Rail tour from Marseille to Arles, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence

Creative and audacious Marseille has become a benchmark for modern & contemporary art in recent decades. The proof of the pudding? Check out the dynamic exhibition line-up on offer at La Friche la Belle de Mai, a visual arts hotspot. The cherry on the cake? The panoramic vistas over the city from the vast rooftop. After a stop-off at the FRAC, a hub of artistic experimentation home to over 1,500 works, it’s time to head to the Mucem for a full immersion in contemporary art, the fine arts and anthropology. Not forgetting the setting of course: architecture courtesy of Rudy Ricciotti and stunning sea views! Your wanderings continue at the Musée Cantini, exhibiting works from the Surrealist, Fauvist and Cubist movements. Dating back to Roman times, modern-day Arles never ceases to evolve. Fronting the Fondation Luma, a centre for art, research and artistic production, Frank Gehry’s deconstructed tower stands guard over centuries past. This stage winds up with a visit to Le Méjean, a renowned Arlesian institution, or the Fondation Van Gogh… Topped with a spectacular nighttime show of lights dancing on the Rhône river.

Immortalized by Alphonse Daudet, Tarascon nestles on the left bank of the Rhône. A legacy of the town’s rich medieval past, a 15th-century chateau gazes over the water slipping by at its feet. Today, it is home to the Centre d’Arts René d’Anjou and its Gallery of Fantastic Creatures. Throwing bridges between heritage and contemporary creation, the centre pays tribute to the Princes of Anjou’s passion for the arts. Next stop: Avignon and its must-see Collection Lambert spanning two 18th-century mansions and compiled by patron of the arts Yvon Lambert. Originally focusing on minimal, conceptual and land art, it now embraces works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Sol LeWitt and Daniel Buren. The Musée Angladon is just 5 minutes away on foot and shows the collection of Jacques Doucet, a pioneer of haute couture, together with paintings by major 19th and 20th-century artists such as Degas, Daumier, Vuillard and Van Gogh.

This stage unveils Provence’s talent for exalting the beauty of its ancient mansions, converting them into astonishing and personality-packed contemporary art showcases. A former textile manufacturing hub (the waters of the Sorgue are still dotted with old waterwheels), Isle-sur-la-Sorgue invites you to stroll around its Campredon art and image centre and Villa Datris, dedicated to contemporary sculpture, offering a fun, lively and surprising exhibition line-up. The historic quarter of Cavaillon harbours another little gem: the Hôtel d’Agar. Built on the ruins of the Greek and Roman town, and complete with a remarkable garden, its harmonious collection spans Caravaggesque paintings as well as popular and decorative arts and contemporary creation. Dozens of beautiful mansions sprang up in Aix-en-Provence in the 17th century. Several, such as the Hôtel de Gallifet and Pavillon Vendôme, are now dedicated to contemporary art.