The Immediate Surroundings

Mas Canto Perdrix is situated on a narrow 1000-year-old road, la route de l´aqueduc romain, which ruins together with the Roman hydraulic mill still lie one kilometer from the house.

The house is situated 10 km east of Arles and 30 km south of Avignon in the Alpilles natural regional parc.

It is surrounded by fields (mainly olive trees and hay) and pine and oak forests which allow to take peaceful and inspirational walks when the weather is not too hot. 

The village of Fontvieille is reachable by foot through a trekking path within 30 to 40 minutes or a 5-min ute drive. At the entrance of the village you will find the famous Alfonse Daudet windmill and on the other end, the Château d´Estoublon. The typical city center is the only one in the Alpilles to host bi-weekly food markets on its main square, in addition to antique and flower markets. There, you can also rent a bike. This village is truly Vacation Provence!

Outside the village center and about less than 4 km from the house you have two riding stables for horse lovers.

The 2 000-year-old domaine de Barbegal which is visible from the house with its famous castle is located about 3 kilometers away. 

The benedictine Saint Peter of Montmajour abbey, founded in 948, is situated about 7 km from the house on the Fontvieille road.

 

  Les Alpilles

 

The Alpilles are an image of pure Provence. The region boasts some of Provence´s most famous tourist sites, such as the fantastic Roman ruins of Glanum, the rocky medieval village of Les Baux-de-Provence, the stylish and refined little town of Saint-Remy-de-Provence, surrounded by a colourful and sun-kissed landscape of cypress trees, olive groves and sunflowers. Most of the villages are situated within a 30-minute-drive from the house.

The closest are the small and charming cities of le Paradou, Maussane-les-Alpilles, and Mouries. At the weekly local markets you will find fresh fruits and vegetables, local olive oil and many other typical products of the region.

 

  Bigger Provencal Cities  

  (less than one hour by car)

 

Arles is dubbed the soul of Provence. The city has a long history and was of considerable importance in the Roman Province of Gallia Narbonensis. The Roman and Romanesque Monuments of Arles were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1981. The Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh lived in Arles from 1888 to 1889 and produced over 300 paintings and drawings during his time there. An prestigious international photography festival has been held yearly in July since 1970.

 

Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department. It is located between the mediterranean sea and the Cevennnes mountains. With a rich history dating back to the Roman Empire, the city boasts very famous mouments and is refered to as the French Rome. 

 

Between 1309 and 1377, during the Avignon Papacy, seven successive popes resided in Avignon. Papal control persisted until 1791 when, during the French revolution, it became part of France. The town is now the capital of the Vaucluse department and one of the few French cities to have preserved its ramparts.

The historic centre, which includes the Palais des Papes, the cathedral and the Pont   d´Avignon, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The medieval monuments and the annual Festival d´Avignon have helped to make the town a major centre for tourism.

 

The capital of its department of Bouches-du-Rhône and region of Provence-Alpes- Côte d´Azur, Marseille, is the second largest city in France. It was historically the most important trade center in the region. Marseille has a history and an ethnicity of its own given the number of civilizations and immigration waves that shaped its particular identity. The city held the title of European Capital of Culture in 2013. In 2016, it will host the European Football Championship and become the European Capital of Sport in 2017.

 

A pocket of left-bank Parisian chic deep in Provence, Aix en Provence is all class: its leafy boulevards and public squares are lined with 17th- and 18th-century mansions, punctuated by gurgling moss-covered fountains. Haughty stone lions guard its grandest avenue, cafe-laced cours Mirabeau, where fashionable Aixois pose on polished pavement terraces sipping espresso. While Aix is a student hub, its upscale appeal makes it pricier than other Provençal towns.

 

In its own graceful, easy-going way, Montpellier is every bit the equal of Marseille and Nice. With its elegant buildings, grand hôtels particuliers (private mansions) and stately boulevards, it’s a quietly stylish metropolis.

Unlike many southern towns, Montpellier has no Roman heritage. Instead it was founded in the 10th century by the counts of Toulouse, and later became a prosperous trading port as well as a scholarly centre (Europe’s first medical school was founded here in the 12th century).

The population swelled in the 1960s when many French settlers left independent Algeria and settled here, and it’s now one of southern France’s most multicultural cities.