Southern France mainly attracts sun-seekers, family and celebrities looking for a hot, French holiday.
Away from the coast and hotel scene however, there is a side to Provence that is literally much cooler.
The Southern Alps region of Provence offers some of the best winter skiing and snowboarding available in France.
Below are some of the ski resorts considered to be the best among the region for skiers on holiday.
The ski ranges in Provence include Alpes Maritimes, Alpes de Haute Provence and Hautes Alpes.
These regions and their resorts may not be as renowned as other areas in France, but there is enough snow, fun and off-piste activities to make an excellent holiday here.
Les Orress has 88km of ski runs, with a number of these being alpine ski runs situated in the Haute-Alpes region.
The season here usually lasts between December and April.
Provence Mont Ventoux, nicknamed 'Giant of Provence' is the largest mountain in the area of Provence and offers a skiing season from December through to April.
This resort however is closed for skiers during extreme weather.
Pra Loup is considered by skiers one of the best resort in this region.
Skiing is almost guaranteed here as 252 snow cannons ensure the presence of good snow.
This resort offers 113 pistes situated amongst forests and plenty of off-piste establishments.
Abries resort season starts in December and last only through until late March.
It is situated in the regional park Queyra and with 13 pistes and a low snow depth, is preferred by intermediate skiers.
Accommodation wise, ski chalets around the resorts are more commonly found than hotels with prices and standard varying from basic budget to luxurious 5-star boutique chalets.
Visiting Provence can give you the best of both worlds.
Why not take both your salapettes and sunbathing gear and make most of this areas diverse climate.
Spend a few days skiing and calorie burning inland on the mountains before making a short journey to the coast and relax by staying in one of tropical and luxurious hotels in Nice, Cannes or St Tropez.