Original subtitles

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- Our journey begins at Avignon,

once home to medieval Popes

and the site of a famous bridge across the River Rhone.

We then cross the Alpilles mountains,

exploring beautiful hill top villages

before arriving at Arles,

one of the most important cities in Roman Gaul.

To the south on the coast is Marseille,

which has a history stretching back to the ancient Greeks.

It's the second biggest city in France

and it's the most important port on the Mediterranean.

Fly east along the Cote d'Azur,

also known as the French Riviera

is one of the best known resorts Saint Tropez,

the playground of the rich and famous.

Our final location is Monaco,

one of the smallest countries in the world

and also one of the richest,

due to its lenient tax regime.

But perhaps best known for its Formula One Grand Prix.

The city of Avignon lies on the south bank

of the River Rhone

with a history stretching back into Antiquity.

At its heart is the Papal Palace,

and one of the largest and most important

medieval gothic buildings in Europe.

This enormous complex was also a fortress

and the seat of Western Christianity

during the 14th century, rather than Rome.

This was because Clement V,

a Frenchman elected Pope in 1305

declined to move to the Vatican.

Instead, moving the papacy to Avignon.

During a period of 67 years,

seven successive popes resided here.

Papal control of the city lasted until the French Revolution

in the late 18th century when it became part of France.

In 1859, the gilded statue of the Virgin Mary

was added to the newly restored cathedral

following its abandonment during the revolution.

Another landmark of the city

is the Pont D'Avignon,

a bridge built in the 13th century

but abandoned four centuries later

as 18 of the original 22 arches

had been swept away in floodwater.

The remaining four,

including a small chapel inspired the well known

medieval song Sur Le Pont d'Avignon.

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The city's historic center including the bridge

became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

Flying east, we come to the Luberon Natural Park,

which is a favorite destination for French high society

and popular with British and American visitors

because of all the picturesque towns and villages

and cultural associations.

And Gordes is no exception.

It's one of the best known hilltop villages in the region

and it's considered to be one of the most

beautiful in France.

Many artists have stayed here,

contributing to its fame,

including Marc Chagall.

The houses and buildings of white stone

seem almost rooted in the steep cliffs of the mountain.

During World War Two,

Gordes suffered terribly,

much of the village was destroyed by the Germans

in a reprisal for active resistance

and over 30 people massacred.

The whole village was later awarded

the Croix de Guerre medal.

A few kilometers to the east

and also in the Luberon Natural Park

is the richly colored village of Roussillon.

It stands at the center

of the largest ochre deposits in the world.

The village is not an historical site

but it is a magical place where the many different oxides

and the ochre sands combine in a dazzling display of color,

both in the washes on many of the houses

and in the surrounding quarries.

Ochre has been used since pre-historic times

and was mined here by the Romans

during their settlement of Provence.

However, ochre only became a widespread industrial product

in the late 18th century.

And the quarries of Roussillon were mined right up

until 1930 when mining techniques were modernized

and more profitable ochre quarries

elsewhere became exploitable.

This resulted in the gradual closing down

of the industry in and around Roussillon.

From the 1980s, tourism has replaced ochre

as a source of income and mining is strictly prohibited

in order to protect the sites from gradual destruction.

Today, two trails starting in Roussillon

take visitors through the old workings

so that they can marvel at nature's colors

in all their spectacular glory.

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There is also another color in Provence

which dominates the landscape during the summer months

and comes with a wonderful fragrance, lavender.

It's said to heal insect bites,

sooth headaches and aid sleep if you have the flowers

by your pillow.

When it's dried, it can be used to repel moths

and lavender oil is used medically

as well as in aromatherapy and in air fresheners.

The lavender fields are one of the iconic sites of Provence

and draw visitors from around the world.

Visitors also come to Provence

to see the many ancient ruins from the days

of the Roman Empire.

Such as Glanum, a fortified town.

In 27 B.C., the Emperor Augustus

created the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis

and in this province, Glanum was built.

It was not a particularly prosperous town,

but it was wealthy enough to enlarge the Forum

and to have extensive bards and other public buildings

clad in marble.

A triumphal arch was built outside the town

as well as an impressive mausoleum,

both now undergoing restoration.

Glanum did not survive the collapse

of the Roman Empire,

the town was overrun and destroyed by Germanic tribes

in 260 A.D.

And subsequently, abandoned.

In the following centuries,

the town became a source of building materials

for nearby villages.

And since the Roman drains and sewers were not maintained,

the ruins became flooded and covered with mud and sediment.

The first systematic excavations began in 1921

and have continued ever since.

Standing out on a spectacular rocky outcrop

in the Alpille mountains is Les Beaux de Provence.

It has been named

one of the most beautiful villages in France

and attracts well over a million visitors per year.

Towering over the small village

is the ancient castle built

between the 11th and 12th centuries.

It was the stronghold of the Princes of Beaux.

They were said to be descended

from the biblical magi Balthazar

and their coat of arms was a silver star

with 16 branches to serve as a reminder

that according to the Gospel,

"it guided the three wise men to Bethlehem."

At the end of the 12th century,

the last Prince of Beaux was defeated in battle

and the castle and estate were taken by the French.

In the 17th century,

the town was offered to the Grimqldi family of Monaco

along with the title of Marquis of Beaux,

a title conferred on the heir to the throne ever since.

In 1821, a French geologist Pierre Berthier

while working here in the village

discovered aluminum ore and named the rock

after the village, beauxite.

It was extensively mined in this area

until the end of the 20th century.

Today, Les Beaux is a major tourist destination.

The city of Arles is perhaps best known as the backdrop

for around 300 paintings

by one of the world's greatest artists, Vincent Van Gogh.

Attracted by the light,

he lived here for 15 months.

2,000 years earlier,

Arles was one of the most important cities in Roman Gaul

and two important buildings remain from this period.

This is the amphitheater

where gladiators fought to the death

and wild animals were killed in front of an audience

of 21,000 people.

After the fall of the Roman Empire,

a town grew up inside the arena

with houses, shops and chapels.

All of this was cleared out in the 1820s

when the amphitheater was restored.

Today, it's used to host outdoor spectacles,

concerts and other events.

Close by is the Roman Theater

which is also used for summer time concerts and plays.

It was built at the end of the 1st century B.C.

For hundreds of years,

after the Romans left,

this building was a source of construction materials

and was literally being chipped away

until 1840 when it was declared

a National Historic Monument.

Today, both the theater

and arena are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

South of Arles is an area known as the Carmargue

which lies between the two arms of the Rhone river

where it flows into the Mediterranean Sea.

It's Europe's largest river delta.

Around a third of the 820 square kilometer park

consists of saltwater lagoons cut off from the sea

by sand bars and encircled by reed beds.

The Carmargue is a haven for wildlife

including the great flamingo who feed

in the saltwater ponds.

But perhaps the most popular animals to see

are the Carmargue horses,

one of the oldest breeds in the world.

Even though they are working horses,

they prefer to live in the wild all year round.

At birth, they are colored dark brown of black

but turn white around the age of four.

These horses are the traditional mount of the guardians,

the Carmargue cowboys who herd the black bulls

used in bull fighting across towns in southern France

like here at Saint Marie de la Mer.

Unlike in Spanish bullfighting,

here the bull survive and the contest

is to snatch a rosette from the head of a young bull.

One of the main industry's in the Carmargue

is salt production,

which has been harvested here since Roman times.

Due to variable algae concentrations,

vivid colors from pale green to bright red

are created in the evaporation ponds.

Salt is produced by pumping sea water

across salt flats before arriving in salt pans.

By then it is saturated in salt

and the water is evaporated by the sun and the wind

so that the salt can crystallize.

It's then harvested in the autumn

and shipped to markets around the world.

This is Marseille, the second largest city in France

and its most important port on the Mediterranean.

In fact, it was just as important to the Romans

2,000 years earlier and the Greeks before that

when they founded a colony here called Marsalia.

In the mid-15th century,

the Count of Provence strengthened the city's fortifications

and in the 19th century,

the city's best known landmark,

a Catholic basilica was built on the site of an old fort.

It's the most visited place in Marseille.

Indeed the city is also one of the most visited

destinations in France,

with around four million tourists a year,

including close to a million passengers from cruise ships.

They all come to explore Marseille's beaches,

history, architecture and its 24 museums and 42 theaters.

To the south of Marseille is the Cote de Cassis.

This is an area of wild and rugged terrain

stretching 20 kilometers along the coast.

Made a national park in 2012,

the much visited coastline

contains the highest sea cliffs in France,

at around 550 meters.

A few kilometers in land from the coast

is the Paul Ricard motor racing circuit.

Ricard made a fortune from his pastis drinks business

and built the track next to his private air field.

It took only 10 months to construct.

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The track is dominated by the high speed Mistral Straight

at just under two kilometers.

Between 1971 and 1990,

the circuit held several French Grand Prix races.

In 1999, following Paul Ricard's death,

the track was sold and turned into a high tech test track.

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2016, it was announced that the circuit would once again

hold the French Grand Prix, the first since 2008.

Back on the coast is the city of Toulon

and the principal base for the French Navy

since the end of the 16th century.

As we round a headland, an old watch tower stands guard

over this natural harbor.

Not surprisingly, security is paramount

and there is a no-fly zone over the area,

which restricts our helicopter to the coast.

Toulon holds most of France's naval force

including the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle

as well as its submarine fleet.

This is a Rubis-class nuclear attack submarine

returning to its base.

The class comprises six vessels

and they are all named after gemstones

with the exception of one called Casablanca.

As we climb away from the restricted zone,

a French Air Force C160 Transport aircraft

is on a low level flight and passes underneath us

giving us a really good view.

This airplane is also used for electronic intelligence

and as a communications platform.

This is the start of the Cote d'Azur,

often known in English as the French Riviera.

Famous as the playground of the rich and famous,

along with their luxury motor yachts.

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One of the best known sea resorts along the French Riviera

is Saint Tropez.

It's probably the most famous resort in Europe.

Back in the early 1950s,

this small fishing village was a summertime getaway

for Parisian left bank artists, writers and actors

such as Picasso, Jean-Paul Sarte and Juliette Greco.

But then in 1956, Brigitte Bardot,

the French actress made And God Created Woman

in Saint Tropez.

It turned her into an overnight sensation

and the town gained a reputation for elicit pleasure.

It never looked back.

It used to be frequented

by European and American celebrities,

but these days there is likely to be Russian,

Brazilian or Chinese.

If they weren't here,

the charming village streets would not have quite so many

yacht charter firms, top end estate agencies,

ferociously expensive restaurants

and big ticket designer boutiques.

It's not a place to come for peace and quiet

'cause in the summer,

Saint Tropez welcomes around 100,000 visitors a day.

For those seeking a quieter life,

but still with deep pockets then not far away

is Port Grimaud, a unique architectural development

inspired by the canals of Venice

and often referred to as the Venice of Provence.

Although the houses are accessible by car,

the series of canals are the real roads.

Virtually every house has its own berth

at the end of the garden

and almost everyone owns a yacht or boat.

The houses are designed to emulate the styles

of the original fisherman's houses of Saint Tropez

and the colors and the level of the roofs

and other subtle details are all different

so that none looks the same as its neighbor.

Changing the color of your house is not permitted.

Sailing is a sport that has been popular

since the end of the 19th century,

and here in the waters off Cannes

are large classic yachts from that early period

gathered together for the annual Royal Regatta.

It's a great sight as these wooden yachts

glide across Cannes Bay,

their white sails billowing in the wind.

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This gaff cutter is called Mariquita

meaning ladybird in Spanish

and one of the last of the 19 meter racing yachts.

Her story is something of a resurrection.

She was built in 1911 in Scotland for an industrialist

and was one of the finest yachts of her time.

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But within 40 years,

she had become a houseboat with no mast and no keel

and sadly neglected.

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In 1991, she was re-discovered

and after a five year long pain staking restoration

she was once again able to take to the sea

and show off her graceful lines.

Standing out in the bay are the Lerins Islands

and on the smaller one, the Isle de Saint Horat

lies Lerins Abbey,

which has a history stretching back

to the 5th century.

During the Middle Ages,

the monks were obliged to take an active part

in defending the coast against invasions

from the Moors of Algeria

and a fortified monastery was built here

between the 11th and 14th centuries.

Following the French Revolution,

the island was sold off to become a private home.

But in 1859, it was bought back by the church

and a new Cistercian community was founded

which has remained here ever since.

The islands overlook the city of Cannes,

known for its association with the rich and famous,

its luxury hotels and restaurants

and perhaps above all, the film festival.

The popularity of Cannes began with an English aristocrat

Henry Broom who accidentally discovered the place in 1835

when it was little more than a fishing village.

He bought a tract of land and built his villa on it.

He also attracted more English aristocracy

to build winter residences here.

Cannes eventually named the beachfront

the Promenade of the English and put up a statue of him.

The International Film Festival began in 1946

and today is held on the seafront

in the Palace of Festivals and Conferences

built in the 1980s.

As a successful resort,

Cannes is hardly a cheap place to live

but seems moderate compared with elsewhere

along the French Riviera where house prices

in places like Cap d'Antibes and Cap Ferrat

can climb into the many millions of dollars.

If they have a private beach and wonderful views,

prices start around 20 million dollars.

Some are so luxurious that they even have a helipad

so owners can avoid the often crowded roads.

Only the super rich can afford these types of properties.

A few years ago, a house and estate of Cap d'Antibes

sold for over 150 million dollars.

Our last location

is the second smallest country in the world, Monaco.

Only the Vatican City in Rome is smaller.

Hemmed in by a high mountain range

the country is pressed into just 200 hectares.

What it lacks in size, it makes up for in its wealth.

Around 30% of its population are millionaires.

But before we take a look at this remarkable place,

we need to land and re-fuel.

With no airport of its own,

helicopters are a bit like taxis

delivering wealthy residents to and from Nice Airport.

The country is ruled by the Prince of Monaco,

who resides in a palace which was begun in the 12th century

as a fortress.

Since the end of the 13th century,

it's been the stronghold and home of the Grimaldi family

who over the centuries have often derived their power

from fragile agreements

with their larger and stronger neighbors.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries,

the princes became symbols of the glamor and appeal

that was associated with the French Riviera.

Aristocracy met the silver screen in 1956

when the American film star Grace Kelly

married Prince Rainier.

For well over 100 years,

Monaco has welcomed visitors who want to gamble

and live the high life.

And for those who want to become a resident,

it's also one of the world's tax havens.

Residents currently pay no income tax at all.

Monaco itself is a long way from being the prettiest town

on the French Riviera as it's dominated

by high rise hotels and apartment blocks

that climb into the hills.

Perhaps the city is best known for the Monaco Grand Prix

which has taken place on its streets since 1929.

It's widely considered to be

one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world.

This sovereign principality and magnet for the wealthy

is the perfect place to end this journey.

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