What’s New in the South of France

Fringed by the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea, and with a backdrop of lavender fields and vineyards, the South of France is one of the most visited destinations in Europe.

Although its glamorous seaside towns, alluring medieval villages and picturesque landscapes are the area’s main attractions, a range of new cultural sites, award-winning restaurants and revamped hotel offerings will tempt even more travelers to the region this year. Here’s what your clients won’t want to miss if they’re visiting the South of France soon. 

Improved Travel Options and Facilities

Reachable from Paris by a 90-minute flight (or a three- to six-hour high-speed train ride, if clients prefer to take it slow), the South of France now offers two overnight train options. The SNCF Connect provides nightly sleeper trains between Paris and Cannes or Nice, with options for shared first- and second-class cabins.

For a more luxurious journey, Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express travels between Paris and Cannes, an 18-hour journey that includes a gourmet meal and breakfast.

If travelers are planning on visiting a few different places in the South of France in one day, there’s a new unlimited rail pass for the Cote d’Azur and certain destinations in Provence. 

The city of Nice has been going through various urban improvements, as well. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021, Nice is known for its Promenade des Anglais, which now offers wider sidewalks, larger cafe terraces and hundreds of new trees. The port is also in the midst of a renewal project that includes a new direct tram line to the airport, a pleasure port for boat excursions and a new convention center that will host the U.N. Ocean Conference in July 2025.

Updated Museums and New Cultural Sites 

This summer, Aix-en-Provence will be paying homage to its most famous former resident, Paul Cezanne. The French Impressionist’s studio, Atelier des Lauves, will reopen after extensive renovations, and his family’s home, Jas de Bouffan — where Cezanne painted murals in the grand salon — will open to the public for the first time (reservations required).

The city’s art museum, Musee Granet, will also host a special Cezanne exhibit. Clients can visit these and other sites linked to the artist with the help of the free Sur les pas de Cezanne app.

A must for modern art fans, Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul de Vence completed a vast expansion in time for its 60th anniversary last summer. The additional 5,300+ square feet of exhibition space offers better displays for its impressive collection of works by the likes of Alberto Giacometti, Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall.  

In 2024, Nice’s Musee Matisse also reopened after lengthy renovations, and at the beginning of 2025, Cannes’ contemporary art exhibition space, La Malmaison, unveiled its own renovations, which tripled its exhibition spaces and added a new panoramic rooftop terrace overlooking the bay. 

Unique Activities 

Clients can experience Marseille from the unique perspective of the sea on the excellent private or shared-group boat trips by Les Barquettes. Aboard beautiful traditional wooden boats that seat a maximum of eight or 20, the eco-friendly company offers historic tours of the Old Port and its surroundings; sunset cruises with exceptional quality local drinks and snacks; and half- and full-day tours that visit nearby inlets and islands. 

At Rose et Marius, a luxury perfumery in Aix-en-Provence, visitors can learn all about the South of France’s perfume heritage and design their own scent during new workshops.

The L’Occitane en Provence factory in Manosque, meanwhile, has enhanced its visitor experiences. In addition to tours of the production site (online registration required), guests can now get a free facial diagnostic and personalize their own hand cream.

Admirers of pottery should take a detour to Aubagne, a village outside Marseille that has been added to the European Route of Ceramics. Once in the town, clients can visit several pottery manufacturers in the village, including Santon Di Landro,Louis Sicard and Ravel Poterie.

New and Renovated Hotels

Nestled on a hillside above Saint-Tropez, Althoff Villa Belrose has just completed a three-year renovation. Guestrooms have received a stylish modern facelift that blends colorful modern artwork and textiles with custom-designed natural wood furniture.

Dreamy views of Saint-Tropez and the surrounding coastline can be enjoyed from clients’ private terrace or the restaurant, where new chef Jimmy Coutel prepares exquisite Mediterranean cuisine using ingredients sourced from nearby producers.  

Set within a lush private estate beneath Saint-Paul de Vence, Domaine du Mas de Pierre completed a large expansion in 2021 and has also renovated its original rooms more recently. The five-star Relais & Chateaux hotel now has 76 rooms and suites spread over nine buildings, three large pools — including a lagoon pool with real sand — and an award-winning spa that’s open to outside clients (as are its two restaurants that offer sublime views over breathtaking countryside).

The most talked-about hotel opening in Nice is Hotel du Couvent. Within The Luxury Collection from Marriott, the restored former convent has 88 minimalist rooms and suites — some with private terraces overlooking the convent’s cloisters — as well as a cafe, bar and two restaurants open to outside guests.

For some seaside luxury, Palm Beach Cannes has completed a five-year renovation that modernized all rooms and facilities while retaining the legendary hotel’s 1920s spirit. This includes an incredible beach club and the reopening of its casino, previously closed for several decades.

Can’t-Miss Restaurants  

After successes in Paris, Lyon and Lille, the La Nouvelle Garde group of modern brasseries has opened its first restaurant in Marseille, Brasserie Barbotin. Like the group’s other restaurants, Barbotin serves affordable French classics with a modern twist that clients can enjoy in its whimsical interiors or on the giant terrace on a bustling square near the Old Port. 

Last year, star chef Jean Imbert took over the reins of La Palme d’Or, the restaurant of the famous Hotel Martinez in Cannes, and swiftly earned himself a Michelin star this spring. 

Similarly, over in Monte Carlo, Marcel Ravin garnered himself a Michelin star in less than a year as chef at Elsa, a refined beach restaurant where guests can sample his menu that revolves around sustainable products from the Mediterranean.