Aerial Views of Southern France

DRone used a DJI Mavic Air drone to create this magnificent video of Southern France.  The country's long Mediterranean coastline includes some of the most desirable spots in Europe, some of which you'll see hear from a bird's eye perspective.  The video features footage of the Côte d'Azur (the French Riviera, or eastern stretch of the coast), a number of spots in inland Provence, as well as some epic bird's eye views of Porquerolles (an island off the Riviera).  It was filmed in July, 2018.

While there is no universally agreed upon definition, the French Riviera (Cote d'Azur) is generally defined as the Mediterranean coastline of the southeastern corner of France.  The Cote d'Azur lies within the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, which extends some ways northward into the Alps.  Contributor French RC used a DJI Phantom 3 Pro drone to create this spectacular aerial tour of the French Riviera, the super-rich playground which was in many ways the world's first vacation destination.

Top contributor French RC created this brilliant aerial reel showing some of the highlights of their work on the French Riviera.  The video opens with an epic shot of the tiny private island called Île d'Or, which lies off the coast of Saint-Raphaël, in the Var Department.  From there, you'll see some amazing views of the cities and coastal cliffs along the famed coastline and other landmarks like the bridge near the Massif de l'Esterel and even a hang glider around the 1:05 mark.  

The Rhone River is the most important waterway in Southern France.  The river rises in the Alps, runs on a generally western course to Lyon before turning south for the remainder of its 800+ km (just over 500 mi.) length.  The Rhone Valley is a stretch of its southerly course before the river breaks up into distributaries on the Rhone Delta.  In this drone video by Rafiki, you'll get an aerial view of some of the sights of the Rhone Valley, home to some of France's most famed winegrowing areas.  

Ariege is a section of the Occitanie region in the southern part of France, near the border with Spain.  It is part of the mountainous Pyrennes region which straddles the two countries.  In this video, contributor Amaury Descours treats us to aerial views of some of the spectacular sites of the French Pyrennes, including Montsegur, Devil’s Bridge, and Roquefixade.  While the peaks of the Pyrenees are not as tall as the Alps, the lack for nothing in terms of sheer beauty and offer some of the best hiking spots in Europe.

The Basque people of southwestern Europe have a highly distinct culture, which evolved in partial isolation due to the mountains which run along the head of the Bay of Biscay.  While the heart of the region is in northern Spain, a portion reaches into southwestern France.  Cabaye created this beautiful aerial video of the French portion of Basque Country, which begins a bit south of Bordeaux and runs to the Spanish border.  The video includes footage of Hendaye, Artzamendi, Rhune, and Biarritz.

Check out this fantastic 60 second drone video of the great French city of Marseille, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot Microscope.  The country's second-largest city after Paris, Marseille is the largest in the southern part of the country and is home to France's largest seaport.  The video features footage of some of the most iconic sites in Marseille: the Catholic basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde, the Palais Longchamp museum complex in the 4th arrondissement, the marina and waterfront, and more.  

While the French Riviera (Côte d'Azur) may be best known for its quaint (and fabulously expensive) towns and cities such as Cannes, Nice, and Saint-Tropez, it also offers some stunning natural scenery.  Some of the most spectacular are in the area to the east of Marseilles, where one can find a series of spectacular coastal mountains and rock formations and narrow, steep-walled canyons known as calanques.  Check out this natural beauty from above in this outstanding drone video by Media-Graphique Studio.    

The French region of Provence covers the southeastern corner of the country, defined roughly by the Rhone River, the Italian border, and the Mediterranean Sea.  In this drone video by Cpt. Jojo, you'll get an aerial tour of this magnificent area, including footage of the following spots: (1) the port of Marseille, which is the de facto capital of the region; (2) the Calanque inlets which lie southeast of Marseille; and (3)  the historical and cultural treasure of Avignon, which lies in the hills northwest of Marseille.

Take in these stunning drone views of a canyon in Southern France, compliments of top AirVuz contributor and pilot Laurent Paris.  Formed by the Var River, the Gorges de Daluis runs for six km (just under four mi.) from the commune of Guillaumes in the north to Daluis in the south.  With a road running down the west side of the gorge (which runs through 17 tunnels), the canyon is popular with motorcycle riders, rafters, and canoers; its stunning rock formations also attracts bungee-jumpers.  

Check out this fantastic drone video from the Aveyron Department of south-central France, compliments of alexdenphotography.  The video opens with some aerial footage of a village in the hills of the department, part of the Occitanie Region.  The star of the show is the Millau Viaduct, which you'll see starting at the 3:00 mark. Completed in 2004, the bridge spans a gorge of the Tarn River and is considered a marvel of modern civil engineering.  It's the world's tallest bridge, with a structural height of 336 meters (about 1.1k ft.).  

Avignon is one of the cultural treasures of Southern France.  It's situated on the banks of the Rhone River in the Vaucluse Department.  In this drone video by IshPri, you'll get an aerial view of the two greatest landmarks here: (1) the Pont Saint-Bénézet bridge over the river, which was built in the 13th century but left to a half-ruined state due to flooding of the Rhone; and (2) the Palais des Papes, one of the greatest pieces of medieval architecture and seat of the Popes during the Great Schism of the 14th century.  

Check out these rather haunting yet beautiful drone views from Southern France as the country's outdoor life virtually disappeared from view during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020, compliments of new AirVuz contributor patricehauser.  The video was filmed around the area of Arachon Bay, which is located on the Atlantic Ocean just south of Bordeaux.  One of France's natural treasures, the bay and its surrounding towns appear virtually empty during the crisis as France imposed social distancing measures.

Drone_biker created this beautiful drone video of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat in Southern France.  It's located on the eastern end of the French Riviera, roughly midway between Monaco and Nice. Like much of this stretch of the Mediterranean Sea, it's very old, very beautiful, and very very expensive.  The list of people who have lived here ranges from King Leopold II of Belgium to the actor/actress couple Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, among many other international luminaries.

Menton is a town which is literally in a corner of France; it's the easternmost town on the French Riviera, just west of the Italian border.  Once part of Monaco, it's been part of France since 1860.  Now a fashionable seaside town on one of the world's most famous coastlines, for centuries it was a border city facing the powerful Italian city-state of Genoa.  In this drone video by NGreyTravels, you'll get a nice aerial view of this historic town, including its baroque style Saint-Michel-Archange basilica belltower.  

Frantac-Channel-France gives us this beautiful drone's eye view of Crussol Castle, one of the more important landmarks in Southern France.  Like many French castles, it was built on the site of an old Roman hilltop fort. The castle, which dates to the 12th century, is made mostly of limestone.  It's located in the Rhône River valley near the town of Saint-Péray, in the Ardèche department of the country's Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.  The castle is classified as a National Monument of France.

Top contributor Isabelle Fabre headed to the French Riviera to make one of her trademarked adventure-drone videos.  The video alternates between scenes from the rocky coastal hills of the Cote d'Azur, and the blue waters of the Mediterrean.  These are her playgrounds, the former for running and mountain biking, and the latter for some epic kiteboarding and some relaxation on a paddleboard.  All under the clear blue skies of one of the world's most desirable locations, often considered the world's first true vacation destination.  

The term "Cathar Castle" has come to mean castles of the French Pyrenees in the Aude Department of Southern France.  During the Middle Ages, many of these castles became sancturies for the adherents of Catharism, a breakoff branch of Christianity which was ruthlessly persecuted by the Catholic Church.  In this drone video by dronedeballade, you will get bird's eye view of some of these magnificent hilltop landmarks, including the "true" Cathar castles of d'Aguilar and Peyrepertuse.

Outdoorswoman and drone pilot extraordinaire Isabellefabre hits the mark with this action packed adventure reel from the French Riviera.  Using a drone supplemented with a ground camera, she films herself taking on some of Europe's most beautiful natural and cultural scenery: hiking, running, climbing, stand-up paddleboarding, mountain biking; she does it all.  Among the many epic shots to choose from, our favorite is probably the footage of her riding her paddleboard to the private island known as Île d'Or near Saint-Raphaël.

The Rhône is the most important river of Southern France.  While it isn't quite as long as the Loire River, it is easily the country's largest by discharge volume.  The river rises in the Alps and flows westwards and southwards, eventually splitting into two rivers (the Great Rhône and Little Rhône) and creating a large delta in the Comarge region before ending in the Mediterranean.  In this drone video by contributor Najibk, you'll get a look at the mighty waterway as it makes its way through the countryside. 

Ccontributor Hervé Mémain brings us this beautiful drone video from the Pyrenees foothills in southern France, an area which had been heavily fortified before a 1659 treaty moved the border with Spain to the crest of the Pyrenees.  Locations include Fort Saint-Elme, built by Emperor Charles V when the area was still in Spanish control; the commune of Collioure; Gorges du Gouleyrous, a passageway between the Aude and Pyrénées-Orientales Departments; and the commune of Cucugnan, also in Aude.

The Calanques are a series of rocky inlets on a stretch of France's Mediterranean just east and a bit south of Marseille.  Stretching about 20 km (around 12 mi.) with an eastern end at the town of Cassis, most of the Calanques are part of a new national park established in 2012.  At the western end of the Calanques, there are a series of small islands which have the same rocky composition as the mainland.  In this drone video by Pierre, you'll get an aerial view of the beautiful Calanques.

Contributor Juliendrone created this beautiful video of the Pont du Gard, one of the world's most well known aqueduct bridges.  It spans the Gardon River in the Gard Department of the Occitanie region of Southern France.  It was built in the first century AD to provide water to the nearby city of Nimes.  The world's highest elevated aqueduct, the 275 meter (900 ft.) stone bridge was designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1985.  The stone structure was last known to be used in the 6th century.  

Contributor and drone pilot stefan.beumer created this epic drone collage of France's Côte d'Azur, shot over the summer of 2018. It features bird's eye views of the village of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Eze Village, the Gorges du Verdon, and Lac de Ste. Croix.  It finishes in the town of Antibes with an amazing aerial of the star-shaped Fort Carré.  Fort Carré is best known for its appearance in the  1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again, #15 in the series and the last in which Sean Connery played 007.

Check out this amazing aerial view of the Hérault River Valley in Southern France.  The river rises in the Massif Central highlands region and runs a generally southward course through the Gard and Hérault Departments before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea at the town of Agde.  The area filmed is around the Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, a medieval village around the middle of the valley which was located on the Way of St. James pilgrimage route to the  Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain.  

New contributor alexdenphotography used a DJI Mavic Pro 2 to create this highly cinematic piece from south-central France.  It was shot in the southern part of Aveyron, one of the Departments which make up the country's Occitanie region.  Most of Aveyron sits on an ancient rocky plateau which has been studied for centuries due to its unique geology.  The Department is noted for the numerous deep gorges created by the rivers which flow through the department, namely the Truyère, Lot, Aveyron, and Tarn Rivers.

Contributor and pilot Jturner used a DJI Mavic Pro drone to create this spectacular aerial look at an idyllic spot at the western end of the French Riviera.  Bormes-les-Mimosas is a small town on a hilltop overlooking the French Mediterranean coastline.  It's part of the department of Var.  It is situated to the west of the more well-known towns such as St. Tropez, Cannes, and Nice; these towns are all part of the neighboring Alpes-Maritimes Department, which covers the southeastern corner of France.

In this drone video by TheAstralPilot, you'll get some spectacular aerial views of two towns in the hills of the Alpes-Maritimes Department in southeastern France. The video opens with shots of Chateau Germaine, a manor just west of the Var River and about 20 km (around 12 mi.) northwest of Nice. The next stop is the town of Bouyon, a hilltop town a bit west of the chateau but still within sight of the river. The last spot is the town of Bouyon, another hilltop town, which overlooks the Var River.

Antibes is a coastal resort town on the French Riviera, located roughly halfway between Cannes and Nice in theAlpes-Maritimes Department .  The quaint town has been used a filming location for two different James Bond movies.  In the 1971 film Diamonds are Forever (the seventh in the series), the opening scene is shot here.    Over a decade later, the town's Fort Carre was used as the hideout for the villain in Never Say Never Again, the 15th installment of the series and Sean Connery's last appearance as 007.

The commune of Rocamadour is home to one of the most iconic sights of Southern France.  Seen here in this amazing drone video by top contributor NGreyTravels, it's a church complex built into the side of a wall of a gorge on the Alzou River gorge in the Lot Department.  Its centerpiece is the Church of Notre Dame, which dates to the late 15th century.  The complex's raison d'être is a wooden icon of the Black Madonna believed to have been carved by St. Amator, which turned it into a pilgrimage destination in the Middle Ages.

St. Tropez, France is one of the most well-known of the towns along the French Riviera.  It's located toward the western end of the Côte d'Azur (as the Riviera is known in French) in the Var Department.  It made a perfect backdrop for filmmaker ZilverSchmitz for this cinematic edit featuring one of the most glamorous cars around, the Italian-manufactured Bugatti Chiron. Interesed in purchasing one? The standard edition will cost you northwards of $3 million USD.  Gas and insurance are extra! 

The Pyrennes Mountains serve as the border between France and Spain, two of the world's first true nation-states.  While the Pyrenees peaks lack the altitude of the Alps, the region is nonetheless spectacular, with mountain peaks exceeding 3k meters above sea level (about 11k ft.), lush valleys, and spectacular rock formations.  Contributor LeVoyagedesKoumoul treats us to an aerial tour of the Néouvielle National Nature Reserve; it's in the Hautes-Pyrénées Department in the heart of the French Pyrénées.

While the French Riviera is probably best known for its coastline, the region also has a stunningly beautiful interior.  In this drone video by AirVuz content creator Antonio06, you'll get a bird's eye view of the mountainous area which lies just north of the Côte d'Azur.  The video features excellent aerial footage of the mountains, rocky ridges, and plunging canyons which cover much of the landscape here, just a short drive from the famed towns and beaches of the Mediterranean Sea.  

Imagoo created this stunning drone videos of the Pyrenees Mountains in Southern France.  The area filmed is the Pyrénées-Orientales, a department which occupies the very southern tip of mainland France.  Part of the official region of Occitanie, it adjoins the Catalonia region of northeastern Spain.  As its name suggests, the Pyrénées-Orientales Department is covered by the Pyrénées Mountains and their foothills.  As you'll see, the area features marvelous mountain views as well as some epic bird's eye shots of the Mediterranean Sea.  

Contributor and pilot Princehamlet created this beautiful drone video of Notre-Dame de la Garde, one of the most well-known landmarks in the southern French city of Marseille.  Built on a rocky outcrop, it has a commanding view of the country's second-largest city (third largest metro area).  The cathedral was consecrated in 1864 but not finished for another decade.  The cathedral is the site of an Assumption Day pilgrimage, and is believed to be the most-visited site in this Mediterranean port city.    

Contributor Niall Thomas created this stunning drone video of a Neo-Gothic castle in Southern France.  It's called the Château d'Abbadia, and it's located near the town of Hendaye in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, the southwesternmost department of metropolitan France which is part of the Occitanie region.  The castle was built in the late 19th century by well known architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.  Its initial owner was Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie, a well known French explorer and man of letters.  

The Valentré Bridge (Pont Valentré) is a historical landmark in Southern France.  It spans the Lot River near the town of Cahors, in the Lot Department of the official Occitanie region.  Situated on a strategic bend in the river, the bridge took most of the 14th century to complete.  Its construction is tied to a local legend concerning a pact that one of the bridge foremen made with the Devil to complete its construction.  You can check out the Pont Valentré from above in this drone video by CyRiLbkl.  

The French Pyrénées, which serve as the border between France and Spain, are not as well known as the French Alps.  While the Pyrénées may lack the height of Alps, they are much more accessible; many of these mountains can be readily scaled with a hike of less than a day, and the range is full of incredible hiking trails.  In this drone video by imagoo, you'll get a drone's eye view of one of the walking circuits here: the Pic de la Pena.  It's a 3 km (just under 2 mi.) walking trail near the town of Benait-les-Baines.

Check out this stunning drone video of a 10th century fortification in Southern France, compliments of contributor s00fly.  It's called Baux Castle (Château des Baux) and it's located in the commune of Les Baux-de-Provence near the mouth of the Rhône River in the Department of Bouches-du-Rhône.  The citadel served to protect the town for centuries during a time of great instability in Provence, a historical region which did not become part of France until the late 15th century.  

Take an aerial tour of the Ardèche Department of Southern France in this outstanding video by former Drone Video of the Week Finalist Loïc FOURNIER.  Created using both first person view (FPV) and gimbal-stabilized footage from a DJI Mavic 3, the video will take you over this lightly-populated region, which is part of the giant region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.   Located west of the Alps, Ardèche has some of the most diverse natural landscapes of any department of France, ranging from low mountains to wide plains to verdant river valleys.  

A calanque is a small bay or inlet with steep sides and is unique to certain parts of the Mediterranean coastline.  The most well-known calanques lie around the middle of the southern coast of France, a bit east of the city of Marseille in the Bouches-du-Rhône Department.  In this video, AirVuz contributor duminciucbogdan catches a 'dronie' with his friends at the Calanque D'en Vau, one of the more famous of the calanques.  Calanque D'en Vau was recently named one of Europe's top beaches by Travel + Leisure.

If you don't think that plains areas can be beautiful, check out this drone video from Southern France by tonyfinn.  It's from an area called Camargue, which is an area in the delta of the River Rhône in the Bouches-du-Rhône Department.  It's roughly halfway between Marseille and Montpillier, two of the largest cities on the country's Mediterranean coastline.  It's the largest river delta in Western Europe, and like most deltas it's a haven for various flora and fauna, including over 400 identified species of birds. 

In this drone video by AirVuz contributor Kris-Tof, you'll get an aerial tour of Hérault, a department of Southern France which is crossed by several rivers and has a long coastline on the Mediterranean Sea.  At the :38 mark, you'll see the fortress of Brescou, which sits on a tiny island southwest of the department's main city, Montpellier.  Just after the 1:30 mark, you'll see the town of Mèze on the Étang de Thau lagoon, and at 2:19 you'll see the walled city of Aigues-Mortes just over the border in the neighboring Gard Department.

The charming villages of southern France feature stacked stone houses, clocktowers, old churches, narrow streets, and breathtaking views of the forested Maritime Alps.  In this short video, drone pilot and AirVuz contributor Phildrone shot incredible footage of the village of Bonson, found in Provence; his aerial views - replete with rolling clouds -  captured the old-world charm enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Provence is the historical region which covers most of southeastern France.

CHDTNBN created this beautiful drone video of the Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure, one of the most well known landmarks in the French city of Marseille.  It was constructed in the mid-19th century, on the ruins of a church on the same site which had dated to the 12th century.  The port city of Marseille is the capital of the Bouches-du-Rhône district.  It is the second largest city proper in France, and the largest in the southern part of the country; as a metropolitan area, it's the third-largest after Paris and Lyon. 

Check out this awesome sunset drone video from Nice, France, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot Sztaritomii.  Capital of the Alpes-Maritimes Department, Nice is considered the heart of the storied French Riviera and is the second-largest city on France's Mediterranean coastline, after Marseilles.  Nice has a rich history dating to the Antiquity.  At various times it was part of medieval France, the independent kingdom of Savoy, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (forerunner to modern Italy), before being returned to France in 1860.  

Contributor Imagoo created this beautiful drone video of Les Corbières, a small mountain range in southwestern France.  The mountains are essentially foothills of the Pyrenees, which form the border between France and Spain.  The highest peak in the Les Corbières range has an elevation of just over 1.2k meters (just over 4k ft.) above sea level.  In contrast to the extensive foothills on the southern (Spanish) side of the Pyrenees, these are the only foothill mountains on the French side.  

Abstract Aerial Art created this stunning drone video of Dune du Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe.  It's located on the country's western (Atlantic) Coast in the province of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, a short drive southwest of the Atlantic port city of Bordeaux.  The dune currently reaches a height of 110 meters (around 350 ft.) above sea level.  It's a popular paragliding spot, and is one of the top tourist destinations in southwestern France.   The dune is composed of an incredible 60 million cubic meters of sand.  

In this video, contributor phildrone does a marvelous job of aerially capturing the sunrise over a beautiful town in the South of France.  Èze is located in the heart of the French Riviera, between Nice and Monaco.  The city is famous for its hilltop, which affords some of the most captivating views of the Mediterranean Sea to be had in the region.  In earlier times, the city played an important role in the various political and military struggles which defined the early modern history of Southern France. 

Top AirVuz contributor and 2018 Drone Racing League (DRL) Champion nurkfpv created this stunning first person view (FPV) video from a famous mountain in Southern France.  It's called the Montagne Sainte-Victoire, and it's a mountain ridge which runs about 18 km (around 11 mi.) on an east-west axis, beginning at a point a few km/mi east of Aix-en-Provence.  The mountain featured prominently in the paintings of the great Post-Impressionist Paul Cezanne, and later inspired the work of Pablo Picasso.   

The area around the port town of Cassis in Southern France is known for its three narrow inlets (called calanques) which are almost unique to this part of the world.  With their steep limestone walls, they make for perfect marinas, and so they have become.  The longest of these is Port Miou, which appears on a map as a long blue finger pointing roughly to the northeast.  It looks much better for real and from above, as you'll see in this beautiful drone video by contributor nicospolski aerial.  

Check out this spectacular drone video of the French Pyrenees mountain range by drone pilot and cinematographer My Way. The French side of the range, which separates the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of mainland Europe, is spread across a half-dozen departments, mostly in the Occitanie region.  Filmed over the course of three months, the video features great shots of the region, including its people, mountains, waterfalls, and other natural landscapes.  

Here's a nice drone's eye view of a seaside village on the French Riviera, compliments of contributor wjmdronie.  It's called Port Grimaud, and it's located just a few km/mi west of St. Tropez in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.  Post Grimaud is home to one of the largest marinas on the French Riviera.  With its canals and ubiquitous watercraft, it's sometimes called the Venice of the Var Department.  Var is the western of the two Departments whose coastlines lie within the French Riviera.  

Here's a beautiful drone video of the famous churches of Rocamadour, a town built into a gorge in Southern France, compliments of contributor CyRiLbki.  It's located in the Lot Department, one of the northern provinces of the (southern) Occitanie region.  The village is known for a series of churches built into the wall of a shallow canyon of the Dordogne River.  The most important is the church of Notre Dame, which houses a Black Madonna icon and was a major pilgrimage destination. 

France's southern coast on the Bay of Biscay (part of the Atlantic Ocean) is home to some of the best surfing beaches in Europe.  In this drone video by ATLANTIC DRONES, you'll get a bird's eye view of the surfing scene around the town of Parlementia. It's part of the commune of Guéthary, which is just a few miles from the Spanish border.  The area is part of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Department, which covers the southwestern corner of the country and is part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region.  

If you've ever dreamed of flying like a bird over the South of France, this first person view (FPV) video by AirVuz contributor Raphael Rablat.   The talented FPV pilot, who previously made the FPV Pilots to Watch list for his video from France's Normandy coast, heads south for a cruise along the Cap Estérel.  The small promontory along the Mediterranean Sea is situated just a few km/mi east of the town of Frejus, and about three times that distance to the southwest of the better-known town of Cannes.  

AirVuz contributor TeBe Titan brings us this fantastic drone video of a pair of spots in Southern France.  The first is Arachon Bay (Bassin d'Arcachon), a tidal bay which lies a short distance southwest of Bordeaux.  The bay's area varies up almost 4x based on the tides.  The second spot filmed is to the southwest of the bay, along the Garonne Canal (Canal Latéral de la Garonne).  Built in the 19th century, the canal is part of a great canal and river system which connects France's Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea coasts.  

Check out these fantastic drone views of France's southwestern coast, compliments of top AirVuz contributor and pilot Karl Veca.  The video was filmed in Landes, which is the next-to-southernmost of the departments on France's southern Atlantic Ocean coastline, just north of Pyrenees Atlantique.  The second-largest of the departments of Metropolitan France by of land area, Landes is one of the least densely populated.  It's part of the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, which covers the southwestern quadrant of the country.  

The great French port city of Marseille stretches out along a long bay near the middle of the Mediterranean coastline of Southern France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône Department.  Its eighth arrondisement lies more or less due south of the center city, on a stretch of the bay which faces to the northwest.  As seen in this drone video by vakcin, you'll see it's an area of striking natural beauty, with a rocky coastal cliffs that drop down to the water and numerous small islands and coves; a true boater's paradise.  

AirVyuz contributor and pilot nicos aerial created this amazing drone video of the Palais du Pharo in Marseille, the great city of Southern France.   Completed in 1858, the palace was built on the orders of Napoleon III, the last emperor and monarch of France.  The recipient of the palace was Eugénie de Montijo, the wife of Napoleon III.  The Pharo Palace overlooks a small bay near the entrance to the harbor of Marseille, roughly midway along France's long southern (Mediterranean Sea) coastline.  

Contributor phildrone created ths nice aerial view of a historic town in the hills north of France's Mediterranean coastline.  It's called Tourrettes-sur-Loup, and it's located about 14 km (around 9 mi.) from the nearest point on the Mediterranean coast and a somewhat longer distance due north of Cannes.  Now mostly a tourist town, its roots as a medieval village are still visible in its architecture.  The video features footage of the main sights of the town, including the Church of St. Gregory and the Chapel of St. John.

For a first upload to AirVuz, CédricPP put together this excellent video of a trip to a village in Southern France called Gruissan.  Gruissan is situated towards the western end of France's Mediterranean coastline in Aude, one of the 13 Departments which make up the Occitanie region.  With roots as a fishing town, Gruissan is part of the Narbonnaise Regional Natural Park in the Mediterranean.  The video features shots of some of the outdoor activities on offer here, including rock climbing and kitesurfing.  

Check out this excellent drone view of France's Beynac Castle (Château de Beynac), compliments of Viajes Lost Planet.  Built on a cliff overlooking the Dordogne River in the river's provincial namesake in south-central France, the castle dates to the 12th century.  It played an important role in the Hundred Years' War between England and France during the last half of the 14th century and the first half of the 15th.  More recently, Beynac Castle has appeared in numerous movies, including the 1998 romantic drama Ever After.   

The French Riviera, aka Côte d’Azur, is one of the most breathtaking areas in the world. Located along the Mediterranean coastline in the southeastern corner of France the area was one of the first modern resort destinations. Its rolling hills, majestic waters, and idyllic towns are what make it so magical. For FPV pilot Escape Fpv, it’s the landscape in the French Riviera that drew him there and enabled him to create this cinematic flight, a flight that made him an FPV Pilots to Watch in April of 2019.

Take in these fantastic drone views of a seaside town in Southern France, compliments of contributor Manx.Cat.  The town of Collioure is located in the department of Pyrénées-Orientales, near the western end of France's Mediteranean coastline.  Historically, the town occupied an important strategic location on the much fought-over borderlands between France and Spain.  While it's been part of France since the 17th century Treaty of the Pyrenees established the "modern" border, the town retains strong Catalan cultural ties.  

Check out this drone video of a famous private island of the French Riviera, compliments of AirVuz contributor Kevin_coul.  It's called the Island of Gold (Île d'Or), and it's part of the town of Saint-Raphaël in the department of Var.  The town was first sold by the French government to a private citizen in 1867, who then lost it in a card game; the new owner built the island's tower in 1912.  The island is believed to be the inspiration for the Black Island in the Rin Tin Tin comic series by famed Belgian cartoonist know as Hergé.  

The Abbey of Saint-Martin-du-Canigou is a well-known Benedictine monastery in Southern France.  Dating to the early 11th century, it's situated in the Pyrenees Mountains, on lands that were part of Spain until the mid-17th century Treaty of the Pyrenees.  The monastery was heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1428, and shortly before the French Revolution it was abandoned by its monks.  The complex was restored over the first three decades of the 20th century, and today it's occupied by the Catholic Church's Community of the Beatitudes. 

AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot Hervé Mémain brings us this fantastic drone tour of the French region of Provence, which was shot with a combination of an FPV drone and a DJI  Mavic Pro 2.   The video features footage of the following locations in the region, which covers the southeastern part of the country: the mining siteds of the Provençal Colorado; Luberon; Sainte Victoire Mountain; the Julien Bridge; the Bimont Dam; the Roquefavour Aqueduct; Fontaine de Vaucluse; and the Fortress of Niolon.

Check out this drone video of a famous bridge in Southern France, compliments of AirVuz contributor Manx.Cat.  It's called the Devil's Bridge (Pont du Diable), and it's located in the town of Céret in the southeastern department of Pyrénées-Orientales.  Built in the first half of the 14th century, the bridge spans the Tech River.  Its single arch of 149 ft. (about 45 m) made it the longest bridge of its type in the world when it was completed.  Its name derives from a local legend, in which the Devil played a role in its construction.  

Check out this drone video of the fabled French seaside town of Biarritz, compliments of DRHON-EL.  Biarritz is located at the southern end of France's Atlantic coastline in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, which is part of the French Basque Country region.  Biarritz has been a getaway for the rich and famous since the middle of the 19th century, when the French Empress Eugénie de Montijo built a summer palace there.  The video concludes with some great shots of the Biarritz Lighthouse at the northern entrance end the bay. 

For a first upload to AirVuz, brand-new contributor Eric Garnier brings us this excellent drone video of a coastal mountain range in Southern France.  The  Esterel Massif (Massif de l'Esterel) is located just to the west of the fabled town of Cannes on the French Riviera.  It straddles the departments of Alpes-Maritimes and Var.  Volcanic in origin, the range covers an area of about 125 square mi. (around 320 square km).   Its highest peak, Mt. Vinaigre, has a summit elevation of just over 2k ft. above sea level or around 630 m. 

Take in these drone views of a castle town in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot Manx.Cat.  The town of Castelnou takes its name from the medieval castle which sits atop it.  It's located several mi/km inland from the Mediterranean Sea coastline in Pyrénées-Orientales, the southernmost department of Metropolitan France.  It's part of a historical region known as Northern Catalonia, the Catalan-speaking territory acquired by France from Spain in the mid-17th century Treaty of the Pyrenees.   

Take in these views of the Gorges de Daluis canyon in Southern France, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot Antonio06.  Formed by the Var River, the canyon runs for about 6 km (around 4 mi.) in the Alpes-Maritimes Department between the towns of Guillaumes and Daluis.   Shot with a DJI Mavic Mini drone and supplemented with ground footage, the video captures the red sandstone cliffs which overlook the canyon, as well as the former railway bridge Pont-de-Gueydan, now a popular bungee-jumping spot.  

The monument Palais Longchamp is one of the most famous landmarks of Marseille, the great city of Southern France.  Seen here in this drone video by AirVuz contributor nicos aerial, it houses the Musée des beaux-arts and Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Marseille, two of the city's best-known museums.  Situated in the 4th arrondissement near the center of the city, the complex was built in the mid-19th century to celebrate the Canal de Marseille, a major engineering feat which brought fresh water to the city.  

The Château de Quéribus in Southern France is one of the five castles known as the Sons of Carcassone. Like its "brothers", it's situated in the Aude Department, on land that represented the border between France and Spain prior to it being moved southward to the current line in 1659.  Seen here in this drone video by MCFLY34LIONEL, Queribus is best known as the last stronghold of the Cathars, a breakaway sect of Christianity which sought refuge in these same castles during the Albigensian Crusade of the early 13th century.  

Take a tour of the fabled French region of Provence in this very creative piece by contributor airtony.  The video combines drone footage with ground camera footage, following a convertible sports car winding its way through this historical province.  Provence generally corresponds to the modern-day region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, which includes six departments between the Rhone River and the Italian border in the southeastern corner of the country and which includes the famous coastline known as the French Riviera.

While the fabled Côte d'Azur of Southern France is perhaps best known for its famous seaside resort towns, it's also home to some of the most unusual natural scenery of Western Europe.  Along the Mediterranean coast are stunning ravines, steep-walled inlets known as calanques, and other unusual formations.  And what better way to experience these magnificent scenes of nature than with a FPV drone?  Top contributor Drone My Life shows us the way with this excellent piece, picked for the FPV Pilots to Watch list in April, 2021.  

Check out this drone video of France's Roquefavour Aqueduct, compliments of brand-new contributor and pilot Flow13.  The aqueduct, which was conceived in the 16th century but not built until the middle of the 1800's, brings water from the Durance River to the city of Marseille.  It stands 272 ft. (83 m) above the ground at its tallest point, and is nearly a quarter-mile long (about 1.25k ft. or around 375 m).  The Roquefavour Aqueduct was designated as a national historical monument under French preservation laws in 2002.

Explore the Basque region of southwestern France in this excellent drone video by AirVuz contributor DVML.  The first stop is Plage de Mayarco, a beach just south of the town of Bidart.  Then it's on to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a fishing village just to the south.  At about the :40 mark, you’ll see the town of Espelette, which lies a bit to the interior and just north of the Spanish border.  At the 1:40 mark, you’ll see the last stop on the tour: the town of Hendaye, at the very southern end of France’s Atlantic coastline.  

Here's a beautiful drone video from the French Riviera, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot Sztaritomii.  The video was filmed over the commune of Cap-d'Ail, which lies roughly halfway between the city of Nice to the west and the Italian border to the east.  It's part of the Alpes-Maritimes Department, which covers the southeastern corner of Metropolitan France.  A modern seaside resort town, Cap-d'Ail is situated immediately to the west of Monaco, the French Riviera's sovereign micro-state.  

Take in these rather stunning aerial views of a village in the French Pyrenees, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot Manx.Cat.  The village of Eus is situated in Pyrénées-Orientales, the southernmost department of Metropolitan France.  It's located in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains, the crest of which (to the south) define the border between France and Spain.  The video features excellent footage of the 18th century Saint-Vincent-d'en-Haut, which lies near the "top" of the village.  

For a first upload to AirVuz, brand-new contributor ouzanimohamedlamine brings us this excellent drone video from a group of islands off the coast of Southern France.  It's  called the Frioul archipelago, and it consists of four small islands located about 2 mi. (around 4 km) from the port city of Marseille.  The largest of the islands is Pomègues, which is just under 2 mi. (around 3 km) long.  The islands collectively have a population of about 150 permanent residents.  The video was shot with a DJI Mavic Mini drone.  

Check out this sunset drone video from the French Riviera, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot jdelaire.  The video was filmed over the beach area of Pointe des Douaniers in Cap-d'Ail, a commune which lies just to the west of the border with Monaco.  It's part of the department of Alpes-Maritimes, which covers the southeastern corner of the country.  As you'll see in the video, the coast is backed by some stunning hills, part of a chain of small mountains which run parallel to parts of France's Mediterranean coastline.  

For a second upload to AirVuz, contributor QuentinD brings us this stunning drone video from the French Pyrenees.  The video was filmed over the Lac des Gloriettes, a reservoir lake in Hautes-Pyrénées, one of the main departments of the French Pyrenees region.  The lake is located near the town of Gavarnie-Gèdre and a bit to the north of Monte Perdido, one of the highest peaks of the Pyrenees, whose summit actually lies on the Spanish (southern) side of the border.  The video includes some first person view (FPV) drone footage. 

For a first upload to AirVuz, new contributor wider.focus brings us this excellent drone video of a waterfall and reservoir lake in the French Pyrenees.  Lac d'Oô is an artificial lake on the French side of the Pyrenees Mountains, just north of the Spanish border.  The waterfall you'll see in the video, which feeds the lake, is called the Cascade d’Oô.  It has a drop of just under 900 ft. (about 275 m), making it one of the tallest waterfalls in France.  The lake and waterfall is accessible from the nearby spa town of Bagnères-de-Luchon.  

AirVuz contributor and drone pilot Icaris.media brings us this excellent drone video from a canyon in southeastern France.  It's called the Gorges de Daluis, and it's formed by the Var River, which runs a southward course towards its mouth in Nice on the Mediterranean Sea coast to the south.  The gorge runs for six km (just under four mi.) from the commune of Guillaumes in the north to Daluis in the south.  The road which runs down the western side of the canyon passes through no fewer than 17 tunnels.   

AirVuz contributor jean-pierre.boucher1502@gmail.com brings us this excellent drone video of the medieval fortress of Penne in Southern France.  It is situated atop a cliff overlooking the River Aveyron, in the department of Tarn in the historical region of Occitania.  The fortification dates to no later than the 9th century AD.  Due to its strategic location, Penne was the scene of numerous battles during the Middle Ages, including the 13th century Albigensian Crusade, the Hundred Years War, and the French Wars of Religion in the 1500's.  

France's Citadelle de Blaye is a fortress on the Garonne River in western France.  Seen in this drone video by AirVuz contributor DRHON-EL, the fortification was built (on the foundations of a medieval era structure) in the late 17th century under the reign of the Sun King, Louis XIV.  Situated on the right bank of one of the estuary of one of France's most important waterways, the fortress was built to protect Bordeaux, an important port city located a bit upstream.  The fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  

The Château de Bruniquel is a castle in Southern France which originally dates to the 12th century.  Seen in this drone video by AirVuz contributor jean-pierre.boucher1502@gmail.com, the castle sits atop a stone outcrop in its namesake town in the department of Tarn-et-Garonne, in the historical region of Occitania.  While the castle retains its original foundation and keep, it underwent significant structural changes into the 19th century.  It is classified as a national monument and is open to the public from March-November.    

For a first upload to AirVuz, brand-new contributor Stillflight83 brings us this excellent drone video of a beautiful spot on the French Riviera.  Filmed with a DJI Mavic Pro 2 as well as with a first person view (FPV) drone, the video was filmed over the natural coastal area of Le Dramont, which is a neighborhood of the town of Saint-Raphaël in the Var department.  It's roughly halfway between the city of Nice (to the northeast, along the coast) and the fabled town of Saint-Tropez (to the southwest).  

Vallauris is a commune on the fabled French Riviera.  Seen in this drone video by AirVuz contributor Icaris.media, it includes the town of Golfe Juan and is located just west of the larger city of Antibes.  Long known for its pottery, Villauris experienced a renaissance after World War II when the great Spanish artist Picasso came here to live and pursue the painting of ceramics.   Part of the Alpes-Maritimes Department, Vallauris has a full-time resident population of about 25k as of the early 2020's.  

AirVuz content creator and accomplished drone pilot MyWay has put together a two-minute reel, compiling his best shots from the summer of 2018. Most of the shots were taken in southern France, a place famous for its incredible landscapes and historic villages. Some of our favorite shots include those of lavender and sunflower fields, crumbling castle ruins looking over river valleys, deep ravines with sheer cliffs, a bevy of gushing waterfalls, and close up shots of some of those historic villages. 

Take in these fantastic drone views of a seaside town in Southern France, compliments of contributor Manx.Cat.  The town of Collioure is located in the department of Pyrénées-Orientales, near the western end of France's Mediteranean coastline.  Historically, the town occupied an important strategic location on the much fought-over borderlands between France and Spain.  While it's been part of France since the 17th century Treaty of the Pyrenees established the "modern" border, the town retains strong Catalan cultural ties.  

Enjoy these aerial views of the fabled French Riviera, compliments of brand-new contributor Captain Mika.   The video opens with a shot of the massive rock formations that make up the Calanque de Saint-Barthélemy, followed by a view of the private island Île d'Or in Saint-Raphaël.  At the :22 mark, you'll see the beach of Agay, a bit to the east of Saint-Raphaël.   Other highlights include the three crosses which sit atop the Rock of Roquebrune, one of the mountains just to the northwest of Saint-Raphaël.  

AirVuz contributor DRHON-EL brings us this excellent drone video of a historic bridge in Southern France.  The Rochefort-Martrou Transporter Bridge spans the Charente River between the towns of Rochefort and Échillais in the department of Charente-Maritime.  Built in the last years of the 19th century, it attains a maximum height of 218 ft. (about 66 m) and has a total length of 576 ft. (about 175 m).  Abandoned in 1967, the bridge was subsequently refurbished in the 1990's and has since been classified as a national historical monument.  

Check out this amazing drone video of one of the most famous French medieval castles.  It's called the Château de Quéribus, and it's located atop a mountain in the Corbières Massif, Pyrenees foothills in the Department of Aude.  The castle is one of a series of fortresses around the city of Carcassonne which defended what was for a time the Spanish border prior to its being moved southward to the crest of the Pyrenees.  The castle was built in the 12th century by the Cathars, a Medieval era religious movement.