This year, art lovers can add two blockbuster exhibits showcasing the works of Pablo Picasso in Aix-en-Provence and Antibes Juan-les-Pins, France, to their reasons for visiting the Mediterranean.
The Spanish artist lived on the Cote d'Azur after World War II, settling at various times in Cannes, Mougins, Vallauris and, most notably, in Antibes Juan-les-Pins.
The first exhibit, "Picasso 1945-1949: Era of Renewal," is running through June 14 at the Picasso Museum in Antibes, which reopened after a two-year renovation in July.
The Picasso exhibit will showcase some 150 of the artist's paintings, drawings and ceramics from his Antibes Period, some of which have been in private collections and never shown at the museum before.
The museum is located in the Chateau Grimaldi, which, in its earlier incarnations has been a Greek acropolis, a Roman fort and a private home in the Middle Ages before eventually being taken over by the Monaco royal family in the 14th century.
Picasso painted works specifically for the museum from a studio on the second floor, creating such masterpieces as "Les Cles d'Antibeson" and "Ulysse et les Sirenes."
In the 1960s, the Picasso Museum officially opened, and the modern art collection over the years has grown to include works by other artists, including Calder, Ernst, Modigliani and Miro.
The second big show, the Picasso-Cezanne Exhibit, will run from May 25 to Sept. 27 at the Granet Museum in Aix-en-Provence, about a half-hour by train from Marseille. The event will focus on the influence Cezanne had on modern art and especially on Picasso's later creations.
There will be 70 Picasso works and 30 paintings by Cezanne on display. Works will come from international galleries as well as from private collections.
The exhibit includes some of Picasso's Cubist works, explores themes the two artists shared (such as bathers and harlequins) and highlights some of the Cezanne paintings that Picasso had in his private collection.
Also on tap during this period is the public opening of the Chateau de Vauvenargues, about eight miles from Aix, where Picasso lived and was buried. Usually closed to the public, the castle will be opened to visitors by the owners, direct descendants of the artist, from May 25 to Sept. 25, to coincide with the Picasso events.
Visitors will be admitted in small groups, and admission is by reservation only. Sites of interest include the artist's studio and other private rooms, including the bathroom where Picasso's hand-painted faun still presides over the bathtub.
Art lovers whose travel plans don't coincide with these exhibitions can still see works by Picasso anytime at a number of venues on or near the Cote d'Azur.
The Angladon Museum in Avignon, for example, opened in 1996 and focuses on artists from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. In addition to Picasso and Cezanne, there are works by such artists as van Gogh, Modigliani and Vuillard as well as objects from the Far East and period furniture.
The Reattu Museum in Arles, housed in a 16th century monument, features two paintings and 57 works on paper by Picasso, including a portrait of the artist's mother.
The National Picasso Museum in the chapel at the Chateau de Vallauris houses the artist's famous political composition "War and Peace," installed in 1954.
One of the joys of viewing Picasso's works in the Mediterranean is that the artist created many of them there, and to help visitors make that connection, the local tourism offices are offering guided tours that can range from a few hours to a half- or full day.
Sample tours can include an exploration of the Picasso Museum or Old Town Antibes, for example, complete with a look at a Provencal market, or a combination of both, followed by an absinthe tasting in a restored 19th century bar. The tour also includes visits to the 16th century Fort Carre, the Archaeological Museum and the Musee de la Tour.
Guided tours of Old Town depart Wednesday and Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. in front of the Antibes Tourist Office.
Art aficionados can take a two-hour, guided Painters' Trail tour Friday mornings at 10 a.m. that traces the footsteps of artists who have lived and painted in the region, including stops at markers where original works were created.
Hardy travelers can opt for an hourlong hiking tour along the Smuggler's Walk, a coastal trail overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
Tours, which are priced according to group size and itinerary, can be adapted to travelers with disabilities.
Amateur artists who are inspired by the region have a variety of art classes from which to choose, from a drawing and painting class at Atelier Dore in Vaucluse to ceramics classes at the Marseilles History Museum.
Self-guided itineraries also are available that point out restaurants and other leisure activities in the Antibes Juan-les-Pins area.
The city, the second-largest city on the Riviera and about halfway between the Nice Airport and Cannes, features some 15 miles of shoreline, a robust nightlife, more than 80 hotels and one of the oldest jazz festivals in Europe, held every July.
For more on travel to Antibes Juan-les-Pins, visit www.antibesjuanlespins.com. Tickets for some events are available online at www.franceguide.com.