Gordes & Luberon Villages

The Luberon is every Provence traveler's dream: a chain of hills between Cavaillon and Manosque, made famous by Peter Mayle's book "A Year in Provence," crowned by the most beautiful villages in France (Villages les plus beaux de France). Honey-colored stone houses cling to rocky outcrops, narrow alleys wind around fountains and churches, and the view sweeps over vineyards, olive groves, and lavender fields.

Gordes ★★★

Gordes is the quintessential postcard village of Provence: a conical hill covered from top to bottom with light stone houses, crowned by a Renaissance castle (12th–16th century, now an exhibition venue). The view from the viewpoint on the D15 of the village is breathtaking—especially in the morning or evening light when the stones glow golden. In the village itself: winding alleys, small galleries, a weekly market (Tuesday mornings) with local goat cheese and olive oil. The Village des Bories (3.5 km south) is an open-air museum with dry stone wall huts used since the Bronze Age (€6).

Roussillon ★★★

The "Colorado of Provence": Roussillon glows in all ochre tones—from lemon yellow to fiery red to rust brown. The houses are painted with the local ochre pigment, which has been mined here since the 18th century. The Sentier des Ocres (Ochre Trail, €3.50) leads through a surreal landscape of carmine-red spires and ochre cliffs—like a miniature canyon in Arizona. The Usine Mathieu (old ochre factory, €8) explains the mining and processing. Caution: Do not wear white shoes—the ochre stains!

Bonnieux, Ménerbes & Lacoste

Bonnieux: Perched on a hill with panoramic views of the Luberon Valley. The old church (12th century) at the top, the new cedar forest on the north slope. Ménerbes: Peter Mayle's village, much quieter than Gordes. The Maison de la Truffe et du Vin offers tastings of Luberon wines and truffle products (tastings from €10). Lacoste: Dominated by the ruins of the Marquis de Sade's castle, now owned by Pierre Cardin, who hosts a cultural festival here.

Lourmarin

The "Saint-Tropez of the Luberon": Lourmarin is the liveliest of the Luberon villages, with excellent restaurants, boutiques, a Renaissance castle (€5), and the grave of Albert Camus in the small cemetery. Friday mornings is a big market.