Few places in the world are as reliably charming and consistently surprising as the south of France. Even after dozens of trips, whenever I return to Provence and the Riviera I never fail to find a new hotel, a previously unknown village, a little restaurant, an atmospheric church, several wines to add to my cellar, or maybe a new olive oil.
What I’ve learned, though, is that the best of the south of France is often found off the beaten path. And this doesn’t mean simply taking quiet country roads instead of highways, but tracking down those lesser-known places that the locals understandably keep to themselves.
Arriving in Avignon on my latest trip, for example, we visited the Musée Angladon, an overlooked gem with several canvases by Degas, Modigliani and Sisley, before heading to the Tavel wine region just outside of the city. Tavel is called the “King of Rosés” because, or so the story goes, it was appreciated by the popes when the papacy was based in Avignon during the 14th century. Today, wine writers refer to Tavel as “the year-round rosé” because it is robust enough to dispel the traditional idea that rosés are only for summer drinking. After a tasting at which we ordered some wines to be shipped home, we enjoyed an excellent meal at the warm, friendly Auberge de Tavel. This had been recommended by an amiable winemaker with whom we’d struck up a conversation while having a coffee in the bar car on the TGV train from Paris. A delicious ragout of baby artichokes was followed by cannelloni stuffed with lamb, guinea hen with tapenade, and a superb cheese tray.
We then headed to Uzès, 25 miles west of Avignon and among the most delightful towns in the Midi. Our destination was the 12-room Maison d’Uzès, which opened last spring in an elegantly restored set of 17th-century stone houses. Since most of the surrounding streets are pedestrian-only, we left the car at a nearby garage and walked over to the hotel. There, we were welcomed with cool hand towels and iced tea, which we sipped in the small, stylishly appointed salon adjacent to the reception area. The heart of the house — despite offering hotel amenities and services of a high standard, it really does feel more like a house — is a magnificent Renaissance stone staircase. Aside from the historic charm of the honey-colored stone walls, huge overhead beams and tomette (terra-cotta tile) floors, the character of the property comes from an imaginative décor that successfully combines contemporary furniture with local antiques.
Aside from the historic charm of the honey-colored stone walls, huge overhead beams and tomette (terra-cotta tile) floors, the character of the property comes from an imaginative décor that successfully combines contemporary furniture with local antiques.
Our room was located up a stone stairway on the third floor. (Those with mobility issues should inform the management, so that they will be given rooms at the back of the hotel, where there is an elevator.) Late in the afternoon, sun streamed into the high-ceilinged space, which was decorated in soothing tones of ivory and pale yellow. In a sitting area, several upholstered armchairs stood in front of a handsome old fireplace. The large bath came with an oversize claw-foot tub, a separate shower and the same powdery-soft old tomettes underfoot.
Before dinner, we went for an aperitif at Terroirs, a popular wine bar overlooking the Place aux Herbes. It was while sipping a nice, flinty local white wine that it occurred to me that I could very happily live in Uzès. Back at the hotel, chef Oscar Garcia served an outstanding meal of brandade de morue (salt cod with whipped potatoes) with squid’s ink and red peppers, guinea hen stewed in red wine with crayfish, and veal roasted with local black olives. The hotel’s principal amenity is a small spa in the vaulted cellars. Aside from the friendly service, elegant décor and well-considered comfort, what I like most about this place is the ideal setting from which to ponder the beauty of Uzès itself.
The best way to enjoy the nearby Pont du Gard, the famous stone aqueduct that was built in the first century to supply the city of Nîmes, is to be there when the site opens. So we rose early, and on a quiet morning, we were able to contemplate this spectacular structure almost alone. We then headed southeast for 25 miles to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. It was market day (Wednesday) in this enchanting little town, and we wandered through bustling stalls selling olive oil and lavender. Then, after a delicious lunch of salt cod with boiled vegetables, potatoes and aioli at an old favorite, Le Bistrot du Paradou, we headed east on a web of back roads to Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume to visit its superb 14th-century Gothic basilica, dedicated to Mary Magdalene. The soaring nave is ornamented with the coats of arms of the counts of Provence, and the interior speaks of an ancient land, one indifferent to the ebb and flow of tourism.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: Warm, peaceful and relaxed atmosphere; excellent restaurant overseen by talented chef Oscar Garcia; pleasant spa.
DISLIKE: Access to the hotel by car is tricky because of pedestrian areas, and parking is in a local garage.
GOOD TO KNOW: For a good casual meal and a change from French cuisine, head for Via Curti, an Italian restaurant with a friendly Neapolitan owner and a shaded garden terrace, just a five-minute walk from the hotel.
La Maison d'Uzès 94 Room, $335-$640; Suite, from $680. 18 rue du Docteur Blanchard, Uzès. Tel. (33) 4-66-20-07-00.
Continuing our journey, we came to the little village of La Celle just outside of Draguignan. Here, 15 years ago, Alain Ducasse took over an old-fashioned hotel, Hostellerie de l’Abbaye de La Celle, a former 12th-century Benedictine abbey, and transformed it into a relaxed but stylish 10-room auberge. The hotel was once a favorite retreat of President Charles de Gaulle, so I couldn’t resist booking his preferred “Lucrèce de Barras,” a spacious suite with a beamed ceiling and ancient tile floors spread with Brussels carpets. A framed etching of the general, who liked to seclude himself here to write, made us feel as though he’d just stepped out for a stroll in the large garden. With a comfortable bed made up with good linens, plus a desk, a pair of armchairs in front of the fireplace and a large dressing area, we fell for the room immediately, though its small but serviceable bath needed some updating. The inn struck us as an alluring and unselfconscious distillation of everything there is to like about Provence.
Not surprisingly, since this property is part of the Ducasse empire, the restaurant proved to be excellent. So, after a drink in the pleasant bar, we dined on the large terrace outside and thoroughly enjoyed the cooking of chef Benoit Witz. Risotto with squid’s ink was followed by John Dory with fennel and a condiment of preserved lemons. The service was attentive, and the wine list offered a fine selection of local Côtes de Provence.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: Gracious hospitality; excellent cooking; setting in a small, peaceful village.
DISLIKE: Baths are adequate but in need of updating, with showers over tubs.
GOOD TO KNOW: Just across the street from the hotel, the Café du Midi is a good place for a salad and a glass of wine when all you want is a simple meal.
Hostellerie de l’Abbaye de La Celle 93 Superior Room, $505; Junior Suite, $670. 10 place General de Gaulle, La Celle. Tel. (33) 4-98-05-14-14.
Though the vineyards of the Var — the department of Provence where La Celle is located — are best known for producing rosé wines, I’ve also enjoyed some excellent whites and reds from local winemakers. The following day, we set out early to do a tasting or two, and to visit the Cistercian abbey of Le Thoronet. Surrounded by lavender fields, the abbey, which was built during the 12th and 13th centuries, has architecture of strong and moving purity, which inspires an appropriately contemplative mood. After stopping by the Château de Saint-Martin in Taradeau to pick up a couple of bottles of its excellent 2011 Grande Réserve Cru Classé red — a Cabernet Sauvignon-Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre blend that teams beautifully with a good steak — we did a tasting at the elegant Château de Berne in Lorgues. We arrived in the charming hilltop village of Tourtour in time for lunch at La Table, the best restaurant in the village, where I strongly recommend the foie gras, followed by the roasted swordfish with cèpes risotto.
Just outside of Tourtour, the Domaine de la Baume is a charming new 15-room hotel surrounded by the former 100-acre estate of painter Bernard Buffet. The creation of hotelier Jocelyne Sibuet — known for Les Fermes de Marie in Megève in the French Alps — the property was inspired by 18th-century aristocratic Provençal interiors. On arrival, I was immediately taken with its atmosphere of seclusion and the abundance of venues in which to relax with a book: the graveled terrace under the plane trees at the front of the hotel; the library with its cushy sofas; and the pool deck, tucked away below a formal garden.
Done up in chintz, our good-looking room came with a separate sitting area furnished with an upholstered love seat and armchairs; French doors opened onto a small balcony with fine views over the formal gardens; and the bath was fitted with both a claw-foot tub and a shower. After settling in, I accepted a standing invitation for a tour, and was taken to see both the clay tennis court and a waterfall in the forest near the spa cabin. After a massage, I helped myself to the iced tea and pastries served on the terrace every afternoon, and then spent an hour reading and listening to the cicadas.
Ultimately, this is a very pleasant and peaceful hotel. Its single disadvantage is that rooms are sold as part of a package that includes breakfast, an aperitif and dinner with wine, mineral water and coffee. Though the kitchen is better than average, this all-inclusive pricing makes it unlikely that anyone would want to stay for more than a night or two.
The following morning, after a well-served breakfast on the terrace, we set off for Cagnes-sur-Mer, 90 minutes away, to visit the Musée Renoir. This reopened last November after a renovation that deftly enhanced the delicate Belle Epoque atmosphere of the painter’s stone residence, which is set on a hillside surrounded by citrus trees. The 14 original canvases on display were even more interesting for being shown in this intimate personal setting, and the play of light on the surrounding gardens offered an intriguing window into Renoir’s inspiration.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: Secluded setting; magnificently landscaped grounds; beautifully decorated accommodations.
DISLIKE: The menu in the hotel’s dining room is limited, as is the wine list, and room rates are high.
GOOD TO KNOW: Tourtour is a center of truffle production in season (November-January); nearby Salernes is a major pottery-producing town.
Domaine de la Baume 93 Deluxe Room, from $695; Suite, from $885. 2071 route d’Aups, Tourtour. Tel. (33) 4-57-74-74-74.
As I can never go to the south of France without at least one dip in the Mediterranean, I had decided to conclude my journey in Juan-les-Pins, on the coast south of Antibes. Like the Renoir museum, the 43-room Hôtel Belles Rives evokes a quieter, palmier era on the Riviera. It is housed within an old stone villa where F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in 1926 while working on “Tender Is the Night,” and its private jetty is one of the more peaceful places to relax on this often-hectic coastline.
The Hôtel Belles Rives is housed within an old stone villa where F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in 1926 while working on 'Tender Is the Night,' and its private jetty is one of the more peaceful places to relax on this often-hectic coastline.
The young woman at the front desk proved delightful, and we loved our corner room with two balconies that offered superb sea views. The lively décor, including art deco armchairs upholstered in a zebra print, was appropriate to this Jazz Age property, and the well-appointed bath came with a separate tub and shower. Spacious public rooms, including a piano bar, were also decorated with original art deco pieces in a ’20s-inspired theme.
Happily settled on the swimming pontoon with a well-earned cocktail, we found ourselves in conversation with an Ohio college president and her husband, and a financier and his wife from New York. “What I love about this place is the history, the setting, the service and the fact that it’s a comfortable, old-fashioned French hotel without any silly frills like pillow menus,” the college president remarked. I felt no need to disagree with a word. “And the new chef is terrific, too.” So that night, we dined on the seaside terrace of La Passagère restaurant, where chef Yoric Tieche (formerly of Le Meurice in Paris) provided foie gras with cèpes, black sea bass with cockles and fresh herbs, dark chocolate soufflé and an excellent white wine made by the monks at the Abbaye de Lérins on the island of Saint-Honorat near Cannes. Tender was the night, indeed. But then, it so often is in the south of France.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: Spectacular location at the edge of the Mediterranean; friendly and efficient service; historical associations with F. Scott Fitzgerald.
DISLIKE: Expensive breakfast; the ridiculous charge for a sun lounger.
GOOD TO KNOW: You can use the pool, health club and hammam at the Belles Rives’ sister hotel, the nearby Hôtel Juana, free.
Hôtel Belles Rives 94 Classic Seaview Room, $880; Deluxe Seaview Room, $1,245. 33 boulevard Edouard Baudoin, Juan-les-Pins. Tel. (33) 4-93-61-02-79.
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