Avignon is the heart of Provence, and it receives more than enough tourist love to deserve that title. It's a shopping capital throughout the year, but each June it sheds its fashionable skin for the July arts festival, which draws thousands of foreigners. Its medieval wall gives it an atmospheric darkness that seems ubiquitous in the south, but the lavender fields of summer breathe a lighter ambiance into the region. If Roman imperialism is more to your taste, Orange and its Triumphal Arch will welcome you. Fetch your Enterprise Rent-A-Car at the local train station before starting your tour.