A Provence Travel Guide – Making The Moment Count

Vincent Van Gogh once said: “The entire future of art can be found in the south of France”. In 1888 Vincent van Gogh decided to move to Arles in Southern France. One of his most productive times followed – he created about 187 paintings in 18 months. The famous painter and artist sums it up excellently and provides a few good reasons for our Provence travel guide: It’s an astonishing beautiful and diverse region.

A paradise for wine lovers

As part of our Provence travel guide, we have to talk about wine: There is no doubt that Southern France is one of the largest wine-growing regions in the world, not only in terms of the quantity of wine produced, but also in terms of the quality of its wines. We especially like the Luberon, an approx. 60 km long mountain range with rocks, gorges and pretty villages – far away from mass tourism.

Approx. 65% of the production in Luberon is red wine. The wines consist of at least 60% Grenache & Syrah, often also varieties like Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault are used for the production, in addition up to 10% of the secondary varieties Counoise Noir, Piquepoul Noir, Gamay and Pinot Noir are permitted.

Robert Parker also increasingly finds positive ratings for the region, the bouquet of these wonderful drops is described as round and fruity – there are aromas of currants, blackberries or raspberries.

Insider tip: at vicampo.ch you will always find great and reasonable offers with over 90 Parker points. 

Pictures & Rights @ Sebastien Rohner

A Provence Travel Guide – Making The Moment Count

When you arrive in the region, you begin to understand what van Gogh so aptly described: Southern France is breathtakingly beautiful in every respect. The ideal place to capture the moment and make it eternal.

Time lingers long enough for those who want to use it. – Leonardo da Vinci

This quote gave me the idea before we left to combine our picturesque Provence travel guide with something that couldn’t fit better: the watches from Glashütte Original. After our visit in Glashütte, we were thrilled with how much passion they put into their work and today we are happy to combine these masterpieces with our Provence tour.

Domaine De Fontenille

Website http://domainedefontenille.com

In the heart of Provence, on the southern slopes of the Luberon, the Domaine de Fontenille is one of the few provincial properties that has retained its original appearance. This country house, surrounded by the foothills and mountains of the Luberon and Montagne Sainte Victoire, is characterised by its classical architecture and is situated in a landscape park protected by cedars and plane trees, surrounded by wild landscapes and vines as far as the eye can see.

Insider tip: The wine tastings are highly recommended – we bought a few bottles here right away.

Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph Panorama Date

Caliber automatic movement 37-01
Functions Chronograph with 12-hour counter, 30-minute counter, stop second, flyback, power reserve, display small second (decentralized), Second stop, Panorama date, Hour and minute (central)
Case stainless steel, 42mm diameter
Ref. number 1-37-01-05-02-35
Price EUR 13.500

Villa Baulieu

Website http://www.villabaulieu.com

The castle, built in 1576, is probably one of the most beautiful places we have seen so far. 11 rooms are available for overnight stays.

Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer

Caliber manual winding movement 58-01
Functions Power indicator, small second (decentralised), second zero stop mechanism with minute lock, panorama date, hour and minute (centralised), Day/night indicator
Case 750/000 white gold, crown with double G logo, screwed-in bottom, water-resistant up to 5 bar
Ref. 1-58-01-05-34-30
Price EUR 27.200

Villages in Provence worth seeing

There are numerous pretty mountain villages with tasty restaurants in Provence, it is worth visiting here:

• Bonnieux
• Gordes
• Oppède
• Aix-en-Provence

Insider tip: Since everything is relatively close here, you can rent an e-bike and explore the region. It has incredibly beautiful BNB’s in the area, a great alternative to a hotel.