Video clip about the south of France
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur is one of the most popular holiday regions in the south of France. The region covers a large area from the Mediterranean Sea up to the French Alps. Its identity as a geographical region is a hold over from the days of the Roman Empire. Its western border is the Rhône River and its eastern border is Italy. The Provence includes the French Riviera and is famous for its sunny weather, colorful countryside, tradition, wine, food, and language (Provençal). Its main attractions include the city of Avignon and the wide variety of villages which can be easily explored by car or bicycle on the network country roads and highways. Van Gogh spent a respectable amount of time in Arles painting the countryside.Although the Riviera is famous for the glamour of St. Tropez, Monaco or the Cannes Film Festival, there are many other less well known attractions, such as the perched villages of Eze and Gourdon, the perfumeries of Grasse and the glass blowers of Biot, the potters in Vallauris. The Riviera has been the inspiration for many well-known artists such as Picasso and many of their works are on display in local museums and art galleries. One big problem that the Riviera faces is its popularity. During the summer months (July/August particularly) the Riviera is a crowded mess - particularly on the strip of land between the A8 Autoroute and the coast - and events such as the Film Festival drive up the prices of just about everything. On the other hand even in August the lesser known attractions such as the Gorges du Loup and Gourdon are far less chaotic.