Some ideas for group tours (to package)

Day 1

Afternoon in Martigues
100 km (free highway) A55 + A7

Arrival at the hotel in Aix en Provence. Free time for lunch. Departure for Martigues by coach at 2.00 pm.
The charming fishing harbour offered great inspiration to the 19th century landscape painters, with the luminosity and soft colours Olive, Casile, Pellegrin, Decanis, Garibaldi, Allegre and the vanguardist such Dufy, Picabia.
As an option : There is the possibility of visiting the Ziem museum. Ziem remains the reference, his work has anticipated the impressionnist's styles and recalls Monets' Art.
Back to the hotel of Aix en Provence for dinner and free evening.

Day 2

A day in Marseilles and Estaque
80 km (free highway) A51

Departure for Marseilles after breakfast. With a guided visit of the "Vieux Port", the bay, the "Panier quarter" and Goudes. There is a possibility of visiting the Art museum and its 19th century Gallery showing the local Provencal landscape painters(Monticelli, Guigou,Olive) or the Cantini museum with works from Marquet, Lombard, Dufy, Camoin, Derain, Matisse, Picasso, Chagall or either the Grobet Labadie museum with the landscapes of Guigou, Loubon, Ziem...
Lunch in one of the restaurant of the "Vieux Port". After the meal, we leave for Estaque, a small popular pictoresque harbour. Impressionism, fauvism and cubism are three painting adjectives linked with the name Estaque, which are the bases of modern painting. Back to Aix-en-Provence, free time for dinner and a visit of the town by night.

Day 3

A day in Arles
180 km (free highway) A7+A54

Arles, international renowned town thanks to Vincent Van Gogh, who lived there. There are numerous sites to visit, the Roman arenas, the Trinquetaille bridge painted in 1888 by the artist. After lunch, and to complete the liaison of Arles and its painters, visit to the Reattu museum (Picasso drawings, modern and contemporary art) and to the Van Gogh foundation. Dinner in Arles. Back to Aix.

Day 4

Day in Aix in the foot steps of Paul Cezanne

A 2 hour trip on foot accompanied by a guide will allow you to discover the principal steps in Cezanne's life, where he was born, lived, researched and died. Paul Cezanne is buried in the Saint Pierre cemetery in Aix. Lunch in a restaurant in the town centre. A guided tour around the St Victoire mountain (40 km), will allow you to perfect your knowledge of Cezanne's works (Chateau noir, le Tholonet). Free time for dinner.

Day 5

A day in the Alpilles

200 km. Departure for St Remy de Provence where Van Gogh lived in the St Paul de Mausole Asylum. During his period of madness he painted "les Iris", "l'hôpital St Paul". The "Antiques", the roman vestiges from Glanum and the environnement inspired the artist. Lunch in St Remy. Visit of the Estrine hotel, manor house from 18th century, which now stores the "centre d'art presence Van Gogh-art contemporain". Departure for the Baux de Provence driving through landscapes that inspired the artists, olive fields and the hilly countryside.

Optional

* 1/2 day in Toulon - 2.00 pm - 7.00 pm / 150 km Departure for Toulon at 2.00 pm, visit the vast bay of Toulon and the harbour recalling the artists Courdouan, Gallian, Montenard and Nattero. There is a possibility to visit the fine art museum (works from 19th century and 20th century) and the naval museum (history of Toulon and Vernet and Nardis works).

* Day in St Tropez - 8.00 am - 7.00 pm / 200 km A8. Numerous painters have painted St Tropez, we take the day to discover the sites of the town. The citadelle, the harbour, the Lice square, the herb square, the Canoubiers and visit to the Annonciade museum (neo-impressionism, fauvism and "nabis"). Free time for lunch.

* 1/2 day in Avignon - 2.00 pm - 7.00 pm / 180 km. Discover the town, the old roads and square painted by Grivolas and Brun, and the Palais des Papes (gothic architecture from 14th century). Free time for lunch. Visit of the Calvet museum, a Comtat house (works from Grivolas, Mannet, Guigou, Dufy, etc.).