Open Travel Guide
History of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur History & Heritage Guide 2026

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur's past, on the ground: the sites, museums, and eras that explain what you're seeing.

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur is France's most sun-drenched region, stretching from the Rhône delta in the west to the Italian border in the east. It encompasses the world-famous French Riviera (Côte d'Azur) — Nice, Cannes, and Saint-Tropez — the ancient Provençal heartland of Aix-en-Provence and Avignon, Marseille's rugged port culture, the violet lavender plateaus of Valensole, the turquoise-water Calanques, and the dramatic Gorges du Verdon. With over 300 days of sunshine per year, the region is France's premier year-round destination.