Provence is full of unusual gardens to treat yourself to moments of calm and sweetness. Among them:

• In Avignon, the Pope’s Garden, the Palace Garden and the Urban V Orchard invite you to dive into the medieval gardens. The garden of the Rocher des Doms overlooks the Palais des Papes and offers a magnificent panoramic view of the old town.
• Discover the park and garden of the Florentine-inspired Château de Brantes with its Anduze vases, boxwood drawings and terraces.
• Cross the landscaped garden Sainte Cécile in Oppède-le-vieux composed of 15 terraces and reach the belvedere offering a magnificent view of the valley and Mont Ventoux.
• The garden of the Abbey of Valsaintes offers different faces throughout the seasons. A rose garden, a dry garden but also a permaculture vegetable garden are to be discovered over the restanques.
• The “Jardin des Méditerranées” : mediterranean landscaped garden with plants from dry and subtropical areas.

You want to learn astronomy or are already an enlightened amateur, the observatories of the region welcome you for sessions of observation and discovery of the sky.

With the naked eye, you will be guided in the sky to recognize the constellations, learn about their mythology, spot and name the main stars, watch for artificial satellites and admire the Milky Way.

With your eye on the ocular, you will cross time and space to admire planets, asteroids, comets, galaxies and other deep sky objects.

Take advantage of the presence of enthusiasts to ask all the questions you want and address the mysteries of the universe.

For information, the Haute Provence Observatory, one of the largest observatories in Europe, was the place of discovery of the 1st exoplanet (planet outside our solar system). The 2 astronomers behind this major discovery were distinguished with the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Provence offers a great diversity of natural sites rich in biodiversity. The most remarkable is the Camargue, an exceptional wetland that hosts many migratory birds. More than 400 species have been observed there. There are several reserves with hiking trails and observatories set up near the ponds for better bird watching. The pond of Vaccarès is also suitable for waterbird watching.

Two tours are offered with a tour guide. The first ornithological tour, by private minivan over a day, crosses many environments such as the lagoon, the beach, ponds, rice fields, salt flats but also cities such as Aigues-Mortes (remarkable historical site) and Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer on the shores of the Mediterranean. The second circuit, over half a day, introduces birds on the trails of the Alpilles, Sainte Victoire and Camargue.