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At the entrance to the Verdon gorges (see Grand Canyon du Verdon), Moustiers hangs like a pendant from the rock-face soaring above (see Moustiers-Sainte-Marie). The glorious tangle of vaulted streets, tiny squares and tiled roofs is divided by rushing streams. Up above, tucked against the rocks, is the Notre-Dame-de-Beauvoir chapel (see Moustiers-Sainte-Marie). The village is also celebrated for its pottery.

Emerging dramatically from its crag on the edge of the Alpilles hills, Les-Baux was home to one of the finest courts in medieval Provence. Abandoned for centuries, the ruined castle and labyrinthine streets now throb with summer tourists. But the site remains majestic, the atmosphere lively and the views over mountains and plains quite breathtaking (see Les-Baux-de-Provence).

St-Paul was a farming community living quietly within its medieval surroundings and 16th-century walls until the 1920s. Then it was discovered by the Côte d’Azur artistic community (Picasso, Matisse, Léger) and has been fashionable ever since, with good reason. Both artists and tourists find the tiny streets, ramparts and church remains utterly charming (see St-Paul-de-Vence).

The “fontaine ” is actually Europe’s most powerful natural spring – it pumps out 2.5 million cubic m (55 million gallons) of water a day, giving birth to the River Sorgue. It’s a spectacular setting for a lovely village, made even more romantic by its association with the Italian love poet, Petrarch, who lived here in the 14th century (see Fontaine-de-Vaucluse).

This delightful village seems to tumble down the hillside, its jumble of steep alleys, hidden corners and stone houses overcome with flowers – the village name tells no lies. Climb to the top and the views to the sea from the ruined medieval castle are splendid (see Bormes-les-Mimosas).

Roussillon is perched beautifully above a quite extraordinary landscape. The mining of ochre and subsequent erosion have sculpted the red-and-gold earth into cliffs, canyons and weird shapes. Villagers have applied the local product to their houses, to enchanting effect (see Roussillon).

Encircling its hillside like a belt, Séguret stares out from the edges of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountains across the nearby wine plain. It’s an almost impossibly pretty spot of tiny, pedestrianized streets, medieval edifices and contemporary artists and artisans (see Séguret).

Cassis is overseen by France’s highest coastal cliffs, whose scale reinforces the intimacy of the narrow little harbour and old town centre down below. Tourists crowd the beaches – the best bathing is in the creeks to the west – but Cassis remains a fishing port, and well retains its authenticity (see Cassis).

At the northern gateway to Provence, Sisteron’s minuscule vaulted streets and unexpected staircases climb the vast sentinel rock overlooking the River Durance. It’s a harsh setting for a village with a strong past. Up top, the 14th-century citadel was all but impregnable and now affords unbeatable views over the rugged landscape (see Citadelle de Sisteron).

A winning partnership of the sort only found on the Côte d’Azur. Beneath Roquebrune are the grandiose belle époque villas of the super-rich on the Cap-Martin peninsula. Up above are the winding streets, vaulted passages and 10th-century chateau of the original village (see Roquebrune-Cap-Martin).