Provence is a delight for your senses

Azure Mediterranean sea

The south of France is known to many as an intoxicating blend of extremes, with the white sand beaches and glamorous nightclubs along the sun-baked Cote d’Azur enjoyed by the rich and famous, and the charming hillside villages of Provence above it where travelers go to savor the French lifestyle slowly. As we toured the area in search of the perfect villa rental for our clients, I remember sitting by the poolside of our villa thinking to myself this could well be place I could settle someday. 

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Here, the azure Mediterranean sea glitters and the vast acres of lavender perfume this striking setting. Provence’s hillside villages are sited in the Luberon mountain region east of Avignon, and mostly contained within the Luberon Regional National Park.

Chateau Provence Elegance - Extraordinary rental

In search of the perfect villa

This landscape is comprised of rugged limestone hills and ridges that carve through fertile valleys with lavender and rosemary, olive orchards, sunflower fields, and gnarled silhouettes of vineyards. Crumbling remains of stone chateaux and simple homes punctuate this rocky area, and streams and waterfalls soften it. In this natural work of art, villages spring from hillsides to enchant visitors with their white stone architecture and friendly people. This month, our blog journey will take us to several Provence villages considered the most beautiful: Bonnieux, Gordes, and Menerbes. We will also explore the arts festival in Avignon, and offer some thoughts about local markets in this wonderful region of France, and we will introduce you to some our wonderful vacation rental finds in Provence.

Let's go back in time through a Provence doorway!!

Aside from its magnificent hilltop site, the design of this quaint little 10th century village is striking, with its terra cotta roofed buildings that appear to cascade down from its summit. Historians tell us that this effect was created as the village (now nearly 1,400 feet high) systematically expanded upward from ground level to protect inhabitants from invasions by humans and plague alike. This lovely hamlet is crowned with a 12th century Roman-Gothic church nestled between ancient cedar trees. Picturesque as it is, the church was once blamed by a local 19th century doctor for contributing to all manner of illness and he lobbied heartily for a new church to replace it. It’s unclear how the good doctor thought the church was infecting parishioners, but ten years later he got his wish and a new church was built further down the village’s slope.

 Apartment Marquis, Provence

Today, the old church provides a lovely backdrop for classical music concerts held in July, and rewards visitors with a shady spot to enjoy the peaceful view of the vineyards and orchards that blanket the Vaucluse plateau below. Close your eyes from this viewpoint and smell the lavender and rosemary that waft up from the valley floor. The verdant tiered topiary gardens of La Louve also await you here, as well as the cultural gem, Musee de la Boulangerie—a museum dedicated to teaching visitors about an irresistible French staple, its bread. Bonnieux has been known to host traveling carnivals, which adds to the color and charm of this sweet town.

Provencal Grapes 

Considered as one of the loveliest of all Provence’s hilltop villages, Gordes is home to artists and actors and charms visitors with its landscape of multi-storied white and gray stone buildings tucked tightly into its rocky face. Like other villages in the area, Gordes is picturesque with cobblestone streets that meander through narrow passageways between its tall buildings which open onto mansions, a square with a pretty little fountain, and panoramas of the valley below. A few things that set this town apart are its magnificent Renaissance era fortressed chateau, the Senanque’s Abbey, St. Firmin’s Palace Cellar, and the Villages of Bories nearby.

 Villa Lavender, Saint Remy de Provence

The Senanque Abbey is a beautifully preserved example of medieval architecture and still home to the Cistercian monks who tend its massive stands of lavender for the essential oils, liqueurs, and lavender-infused honey they produce on this site. Visitors are welcome to amble through ancient Abbey’s church, cloister, dormitory, and calefactory.

Chateau rental - Apartment Marquis, Provence

Old and new live in perfect harmony in Provence

The historic monument of St. Firmin’s offers visitors a chance to see this mansion’s inner workings underground where subterranean rooms, stairways, oil presses, cisterns, and wine containers (all made of stone) still remain. And finally, the Villages of Bories are an archaeologist’s dream, consisting of an interesting collection of stone ruins (“borie” means stone hut) that tell of a bygone people who lived and flourished here for literally thousands of years. There are stone sheep pens and bread ovens within the stone walls that demarcate house boundaries—the oldest said to be nearly 3,000 years old, and the newest areas were identified as 18th century. This area has been preserved as an outdoor museum with exhibits of tools used by the Apt people. As you walk through this time capsule you’ll be struck by the harmony conveyed between an ancient people and their homes quietly tucked into their surroundings.

Les Baux de Provence

British author, Peter Mayle, helped bring Menerbes into focus for travelers with his engaging book, A Year in Provence, which chronicles his love affair with Menerbes and the restoration of a farmhouse here that became his home. Painters Nicolas de Staël and Pablo Picasso were also residents of Menerbes and inspired by its rugged beauty. The altitude here offers outstanding views of the Luberon and Vaucluse mountains and valleys. Menerbes has an ornate 14th century church and the architectural elements of stone buildings and cobblestone pathways that are characteristic of Provence hillside villages. Visitors should see the diminutive chateau, Le Castelet, whose foundation stands on what was once an ancient fortress, and also the unique Corkscrew Museum, which begs the question: how many ways can a motivated person open a wine bottle?! You can contemplate this as you treat yourself to the Cotes du Luberon wines of the region.

Mas Eygalieres, Villa rental near les Baux de Provence