5 Essential Experiences for the South of France

“Don’t forget to remove the magical France filter when you get home” — statement from one of my travel companions in jest as we all felt every photo seemed to look majestic. Turns out that France is on many people’s travel wish lists for a very good reason.

We were lucky to spend 7 days exploring Nice, Aix-en-Provence, Montpellier and then additional days on the Canal du Midi, Carcassonne, and Marseille….from all of those moments I pulled out 5 that are simply a must not miss {obviously through my filter of loving nature, movement and fun}.

COLLINE DU CHÂTEAU PARK
Nice offers tons of green space throughout the entire city…kinda of a dream place for outdoor fiends like myself. From the Promenande du Paillon which is 12 acres literally through the middle of town to the massive promenade along the water. But what really captured my attention was The Cascade and surrounding park nestled in the hillside and providing panoramic views of the coastline and city.
Originally part of a castle the area has been transformed in to a public garden with a waterfall you can see from the seaside, walking paths and large play areas for children. I honestly can’t imagine many free places like this in the US. You can easily walk to the park and depending on your mood enjoy the long hike to the top or take the secret elevator.
Read more about visiting Nice.LOCAL MARKETS
The brilliance of color, the variety of fruits and vegetables, the bouquets of flowers, it all just makes me a little dizzy with possibility…am I the only one who gets this excited for a farmer’s market?!

In each city there is at least one, but frequently 2 or 3 markets running daily. It’s no surprise that locals take full advantage of this shopping for fresh foods a few times a week and absolutely living up to the stereotype of buying their bread daily.

Even if veggies aren’t your thing…they’ve got sweets and treats and local hand made goods. Stop buying cheap souvenirs manufactured in China and take home a real piece of the country. MuCEM
In 2014, Marseille was awarded the European City of the year, which provided them with  funds to build this brand new modern MuCEM {Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations}. The entire city is a contrast of old and new with this being no exception as the MuCEM attaches via a walkway over the water to the Fort Saint Jean built it 1660 as a protection for the harbor. This great shot from my professional photographer friend Viv. Across the bay looking at the MuCem, Old Fort and Cathedral.

Since I’m not generally a museum lover, this might seem like an odd addition to the list…but here’s why:
– spectacular city and water views
– fabulous place to dine atop the museum
– unique art exhibits
– immediate access to explore the fort and nearby St Marie Majeure Cathedral

HANDS ON – Soap or Perfume creation
I can’t say I’m enamored with soap or perfume, but when you are in the place which deigns to make the purest, highest quality around…well there is no better way to get excited than with a little hands on workshop!

Just get your nose ready for a little overtime as the scents abound!
In Nice the Molindard {most sold perfume in the world} perfume store houses a mini museum showing the intense old school process that involved hundreds of women hand pressing flowers to make the original scents. Followed by a small workshop with over 90 ingredients available to develop your own unique scent based on your preferences and how it mixes with your skin. In Marseille, Grande Savonnerie owner showed us the only 3 ingredients needed to make pure soap and then allowed us to craft our own lovely bars. Who knew soap could be so exciting right?!
Three ingredients: water, sodium and olive oil — my kind of all natural product!! He showed us a small scale version of boiling the ingredients and letting the soap form, but they obviously do it in a large factory setting for true batches.After getting the basic soap, it’s time to press it in to shapes {we did squares, hearts and cubes}, then stamp on our messages to make it look official.VINEYARD TOUR
I know I’m not a wine drinker, but I still love visiting vineyards. Particularly the Chateau De Paraza which we encountered during our boat trip down the Canal du Midi.
Two brothers are currently in the process of helping this long time family company to rebound by expanding in North America, revitalizing the historic home as a future B&B, creating a full blown wine tasting tour area and generally being exceptionally passionate and kind people.The interior of the main buildings is currently being restored and the original finishing’s are phenomenal from painted ceilings to tapestries on the walls…an amazing place that we likely never would have found without our boat tour! Go late in the day when things are quiet and after your wine tasting ask for the special tour…a jeep ride out through the vineyards where their passion is plainly obvious as they tell you the history of the land and all about their new project of beer!
These little moments don’t even touch on all the time you should absolutely spend exploring the old towns in every city! The charming streets will take you back in time and also make you appreciate A/C.

More: Eating with food allergies in France and a quick photo tour of the South of France.

Have you ever been to France? What part?
Is it a bucket list travel place for you?

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Disclosure: RTTF received free travel to France in advance of this post.