The area of Provence is a bit more laid back then many other tourist destinations. After all this place is well known for its fine wine and its many picturesque vineyards that are everywhere in this area. Because of this not too many landmark events take place that will appeal to the tourists who visit for only a short while. This is a place for the slow methodical growing of grapes that make some of the best wines in the world. However there are some events that are worth taking in if you happen to be here at the time.
The first most notable event is that of the Festival d’Avignon which takes place in the walled city of Avignon. This is a event that celebrates the arts including theater, dancing and music. An international audience takes hold during this time in Avignon and the crowds swarm the city to take in every moment. This event has an interesting history in that it was started by the actor and director Jean Vilar in 1947 when he was asked to stage a play of T.S. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral at Avignon’s Palais des Papes. This later blossomed into a creative outlet for keeping the artist community active and in touch with their audiences. You can witness professionally put on stage plays to ad hoc street performances so there should be something for everyone. To get more information on this event go to www.festival-avignon.com.
Later on from this Festival d’Avignon is the harvest of lavender which creates its own festival in the town of Digne-les-Bains which is in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region. Every year this event is celebrated to highlight the abundant crop of flowers that grow in this region of Provence. A half century old tradition you can imagine that many of the locals are quite passionate about this celebration. This passion shows in how they put on this event as the level of detail is very high and should not be missed. To get more information from the source I would visit www.ot-dignelesbains.fr which obviously is in French but there is also an English version as well.
The one event that encompasses the entire region is the harvesting of the grapes. This event takes place during September through October. Since each vineyard harvests at different times this is a whole month or two affair. Each vineyard will require help and depending on if you really want to you could stay on a vineyard as a helper and receive free room and board in exchange for your hard work in the field. To find out more information on the specifics of what is going on during this time I would visit the website devoted to this at beyond.fr/a/calendar.html as this is probably the most extensive collection that you will come across.
Although Provence does not have too many flashy events like Paris or even Rome this does not detract from its charm. A more relaxed and happy go lucky atmosphere seems to pervade this area of France. I think to its benefit.
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