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The medieval St-Jean gate is a great introduction to this ravishing maze of streets set above the terraced hillsides and vineyards of Bandol. The sun is warm, the air scented and the panorama breathtaking.

The farmstead specializes in herbs, aromatic plants and plants used for dyes. Discover the entire process.

Nestling amid forests of cork-oak and chestnut, La Garde-Freinet stands sentry to the wild Maures Mountains. Higher still are the ruins of the medieval village fortified by Saracens.

Also known as the Trophée d’Auguste, this remarkable Roman monument is the only building of its kind still in existence. Its towering columns can be seen from afar and there are views along the Riviera. A museum shows a video about the monument’s history (see La Trophée des Alpes).

La-Palud stands on the north side of the Grand Canyon du Verdon, making it a popular base for exploring the region (see Grand Canyon du Verdon).

An eagle’s nest of a village, its narrow streets lead steeply up to the splendid chateau at the top.

The only access to this glorious perched village is via two gates in its 13th-century walls. Within, steep paved streets climb tortuously to the feudal castle. Views over olive groves to the sea are outstanding.

Although 90 per cent of this island is a French Navy missile base, the other 10 per cent is a naturist colony. Clothes must be worn in the village but not beyond.

Wriggling up the hill to the north of the Vieux Port, Le Panier is Marseille’s oldest sector. This is where the Greeks settled and, in subsequent centuries, where the city’s immigrants began their new lives. They still do – the tiny streets are alive with different accents and cultures. The main feature is La Vieille Charité, the 17th-century workhouse now transformed into a wonderful cultural centre. It houses the museums of Mediterranean Archaeology and of African, Oceanic and Amerindian Art. Especially noteworthy is the domed central chapel – Italian Baroque at its purest.

With the medieval castle up top, the rest of the old village hugs the rocky promontory. Its labyrinth of streets and vaulted stairways unfolds to the modern village below.