The hilltop villages of the Luberon are the Provence most people picture: Gordes perched above the valley, Bonnieux with its cedar forest, Ménerbes where Peter Mayle set the scene, Lacoste with its ruined Marquis de Sade château above the rooftops. The pace here is determined by the morning market in whatever village you’re near, a long lunch, and an afternoon that requires no further justification. Base in or near one village and day-trip to the others — the distances are short and the drives are beautiful.

Aix is the urban anchor: a university city with wide plane-tree boulevards, excellent food, and the Cours Mirabeau as one of France’s most civilized streets. Cézanne’s studio is here; so is a Saturday market that justifies the trip alone. The Alpilles — the low limestone range to the west — adds Les Baux-de-Provence (dramatic, perched, deservedly visited) and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, which manages to be both a working town and a beautiful one. Avignon and the Pont du Gard sit at the western edge and both earn their half-day.

Provence is the world’s benchmark for dry rosé, and the wines from Bandol and the Côtes de Provence appellation are worth seeking beyond the supermarket shelf. Château Simone, Domaine Tempier in Bandol — these are tastings worth planning. The coast between Marseille and Cassis offers a different texture: the Calanques are dramatic limestone inlets accessible by boat or on foot, and Cassis itself is a fishing port that hasn’t entirely surrendered to tourism.