This museum, located on top of the Mount Faron, is a Memorial commemorating the liberation of the region by the Allies in August 1944.
Tel:+33(0)4 94 88 08 09
Built in 1862, Opera de Toulon is renowned for it's remarkable acoustics.
Tel:+33(0)4 94 92 58 59
www.operadetoulon.fr
Set up at the entrance of the Port la Napoule, west of Cannes, this castle was originally built in the 14th century. The remaining ruins were bought in 1918 by the eccentric American sculptor Henry Clews. He and his wife restored the property into an interesting combination of Gothic, Romanesque and Moroccan styles. Visitors can enjoy a stroll in the beautiful gardens and visit an exhibition of Clews’ collections and sculptures. There is also a tea room on the waterfront terrace.
Tel: +33(0)4 93 49 95 05
Built on top of Le Suquet in the 11th century by monks coming from Iles de Lérins, this fortified castle overlooks the whole harbour. Today, the vaulted Gothic chapel and a series of castle rooms house a small museum with displays ancient artifacts from all over the world and painting of Provence from the 16th to the 20th century.
Tel: +33(0)4 93 38 55 26
The old village of Cannes, located above the harbour, on the west side. A delightful place with narrow pedestrian streets lined by restaurants. Don’t miss a walk up to the Notre Dame d’Espérance church, with its tower dating from the 12th century. Its beautiful surrounding park offers panoramic views of the city and bay.
Popular museum located in the Arts District of downtown Portland, and featuring a wide variety of interactive exhibits and activities for children and families. It also has an outdoor area with a ship to climb and plenty to do. Open Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, noon-5pm.
Tel: (207) 828 1234
www.kitetails.org
La Ciotat has kept its authenticity and small Provencal fishing port feel, but it also has a rich cultural past. The town is famous for being the place where the Lumière brothers invented the cinema, and the first motion picture ever made was the ‘Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat’ in 1895. The iconic Provencal game of pétanque (boules) was first played here, in 1907.
Place Evariste Gras 13600 Ciotat
Cinema located in the old town and showing some movies in original version.
Tel: +33(0)4 42 71 99 91
On the eastern side of Formentera, the village of El Pilar de la Mola, set on a rural plateau, is a quiet traditional village well worth a visit.
The fortified church in San Francesc was built in 1726. The thick walls and small windows make it an unusual looking church;
doubling up as a fortress complete with cannons, it was used to successfully hold off pirate attacks, and to shelter the local inhabitants.
The lighthouse is situated on a 114 metre high rock, on the south-eastern side of the island. On a clear day Mallorca can be seen on the horizon. This area of rocky coast around the lighthouse is known for being home to the local lizards, which are the emblem of Formentera.
These shallow lagoons have been used for centuries by the inhabitants of Formentera to produce salt in the north-western part of the island. Today the area is a nature conservation area for many species of birds. Flocks of flamingoes have even been sighted.
This aquarium has been designed in a natural cave and displays marine life from the surrounding waters. It is situated close to the beach at Cala Gracio and has fantastic sunset views of San Antonio.
Tel: {0034} 971 342 206
While some stagger around the streets of the old town late at night, others prefer to wander leisurely along the narrow cobbled alleys in the daytime.
Walk across the drawbridge and enter the old city via the Portal de Tablas, leading onto the main square.
This is a great architectural feast, loaded with history: the views from the battlements are wonderful. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A famous landmark in Ibiza, the salt flats have been in use for approximately 2000 years.
This is a very interesting and photogenic area.
Contemporary art gallery with changing exhibitions. The Museo organizes the biennial International art exhibition, which is extremely popular with many international and local artists.
Tel: {0034} 971 302 723
Ronda de Narcís Puget
Viñas s/n
07800, Eivissa
Ibiza
Next door to the Cathederal in Dalt Vila. Many archaeological finds from sites throughout the island.
Tel: {0034} 971 301 231
The 14th C Sanctuary in Arta is built on the hill bearing the same name, and dominates the surrounding town.
It is one of the most well recognised landmarks in Mallorca. The views from the top are well worth the 180 step climb.
A museum formed in 1927 by a group of enthusiasts to preserve the regions cultural, historical and archaeological past.
The fortified city of Alcudia is just a few kilometres inland from the Port. This was originally the Roman town of Pollentia, from which the village of Pollensa has since taken its name. Alcudia later became a Moorish settlement that was eventually fortified shortly after the Spanish conquest. The impressive city walls and gates date from the 14th century and enclose a warren of narrow and interesting streets. Places of interest include the church of San Juame and the Museu Monografic, which houses many local Roman archaeological finds.
This recently opened museum is situated in a restored private town house (Can Prunera) built in the early days of the 1900. The house is in itself worth a visit, with its stunning Art Nouveau architecture and superbly detailed interior finish. A substantial portfolio of works by Sollerophile artists, including (of course) Miro and Picasso puts this museum at the centre of any cultural visit to Soller.
Tel: {0034} 971 638 973
Calle de La lluna 80
07100, Soller
Mallorca
The ex Carthusian Monastry has hosted many writers, artists and musicians, most notably during the winter of 1838-39, when both the composer Chopin and writer George Sand were in residence. Chopin composed and George Sand wrote “A Winter in Mallorca”, which turned out to be a rather unflattering representation of it’s residents!
The Municipal Museum of Valldemossa is interestingly full of personal artefacts, many items, such as letters, paintings etc. belonging to the famous and infamous who stayed here.
Not too far away from Soller, and worth the drive is the 18th century Monastry at Lluc, famous for its dark Madonna statue, which is said to fulfil one’s wishes. This is and has been for centuries a place of pilgrimage, although today’s pilgrims tend to be more of the tourist type. It is also for hikers a popular hiking destination or stop over, as it is possible to stay overnight in one of the monks cells. Every year, on the 1st August, scores of people walk to Lluc in a huge communal hiking event; some people even walk all the way from Palma!
A series of weekly concerts held in the cloisters of the Monastery in Valldemossa, celebrating the music of Chopin.
This music festival has grown from humble beginnings nearly 30 years ago to an internationally renowned event, with musicians performing from all over the globe.
Their web site has a full list of concerts and venues from April-September.