The Luberon
Perched villages, lavender, and a valley of markets
Idyllic hilltop villages, swathes of lavender, cherry trees, vineyards and dense forest. Gordes is the door to all of it, and almost everything below is under an hour from the garden gate.
Gordes
A gem of the Luberon and one of France's Plus Beaux Villages: honey-coloured stone houses cascading down the hillside, cobblestone streets, and a panorama of the surrounding countryside. The Renaissance Château de Gordes stands at the village's heart, with views from its ramparts and the Pol Mara Museum inside.
Every Tuesday the market fills the square with local produce, handmade crafts and lavender. Ten minutes on foot from the house.
Sénanque Abbey and the lavender
A short drive down the valley, the twelfth-century Cistercian abbey sits in a fold of the hills with its lavender field in front of it, still farmed by the monks who live there. The flower is at its best from late June into July, and the abbey is the picture most people carry home from Provence.
Nearby, the Village des Bories is an open-air museum of ancient dry-stone huts left from the region's pastoral centuries.
Villages and towns, by road
| Place | Distance | What for |
|---|---|---|
| Gordes | Under 1km | Plus Beaux Villages, Tuesday market, Château de Gordes, Pol Mara Museum |
| Abbaye de Sénanque | 5km | Twelfth-century Cistercian abbey and its lavender field |
| Ménerbes | 10km | Hilltop village that inspired Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence |
| Roussillon | 11km | Ochre cliffs, red-hued lanes and pine forest |
| Bonnieux | 18km | The widest vistas in the Luberon, vines and orchards |
| Fontaine-de-Vaucluse | 17km | The spring of the Sorgue; canoeing and kayaking |
| L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue | 17km | Antique dealers and the Sunday morning brocante |
| Apt | 20km | The Luberon's largest market, Saturday morning |
| Saint-Rémy-de-Provence | 37km | Art galleries, Roman Glanum, Van Gogh country |
| Avignon | 38km | UNESCO World Heritage sites, markets, Rhône wines |
Markets
Gordes on Tuesday morning, Apt on Saturday — the largest in the Luberon — and the Sunday brocante at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, famous for its antique dealers. Olives, melons, strawberries, cherries, truffles and lavender by season.
Outdoors
Hiking trails for all abilities through vineyards, forest and mountain gorges. Cycling everywhere, including the family-friendly Véloroute du Calavon along a former railway line. Canoeing on the Sorgue near Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, riding, climbing and tree-top courses.
Wine and the table
Vineyards and wineries of the Luberon and Ventoux AOCs, terraces with a view in every village, and Michelin-starred kitchens south of the massif in Lourmarin, Cucuron and Ansouis.
A market every morning
Gordes is Tuesday, a ten-minute walk. The rest of the week is a short drive.
| Day | Where |
|---|---|
| Monday | Forcalquier · Lauris · Cadenet |
| Tuesday | Gordes · Cucuron · Lacoste · Lourmarin (night market) |
| Wednesday | Coustellet (night market, 5–7pm, June–September) · Gargas (morning) · Rustrel (morning) |
| Thursday | Roussillon · L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue · Goult · Ménerbes · Lauris (night market, 6–8pm in summer) |
| Friday | Bonnieux · Lourmarin · Pertuis |
| Saturday | Apt · Petit Palais · Manosque |
| Sunday | L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue · Coustellet · Ansouis |
Things to do, booked from the house
Hot-air balloon
Sunrise flights over the Luberon — the villages, the ochre and the lavender all at once.
Canoe the Sorgue
Canoë Évasion at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue: a gentle green river run, good for children.
Riding
Écurie de Meille at Bonnieux, Ferme Équestre de Joucas, Haras de Lagnes.
Bikes and e-bikes
Electric Move at Coustellet and Sun-E-Bike at Bonnieux — rental and guided tours.
Golf
Golf de Saumane, and Golf du Domaine de Manville at Les Baux-de-Provence.
Tree-top courses
Colorado Aventures at Rustrel and Passerelle des Cimes at Lagnes.
Karting, quad, paintball
Karting at Monteux, Ventoux Quad at Flassan, Pégase Paintball at Apt, Bowling Saint Barth at Pertuis.
Walking and cultural tours
Guided walks through the perched villages and cultural visits, booked through our manager.
Where to eat
The list our house manager keeps, village by village. Book ahead in July and August, or ask us to do it.
Villages to see, and what for
Luberon Nord
- Oppède le Vieux — castle ruins
- Ménerbes
- Lacoste — château of the Marquis de Sade
- Goult — Moulin de Jérusalem
- Bonnieux
- Gordes — Sénanque Abbey, Village des Bories
- Joucas
- Roussillon — Sentier des Ocres, and the Colorado Provençal at Rustrel
Luberon Sud
- Lourmarin — château
- Ansouis
- Cucuron
- Vaugines
Les Alpilles
- Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
- Les Baux-de-Provence — Carrières de Lumière, olive-oil mill
Nearest airport
Avignon, 29km
Also
Marseille, 70km
Train
Avignon TGV, 39km
Shop
Spar, 900m