Cycling across the idyllic Plateau de Valensole in Provence, where lavender fields perfume the air.
In summer, Provence offers brilliant blue skies and Mediterranean beaches. The winters can be a bit wetter, but they are still relatively warm, especially by the sea, where pines and oaks give way to palm trees, vibrant purple bougainvillaea and citrus orchards.
Provence’s southernmost tip, around Bandol and La Londe, is on roughly the same latitude as Bolgheri in southern Tuscany. The region is famous for its Grenache-based rosés and beautiful beachside living, while its limestone garrigues, stunning scented lavender fields (in bloom June into August) and hilltop villages have attracted artists and tourists to the area for more than a century.
When dining in small countryside bistros, in addition to the ubiquitous rosés, expect to find a range of traditional Syrah-dominant reds and Rolle-dominant whites that aren’t typically found outside of the region. Much of Provence’s modern viticultural history can be traced back to the introduction of the railway. The Permian depression – a low-lying area whose geology dates back to the Permian Period (299-251 million years ago) – that runs from Toulon eastwards to around Fréjus, passing through Vidauban, has been a communications and transport corridor since Roman times and in the 1850s, the railway from Marseille was built through it, linking up with Nice by 1864. Many of the Côtes de Provence appellation’s vineyards lie within a few kilometres of this line, with easy access to export markets a key consideration. This historic heartland is the easiest region to visit by bicycle. The hills of Coteaux Varois and the lavender fields of the Luberon are mostly out of reach without a car.
A secondary railway line was opened by the last decade of the 19th century, linking Nice with the Durance valley via Grasse and the grape growing heartlands of northern Provence: Callas, Flayosc, Lorgues and Rians. The line was discontinued after World War II, and much of its length is now quiet, cycle-friendly roads, often running side-by-side with modern, wider ones.
The Aygalades viaduct in Marseille, part of a railway that passes through the Côtes de Provence appellation. Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus
Day one
Arrival, Les Arcs, Draguignan & environs
The reintroduced sleeper trains from Paris to the south of France mirror the former Le Train Bleu – the iconic train that swept tourists to the riviera between 1886 and 2003. Departing from Paris Gare d’Austerlitz every evening (usually between 8.50pm and 9.30pm; check timetables), the sleeper today stops at Marseille, Toulon, Les Arcs/Draguignan and St-Raphael/Fréjus – all of which offer easy connections to vineyards. If you’re arriving from further afield, Nice airport is very well connected, and most trains to Les Arcs take a little over an hour, leaving roughly hourly from the airport station.
Les Arcs is a good first stop and base for a few days. Start the day at a café in the plane tree-shaded main square of this slightly sleepy, medieval Provençal village. The square is lined by small restaurants and cafés, mostly frequented by locals and serving local wines. Walk 15 minutes through the old town centre and you’ll find the little-known Domaine Valette (+33 [0]4 94 73 30 55), a small family-run estate; the wines are charming, authentic and inexpensive. Then, if you’re looking for some luxury, the one-star Michelin restaurant Le Relais des Moines is just down the road.
About 20 minutes’ walk from the station, on the other side of the railway, is the Maison des Vins of Côtes de Provence. Offering a free tasting of six rosés, six reds and four whites from across the appellation, this is an absolute must for an introduction to the wines of the area. You’ll be walking past Château Saint Pierre and the Cellier des Archers cooperative on the way, both of which also offer free tastings.
Les Arcs is also a good…
Source : https://www.decanter.com.master.public.keystone-prod-eks-euw1.futureplc.engineering/wine/provence-by-train-and-bike-536819/
