Culture + Lifestyle4 of the Best Places to Visit in the South of FranceAn off-season art and culture guide to the region

By Monica Mendal

December 1, 2021

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Hotel Airelles Gordes la Bastide in Gordes, France.Photo: Courtesy of Airelles Bastide

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After a year in quarantine that felt like a cultural desert, travelers everywhere are seeking more than just a seaside escape, but rather a destination that feeds the mind, body, and soul. The South of France, popular for its glitzy beach resorts, yachts, and sweeping views of the sea, is often overlooked as an epicenter of culture. But this year it's experiencing a sort of renaissance, leading travelers to explore the South beyond the French Riviera. From the gritty beauty of Corbusier’s beloved Marseille, awarded the European Capital of Culture in 2013, to Provence’s induction of Luma in Arles, there’s plenty of art and culture to be experienced in the South of France this fall. Below, a guide.

Gerard Bertrand’s new Clos du Temple estate and cellar, designed with architect Francois Fontèssolely.

Photo: Pietri MaximeNarbonne

Narbonne is often seen as a day trip, with travelers visiting the small town on the Canal de la Robine to tour the majestic Abbaye de Fontfroide and the gothic Cathédrale Saint-Just et Saint-Pasteur, but recent developments are making the case for longer stays. The Narbo Via, a new museum designed by famous architect Norman Foster, is a compelling place to start, as it specializes in the ancient Roman history of Narbonne, with over 1,000 objects, temporary exhibitions, films, and interactive displays. The biggest reason to visit Narbonne, however, is for the wine. 

As most wine lovers know, Narbonne is practically synonymous with all things Gerard Bertrand. This year especially, Bertrand has expanded his footprint in wine, design, and hospitality. His new wine resort at Château l’Hospitalet features 11 new Villa Soleilla suites on the property (apart from the 30 existing hotel rooms) and a beach club at Narbonne Beach, all open for the first time this year. (The spa will open in the winter of 2022.) 

Additionally, Bertrand unveiled the new Clos du Temple estate and cellar, designed with architect Francois Fontèssolely, featuring the cellar and a great room with 180-degree sweeping views of the vineyard, open to visitors as of this year. If you’d like to stay on the property, there is one single hotel room available for the one-percenters, priced at 5,000 euros per night, that includes a private chef, pianist, and private wine tasting.

Luma Tower.

Photo: Adrian Deweerdt/LumaProvence

Provence is known for its lavender-filled countryside and culinary excellence, but it’s also a treasure trove in the design and art world. There’s no better way to experience Provence than by renting a vintage car through Provence Classics. Begin your trip with a stay at the uber-luxe Airelles Gordes, La Bastide and visit the Tuesday market in one of the region’s most charming towns. After that, head to the neighboring La Bastide de Marie to anchor yourself for a visit to the markets in Ménerbes and Van Gogh’s beloved Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.  Then head to Hotel Crillon le Brave for some more antiquing in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, known to insiders as a haven for interior design. 

To get your art fix, the most buzzy town in Provence this year is surely Arles, with the inception of Luma Arles, the 27-acre multidisciplinary art and cultural campus in Parc des Ateliers. The winding Frank Gehry–designed stainless steel tower includes exhibition galleries, seminar rooms, studios, an auditorium, and an archival and research space for Swiss art collector and entrepreneur Maja Hoffmann’s Zurich-headquartered contemporary art nonprofit, the Luma Foundation. Deeper in town, Arles is swarming with photo and art galleries, the Fondation Vincent Van Gogh, and the international festival of photography, Les Rencontres d'Arles.

Unité d'Habitation de Marseille. 

Photo: Fondation le CorbusierMarseille

While Marseille has long been overshadowed by the more pristine seaside towns on the French Riviera, its recognition as the European Capital of Culture in 2013 has drawn a wave of creative energy to the city. And, of course, there’s no mentioning Marseille without acknowledging Corbusier’s influence. This is, to be sure, his city; his influence dominates the architecture across the urban landscape, including Le Corbusier’s Unite d’Habitation, a hotel and residence that now also houses Ora Ito’s Mamo gallery. The building was originally designed in 1952 as the first of his new housing project series that focused on communal living for people to shop, play, live, and come together in a “vertical garden city.” 

Marseille itself can be viewed in the same way. The city possesses everything you look for: an urban landscape rich with art, culture, and good food, and it's surrounded by the sea. The city is now abuzz with newcomer Tuba Club, a hotel and restaurant clearly influenced by Corbusier’s Cabanon-style lodging, set on a cliffside in the fishing village of Les Goudes and designed by the renowned designer and architect Marion Mailaender. To better experience the seaside, hike the Calanques or tour them by boat aboard Le Don Du Vent. If you’re planning ahead for a spring trip, be sure to head to the neighboring seaside town of Cassis and stay at the iconic Les Roches Blanches.

Photo: Courtesy of Palais Bulles French Riviera/Cote d’Azur

On the drive from Marseille to the French Riviera, make a stop at the late Pierre Cardin’s Le Palais Bulles, his former holiday home in Théoule-sur-Mer, near Cannes, that was designed by Hungarian architect Antti Lovag for French industrialist Pierre Bernard before the designer acquired it in the early ’90s. Also near Cannes you’ll find British artist Jason deCaires Taylor’s new project: an underwater museum off the island of Sainte-Marguerite, consisting of a series of sculptures that can be visited for free by snorkelers and divers. Next up, head to the medieval town of Saint-Paul-de-Vence and stay at Chateau Saint-Martin & Spa or the beloved La Colombe d’Or. Around here you’ll be able to visit Fondation Maeght, a museum of modern art built by architect Josep Lluís Sert in the 1960s that features works by Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, and Alexander Calder, among others. 

Next door you’ll find Fondation CAB, based in a 1950s building renovated by French architect and designer Charles Zana that boasts several exhibition spaces, as well as a guesthouse for a truly immersive stay. Before heading to Nice, visit The Rosary Chapel, commonly known as the Matisse Chapel, which was designed by the artist in the late 1940s. For more Matisse, head to the Musée Matisse in Nice before continuing on your art tour along the French Riviera to Le Corbusier’s Cabanon and Unités de Camping, which is on the same seaside path as the E1027, a villa designed by Eileen Gray and Jean Badovici.

Cabanon de le Corbusier Photo: Courtesy of Fondation le CorbusierExplorearchitectural digest