.
From the 1400s onwards, Upper Carcassonne fell into disrepair, and the city below grew in importance as the need for fortifications waned. The construction of the Canal du Midi linking the Mediterranean with the Atlantic in the 1600s helped with the move to the lower town. However, with the 19th-century rise in interest in history, the walled city on the hill was restored. Today, it is the third most visited tourist destination in France. However, it isn’t perfect. Being restored by a Northerner was not necessarily the best of choices. Viollet le Duc, restorer of many other castles and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, decided on slate roofs. People often notice the slate is out of place but often think it is a quirk of the wealth of the lords of Carcassonne. It is actually just a mistake made by the renovators.
Make sure you get to Carcassonne early. The crowds start building from nine, and from ten a.m., it can be quite busy. Buy tickets online in advance for the castle. The visit to the inner castle adds an extra dimension to visiting the citadel. Cassoulet, a stew with beans and sausage, is the local specialty. Everybody serves it for lunch.
After lunch, head towards the hills to the north. The hills of Languedoc are not the most fertile, but there are still plenty of vineyards along the way. Climbing the twisty roads into the Limestone hills is a fantastic drive on its own, but Minerve, a smaller hilltop village on a promontory high above the gorge below, is a worthy destination. The village has more Cathar history, being home to a siege and massacre in the 13th century. The catapult on the other side that bombarded the village has been rebuilt. The small museum tells some of the story. Ask in the Museum if you can visit the Church. The alter dates from the 5th century. It has one of the earliest alters of a Christian Church still in use.
The village has a couple of artisans and restaurants if you need refreshment, but it is most interesting for its history and setting. Set above a bend in the river, you can hike down to the gorge below. Imagining the difficulty of storming the village today indicates how difficult it would have been with lesser technology.
Limoux ou Fontfroide, Capestang and Oppidum d’Enserune and Chateau de Perdiguier
There is lots more to see in the area. Depending on where you are flying home from, you might want to spend the afternoon heading back that way to have a more comfortable departure day.
Otherwise, the options for the morning and afternoon in the area are as follows:
Capestang, a small town on the Canal du Midi, has a church to rival that of Narbonne. It is visible from miles away but was never completed. Only the nave, the part with the altar, was built from the original plan but is bigger than many Cathedrals. You can only wonder at what the completed church would have looked like. It’s a bit like the Narbonne Cathedral story really. The nearby Chateau des Archeveques de Narbonne (the old archbishops’ residence here) has some amazing paintings on the woodwork inside.
Nearby are the old Roman ruins of Oppidum d”Enserune. Built on a hill, this Roman village is in amazingly good condition, and the museum has some amazing pottery from over 2000 years ago. The view from the village over the Etang de Montady alone is worth the visit. This stagnant lake was drained by the local monks 800 years ago. They dug a tunnel from the middle under the hillside you are standing on viewing it from. This drained the lake and created an extremely fertile and well-irrigated field system, the pattern of which is clearly visible from the air.
A bit to the southwest of Narbonne is the Abbey of Fontfroide. With great architecture, peaceful gardens and its own vineyard, it is an oasis of calm in the countryside. The Abbey of Limoux, closer to Carcassone, has some special architecture and sculpture as well, but the story of its wine is even more special. According to legend it is the birthplace of Champagne.
On the subject of wine, there are too many wineries in the area to mention. Do make sure you visit one or three. A favorite of mine is the Chateau du Perdiguier, just northwest of Béziers. Ring in advance and ask for a tour of the Chateau, not just a wine tasting. It is a wonder that the frescos inside still survive, but they are being restored.
Departure for Home
It is time to leave the Carcassonne region behind and head for home. If you started in Nice, you can hand back your vehicle here or in nearby Toulouse. Depending on the airline you fly with, they might offer an open jaw ticket into Nice and out of Toulouse (though this will be via Paris). Otherwise, leaving your vehicle in Narbonne or Beziers will allow a more relaxing train trip back across the south.
I think it is preferable to fly into Nice and out of Toulouse to avoid having to return to your starting point, but this isn’t always practicable. However, if you just follow the itinerary in reverse, you can be in Nice the night before your departure. Simply drive from Nice to Narbonne/Carcassonne area on the day of your arrival.
Conclusion
There is much to see in the South of France. Living and working there has permitted me to experience much of it, but there is always something new to discover. The gentle climate leads to a gentle lifestyle. Your ten days here will only leave you wanting to return.
Many people return again and again to this region. The landscape, the people and the culture combine to make the South of France unforgettable.
While there are some hidden, lesser-known sights on this trip, there is much more to unearth. There are also some well-known destinations that I was obliged to leave out of the itinerary. Ten days is not enough for the region. Start planning your next trip.
Have you visited the rest of France? check out my 10 day France Itinerary for more ideas. Or my France and Italy Itinerary if you want more rich history and good food.
