VILLAGES & TOWNS TO VISIT

You are staying in one of the most pretty villages in the Luberon. Featured in the films Jean de Florette & Manon des Sources discover our 1,000 year old Romanesque church, typical Provençal architecture, small squares and vaulted passageways.

Featured in the films 'The Horseman on the Roof' & 'A Good Year', Cucuron is known for its beautiful pond lined with cafes & restaurants. With a year round Tuesday market, Plane trees &  medieval ramparts, Cucuron offers an authentic taste of life in Provence. 

Registered as one of the most beautiful villages in France, Lourmarin is the picture perfect reality of a  dreamy Provence village. With cafe culture, boutique shops, restaurants & a chateau, Lourmarin is a must visit village. Don't forget to visit the Friday market.

Another one of the officially recognised most beautiful villages in France,  Ansouis, rises from a panorama of vineyards with 15th century houses leading to its 1000 year old castle and its 900 year old church. The perfect village to enjoy a delicious sweet treat from the renowned Pâtisserie Volpert.

A real-life French village, Cadenet has some handsome architecture with castle & rampart ruins and far-reaching views over the Durance river and south towards Aix en Provence & west to the Alpilles.  Why not visit on Monday which is market day.

Lauris is oftem missed on the tourist trail, but is one of the larger villages of the Luberon due to its proximity to Aix en Provence. It's majestic castle stands imposingly overlooking the Durance valley and its interesting gardens are available to visit.  

The history of Buoux begins in the valley of the Aiguebrun river where a cave was a human-dwelling around 60,000 years ago. Home to a preserved castle, a ruined fort, a 13th century Romanesque church as well as cliffs and caves that are now a world-renowned rock-climbing mecca and on many climber's bucket-list.

Offering spectacular views over the Luberon valley, Bonnieux is another officially recognised 'most beautiful villages of France'. Climb to the top of Bonnieux for views of the Monts de Vaucluse, Mont Ventoux, Lacoste, Gordes & Roussillon. The village has a great food scene and lively Friday market.

  The drive to Apt is worth it for the views alone. A real working town in the middle of the Luberon, it has the region's largest Saturday market with 300 stands. Wandering  through the old part of town with its fountains, squares and grand town houses there is a wide choice of restaurants, cafes & bars.   

Lacoste was the kingdom of the Marquis de Sade in the 1770's - an aristocrat who considered the pursuit of pleasure as the highest calling, regardless of morality, giving us the us the word ‘sadism’. In 1545, Meynier d'Oppede was cleansing the Luberon of religious heretics. Promising to spare the villagers if they let him through the fortified gates, his men massacred all inhabitants of Lacoste. 

Goult is one of the lesser known villages in the Luberon, but one of the prettiest. Walking up the narrow road takes you to old Goult, constructed from and carved out of the rock of the hill.  Panoramic views are to be found at the top of old Goult.

Menerbes is officially one of the most beautiful villages of France and is a perched village, nestled among cherry orchards and vineyards. Peter Mayle wrote his book ‘A Year in Provence’ after moving to Menerbes in the 1990’s, but spent the last few years of his life in Vaugines.

Roussillon's ochre quarry held one of the largest ochre deposits in the world and the ochre was used as pigment to create paint. If you wish to be transported to the planet Mars, a visit to the disused ochre quarry will leave you starstruck. The quarry is a starting point for a 15km footpath to the Colorado de Rustrel quarry. Do not bring your best shoes as the pigment will colour them.

Céreste-en-Luberon is an authentic village, surrounded by unspoilt countryside, situated between the Pays d’Apt and the Pays de Forcalquier. At the foot of the foothills of the Grand Luberon, Céreste forms a link between the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Vaucluse.

Maubec is a village perched on a hill running parallel to the Luberon: La Montagnette. The old village of Maubec offers breathtaking views stretching from the Monts de Vaucluse to Mont Ventoux and across the Luberon massif.

Beautiful houses in the Provençal style line the cobbled streets.

 A university city of art and history, bathed in light, where heritage, culture and Provençal elegance come together. Wander between fountains and lively squares, explore Cezanne’s landscapes and enjoy events throughout the year.

 Gordes is a very beautiful old village, perched on the southern edge of the high Plateau de Vaucluse. The stone buildings built in tight against the base of the cliffs and those perched on the rocks above, including the 12th-century castle, are made of an beige stone that glows orange in the morning sun. 

Known as the 'Venice of Provence', L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is crisscrossed by the river Sorgue with a network of waterways. One of the town's biggest attractions are its famous brocante markets, where you can find everything from vintage treasures to one-off antiques. 

 At Baux you will discover  panoramic views of Provence landscapes all the way to Aix, Arles and beyond. Discover the history of the Lords of Les Baux and their medieval fortress.  The Carrières des Lumières offers a unique light show in the old quarry and is well worth visiting. 

 Avignon is set on the Rhône River. From 1309 to 1377, it was the seat of the Catholic popes and remained under papal rule until becoming part of France in 1791. This legacy can be seen in the massive Palais des Papes (Popes' Palace) in the city center, which is surrounded by medieval stone ramparts.  

 Marseille has been a crossroads of immigration and trade since its founding by the Greeks circa 600 B.C. At its heart is the Vieux-Port (Old Port), where fishmongers sell their catch along the boat-lined quay. Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde is a Romanesque-Byzantine church.