What to see in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

324 sites listed in the region. Between the legendary Côte d'Azur, the lavender fields of Provence and the Alpine peaks of the Mercantour, this region packs in a rare intensity of landscapes. Hilltop villages, calanques and the Gorges du Verdon make up a territory that has inspired generations of artists.

Théâtre antique d'Orange
Monuments · Vaucluse

Théâtre antique d'Orange

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurRegional top 10

Located in Provence, the Ancient Theatre of Orange is the best-preserved Roman theatre in the West, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde
Religious heritage · Bouches-du-Rhône

Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

Nicknamed "la Bonne Mère" by the people of Marseille, this neo-Byzantine basilica topped by a gilded Virgin has dominated the city since 1852 and watched over sailors from its hill.

Camargue
Natural wonders · Bouches-du-Rhône

Camargue

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

A delta shaped by the arms of the Rhône, the Camargue unrolls ponds, salt marshes and rice fields as far as the eye can see. White horses, black bulls and colonies of pink flamingos make up one of the most recognisable natural landscapes in France.

Canyon du verdon
Waterfalls · Var

Canyon du verdon

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

A famous canyon with limestone walls. Above all see: the Point Sublime (400 m high), the Barre de l'Escalès (cliff), the Baume aux Bœufs tunnel cave, the St-Maurin waterfalls...

Clue de carejuan
Waterfalls · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Clue de carejuan

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

After the Point Sublime, the road descends towards the bed of the Verdon until it comes so close that, following floods of the Verdon, the road had to be rebuilt.

Col de la Bonette
Natural wonders · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Col de la Bonette

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

The road that goes round its summit, the Cime de la Bonette, reaches 2,802 metres: one of the highest paved roads in Europe, in the heart of the Mercantour.

Colorado Provençal
Natural wonders · Vaucluse

Colorado Provençal

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

Former open-air ochre quarries, worked until 1992, forming a landscape of blazing colours reminiscent of American canyons.

Fontaine de Vaucluse
Natural wonders · Vaucluse

Fontaine de Vaucluse

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

The emerald-green spring is ranked among the most important emergences in the world.

La cascade de Fontcouverte
Waterfalls · Hautes-Alpes

La cascade de Fontcouverte

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

On the edge of Savoie, the upper Névache valley, dotted with fish-filled mountain lakes (Lac Long, Lac Rond, Lac du Serpent, Lac Laramon) is the favourite ground of hikers and cross-country skiers.

Le Lac Vert (Lago Verde)
Lakes · Hautes-Alpes

Le Lac Vert (Lago Verde)

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

Nestled at 1,834 metres' altitude in the Vallée Étroite, Lac Vert (Lago Verde) owes its intense emerald colour to the algae covering its shallow bed, with no apparent inflow or outflow.

Les Baux-de-Provence
Villages · Bouches-du-Rhône

Les Baux-de-Provence

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

Between a dizzying precipice and the impressive ruins of its long-impregnable fortress, the most visited village in France sits on a rocky spur of the Alpilles, between the Vallon de la Fontaine and the Val d'Enfer.

Les Gorges de la Méouge
Waterfalls · Hautes-Alpes

Les Gorges de la Méouge

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

A magic of water, sun and light, this torrent that comes down from the Drôme, where it rises, tumbles joyfully along the wild bed that nature has made for it.

Les Gorges du Cians
Waterfalls · Alpes-Maritimes

Les Gorges du Cians

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

The Cians is a river that rises at the foot of Mont Mounier (alt. 2,817 m) on the slopes of Pierrous.

Les Robines du Liman
Natural wonders · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Les Robines du Liman

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

Robines are hills of black marl sculpted by erosion. When the ground is soaked, the reflections of light on these dark harmonies create violent contrasts.

Les calanques de Cassis
Natural wonders · Bouches-du-Rhône

Les calanques de Cassis

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

The Calanques massif, at the gates of Marseille, offers a postcard landscape.

Les pénitents des Mées
Natural wonders · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Les pénitents des Mées

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

This walk will let you discover a curiosity visible from the Sisteron-Aix motorway or the N85 road.

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
Villages · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

Clinging to the foot of cliffs, in the hollow of a fault where a torrent flows and olive trees have grown, with fields of lavender, lavandin, thyme and cork oaks on the horizon, this village at the edge of the Verdon gorges and near the artificial Lake Sainte-Croix is one of the wonders of Provence.

Séguret
Villages · Vaucluse

Séguret

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurMust-see

Foremost among Séguret's charms shine the Clock Tower topped by a caged bell, the fine Reynier gate, the fifteenth-century belfry, the twelfth- and thirteenth-century Romanesque church of Saint-Denis, the chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Grâces and the seventeenth-century Mascarons fountain, in Baroque style.

Cascade de Courmes
Waterfalls · Alpes-Maritimes

Cascade de Courmes

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

A magnificent little village on the left bank of the Loup, Courmes clings to the mountainside, at 620 metres' altitude, in the hollow of the Pic des Courmettes.

Cascade de Vens
Waterfalls · Alpes-Maritimes

Cascade de Vens

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

Visible from the Col de la Bonette-Restefond road, the Vens waterfall gushes a few kilometres from Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, in the Mercantour.

Cascade de la Pisse
Waterfalls · Hautes-Alpes

Cascade de la Pisse

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

With a total height of 280 metres, the waterfall hardly freezes in winter because of its flow.

Col d'Izoard
Natural wonders · Hautes-Alpes

Col d'Izoard

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

Crossed at 2,362 metres between the Briançonnais and the Queyras, the Col d'Izoard is one of the legendary giants of the Tour de France, famous for its lunar setting of the Casse Déserte.

Col du Lautaret
Natural wonders · Hautes-Alpes

Col du Lautaret

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

At 2,057 metres, an Alpine crossroads between the Oisans and the Briançonnais, famous for its alpine botanical garden and its junction with the Galibier road.

Digue à la mer
Natural wonders · Bouches-du-Rhône

Digue à la mer

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

About twenty kilometres long, it is strictly forbidden to all motor vehicles on the territory of the Reserve.

Eze
Villages · Alpes-Maritimes

Eze

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

Located just after Nice, going towards Menton, Èze stretches along the sea from Cap Roux to the Pointe de Cabuel. Perched like an eagle's nest at the top of an imposing and superb cliff, you will see the village and its pale ochre church from afar.

Gorges de Saorge
Waterfalls · Alpes-Maritimes

Gorges de Saorge

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

The Saorge gorges are carved by the Roya downstream of the hilltop village of Saorge, in the upper Roya valley.

Gorges de l'Infernet
Waterfalls · Bouches-du-Rhône

Gorges de l'Infernet

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

These gorges, carved by the Infernet stream in the Sainte-Victoire massif, separate the Bimont and Zola dams, both built on this small river north of Aix-en-Provence.

Gorges de la Vésubie
Waterfalls · Alpes-Maritimes

Gorges de la Vésubie

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

It is here, from the charming hamlet of Cros d'Utelle, that the route starts, where you will admire the skill of the Ancients while treading a wide path whose paving is still intact in places.

Gorges du Bachelard
Waterfalls · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Gorges du Bachelard

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

Up to the Col de la Cayolle through the Bachelard gorges. The road is very narrow and not suited to photo stops, so we will have to wait until we are out to fill the memory box.

Grès d'Annot
Natural wonders · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Grès d'Annot

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

The generic name Grès d'Annot was given to this entire formation by the geologist Scipion Gras in 1840.

La Cascade du Saut du Loup
Waterfalls · Alpes-Maritimes

La Cascade du Saut du Loup

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

The Saut du Loup is a waterfall nestled in the heart of the Loup gorges, in the Alpes-Maritimes, between the villages of Gourdon and Pont-du-Loup.

La Clue de la Cerise
Waterfalls · Alpes-Maritimes

La Clue de la Cerise

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

The Clue de la Cerise lies in the Estéron valley, cradled in a limestone setting, and will carry you along with the water through superb narrow passages that delight young and old.

La Dalle à Ammonites
Natural wonders · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

La Dalle à Ammonites

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

Only 4 km after leaving Digne, on the right bank of the Bléone, we meet the famous ammonite slab site.

La Presqu'île de Giens
Natural wonders · Var

La Presqu'île de Giens

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

A geological curiosity unique in the world, the Giens peninsula is linked to the mainland by 2 arms of sand 5 km long, called tombolos.

La casse déserte
Natural wonders · Hautes-Alpes

La casse déserte

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

You can also follow the road that leads to the Col de l'Izoard and the lunar setting of the Casse Déserte, then to the wild defile of the Combe du Queyras.

La vallée de Freissinières
Natural wonders · Hautes-Alpes

La vallée de Freissinières

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

The Freissinières valley, 25 km from Briançon and 35 km from Italy, lies at the crossroads of an astonishing and varied region.

La vallée de la Clarée
Natural wonders · Hautes-Alpes

La vallée de la Clarée

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

The Clarée valley is a wild and authentic site very close to Italy in the Briançonnais.

Lac Sainte-Anne
Lakes · Hautes-Alpes

Lac Sainte-Anne

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

The largest lake in the Queyras with 8.5 hectares, Lac Sainte-Anne peaks at 2,414 metres at the foot of the Pic Nord de la Font Sancte and shelters a seventeenth-century chapel.

Lac du Goléon
Lakes · Hautes-Alpes

Lac du Goléon

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

At 2,458 metres' altitude facing La Meije, Lac du Goléon is a glacial lake with turquoise water, reached by a sporty hike from Valfroide.

Lacs de Vens
Lakes · Alpes-Maritimes

Lacs de Vens

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

A string of five glacial lakes between 2,286 and 2,327 metres' altitude in the Mercantour, overlooked by the Vens refuge, in the commune of Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée.

Le Lac Allos
Lakes · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Le Lac Allos

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

A developed path climbs through undergrowth to reach the crater carved 20,000 years ago by the ancient glacier.

Le Lac de Sainte Croix du Verdon
Lakes · Var

Le Lac de Sainte Croix du Verdon

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

Lac de Sainte-Croix is the largest of the Verdon lakes.

Le Riou de la Bollène (Marmites)
Waterfalls · Alpes-Maritimes

Le Riou de la Bollène (Marmites)

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

The Bollène valley is in the Vésubie valley. The Bollène giant's kettles are well known to canyoning enthusiasts. There is a 15 m slide. The emerald-coloured water invites a swim.

Le Vallon et la Cascade des Carmes
Waterfalls · Var

Le Vallon et la Cascade des Carmes

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

The Heart of Nature of the Vallon des Carmes is a natural area of 31 hectares, a true oasis of greenery and coolness shaped by the water of the Fauvery in the heart of green Provence.

Le défilé de la pierre Ecrit
Natural wonders · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Le défilé de la pierre Ecrit

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

About ten kilometres from Sisteron, beside the road to Saint-Geniez, shortly before Chardavon, the rock was engraved in the early fifth century with an inscription praising the benefits of Claudius Dardanus, an influential man of that period, who is said to have had the road giving access to Theopolis built...

Le rocher de la Baume
Natural wonders · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Le rocher de la Baume

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

The Rocher de la Baume offers a completely unusual lithic architecture: vertical bars of limestone alternate with softer beds attacked by erosion.

Les Clues de Barles
Waterfalls · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Les Clues de Barles

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

Between high rock walls, the agitated waters of the torrent rush in. Thirty million years ago, a geological upheaval caused a tremendous vertical break called a "clue".

Les Demoiselles de Théus
Natural wonders · Hautes-Alpes

Les Demoiselles de Théus

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurOutstanding

Under the name of capped lady (demoiselle coiffée) or fairy chimney, strange-shaped reliefs lie hidden.

All sites (276)