The South of France is absolutely gorgeous. If you’re a lover of nature, you will not be let down. If you’re a lover of architecture, art, culture you will not be let down. The south of France will suit all tastes.
When I was first choosing where to study abroad in France, my biggest concerned was, what place will have the best nature? I wanted to live in a region with loads of outdoor activities. Ranging from sitting by the water, walking though forests, hiking mountains, boating adventures, it's all here. I live in Aix-en-Provence and I can do any of these activities without any hassle and without breaking the bank.
One of my favorite places to visit is the Calanques, pictured below.
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| Marseille Calanques |
The Calanques run from Marseille to Cassis, along the Mediterranean coast. They’re magnificent and great for hiking, mountain climbing, swimming, or just a leisurely walk. Also they’re very easy to get to by public transportation. This is a great weekend activity! Take a picnic with you and have this magnificent view while you sip on wine and eat cheese and a fresh baguette. What a beautiful day! I have gone many times and have some of my most cherished memories there.
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| Cassis Calanques |
The next must see in the south of France is the Gorges du Verdon. I was only able to visit this site once and for only a short time but it was absolutely gorgeous.
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| Gorges Du Verdon |
If you go there, spend the 16 euros to take a paddle boat! You can thank me later. The only downside about this site is you can’t get to it by public transportation. You would either need to go by car or with a tour group.
For all those lovers of art, the Carrières de lumières is absolutely wonderful. It is an audiovisual show where they present works of art by a particular artist with audio and visual effects. The show is in a cave, you walk through, and all around you is art on the walls with beautiful music. It’s very hard to explain but it’s absolutely beautiful. We did this with a CEA excursion in Fall and Spring semesters.
As you see, the south of France has beautiful nature. I only gave you two sites there’s so much more to see here. Also there are many beautiful places to appreciate art. South of France will suit all your needs, I promise you.
Brooke Begich is the Spring 2016 CEA MOJO Blogger in Aix En Provence, France. She is currently a junior at Iowa State University.