This looks like a great way to see Provence up close: Visitors can tour the region with small group walking adventure outfitter CW, which has launched two new self-guided tours through southeastern France for cyclists and walkers.
Bordered by the lower Rhone River, the Italian Alps and the Mediterranean, Provence has plenty of medieval villages, olive groves, vineyards and fields of lavender that have inspired artists for centuries, including Van Gogh. Guests can rest their feet at sidewalk cafés with a snack of goat cheese and a glass of rosé (and a healthy side of people-watching). They can tour cities and rolling estates, shop at markets and visit ancient castles and scenic hamlets while they sample local specialties like boar sausage and fluffy fougasse pastry.
France: Provence to the Coast (Self-Guided Bike Tour) - This eight-day/seven-night self-guided cycling adventure runs easy-to-moderate from the heart of Provence in medieval Avignon to the Mediterranean Sea. Bikers can see the intact Roman amphitheater at Arles and the natural park of the Camargue region. Architectural and cultural sites include the monastery of Saint Michel de Frigolet, the Romanesque chapel of Saint Gabriel, and the Roman ruins of Glanum. Departures are from April through June and September through October.
France: Classic Provence (Self-Guided Walking Tour) - This seven-day/six-night self-guided, easy-to-moderate walking tour of essential Provence lets walking enthusiasts explore the region on their own schedule. The scenery unfolds via open ridge walks along the Alpilles and Lubéron mountain ranges. Trails, including the Van Gogh Trail, descend through olive and almond groves, and aromatic herbs and wildflowers, to medieval villages filled with colorful markets, fountains and narrow cobbled lanes. Picnic in stunning locations including the 12th-century Sénanque Abbey; lunch at a 17th-century goat farm; and follow a seldom-used path along the Aiguebrun River to the evening's hotel. Departures are from April through June and September through October.
For more information, visit www.cwadventure.com.