THE LUBERON
Apt
Apta Julia, founded by the Romans around 45 BC. on the Via Domitia, located in the heart of the Luberon at the foot of the northern slope of the massif, Apt stands out as the capital of the Luberon. This pleasant, typically Provençal town is renowned for the quality of its local produce. Apt has the honor of being classified as a "remarkable site of taste", it is not for nothing that it is the world capital of candied fruit!
It is also an artisanal land, thanks to its clay soils, ochres and a long pottery tradition. The faience of Apt has the specificity of presenting this "aptésienne marbling". Today, in the center of the city, you will find artisans who still perpetuate this tradition.
This city will also seduce you by the charm that emanates from the small streets of the old town with its many squares occupied by majestic fountains, by its mansions and its ramparts which are part of the decor! And to top it all off, in the background stretch the landscapes of the Luberon, scented by lavender which emerge on one side, and on the other the Monts de Vaucluse where the hills tinged with ocher.
Essential:
- Its market on Saturday morning.
Gordes
Take a break on the road to discover the panorama of those pretty villages built on the rock.
It is a must-see village where limestone, dry stone walls and bories are omnipresent components of the landscape. The village is sheltered under the castle, designed to protect it.
Gordes also preserves on its grounds, the village of Bories, these rounded dry stone constructions which sheltered the shepherds, the Sénanque abbey confined in its valley.
Cistercian monastery in activity, founded in 1148, located in the heart of the Sénancole valley, 4km from Gordes. Place of worship housing monks and where services are celebrated.
The American magazine Travel + Leisure has just elected Gordes "the most beautiful village in the world". February 12, 2023
The Unmissables :
- The Sénanque abbey
- The Bouillons mill
- The semi-troglodyte cellars of the Palais Saint Firmin
- The castle of Gordes
Vaucluse fountain
Discover those beautiful village crossed by the Sorgue.
At the end of a deep green gorge, at the foot of a cliff sculpted by erosion, the Sorgue gushes out.
The Fontaine de Vaucluse is an exceptional site at the bottom of which mysteriously rises the Sorgue which gave its name to the village.
Located in the heart of the Monts de Vaucluse and the Pays des Sorgues, the most beautiful river in the department.
The Sorgue has its source in Fontaine de Vaucluse.
It springs up at the foot of a steep 230 m cliff, in the hollow of a closed valley, "Vallis Clausa" in Latin, which gave its name in 1793 to the Department of Vaucluse.
A fresh and peaceful source in winter as well as in summer, bubbling and impetuous in spring and autumn, the Fountain, a true whim of nature, never ceases to amaze.
The source itself, located 80 meters above sea level, is the 1st in France and one of the largest in the world, with a total flow of 630 million m3 per year.
The intense beauty of this natural site has moved the hearts of many writers and poets: Pétrarque, Boccace, Chateaubriand, Frédéric Mistral and René Char.
Access to the source is free and accessible every day of the year.
The Vallis Clausa Paper Mill, discover the ancestral method of making rag paper using techniques dating from the 15th century
Essential:
- The chasm of Fontaine de Vaucluse
- The Vallis Clausa Paper Mill
Isle sur la Sorgue
Formerly Isle en Venaissin was originally a fishing town.
Isle sur la Sorgue was a real island in the middle of swamps,
These numerous canals which surround it or run through it have given it the nickname of “Comtadine Venice” (Comtat Venaissin).
Visit its old center, crossed by many branches of the Sorgue which has the origin of its rich history of silk and woolen trade which contributed to the prosperity of the city.
The few picturesque wheels that remain today to give Isle sur la Sorgue its special character only partially bear witness to the sixty-two that existed in the 19th century. and the intense activity that prevailed then: while silk brought new fortunes, L’Isle became the main woolen center of the department.
A wheel trail is available at the Isle sur la Sorgue Tourist Office.
A paradise for lovers of China, Isle sur la Sorgue is the largest center in Provence for the professional antique and second-hand market. A European-wide center, whose audience has grown steadily since the creation of the 1st Fair in the 1960s and the first antique village in 1978.
Essentials:
- The famous floating market: 1st Sunday of August.
- The international Antiques and Brocante fair: Easter weekend and August 15.
Coustellet
The Lavender Museum of the Domaine Le Château du Bois Provence,
In a traditional Luberon farmhouse, the true lavender of Provence has found its setting.
Produced by a producer, distiller of fine lavender, bringing together the largest personal collection of copper stills from the 16th to the 20th century in a unique location in the heart of the Luberon.
The art of real lavender in Provence in all its glory: discoveries of botany, production, harvest, distillation, history, know-how, uses and benefits of real lavender.
