After spending a few days in Provence, below are our favorite towns that we have visited so far! Let us know if you have ever had the chance to visit some of these beautiful southern villages.

1. L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

This town in Provence is also known as the Venice of the South of France, it was once know for the abundance of crayfish that could be found in the Sorgue river. L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is now popular for it’s antique stores, markets, and quaint restaurants that line the riverside. You can explore the town by walking on the many little bridges that can be found over the rivers that weave their way through the town. Among the many inique boutiques that can be found, our favorites are: Les Bohémiens and The Patisserie Jouvaud.

2. Gordes

Gordes is listed as one of the most beautiful towns in France, and the first time you see it driving up you can understand why. The town seems to be hanging from a cliff, and has a spectacular view of the valley below. This town can be crazy during the peak of the season, with tour buses dropping people of in the hundreds. Its hard to believe how packed this town gets considering that there are about 50 people who live there full time. Our top recommendation for Gordes is to go in May or June, there is less of a crowd and you will actually be able to find parking. Other activities to put on your list are to visit the Chateau, The Cellars of the Palais Saint Firmin, Village des Bories, enjoy a drink with a view at the Cercle Republicain, and finish the day with a pizza at La Bastide de Pierres.

3. Roussillon

We have written a post at Roussillon here when we visited in the Fall, but the town was completely different with the start of Summer. Just like Gordes, this town can get very busy, so plan to go in the morning or during the months of May or June. As we mentioned in our last post, Le Sentier des Ocres is our top recommendation in this little town. Take an hour to explore the red, yellow, and orange hills that make this town so colorful. Make sure to also visit the Eglise Saint Michel (if open), buy balsamic vinegar at this local store, and stop to have a bite to eat at either La Treille or the Crêperie Le Castrum.

4. Aix-en-Provence

A couple of hours in Aix is definitely not enough to fully explore every part of the city. Every street in Aix is beautiful, and there is a fountain at every turn. The highlight of the trip was visiting Cézanne’s studio, which is a 15 minute walk outside of the city center. It was amazing to learn more about the painter, his very unpredictable temperament (he would through paintings out his window) and the fact that it took him around 115 hours to complete one painting. The tour explained every part of his studio, from why the walls are painted grey (to help the lighting in the room for painting) to pointing out objects in the room and where they can be found in his paintings. Other places to visit in Aix are Place d’Albertas, Bastide du Jas de Bouffan, Musée Granet, and Hôtel de Caumont.

5. Les Baux-de-Provence

The last stop on our short trip through Provence, was one of the most stunning medieval villages in the South of France. Positioned in-between mountains, this village sits on the very top of a large rocky outcrop, which historically made it the perfect location to be protected from invaders. A ruined fortress can be seen as you drive up to the village, and is the remnant of a once very powerful provencal town. Our main tip for this town is again about parking. Be warned that if there is a crowd, you will likely have to park at the bottom of the hill, and hike up towards the town. We were lucky, and we were able to park as close to the town as possible, but it was still a bit of a hike! Once in the village there are many quaint shops, but the stunning medieval buildings and the 360 views were what really caught our eye. If you have time, visit the fortress, you are able to walk around the old castle walls and have a bird’s eye view of Provence!