Cassis - 104 kilometres
Cassis is a quaint resort and fishing port snuggled at the base of the very high Cap Canaille. With a bustling little harbour and an array of waterfront cafés and restaurants, it is a wonderful place to stroll through. The town has lovely old quarters with an elegant Hotel de Ville on the shady square where the locals play boules on summer nights. From the Lombard Promenade there is an excellent view of the Grande Mer beach all the way to the cove of Courton. The Route des Cretes high above the sea has a fabulous panorama of the area. From Cassis there are many well marked walks called the Calanque trails which follow the inlets that go all the way to Marseille.
Cavaillon - 37 kilometres
This is a pre-Roman town of over 23,000 people and is not very picturesque at first view. The centre of Cavaillon is west of the main road towards the high cliffs that look down on the town. The Cours Bournissac that takes you to the centre is wide and bordered by nice looking buildings and shops. At the end of the Cours Bournissac below the cliffs are the two Roman arc de Triomphe (Roman Arches) and the Tourist Office. There are some pedestrian streets in Vieux Cavaillon (the old part of the town) and if you walk up some of the streets off the Cours Gambetta, you can see the twelfth century Canal St. Julian which still flows through the town centre. There is a walking tour through Vieux Cavaillon - just follow the signs Circuit du Vieux Cavaillon - passing the cathedral and cloisters (open from 10-12am and 2-4pm). On the Rue Raspail is a magnificent cheese shop with some great varieties of fromage de chèvre (goat's cheese). Beside the Tourist Office are sixteenth century steps carved out of solid rock climbing up to the ruins of the ancient village of Mont St. Jacques and the Chapelle St. Roche. Further on is the eleventh century Chapelle St. Jacques, a hermitage and a superb view of Cavaillon below. There is a Monday morning market.
Côté Jardin (Tel: 04 90 71 33 58) on Rue Lamartine in Vieux Cavaillon is a highly recommended restaurant with a lovely courtyard, excellent cuisine, service and ambience. Mid week lunch prices range from 11-25 Euros. Le Cours (Tel: 04 90 71 93 93) on Cours Gambetta is a little up-market and it is best to book ahead. All their food is cooked on a wood fire, is outstanding and the service is fast and friendly. Their specially is panaché de poisson en papillote aux epinards (a selection of fish, steam-cooked in foil on the wood fire with spinach and other vegetables) with a local Beaumes de Venise red that's excellent with fish. Le Prévôt is owned and run by Jean-Jacques Prévôt who is known as the 'ambassador of melons' in France and abroad - allegedly! He also owns the Musée des Melons with an amazing private collection of 600 melons!
Châteauneuf-du-Pape - 68 kilometres
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a medieval village on the side of a hill, guarded by the ruins of an ancient chateau towering above. From the ruined chateau you have an outstanding 360° view, mostly of the vineyards of course, and this is a perfect picnic spot. The village streets are narrow, curving around the hillside or climbing up and down between the houses. The buildings are all wonderfully restored and this is clearly a tourist village. A literal translation of Châteauneuf du Pape is 'the Pope's new house' and this is actually true as the Popes of Avignon built a summer chateau here. Apart from the foundations, only two walls and towers remain, but they are high and imposing and facing the village and they give a good feeling of what it was like here centuries go.
The village of Châteauneuf du Pape is wine: growing it, producing it and selling it. The surrounding countryside is full of vineyards spreading across the hills and wine dominates everywhere. In the village there's a shop every few steps where you can sample and purchase it and there are many wine estates in the area. Market day is Friday in the Place de la Renaissance and there are many fêtes during the wine harvesting season in September. There is a marked hiking trail that loops west of the village, past the vineyards to the River Rhône and back.
Fontaine de Vaucluse - 37 kilometres
Fontaine de Vaucluse is a medieval village, although there are signs of prehistoric occupation. Built at the foot of steep cliffs, the village is dominated by the ruins of the fourteenth century Bishops of Cavaillon Castle. The banks of the river are lined with overhanging trees, parks, beautiful houses, a few old paper mills and usually half a dozen fishermen. A unique sight in Fontaine de Vaucluse is the river gushing up at speed from a 600 metre deep underground source, making it one of the most powerful springs in the world! A few metres from here, these white water rapids settle down to a wide expanse of water with dams and waterwheels and pass under the bridge at the centre of the village and flow downstream as the River Sorgue.
There are seven museums in the village, including the Cristallerie des Papes (glass blowing museum), History Museum and Geological Museum (in an underground gallery near the source of the river). The Moulin a Papier Vallis Clausa paper mill has produced handmade paper since the fourteenth century and today you can buy beautiful stationary and prints (Tel: 04 90 20 31 14). The eleventh century Romanesque church is also worth a visit. Just downstream from the village is the high, multi-arched Aqueduct de Galas dating from the nineteenth century.
The village is very touristy, with many souvenir shops, boutiques and art galleries lining the river and the covered Vallis Clausa arcade. In the centre of the village, there are restaurants to suit every taste - even fast food! It should be noted that for all parking anywhere in Fontaine de Vaucluse (including the roads out of town) you must pay, although the cost isn't very high. Another downside to this popular village is that in summer it is packed with tourists.
Forcalquier - 42 kilometres
The small town of Forcalquier is situated between the Lure and Lubéron Mountains and is built around the slopes of a steep conical hill. The town is dominated by the nineteenth century octagonal Notre Dame de Provence Chapel with carved stone figures and a stone tiled doomed roof. The old part of the town is lovely, with its narrow streets, shady squares and elegant thirteenth and fifteenth century houses once owned by prominent writers, painters and sculptors. There are fabulous views of terraced olive groves and lavender fields in all directions and an observation table here. Although pretty and picturesque, Forcalquier is a very active town. In the centre of the town is the impressive twelfth century Notre Dame de L'Assomption Cathedral. This huge white stone building holds organ concerts every Sunday in the summer. The Musée Municipal on Place du Bourguet has a large collection of prehistoric and Roman archeological artefacts. Excellent dining can be found in the town at Lapin Tant Pis and Bas Chalut.
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There are many bories (beehive-like dry stone huts traditionally used by the local shepherds) in the region, especially on the GR6 going north out of town and on the D950. |
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Forcalquier has an outstanding market on Monday mornings and an even bigger one on the first Monday of the month. The normal Monday market has everything you could imagine, including a large selection of organic vegetables. The market fills the Place du Bourguet and overflows down the adjoining streets. It spreads across the road to fill the Place in front of the church goes up through the small streets and crowds into the Place St. Michel with its ancient fountain. Forcalquier is famous for its olive oil and here you will find the headquarters of Les Oliviers, the exclusive olive oil shops. |
Gordes - 27 kilometres
Gordes is one of the most well-known hilltop villages in the region and is classed among the hundred most beautiful villages in France. Despite its status as a renowned tourist spot, Gordes has nonetheless retained its great beauty. Perched on the southern edge of the high Plateau de Vaucluse, the ancient white stone houses and buildings are built on terraces tight against the base of the cliffs and are separated by passageways paved with rough stones that are occasionally so steep that they are paved like stairs. At the summit are a twelfth century Renaissance château and a church, both built of beige stone which glows orange in the morning sun - a truly amazing sight. The view from the village is a southern panorama out across fields, forests and small perched villages to the Montagne du Lubéron.
The village dates from the Stone Age and is built around a central château which was constructed on the site of a tenth century fortress and now houses a museum. The Stained Glass Museum displays the thousand year old history of glass and stained glass. Next to this museum is the Bouillons Olive Oil Mill (Tel: 04 90 72 22 11) which is open from February to October and has the oldest intact olive oil mill in France. The Pol Mara Museum (Tel: 04 90 72 02 75) displays 200 works by this contemporary Flemish artist. Every Tuesday there is a delightful street market, with a huge selection of local produce, wine, olives, olive wood and lavender products, herbs and Provençal fabrics. There are also many art galleries, craft boutiques and jewellery stores. The charming village square has a good selection of open-air cafés and restaurants. Light shows and concerts are held at the château and the picturesque Cistercian Abbaye de Sananque (4 kilometres north of Gordes) from the end of May until early September. The Abbaye was founded in 1148 and is in a beautiful secluded valley surrounded by lavender fields. The monks who live there apparently make the best lavender honey in Provence! The Abbaye is open all year on weekdays from 2pm - 5pm (Tel: 04 90 72 05 72).
Take a trip to Gordes in the winter or early spring and you'll see a beautiful historic village with amazing views. In summer it is absolutely packed with tourists and several large but discreet hotels have been built nearby to accommodate the visitors.
Just a few kilometres away, the Village de Bories is an incredible collection of beehive-like dry stone huts constructed centuries ago as houses and farm buildings. This is well worth a visit and is very popular with children as they can run around and go in and out of the bories and stone pigsties! It's open from 9am to sunset and entry is 5 Euros.
Lacoste - 20 kilometres
Lacoste is a beautiful village perched on a hill raising out of the plains between the Plateau de Vaucluse and the Luberon. The ruins of the château at the top of the village date from the sixteenth century, but the defensive walls go back to the twelfth century. This château once belonged to the infamous Marquis de Sade. In 1771 the Marquis fled from Paris to escape the scandals created by his erotic writing and outlandish behaviour. He came to Lacoste and sought refuge in the château which belonged to his grandfather until 1778 when he was arrested. His château is now in ruins and is no longer open to visitors. You can approach it, though, for a closer look at the exterior. Today it is owned by Pierre Cardin, the famous designer. The village has charming narrow streets, old stone houses made from ochre and limestone and a twelfth century church. Lacoste is a pleasant stopping point between Bonnieux and Ménerbes and is close to several trails leading up into the Lubéron mountains. Market day is Tuesday morning.