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southern france


founded as Lugdunum. Fast forward 2,000 years and it stands as the third-largest metropolis in the country, with a lively cultural scene, some grand civic architecture and a UNESCO-listed Old Town. The Rhône, one of Europe’s greatest waterways, winds through the heart of the city. Unsurprisingly, seeing what all the culinary fuss is about tends to be high on most visitors’ agendas. There are countless big-name establishments – the city has no fewer than 17 Michelin-starred restaurants – but visitors should take time, too, to sample one of Lyon’s famous bouchons (small bistros with checked tablecloths), where they can tuck into everything from local sausages to tarte aux pommes. Meals are usually accompanied by the regional Beaujolais wine. Elsewhere, top tourist draws include the medieval architecture and traboules (secret passageways) of the Old Town, the panoramic views from the Fourvière district, and cultural attractions such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts (judged to be France’s best gallery outside of Paris) and the cinema-focused Institut Lumière. A cutting-edge new science centre and anthropology museum, the Musée des Confl uences, opened in the city in December 2014. en.lyon-france.com


Avignon One of the jewels of Provence, pretty Avignon is still ringed by close to three miles of stone ramparts. The city spent much of the 14th Century replacing Rome as the seat of power


Previous page: The Gordes medieval village; a performer at the Avignon Theatre Festival. This page (clockwise from top left): The Salon Du Chocolat, Lyon; lavender and sunfl owers in Provence; the old sea-port of Marseille; rustic shutters


“Unsurprisingly, seeing what all the culinary fuss is about tends to be high on most visitors’ agendas. There are countless big- name establishments and small traditional bistros too”


for the Pope, and actually remained under Papal control until 1791. Little wonder, then, that it remains a magnifi cently beautiful little city. The chief set-piece attraction for visitors is


the Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes) itself, a UNESCO-listed complex that still ranks as the largest Gothic palace on the planet. Close by, the statue-topped Avignon Cathedral and the riverside Jardins des Doms gardens provide further diversions. From April to September, boat tours are available for those who want to take in the city sights from the water. The famous Pont d’Avignon (as immortalised in the children’s song of the same name) still spans the Rhône to the north of the old town more than 800 years after it was fi rst built. These days, however, the city also has a more modern claim to fame. Its Festival d’Avignon, which takes place each July and draws hundreds of different performers, is now considered one of the most important arts festivals in the world. avignon-tourisme.com


Marseille A proud, multicultural Mediterranean port city seething with life, Marseille is unquestionably one of the most absorbing urban centres in the country. It has a long-standing rivalry with


sellingtravel.co.uk


Parisand is a city with plenty to shout about – from its seafood to its football team and from its history to its sun-baked shoreline. The picturesque Vieux Port (Old Port), which


has welcomed ships for more than 2,000 years and still holds a raucous daily fi sh market, is the most natural focal point. Waterside restaurants sell bouillabaisse, the seafood soup that Marseille has made its own. Nearby, the district known as Le Panier is an enjoyable hillside maze of washing-webbed lanes and old houses, while a visit to the Musee d’Histoire de Marseille allows a more structured exploration of the city’s past. A short boat ride offshore goes past the


port’s 13th-century forts to the Iles de Frioul, a tiny archipelago well geared to walkers and solitude-seekers, while the city itself throws up a series of pulsating markets, cultural events and diverse neighbourhoods. Venture further afi eld and there are beaches, rocky inlets and the varied delights of rural Provence. marseille-tourisme.com 


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