the most beautiful towns and villages in provence
The quintessence of the French lifestyle, charming hilltop villages (Gordes, Roussillon, Lacoste, Lourmain, Saignon, Bonnieux), pastel-coloured houses, bustling Provencal markets, the blooming fragrant purple fields, the legendary vineyards, the exquisite cuisine and the bright sun that never stop shining…The perfect place to hole up in here for months and simply enjoy the rustic good life: evening meals at the terrace, the buzzing cicadas and the spectacular landscapes.
Roussillon is labelled as one of the “Most Beautiful Villages in France”.
When to go to Provence?
If you would like to see the Provence in the bloom, come here from the end of June to mid of July. This is the best time to see the purple of the lavender fields, sunflowers begin to awaken and the days are long and warm. You should rather avoid visiting Provence in the month of August as it is usually the busiest time as French come to Provence for their annual leave. Currently, due to the COVID-19, Provence is fairly pleasurable and quiet region to visit. Carry your face cover with you all the time as it is mandatory indoors and on public transportation across France.
Abbaye de Sénanque - Strolling through fields of fragrant lavender at this lovely abbey is a must!
a PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, A CAR OR A BIKE - HOW TO TRAVEL AROUND PROVENCE?
To put it simple, Provence is the best explored with a car or alternatively a bike or a scooter. The most interesting parts of the Provence experience involves driving through vineyards, desolate landscape and small towns. The public transportation is not set up to meet the touristic needs. However, if you wonder… exploring Provence without a car is doable.
But in my personal opinion there is rather limited good quality and reasonably priced accommodation offer in the towns/villages accessible by a public transportation. More often than not, you will find a gorgeous villa to rent, just outside of the town. The car gives you the ultimate freedom to enjoy the region.
CYCLING THROUGH PROVENCE
Cycling through Provence feels poetic. I loved my little trip, stillness of the landscape, cicadas buzzing in the hot summer evening, the noises of the nature perfectly mixed with the complete silence of the surrounding space. It was almost unreal to visit those little villages like Joucas. Bear in mind though, if you are not physically fit, the hills in Luberon might kill you… It is quite a challenge to pedal across the hilly terrain. Very often, you need to cycle up the very high hills so e-bike or a scooter is the option I would highly recommend. I personally used the services of the company “Electric Move”. It is around 40-50 EUR/day for the e-bike.
How to explore Provence with a Public Transportation?
There is a train connection between the main Provencal towns/cities like Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Marseilles, Arles. You can jump on a TGV train at Paris Gare de Lyon and approximately 3 hours later you could admire the Palace of the Pope in Avignon. Avignon is a good base camp to discover the capital of the lavender fields. But do not worry. There is also an extensive number of rural villages that could be accessed by a bus. There is a Zou bus no. 17 and 18 that can take you to the most popular charming villages/towns in the Luberon region: Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Maubec, Lacoste etc. But even in the summer time, it runs only a few times per day. In a nutshell, you will need to do your tour(s) according to the bus/train timetable.
ROUSSILLION - THE IDYLLIC TOWN in luberon
The enchanting Roussillon is one of ‘Les plus beaux villages de la France‘ and is located on a ridge of steep red cliff. Roussillon sits on the world's largest known ochre deposits.The splendours of Roussillon are other-worldly.
The reds, yellows, oranges and pinks hues gives a very unique colour to the buildings which merge one into the other as you wander around the meandering flowery streets and cute little shops where you can stock up in the lavender flower bags, soaps, ceramic, art, local wine etc. The town gets vey busy on Thursdays but this is a day when you can enjoy the beauty of Provencal market in Roussillon and try the local cheese, sausages, lavender honey, Provencal spices… It is so much fun so do not miss it.
WHAT TO SEE & DO IN ROUSSILLON?
Bear in mind, the logistics of getting in and out of Roussillon can be a bit tricky and parking can be particularly difficult during the summer season and the market day. Roussillon is usually very busy unless you get there very early morning or late afternoon. Outside of the summer season, when there are less tourists, it is a truly wonderful place to be. It is like a little piece of paradise.
In the main square of the town is heavily filled with restaurants, cafes where you can stop for a little while and enjoy an aperitive or grab some lunch. If you walk up to the Castrum at the top of the village you get some stunning panoramic views across the town and valley. Wander across the narrow cute alleys, admire traditional Provencal church, bell tower and colourful houses. This is the best way to truly enjoy Roussillon.
Once of the most-visited attraction in Roussillon is also the Sentier des Ocres aka Ochre Trail, a hiking trail through the surrounding woods and ochre quaerries. There are two paths to choose from, one that takes only 30 minutes to walk and a longer one that lasts approximately one hour. The fee is approximately 2,5 EUR.
Gordes & ABBAYE DE SENANQUE - the capital of the Luberon
The Jewel of Luberon. This is probably the most impressively situated hill town of all located in Luberon. Defitely worth a quick stop to admire the stunning views (There is a designed View Point in Gordes to do so), a quick stroll through the cobbled streets or a bit longer stop on Tuesday to enjoy the Provencal Market in the town. Besides the jaw-dropping views, the town has a little to offer though which can be a bit disappointing. Everything seems to be concerned around the Place de Chateau. Just 5 km from Gordes, there is a home to the Community of Cistercian Monks and probably the most photographed place in the whole Provence - Abbaye de Senanque. This is a truly peaceful and wonderful place but only in the early morning or late evening when the hordes of tourists are not here. There are guided and unguided tours through the Abbaye and a truly lovely souvenir shop. Absolutely unmissable place where you are around.
