The hilltop village of Gordes, its château and church above the Luberon valley

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Home›Mediterranean destinations›France›Provence

Luxury in France

Provence

The inland summer of France: stone villages on the hills of the Luberon, lavender in July, Les Baux and Baumanière in the Alpilles, and long lunches under the plane trees.

The south of France
Lavender and vineyards
An hour from the coast

Gordes, the Luberon, ProvencePhotograph: Geert Willemarck

Bienvenue

Light, lavender and stone

Inland from the Riviera, Provence is a country of hill villages, vineyards, olive groves and lavender. In the Luberon, villages such as Gordes, Ménerbes and Bonnieux stand on their hills above the valley, and below Gordes the abbey of Sénanque is ringed by lavender each July.

The light drew the painters: Van Gogh painted at Saint-Rémy in 1889 and 1890, Cézanne in Aix, where he was born. The Romans left their arenas and theatres at Arles and Orange, and the popes their palace at Avignon, all World Heritage.

In the Alpilles, Les Baux-de-Provence stands on its rock, and below it Baumanière has received guests since 1945. Life follows the market days, the wine of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the long lunch, and the coast is an hour away.

A few words of French
English	French	Say it
Hello	Bonjour	bohn-ZHOOR
Please	S'il vous plaît	seel voo PLAY
Thank you	Merci	mair-SEE
Good evening	Bonsoir	bohn-SWAHR
The bill, please	L'addition, s'il vous plaît	lah-dee-SYOHN, seel voo PLAY

Where to go

Provence at a glance

When to go and the one best hotel.

The Luberon

The hill country of Provence, with the perched villages of Gordes, Roussillon and Bonnieux, lavender fields and cherry orchards. The Luberon is protected as a regional natural park and is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Best time to visitMay to July (the lavender flowers from mid-June into July), and September to October.

Stay
Airelles Gordes, La Bastide
A Luberon hilltop hotel rated Forbes Five-Star for 2026 and holding three MICHELIN Keys.

The Alpilles and Les Baux-de-Provence

A small limestone range between Avignon and Arles, with olive groves, vineyards and the town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where Van Gogh painted some of his best-known canvases. Les Baux, a ruined citadel on a rock spur, is one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France.

Best time to visitApril to June, and September to October.

Stay
Baumanière
A family-run house at the foot of Les Baux since 1945, with two restaurants holding MICHELIN stars and three MICHELIN Keys.

Aix-en-Provence

The old capital of Provence, a city of fountains, plane-shaded squares and 17th- and 18th-century mansions. Paul Cézanne was born here and painted the nearby Montagne Sainte-Victoire many times, and the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence brings opera to the city each July.

Best time to visitApril to June, and September to October; July for the festival.

Stay
Villa La Coste
A villa hotel within the Château La Coste wine and art estate just north of the city, with three MICHELIN Keys.

Avignon

The walled city where the popes lived in the 14th century, dominated by the Palais des Papes. The historic centre, with the Papal Palace, the Episcopal Ensemble and the Pont d'Avignon, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1995), and the Festival d'Avignon fills the city with theatre each July.

Best time to visitApril to June, and September to October; July for the festival.

Stay
La Mirande
A historic mansion at the foot of the Palais des Papes, holding two MICHELIN Keys.

Stay

Luxury hotels in Provence

The finest hotels in and around Provence: each rated Forbes Five-Star, holding two or three MICHELIN Keys, or among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean.

The finest hotels

Each rated Forbes Five-Star or holding two or three MICHELIN Keys.

Château de MontcaudSabran
A château in its own park in the Gard, northwest of Avignon, with two MICHELIN Keys. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
La MirandeAvignon
A historic town house facing the Palais des Papes, with two MICHELIN Keys. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
BaumanièreLes Baux-de-Provence
A family-run house at the foot of Les Baux since 1945, with three MICHELIN Keys; its restaurant L'Oustau de Baumanière holds three MICHELIN stars. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
Airelles GordesLa Bastide, Gordes
A Luberon hilltop hotel rated Forbes Five-Star and holding three MICHELIN Keys. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
Coquillade ProvenceGargas
A restored Luberon hamlet among its own vineyards, with two MICHELIN Keys. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
Villa La CosteLe Puy-Sainte-Réparade
A villa hotel set within the Château La Coste wine and art estate near Aix-en-Provence, with three MICHELIN Keys. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
Château de la GaudeAix-en-Provence
A wine estate with formal gardens just outside Aix, with two MICHELIN Keys. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Dine

The best restaurants in Provence

The finest tables of Provence and around.

Three MICHELIN stars

L'Oustau de Baumanière✦✦✦Les Baux-de-Provence
Glenn Viel, at the legendary Provençal inn. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Experience

Events and things to do in Provence

The Provence year: the great events, month by month; each event's own website gives this year's dates.

April
- Festival de Pâques, Aix-en-Provence
  The classical music festival created by the violinist Renaud Capuçon and Dominique Bluzet, with great orchestras and soloists at the Grand Théâtre de Provence, around Easter, in March or April.
July
- Festival d'Aix-en-Provence
  One of Europe's great opera festivals.
- Festival d'Avignon
  The great theatre festival, since 1947, with plays in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes.
November
- Black truffle season, Provence
  The season of the black truffle, with Richerenches, near Avignon, holding Europe's largest truffle market every week of the season.

Opera houses, concert halls and festivals

Théâtre de l'ArchevêchéAix-en-Provence
The open-air stage in the old Archbishop's Palace courtyard where the Aix Festival began in 1948. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Wine estates that receive visitors

Château La CosteLe Puy-Sainte-Réparade (Provence)
An organic estate near Aix-en-Provence with a Jean Nouvel-designed cellar, wine-tasting workshops, an art and architecture walk across about 200 hectares, and the Villa La Coste hotel. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Live

Luxury real estate in Provence

A home in Provence: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

Emile GarcinProvence
Emile Garcin began dealing in houses in the Alpilles and the Luberon in the early 1960s; the firm that bears his name now has offices across Provence, the French Riviera and Corsica, as well as in Paris and Marrakech, and says it takes on only about one property in seven. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

All the leading agencies in France ›

Looking for a home in Provence? Write to travel@TheMediterranean.com and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.

Private banks and advisers

Rothschild & Co Wealth ManagementMonaco, France, Italy and Spain
The family-controlled group's wealth management arm has Mediterranean offices in Monaco, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Milan and Madrid, the last opened in 2021. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Provence and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Provence

Where is Provence?

In south-eastern France, inland from the Mediterranean coast. Marseille airport, which takes private jets, is about an hour from the Luberon and the Alpilles; Avignon has a small airport, and the TGV reaches Avignon from Paris in under three hours.

What is Provence famous for?

Its lavender fields and hill villages such as Gordes, the Luberon and the Alpilles, Roman monuments, the painters Van Gogh and Cézanne, its markets and its wines.

Which are the best restaurants in Provence?

The three-MICHELIN-star table on our list for Provence: L'Oustau de Baumanière (Les Baux-de-Provence).

Do you tip in Provence?

Service is included in menu prices by law (service compris), so a tip is a gesture: about 5% (€1 per €20), and 5–10% for exceptional service at high-end restaurants. Round up taxis. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a concierge who goes out of their way.

What should you wear in Provence?

Dress respectfully in churches. Smart, polished dress for fine dining.

Beyond Provence

More in France

Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Cap Ferrat and Corsica, and the Mediterranean beyond.

FranceLuxury French Riviera Holidays & HotelsExplore France The MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the Mediterranean Plan your journeyFrom your home to Provence, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Provence

How France does things.

Language: French. English is widely spoken in luxury hotels and leading restaurants on the Riviera and in Paris.
Greetings: A handshake on first meeting. Among friends, la bise (cheek kisses); the number varies by region, two being most common. Always say bonjour (or bonsoir in the evening) on entering a shop or speaking to staff; use monsieur / madame.
Dress: Dress respectfully in churches. Smart, polished dress for fine dining.
Dining: Lunch typically 12–2 pm; dinner from about 7.30–8 pm. Book ahead at good restaurants. The bill comes when you ask.
Tipping: Service is included in menu prices by law (service compris), so a tip is a gesture: about 5% (€1 per €20), and 5–10% for exceptional service at high-end restaurants. Round up taxis. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a concierge who goes out of their way.
Good to know: Many shops close on Sundays, and in smaller towns for a long lunch. Restaurants often stop serving lunch around 2 pm.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.