About this Guide
This guide is for those who demand the ultimate in luxury. It was written by a UHNW Monte-Carlo resident who personally frequents everything mentioned below, and continues to edit and update the guide regularly.
After exploring the French Riviera, Provence opens up a whole new world of rustic luxury.
From the French Riviera, you can continue on by car to Cassis and then on to Provence.
Where to Stay & Eat
Stay at hotel Les Roches Blanches and see the amazing Calanques .
Next, go to Aix-en-Provence and stay at Villa Gallici , which is walking distance to Aix. Aix-en-Provence is a wonderful city with a very large pedestrian-only city center.
Just north of Aix, stay at Villa La Coste for a night (the hotel’s grounds are spectacular and full of sculptures, but the surrounding area isn’t very exciting).
A bit farther north, in a much more beautiful part of Provence, you can stay at Capelongue (which has a modern take on Provencal charm — we love room #502) or Coquillade (where you can stay in a large suite with a private pool).
To further explore Provence, stay at the quintessentially-Provencal Baumaniere . From the hotel, you can walk to Les-Baux-de-Provence (have lunch at Les Baux Jus ) and visit Saint Remy . Have lunch or dinner on the terrace at Château d’Estoublon .
Bonus: If you love nature and animals, you’ll really enjoy staying at (or just enjoying a meal at) Le Domaine du Castellas , a chic and remote hotel / restaurant where friendly goats and chickens are likely to gently interrupt your meal.
Towns To Explore
Explore the magnificent villages of Lourmarin, Lauris, Ansouls and Cucuron, or cross Lourmarin valley to access North Luberon: Bonnieux, Gordes, Lacoste, Roussillon.
Don’t miss:
- Lourmarin : The most typically-Provencal town you’ll find, with an excess of charm. The winding streets house many authentically French boutiques. This town is a great place to have a meal on a terrace, or pick up souvenirs. It’s the perfect place to rent a bike and ride around the countryside’s gently rolling hills.
- Lacoste : A medieval hilltop town that has been transformed into a charming artist’s residency run by a college exchange program group (that picks talented American student artists to set up shop in Lacoste), with the Marquis de Sade’s chateau . Make sure to buy some art from the students, at SCAD’s incredible boutique (one of our favorite shops in France) in the middle of town.
