Provence Alpes Cote D'Azur PACA

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With its feet in the Mediterranean and its head in the Alps, the region has an extensive palette of colourful landscapes. St-Rémy-de-Provence) -- Provence, the Midi, these are magic names in a luminous landscape that inspired Van Gogh and Cézanne, and changed the course of modern painting. They have also created a new current in contemporary travel.

Compressed within a few hundred miles' radius is scenery as varied and magnificent as anywhere in Europe. Vineyards of Gigondas, silvery groves in olive-capital Nyons, and lavender- scented hills from Valréas to Vaison-la-Romaine. The bold silhouettes of Provence encompass the monumental bald rock of Les Baux, and cypress and cedars blocked against azure skies at Arles.

The high wall of the Alps shelters the coast, and climate is by no means the least of the area's attractions. The very grand Mont Ventoux is a Provence landmark. At its foot, the Fontaine de Vaucluse is one of the world's largest springs with a flow that reaches 175 cubic yards of water per second. Provençal roads are equally remarkable, and coupled with most unusual accommodations, are setting new travel trends. For example, TGV now to Valence, train/car flexi-pass opens the way through the Lubéron mountains above vast rich plains. The route to Roman ruins at Arles, St-Rémy and Avignon is nothing less than memorable.

Antiquity is a tangible inspiration in the dazzling light of Provence replete with monuments from classical times. The 2,000 year old arenas of Arles, medieval St-Trophime cloister and nearby modern Espace Van Gogh. Nearby in the Languedoc-Roussillon, Nimes' Maison Carrée is a perfectly preserved temple from the times of Emperor Augustus. The bon vivant finds a paradise in the very down-to-earth cuisine of Provence. Clear air wafts a bouquet of fennel, basil, rosemary, thyme, and hillside herbs that titillate the palate. Eggplant and tomato are king in "ratatouille", olive oil of Provence has remarkable perfume, local wines are full bodied, and fresh or candied fruits abound. Market places are unforgettable.

All the Provence is home to now international "salade niçoise", and other favorites are grilled fish with fennel, or spit-broiled lamb sprinkled with herbs from the hills. Cavaillon melon matches Vaucluse pears and Salon peaches plus "berlingots" candies from Carpentras, and almond paste "calissons"

The French Riviera-Côte d'Azur stretches along the Mediterranean at the foot of the last outcrop of the Alpine chain. Thanks to its southern situation, the proximity of the sea, the full southern exposure and, above all, to the screen of high mountains which protect it from the cold continental winds, it enjoys an exceptionally high winter temperature. Its privileged position means that the slopes are covered with tropical vegetation : orange and aloe, cactus and eucalyptous, rose-laurel, bougainvillea and mimosa.

In under two hours you can travel from the palms and lemon trees of the coast to the nearby Alpine peak for coolness in the summer and snowsports in winter. With such a number of attractive features combined with the variety and quality of entertainment and the multitude of hotels and villas, it is no wonder that it attracts visitors from all over both in summertime and wintertime.