Top Reasons to Go

The walled city of Avignon: While most exciting during the theater festival at the Palais des Papes (Pope's Palace) in July, Avignon is surprisingly youthful and vibrant year-round.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Probably the most evocative Rhône appellation, this village is just one of many in this area where you can sample exceptional wines.

Lovely lavender: Get hip-deep in purple by touring the Lavender Route between the Abbaye de Senanque and the historic towns of Sault and Forcalquier.

The sky’s no limit: Experience the perched villages of the region, including Gordes and Bonnieux, in a patchwork landscape right out of a medieval Book of Hours.

Seeing red in Roussillon: With its ocher cliffs that change tones—copper, pink, rust—depending on the time of day, this town is a gigantic ruby embedded in the Vaucluse bedrock.