Welcome to Provence. This is my personal sightseeing guide. I concentrate on Marseille and 1 to 2 hours of driving away from it. Marseille: Big town, noisy, dirty. Take a look at "Vieux Port", the harbour. Most spectacular close to Marseille are the "Calanques", a stretch of coast between Marseille-Luminy and Cassis - Cassis is the next village on the coast direction Nice. The Calanques (a kind of fjord) is an alpine landscape falling right into the Mediterranean. They are among my favorite landscapes, and can be very impressive. To go to Luminy from center of town, take the subway to "(Rond Point de) Prado", and then the bus (I think line 29) to Luminy (end of line) - that's where the other University is, and the CIRM (Centre international de rencontres en mathematiques, I hope that is right). To enjoy them, buy a IGN (=Institut geographique national) map, scale 1:15000. Take enough water along in summer, it can be very hot, and there is nothing to buy there. Take good shoes for walking. Don't leave your car in desolate places, and don't leave anything inside the car, many cars get broken into. Begin your walk at Marseille-Luminy (where the CIRM is), or at Cassis. There is a bus service from Marseille St.Charles (bus terminal, close to railway station) to Cassis. You can walk from Luminy to Cassis (or vice versa), it will take you about 4 to 5 hours. From Luminy, go to Col (mountain pass) Sugiton (20 min.). Go right for a very nice view point (10 min.), you have "La Grande Candelle" (an impressive rock) at right in front of you, and the "Mont Puget" (the main summit) at left in front of you, you see the sea and small islands. You can go down to the water at Calanque Sugiton (30 min.) and take a bath, by following the trails down the valley from Col Sugiton. From Col Sugiton you can go to the summit of Mont Puget, by following trails, and then some gravel (eboulis) climbing up a little left of the summit (60 min.). There is no danger, if you are a little careful. From the Puget, you can follow an easy trail to Col de la Gardiole, and then Cassis, or, more interesting, go via Cap Gros and Col de l'Oule to Calanque d'en Vau (very nice), and then Calanque de Port Pin, to Cassis. From Cassis, you can take an easy walk to Calanque de Port Pin (45 min.), and then Calanque d'en Vau (30 min.) - somewhat rougher going. You can also begin your walk at Col de la Gardiole in the middle, remember the warning about your car. The Calanques are ideal for rock climbing if you can do it. Cassis is a nice little mediterranean harbour, many tourists in summer. Cap Canaille (close to Cassis, direction La Ciotat, Toulon) is not as impressive as often described (Guide Michelin is not very reliable). Aix-en-Provence is a very very beautiful town. It must be one of France's nicest places. The center is small, extends both sides of Cours Mirabeau (main street), south Quartier Mazarin, north old town. Buy a small guide, and look around. Musee Cezanne is not worth while going into. Leave your car outside the center. The cathedral and its cloister are very nice. The "Calissons d'Aix" (almond paste) is nice, but good german Marzipan (Niederegger) is much better - non-chauvinist French agree. But there is one of the best chocolate shops of France at Aix: "Chocolats Puyricard", rue Rifle-Rafle, close to Palais de Justice, center of town. (Puyricard - where the company seat is - is a small village close to Aix, they also have 1 or 2 shops at Marseille, and 3 shops in Paris, they really are among the very best! For the connaisseur: For some chocolats, they are better than the famous Bernachon at Lyon.) Try "Truffes d'Abricot". There is a regular bus service (every 12 min., "Autoroute direct", 2 companies) from the Marseille bus station at St.Charles to Aix. Don't take the train (they are slow, rare, and usually on strike). Close to Aix is the famous mountain St.Victoire, which Cezanne painted many times. The south side is very steep, I know 2 trails to the summit I can just do, they are not very easy to find. Much easier is the north side, go from about Vauvenargues (the castle Picasso owned), or, still easier, from Col des Portes (east of Vauvenargues) to the summit (Col des Mouches). Already after a few steps, if visibility is good, you have a spectacular view on "Haute Provence" (Upper P.), and the Alps. You can see the "Ecrins", a mountain range 4000 m high and not very far from Grenoble if the view is really good (automn and winter). A good map is IGN series 1:100000 or 1:25000. If you have time and a car, take a good map (IGN series TOP 250, 1:250000, Provence/Cote d'Azur is excellent) and look around. Follow small roads, discover yourself. Be careful while driving. The roads are often very narrow, and French have a bloody traffic death toll - you will see why. The Luberon (small mountain range north of St.Victoire) e.g. is full of beautiful villages and sites. Example: Cucuron, on the south side of the Luberon, with a very good restaurant (Restaurant de l'Etang), or Bonnieux on the north side. Lower Provence has 3 important Cistercien monasteries : - Silvacane (north of Aix), - Senanque (near Gordes, north of Luberon, east of Avignon), - Le Thoronet (freeway Aix to Nice, exit Le Cannet (where the Toulon freeway joins), follow the signs, (road D.17 direction north-west, about 3 km beyond the village Le Thoronet)). Le Thoronet is my esthetic favorite, I think it is the nicest medieval building in Provence. Senanque is an active monastery. The traditional religious services are open to the public, there is e.g. one every day at 6 pm ("vepres"), access is via a small side door - ask someone to find it. In summer, they are celebrated in the main church, in winter in a small chapel (with a different entrance). The mass is celebrated by the monks living there, it is very beautiful and impressive - for believing and non-believing people. In its simplicity, pure and adult beauty, it shows the best of Christianity. Gorges du Verdon is very impressive - if you don't compare them to the Grand Canyon. Good view from Point Sublime, and Belvedere de l'Escale. If you like adventures: (1) Go to Majastres (almost unknown, is between Digne les Bains and Moustiers Ste.Marie). Take the freeway to Sisteron. Go off at Les Mees. Take road N85 direction Digne les Bains, go right after Mallemoisson direction Mezel (D12, then D17, D17 goes south-east). Leave Mezel on D907 direction Estoublon (south-south-west), after about 2 km take D17 left to Majastres. This is a 16 km one lane road (enough places to let other cars pass), it will take you about 30 minutes, climbs and winds, goes through a canyon, and there is really a village at the end! The village (1300 m altitude) has 10 people living there, and is totally lost. If you have time and hiking shoes, easy walk to the summit Chiran (1900 m) with a small observatory on top. Spectacular view when visibility is good. You can take a dirt road to Gorges du Verdon from Majastres, if road conditions and your car permit. If not, you have to return to Mezel. All very nice, very lost, very wild. (2) Go to St.Andre de Rosans (north-east of Mt. Ventoux, north of Baronnies, ruins of Cistercien abbay - specialists know, but no one else). Take freeway north (direction Lyon), leave at Bollene, take D94 east to Nyons, follow D94 to Remuzat and beyond, direction Serres (D94 will become D994 after Verclause) to Rosans. You follow a creek with trouts, beautiful villages to discover etc. At Rosans, go right, D949 to St.Andre de Rosans, small lost village, with the ruins of the abbay. Go back to Rosans, continue to Serres, and then N75 south-south-east to Sisteron, and freeway back. This will take a day. You can combine this with : Mont Ventoux (windy mountain - be careful in time of Mistral (north wind), it will turn you over, and be very cold - best sight on the Alps), you can drive to the top. Don't miss Avignon, Arles, Aigues Mortes (south-south-west of Nimes, medieval town with well preserved fortifications, was a crusade harbour). If you like good cheese, (and other good food), and pass by Lyon, go to the market halls, Les Halles (not very far from the main railway station Part-Dieu), e.g. "Marechal" must be one of France's best cheese shops (I think they even have a Web page) - they are just excellent. Karl.