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This massive, fortress-like abbey, built by Benedictine monks in the 10th century, can be seen from a great distance. When it was built, the low hill on which it now stands was an island surrounded by pools and marshes and is still, appropriately, known as Mount Ararat. Damaged by fire in 1726, the abbey was restored during the 19th century, and its Eglise Notre-Dame is one of the largest Romanesque buildings in Provence. Below the church, a 12th-century crypt and chapel have been carved into the hillside (see Abbaye de Montmajour).

Silvacane, along with Sénanque (see Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque) and Thoronet, is one of the three great sister-abbeys constructed in the 12th century by the Cistercian order as it rose to prominence in Provence. Its plain, austere architecture reflects the rule of the order, which was founded by St Bernard in protest at the luxury and corruption of other monasteries. The church has a high, vaulted transept and the cloister arcades and refectory were added in the 13th and 14th centuries. Abandoned by its monks in the late 14th century, it became a living abbey once again in the 20th century.

There is much manmade splendour in Provence, but little to touch the majesty of this 12th-century Cistercian abbey, built in a wooded dip near Lorgues. Probably the finest example of Romanesque architecture in the region, along with its sister houses, Silvacane and Sénanque (see Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque), it rises with sober magnificence. The un-mortared stones of the church, monks’ buildings and cloisters are decorated only by changing sunlight, their interior volumes inspiring awe and serenity. The harmony of structure and setting make contemplation unavoidable.

When the summer lavender flowers, this medieval abbey surrounded by purple fields is a spectacular sight (see Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque).

Aix is just a stone’s throw from the sprawl of Marseille, but keeps its own identity, with cosmopolitan cafés, a grand cathedral and beautiful 18th-century fountains (see Aix-en-Provence).

Allemagne en Provence stands between the rugged canyon country of the Verdon and the lavender fields of the Valensole plateau. It is dominated by the palatial Château d’Allemagne, founded in the 12th century, which is now a luxury guesthouse (see Château d’Allemagne, Allemagne-en-Provence).

Annot stands in unspoilt countryside in the Vaire valley. Many houses are built into the giant sandstone glacial boulders, known as the grès d’Annot – some have 17th- and 18th-century carved façades.

This village, with its wandering little streets, is made truly remarkable by its chateau, built in the 12th century and still lived in by descendants of the same family. The vaulted rooms, armoury, salons and, especially, the kitchens are extraordinary.

Glass “bubble” over water allows close encounters of a marine kind.

Once lit, depending on the essence used, the sticks will clean the atmosphere, banish odours or, in the case of citronella, keep mosquitoes away.