Skip to content

Language

Lavender rows at sunrise on the Valensole plateau in Provence
Nuno Alves, CC BY-SA

Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur for food travellers: Menton’s Fête du Citron, 13 to 28 February 2027, Collobrières’ chestnut festival in October, olive oil and citrus.

At a glance

  • Menton’s Fête du Citron, 13 to 28 February 2027, on the Italian border
  • More than 250,000 visitors a year at the lemon festival, says its organiser
  • A cuisine of olive oil, herbs and citrus, from Provence to the Riviera
  • Trains along the coast link Nice with Menton
  • Châteauneuf-du-Pape estates pour tastings for 8 to 26 euros, and cellar tours cost 20 to 35
  • Collobrières’ Fête de la Châtaigne, in the Var, on three October Sundays in 2026, free entry
  • 2food festivals
  • 1culinary experience

Food festivals in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Giant lion and giraffe sculptures made of lemons and oranges at the Fête du Citron in MentonNicolas sartore, CC BY-SAFruits & vegetablesFeb 13 to 28

Fête du Citron

Menton’s lemon festival, 13 to 28 February 2027: citrus floats, the Jardins Biovès, a free food and craft market, dated tickets and the train.MentonView
Café terrace on a bridge over the river among plane trees in CollobrièresSuperbass, CC BY-SAFruits & vegetablesUsually Oct

Fête de la Châtaigne, Collobrières

Collobrières’ chestnut festival, Sundays 11, 18 and 25 October 2026: growers’ market, a theme for each Sunday, free entry, €2 parking and shuttles.CollobrièresView

Culinary experiences in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Old vines in rows on pebbly galet soil at Châteauneuf-du-Papejean-louis zimmermann, CC BYWinery visit15 minutes to 2 hours

Châteauneuf-du-Pape winery visits

Tastings and cellar tours at seven Châteauneuf-du-Pape estates: tastings from 8 to 26 euros per adult, guided tours from 20 to 35 euros, with seasons and rules.Châteauneuf-du-PapeView

Cities and towns in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Vineyard slopes and rooftops of Châteauneuf-du-Pape with Mont Ventoux in the distanceBlueBreezeWiki, CC BY-SA1 listing

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Châteauneuf-du-Pape winery visits
Café terrace on a bridge over the river among plane trees in CollobrièresSuperbass, CC BY-SA1 listing

Collobrières

Fête de la Châtaigne, Collobrières
Colourful old town of Menton reflected in the sea on the Côte d'AzurTobi 87, CC BY-SA1 listing

Menton

Fête du Citron

Map of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Food festivals in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, month by month

  1. Jan
  2. 1Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. 1Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

What to taste in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

  • Menton lemon

    The lemon of Menton, which the festival’s organiser calls a reference for great chefs.

  • Olive oil

    Pressed across Provence and the hills behind the Riviera.

  • Socca

    A thin chickpea pancake, a street snack of Nice.

  • Bouillabaisse

    Marseille’s fish stew, served with rouille and croutons.

Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur is the south-eastern corner of mainland France, from the Rhône delta to the Italian border, and from the Mediterranean coast up to the southern Alps. Its capital is Marseille, and its coast, the Côte d’Azur or French Riviera, runs east through Cannes and Nice to Menton.

Olive oil, herbs and citrus

The cooking of the region rests on olive oil, garlic, herbs, vegetables and fish.

  • Marseille: bouillabaisse, the fish stew of the port.
  • Nice: socca, a chickpea pancake, and salade niçoise.
  • Menton: lemons, celebrated each winter at the Fête du Citron, which draws more than 250,000 visitors a year, according to its organiser.

The 2027 Fête du Citron runs from 13 to 28 February, with parades of floats made of citrus fruit.

Winter is the season of the Fête du Citron, which fills Menton for sixteen days in February. Its craft and food market is free to enter, while the parades are paid.

In the Var, Collobrières holds its Fête de la Châtaigne on three October Sundays (11, 18 and 25 October 2026), free entry, with a chestnut growers’ market.

Rosé country since the Phocaeans

The Vins de Provence trade body dates the region’s wine to the Phocaeans, who founded Marseille about 2,600 years ago and brought the vine to France. The Romans who settled around 200 BC called the land Provincia, the origin of the name Provence. Between the 5th and 12th centuries, abbeys such as Saint-Victor in Marseille and Le Thoronet made and sold wine.

  • Rosé first: 91 percent of the vines are given to rosé, with 134 million AOP bottles in 2024, or 40 to 45 percent of France’s AOP rosé.
  • Three appellations: Côtes de Provence (1977), Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence (1985) and Coteaux Varois en Provence (1993).
  • The Menton lemon: a protected geographical indication since 2015.
  • Châteauneuf-du-Pape: in the Rhône valley, estate tastings cost 8 to 26 euros per adult and cellar tours with a tasting 20 to 35 euros.

The Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur coast by train

  • Air: Nice Côte d’Azur airport is the gateway to the eastern Riviera.
  • Rail: a regional railway follows the coast from Nice to Menton and on to Italy. During the lemon festival the organiser asks visitors to favour public transport, and the trains of the regional ZOU network in particular.

Before you go

  • Gateway: Nice Côte d’Azur airport serves the Riviera. Marseille has the other large airport of the region.
  • Trains: the regional ZOU network runs along the coast to Menton.
  • Winter on the Riviera: February is the month of the Fête du Citron in Menton.
  • Traffic: during the lemon festival, the organiser asks visitors to favour public transport.
  • Beds: Nice is the largest base on the eastern Riviera.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Fête du Citron 2027?

From 13 to 28 February 2027, in Menton.

How do you get to Menton by train?

With the regional ZOU trains, which the Fête du Citron recommends for reaching Menton.

What food is Provence known for?

Olive oil, herbs, vegetables and fish: bouillabaisse in Marseille, socca in Nice, and citrus around Menton.

Is the Fête du Citron free?

Partly. The Corso parades are entirely paid, while the craft and food market is free to enter.