It’s known for the landscape, lifestyle and luxe goods of its villages and shores, but you shouldn’t overlook the cities in Provence … especially in the Luberon region. Arles, Avignon, and Aix-en-Provence each have a unique feel and draw, centered on art, history, and shopping. Avignon is roughly 45 minutes from where we stayed in Menerbes. Arles and Aix are both an hour and change, mostly over highway.

Avignon – History and Shopping

Did you know the Pope didn’t always live in Italy? When the Catholic Church’s seat of power temporarily split in the 14th Century, one pope resided in Rome and the other called Avignon home. Seeing the grandeur of France’s former papal digs is the point of a trip to Avignon, even if you don’t bother with the palace tour. After our morning train from Paris to Avignon, we made this the first stop with our rental car — to stretch our legs, grab a bite, and start sightseeing.

The sprawling quarters of Avignon’s walled old city are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are far more extensive than I’d anticipated … it goes on for several impressive blocks (so impressive we left town late and missed our dinner reservation in Menerbes). Following your sense of curiosity and dipping into side passages, will be rewarded with stunning medieval archways and restored frescoes … that only lead to more treasures.

Not to worry if you aren’t into history and architecture .. the streets and plazas in the shadows of the Palais des Papes are lined with stellar shopping, restaurants, hotels and residences. We popped into my favorite, Tara Jarmon (I call it a French Boden), and happily sampled several flavors of the Provençal sweets known as calissons. Shame on me for not snapping some photos before swallowing!

Hot tip: Catch a break from the heat under the misters while noshing on regional apps and sipping a Kir Royale. Or hit up the glace stand in front of the Palais. (Or both!)

Parking in Avignon: There is a massive parking garage under the Papal Palace plaza, but a word of warning: it is narrow winding your way into it, and confusing navigating the elevators back to your car. Even when we paid attention, we ended up on the wrong floor, walking in circles and circles and more circles. Maybe it was just us. 😛

Arles: Art and History

Arles is gritty. Arles is arty. Arles is old. I came for the Van Gogh, but left with my history-loving heart full. You think the city’s 1st century Roman amphitheater will be the oldest and most impressive ruin you’ll see. And then you spot the remnants of a Corinthian colonnade at the even older performance theater. Mind blown.

These two sites are part of the reason Arles is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They’re also featured on a walking tour recommended by Rick Steves, in the city formerly home to Vincent Van Gogh. Steves’ tour starts with the remains of the Roman gate and the river view inspiring ‘The Starry Night over the Rhône’. When it’s stifling hot in the city, you’ll likely get a reprieve here with a small sampling of the untamed ‘mistral’ winds.

Souvenir shops neighbor antique stores and restaurants as you make your way uphill to the expanse of the arena.

Even being a tourist site, the Arles arena was devoid of crowds when we visited in late June. We considered a tour, but were content to shop and enjoy lunch in its hulking historic shadows.

At a shop across from the ticket office, we learned Arles is more than an art and history mecca. It’s also the entrance to the coastal French region known as the Camargue. The Camargue has its own traditional symbol you’ll find adorning everything here, from jewelry to tea towels.

The shopkeeper explained it is very precious, and handed me a book in English explaining its significance. As a born Midwesterner, someone who had a stint as a sailor, and a follower of the Christian faith I was enamored with its deeper meaning:

Across the way, a yellow building containing Coastal French decor wasn’t open (dodged a bank account bullet there). On the second floor, we spotted a literal work in progress, with the paintbrushes drying on the sill.

At the other end of the arena, travelers quietly queued up to have their photos taken with an antique camera. It gave us something to do while waited for a gorgeous, refreshing order of panna cotta.

Arles is famous for inspiring Van Gogh — thus, the walking tour centered on the painter — but it’s still a city seeding creativity. At some point, we ditched the tour to check out current art happening at galleries like that of Aïcha Bendafi, who does mod celebrity portraits, including (of course) Van Gogh’s.

Temps were climbing (and the pool at home was waiting), so we nabbed a frozen course of dessert (gelato), took a quick peek at the medieval church nearby, and managed a drive-by of the newly constructed, architecturally eccentric LUMA Foundation Tower by Frank Gehry before skipping town. The rest of the city’s ruins will have to wait (they’ve lasted this long)!

Parking in Arles: We paid for a spot at Parking du Centre, using the south entrance which put us in a seemingly strange spot on foot. Turns out, it was down a block and right behind the tourism office. (If we’d used the lot’s north entrance, from the busier Blvd des Lices, it might have been more obvious we were close to civilization). The tourism office gave us a map and unhelpful instructions on catching a bus across the street to the other end of town where Rick Steve’s Van Gogh walking tour begins. We were on the bus a good 20 minutes, and it was the wrong bus, but the driver was nice and stopped at our destination because it was along his route. Merci beaucoup!

Aix-en-Provence: Art, History, and Shopping

Simply referred to as ‘Aix’ (pronounced like the letter ‘x’), this small city is known as the Paris of the south. Its wide central boulevard, the Cours Mirabeau, was built for nobility to stroll, socialize and be seen — an 18th century catwalk.

The Cours Mirabeau’s signature shady sidewalks are slowly returning to their former leafy glory after a massive tree replacement project in 2018. The cafes are lively, with the city’s many university students stationed in the street-facing seats, conversing and carrying on the tradition of looking good.

Sadly, though, Aix’s most famous brasserie — Les Deux Garçons — fell victim to fire in 2019 after more than 200 years in business. Nothing was spared, save its place in the hearts of countless fond patrons.

In my opinion, the real draw of Aix is its ‘Old Town’. The narrow, windy streets are filled with shops, eateries, plazas, and pop up vendors. It’s the city version of village charm.

You could easily spend the day poking around these alleys, but we had other goals in mind. Namely, visiting the former studio of acclaimed painter and Aix’s famous son, Paul Cezanne.

It’s no small task getting there. You can board a cheap and convenient six-person bus circling the town, but it only gets you so close. From there, it’s an *uphill* walk to the atelier. If you didn’t buy tickets in advance, it’s a long way to go for a look at the grounds. (The few things posted outside are confusing, the space wholly underutilized as an attraction).

Once the ‘self-guided tour’ begins, you’re let upstairs and given a laminated explainer of what’s in the one-room studio. It’s a bit of a letdown. (NOTE: The atelier is currently closed for renovation until Spring 2025. Maybe some changes are in store?)

However, the studio is muted, and beautifully serene. And it is very cool to see the props Cezanne was obsessed with … pottery, skulls, fruit … items I saw just days later in a still life hanging in the L’Orangerie museum in Paris.

Life becomes art becomes life.

Parking: La Rotonde/Des Allées underground lot puts you right underneath the modern outdoor mall and steps from the Rotonde fountain. Before you cross the street to the fountain, the city’s Tourism office will be behind you. Make sure to look for the statue of Paul Cezanne here, too! A warning … as you exit the parking garage, there are a lot of one-way streets in downtown Aix.

Next, we go from the cities in Provence back to the villages of St. Remy and L’Isle Sur la Sorgue. Make sure you don’t miss the post .. subscribe below or by clicking here!