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In 1177 a shepherd boy named Bénézet received orders from God that a bridge should be built across the Rhône. Avignon people were sceptical, so the lad picked up a rock which 30 strong men couldn’t shift and carried it to where Pont St-Bénézet was to begin (see Pont St-Bénézet).

Built in the mid-1960s over former marshland, the port is reminiscent of Venice, as brightly painted houses push out onto quays separated by canals but joined by little bridges. Access is by boat or by foot. Although now weathered and wearing a real Provençal look, traditionalists still prefer medieval Grimaud, perched 5 km (3 miles) inland.

Dug in the mid-18th century, the port never took off commercially and remains quieter than most Mediterranean city harbours. It is all the more charming for that, a haven of pleasure boats and cruise-ships, surrounded by splendid Italianate buildings. Little wonder that the visiting Russian playwright Chekhov considered this the most pleasing part of Nice.

Around the corniche from the Vieux Port and past the tiny, picturesque fishing port of Vallon des Auffes stretch Marseille’s resolutely modern beaches. They were reclaimed from the sea with earth excavated during the construction of the city’s metro system. Now they run round to the start of the calanques . On summer days, they throb with every conceivable beach sporting activity; at night, the Escale Borély beach area offers some of the town’s trendiest nightspots (see Escale Borély).

Built on the site of a 13th-century Genoese fortress, the seat of the Grimaldi princes of Monaco, flanked by centuries-old cannons, is even more imposing inside than out. Not to be missed are the superb frescoes of mythological scenes by 16th-century Genoese artists, the opulent blue-and-gold Louis XV Salon, the finely crafted woodwork of the Mazarin Salon and the gorgeous Throne Room. The main courtyard, the Cour d’Honneur, with its geometrical pebble patterns, is a wonderful setting for summer concerts. The Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince, in full dress uniform, changes the guard daily at 11.55am.

The world’s best-known seafront boulevard owes its name to the English community which funded its initial construction in 1822. Inspired by Anglican vicar Lewis Way, the community was keen to give work to the local poor. Now flanked by traffic lanes separated by flowerbeds and palms, the “Prom” sweeps majestically round the Bay of Angels. Belle époque edifices, notably the magnificent Hotel Negresco (see Le Negresco, Nice) recall Nice’s days as a magnet for European nobility. The substance has gone, but the style remains.

Dufy (1877–1963) embodies the values of the Fauvist school, with its revolutionary use of bright, intense colour. He found Nice the perfect background for his vivid work.

After the Nazi invasion of 1940, Provence was ruled by the collaborationist Vichy government, until it was occupied by Germany in 1942. Guerrilla fighters in the maquis (scrubland) resisted the Occupation. On 15 August 1944, Allied troops landed, liberating Provence after two weeks of fighting.

This village aqueduct cut deep into solid rock is an impressive example of Roman civil engineering and an indication of how highly the Romans valued civilized comforts such as a reliable supply of running water. Those comforts unfortunately vanished with the fall of the Empire and were not regained until the 19th century.

The delightful town of Arles, founded by the Romans, stands on the east bank of the Rhône and is the gateway to Provence from the west (see Roman Arles).