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For one of the best restaurant views you’ll ever enjoy, head to L’Orangerie at the five-star hotel Bastide de Gordes. Here, you can dine on the garden terrace or open-air veranda with breathtaking vistas over the Luberon Valley. The menu features traditional Provençale dishes, providing flavors—and prices—to match the elegant setting. Start with a salad of chilled watermelon, feta, mixed greens, and fresh mint, followed by roasted cod with squid ink spaghetti. The Grand Marnier soufflé with bourbon-vanilla ice cream will set you back around $20, but there are few places you can savor dessert in such extraordinary surrounds.

There’s no shortage of outstanding places to eat in Avignon, but this small husband-and-wife-run restaurant is one of the best. Here, the well-priced menu focuses on local dishes made with seasonal produce, from pumpkin-and-butternut-squash soup with chorizo croutons to fillet of Iberian pork in cider-and-apple jus. Whatever you choose, be sure to finish with one of the delectable desserts, like banana pie with caramel and whipped cream.

Take a two-hour dinner cruise along the Rhône River aboard the charming Mireio, the largest panoramic restaurant boat in the region. On the Saint Bénézet Cruise, you’ll pass the most beautiful sites in Avignon—from the famous Pont d’Avignon and the quays along the Rhône to the Palais des Papes, the clock tower, and the Rocher des Doms—all while enjoying delicious dishes like duck with Provençale herbs and seasonal vegetables, and fillet of beef with jus au Châteauneuf-du-Pape. For something even more lively, you can opt for the Dinner Entertainment Cruise, which includes dancing on board until 1 a.m., or the Dinner Show Cruise, complete with a candlelit dinner and Brazilian entertainment. There are also lunch cruises, though they’re often more crowded than the dinner options.

Just 7.5 miles north of Avignon, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is heaven for red wine lovers. Home to 80 growers, the village produces more wine than the entire northern Rhône region collectively, using several of the appellation’s 14 permitted grape varieties, including grenache and syrah. Find your favorite at Maison du Vin Vinadéa, which offers between six and 10 free tastings each day—plus bottles for sale at vineyard prices. The shop features more than 200 different wines—including rare white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, red magnums, and, depending on the season, rosé and white wines from Côtes du Rhône, Tavel, Gigondas, and Rasteau—so you’re guaranteed to find something you like. In 2019, Vinadéa plans to launch a museum and wine bar for further enjoyment.

Housed in a 17th-century town house at the heart of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, this boutique hotel offers superior service, luxurious rooms, a secret garden with a swimming pool, and an art gallery, where pieces by local artists and designers hang alongside souvenirs from the owners’ extensive travels. Past the hotel’s monumental entrance with its 300-year-old locks, a staircase lined with 17th-century stained glass leads to four spacious rooms, each uniquely decorated with fine furniture, carefully selected fabrics, and objects from around the world. Guests can also look forward to a cozy lounge with a fireplace, and a bright kitchen, where cool-as-can-be owners Frédéric and Marie-Claude serve a mind-blowing breakfast spread each morning.

Although Van Gogh painted his famous Wagons de Chemin de Fer while living in Arles, the painting actually hangs in the Musée Angladon in Avignon, along with a sumptuous collection of paintings and furniture inherited from visionary fashion designer Jacques Doucet. Here, in the 18th-century mansion where Doucet’s two nephews once lived, visitors can view works by top 19th- and 20th-century artists like Degas, Cézanne, Manet, Picasso, and Modigliani, as well as European and Far Eastern decorative arts from the Renaissance through the 18th century. What the collection lacks in size it more than makes up for in excellence, plus the museum often hosts temporary exhibitions by contemporary artists like David Hockney that only enhance the experience.

At Cuisine de Provence, Barbara Schuerenberg offers memorable, hands-on cooking classes in her home kitchen overlooking Vaison-la-Romaine and Mont Ventoux. Students learn to prepare five or six typical Provençale dishes using fresh, seasonal produce from Vaison’s famous market, then enjoy the fruits of their labor during a lunch paired with regional wines. Held in English and open to all abilities, the 4.5-hour classes also include a complimentary apron and illustrated recipes, so you can re-create the flavors of Provence for your friends and family back home.

Just 33 miles northeast of Avignon, the town of Vaison-la-Romaine is home to some of France’s most significant archaeological finds. The Ouvèze River flows through the village, creating two separate banks. On the left, a medieval town features enchanting fountains, houses built into the sides of cliffs, a towering belfry, and the ruins of a 12th-century castle. On the right, the new town surrounds an ancient Roman village, complete with preserved dwellings, a theater from the 1st century C.E., and a Gallo-Roman bridge. Amid the Puymin and La Vilasse archaeological sites, you’ll also find the imposing Our Lady of Nazareth Cathedral (built in the 11th and 12th centuries) and the St. Quenin Chapel (with an apse dating back to the 13th century). A 9-euro (around $10) pass grants 24-hour access to all the sites with guided tours if desired, but you can also just wander the cobblestone streets for free, discovering ancient doorways, striking facades, and hidden statues as you go.

Tucked away in a quiet pocket of Aix-en-Provence, Hôtel Le Pigonnet seems too good to be true, from its four acres of flowering gardens and statue-lined swimming pool to its outdoor restaurant under the chestnut trees and cozy bar with live music. In fact, the hotel, which is housed in a former 18th-century Provençal manor, is so lovely that Cézanne used to wander the grounds, painting the distant Ste-Victoire mountain from various angles. Currently owned by French actor Christophe Lambert, Le Pigonnet is a deserving member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, with 45 romantic rooms and service that accounts for every detail. Stay here for just one night and you’ll understand why it’s attracted the likes of Princess Caroline and Clint Eastwood.

A Good Year, starring Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard, was shot in Cucuron, just 35 miles north of Aix-en-Provence. While the medieval town hasn’t had many celebrity sightings since, it stills draws visitors with its exquisite Michelin-starred restaurant Le Petit Maison. Here, the weekly set menus—each available with wine pairings—come courtesy of chef Eric Sapet, who worked for 11 years in renowned Paris restaurants like the three-Michelin-starred Tour d’Argent. Ranging from wild shrimp bouillabaisse with chanterelle mushrooms to roast duck breast with peaches, his dishes are something to be savored, especially when enjoyed in La Petite Maison’s elegant dining room, which charms with old-fashioned woodwork, Renaissance tapestries, and period tiles.

A 10-minute bus ride from Rotunde lies Camp des Milles, a former tile factory that served as an internment camp and deportation center from 1939 to 1942. In August and September of 1942 alone, the camp held 10,000 people, 2,000 of whom were eventually deported to Auschwitz. Today, the site functions as a history museum and memorial, with the purpose of honoring those lost during the Holocaust and educating against racism, anti-Semitism, and all forms of fanaticism. Over three floors, visitors can observe areas like the former sleeping quarters, and view illustrations and paintings left by the interned on the walls. In addition to its permanent exhibitions, the museum often hosts temporary shows, cultural events, conferences, educational workshops, and more.

At 6,200 feet, Mont Ventoux—also known as the “Beast of Provence”—is the highest mountain in the Vaucluse region, and a popular part of the Tour de France cycling race. About half a mile from the summit stands a memorial to British cyclist Tom Simpson, who died during the 1967 Tour de France at just 29 years old. It serves as a sort of reminder to those tackling the grueling, 15.5-mile ascent, which, at some points, features a 10 percent gradient. At the top, winds can howl at up to 150 miles an hour, but the panoramic view stretches all the way from the Alps to the Mediterranean Sea. Despite being nicknamed the Bald Eagle, Mont Ventoux is a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, with more than 1,000 species of flora and fauna. Take a drive to the top, then reward yourself with a visit to the Boyer nougat factory in nearby Sault, or a stop at the Vallon des Lavandes distillery on the Lavender Route.

Opened in September 2017, Hotel Californian breathes new life into the Santa Barbara waterfront. Where once was a parking lot now stand two Spanish Colonial Revival buildings, done up in Moorish-inspired décor by celebrity designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard. The 121-room hotel also comprises the 1925 Hotel Californian across State Street (it retains its original façade but has otherwise been gutted) as well as another building across East Mason (which houses a ballroom and the two-bedroom presidential suite). In other words, the hotel is the new center of the neighborhood, partly because of its size but also due its many offerings, which range from a stylish boutique and Turkish-inspired spa to gourmet café Goat Tree and fine-dining restaurant Blackbird.

Spacious rooms mix Spanish colonial architecture, Moroccan influences, and custom furnishings for a modern take on Santa Barbara chic. All feature plush beds, marble bathrooms, and premium cocktail carts, while some have Juliet balconies or oversized verandas with views of the hotel courtyards, city, ocean, or Santa Ynez Mountains. Larger rooms even have seating areas and fireplaces for extra comfort. Should guests ever wish to venture outside, there’s a rooftop pool and event deck with sweeping views of the coastline, as well as a large lawn space for lounging. Also, the Funk Zone with its popular restaurants and Urban Wine Trail is right down the street, making the Hotel Californian one of Santa Barbara’s trendiest spots to stay.

One of France’s national monuments, the St. Sauveur Cathedral in Aix-en-Provence occupies the site of a 1st-century Roman forum and, according to legend, a temple to Apollo. Upon approaching the church, you’ll immediately notice its varied architecture—there’s a 12th-century Romanesque gate adjoining a Roman wall; an enormous, intricately carved Gothic gate from the 15th and 16th centuries; and a bell tower that was erected between 1323 and 1425. Inside, three naves of different styles (Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque) flank an octagonal font, which rests on a stand dating back to the 5th century. As with many sites in Aix, you can scan a QR code with your smartphone and download an audio guide to learn more about the cathedral, including its 12th-century cloister and baptistery.

Art lovers will have to wait until at least 2121 for the opening of Aix’s Jacqueline and Pablo Picasso Museum, which will include 2,000 works from when the artist was married to his second wife. Until then, they can find Picasso on the walls of the Musée Granet, which also boasts pieces by Cézanne, Rembrandt, Degas, Renoir, Monet, and Van Gogh, plus an American exhibition, a neoclassical sculpture collection, and several Pop Art works. The museum is a little tricky to find—look for the Church of St. John off Cours Mirabeau—but once you’re there, it only costs 5.50 euros (around $6) for a ticket. Admission nearly doubles during the summer season but also includes entry to the nearby modern art museum, Granet XXe.