traveldk.com

This private collection includes works by Cézanne, Manet, Picasso, and a Van Gogh painting.

This museum celebrates Marquis Folco de Baroncelli-Javon (1869– 1943), who spent his life maintaining the traditions of Camargue gardians (see Bouches-du-Rhône).

The 19th-century townhouse built for a Ukrainian princess is a marvel of Neo- Classical excess. It contains one of southern France’s best collections of art from the 17th to early 20th centuries. The highlight is on the first floor, which provides a panorama of 19th-century French art, through to the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. On the ground floor are 17th- and 18th-century works, while the patio and garden are adorned by Rodin sculptures.

A particularly fine museum, with collections from ancient Greece to the 20th century.

The Camargue comes to life in this fascinating museum, housed in a farmhouse (see Musée Camarguais).

The 19th-century Château Pastre is a marvel in itself – set in grounds between sea and hills, its lovely brick and stone façade expresses Marseille’s Second Empire stature. The interior decor is equally sumptuous and, since 1995, the chateau has contained a fabulous assembly of pottery, ceramics and earthenware from across Europe. There are nearly 1,500 pieces, from the Neolithic period to the present day. If you ever had any doubts, here’s proof that Marseille culture goes deeper than just football.

The museum covers the story of lavender from field to distillery and beyond. There are 16thcentury copper stills and a video explaining distillation.

This museum, in a building designed by British architect Norman Foster, retraces the geological, cultural and environmental evolution of human life in the Verdon and throughout Europe, with an imaginative and fascinating series of displays and interactive exhibits. Guided visits to the caves, where relics of early humans have been discovered, are also offered.

This museum tops Provence’s list of superb art collections. Opened in 1955, it boasts works by Pierre Bonnard, Raoul Dufy, the pointillist Paul Signac and Charles Camoin, whose work St-Tropez, la Place des Lices et le Café des Arts (1925), is one of the most famous images of the town (see Musée de l’Annonciade).

Menton’s museum of fine art is housed in the former summer palace of the Grimaldi princes of Monaco and has an extensive collection. High points include works by Utrillo, Dufy and the English painter Graham Sutherland.