| Distance: |
Map
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| 900km |
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| Highlights: |
Provence
coastal road, Camargue wildlife natural sanctuary,
Ste Maries de la Mer, Avignon, Verdon canyon,
Napoléon Road |
Day
1: Starting from the French Riviera you will
ride along the Côte d’Azur through little villages
along winding roads, crossing the Rhone estuary
towards the Saintes Maries de la Mer, especially
famous for its oldest tradition of being the meeting
place for the gypsy people. There are many ranches
(called manades) where both bulls and horses are
bred, and for the more adventurous, there is a windsurf
speed canal waiting for you right next to the port!
Day
2: The tour will leave the Mediterranean coast
to enjoy old Roman towns like Nîmes and Avignon
with a stop in a jewel called Les Baux de Provence.
The village is officially classified as "one of
the most beautiful villages in France". Its cultural
heritage is exceptionally rich, with 22 architectural
treasures classified as "Historic Monuments" (including
the church, chateau, town-hall, hospital, chapels,
houses, doorways... without counting items of furniture
and a collection of paintings). Les Baux covers
7 hectares and visitors can discover the main ruins
of its dramatic past: the keep, Saracen towers,
chapel, old war weapons... the history of Provence
unfolds before your eyes amongst the rocks and stones.
The night will be spent in Avignon, great city of
the popes, and for centuries one of the major artistic
centres of France. The city is filled with spectacular
monuments and museums, countless impressively decorated
buildings, ancient churches, chapels and convents,
and more places to eat and drink than you could
cover in a month.
Day
3: A nice day for a ride on little twisty roads
to enjoy the motorcycles and the area, climbing
the pre-Alpes towards Digne-Les-Bains, the préfecture
of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. This is a town with
a medieval heart and an even older history. In the
early 19th century Digne was a luncheon stop for
Napoléon (you may want to check our Napoleon Road).
Tour Digne has a compact center and a beautiful
setting, sitting beside the fast-flowing Bléone
river and surrounded by forested mountains.
Day
4: The last day of the tour is dedicated to
a bit of challenging riding down the Alps towards
the Côte d’Azur, with a leg around the Verdon river
canyon. This immense and magnificent canyon straddles
the departments of Var and the Alpes de Hautes Provence.
In the midst of a nature reserve, rich in flora
and fauna, the scenery here is astonishing. The
custodial villages nestled at the foot of the fault
have maintained their original Provençal appeal.
Before ending our tour we will of course enjoy a
stop in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world.
