VILLAGES OF PROVENCE

L’Isle Sur La Sorgue
The ‘Venice of Provence’ means ‘the Island in the River Sorgue’ and is the most important antique centre in Europe with its antique shops and markets. Originally a small fishing village with the River Sorgue providing the bulk of the fish to the Papal Territories in France.

Senanque Abbey
Surrounded by magnificent fields of lavender, the Cistercian abbey is found near the village of Gordes. Famous for its austere Romanesque architecture (so as not to offer sensual distraction) it was consecrated in 1178. In the Middle Ages the abbey operated flour mills, granges and possessed large estates. By the French Revolution the abbey lands were nationalised and the abbey disbanded.

Lacoste
Lacoste is a tiny, medieval Provencal village where time has stood still, with splendid views over the mountains of the Luberon.
The village is now an artistic haven, and home to a school of arts. The haunted ruins of the chateau of the infamous Marquis de Sade and currently Pierre Cardin are its most famous residents.
During World War 2, the French Resistance had a very strong foothold around the village with trenches and barbed wire still in the valley where battles with the Germans took place.
A village which symbolises all that is Provence.

Bonnieux
Bonnieux is a village steeped in history in the Vaucluse department in Provence. Perched on top of the Luberon hills, the view over the plains from its 13th Century church at its peak, of vineyards, fields and cherry orchards is superb. In the distance spy more tiny medieval villages.
Roman ruins dating back to 3BC can be found just outside the village along with the ancient cedar forst dating back to Napoleonic times. The town reached its zenith in the mid 1800s with a population of 2804.

Roussillon
Roussillon is an extremely picturesque village with red rocks, red stone buildings and red tile roofs, set in a deep green pine forest on bright red-ochre hills. The village has spectacular old buildings and narrow medieval cobble-stoned streets to wander through at your leisure. Roussillon is a unique tourist destination.

Pont du Gard
A UNESCO world heritage site, the Pont du Gard is a superb example of an ancient Roman aquaduct bridge which crossed the Gard River. It connected running water from Uzés to Nimes over 50 kilometres. Constructed by the Romans in 1st Century AD it is the second highest of all Roman aquaduct bridges and is indicative of the great precision Roman engineers achieved with simple technology. It is deemed on of France’s greatest tourist attractions.

Les Baux de Provence
In a spectacular position in the Alpilles mountains, Les Baux de Provence is set atop a rocky outcrop crowned with a ruined castle overlooking the plains of the south.
Its name refers to its site ‘baou’ meaning rocky spur. The village was named after the bauxite was discovered there in 1821.
Les Baux de Provence has been dated back to 6000BC because of its defensive possibilities and was used as a fort through the ages. The castle was demolished in 1632 as a result of an unsuccessful protestant uprising against the powerful Cardinal Richelieu. It is now given over to tourism.

Gordes
Located 38 kilometres from Avignon, Gordes is a beautiful hillside village on a giant calcareous rock which dominates the valley. Gordes was occupied in early history by the Roman Empire, the Benedictine and Cistercian monks in the Middle Ages and became a French royal provence in the Renaissance.
Like Lacoste, during World War 2 Gordes was an active French Resistance stronghold.
This picturesque hillside village is surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and almond trees and its main sites are the castle, cellars, abbey, village centre and outlying dry stone huts at the Village des Bories. Site of a number of films set in Provence, in particular, A Good Life with Russell Crowe.

St. Rémy de Provence
Considered to have the most important Roman excavations in France at Glanum, St. Rémy de Provence was also the birthplace of Nostradamas and Vincent van Gogh was treated at the Monastry St. Paul de Mausole psychiatric centre. A visit to his room, the courtyard and gardens is quite evocative. ‘The Starry Night’, ‘The Irises’, ‘Hospital at San Remy’, ‘Olive Trees’ and many still lifes, portraits of the staff and patients were also painted during his stay there.

 

TOURS IN PROVENCE - FRANCE
Provence Grand Tour