Provence – The Essential Guide

Last Updated on September 23, 2026

The Luberon – The Spiritual Home of Provence

This is the first of a series of guides to Provence in southeastern France, a region that borders Italy to its east, has the Mediterranean Sea as its southernmost boundary, and the river Rhône to the west. Popularised in the UK by the author Peter Mayle in his series A Year in Provence, the area has long been a destination for British tourists. But Provence is much more than a rosé-drenched idyll full of charming locals who drink Pastis and play Pétanque.

As well as the sunflowers, perfume, wine, beaches and the glamour of St.Tropez, Nice and Cannes, it’s also a region of contrasts: there are jagged mountains dotted with villages that cling to the cliffside, and barely cultivated plains that seem to stretch forever; there is lush vegetation and dry scrubland; bijou villages populated by the Parisian elite, and the urban grit and creativity of Marseille, the serene peace of a lavender field and the roar of French Rafale fighter jets.

The Luberon

We are going to start our tour of Provence with the area known as the Luberon, a series of small towns and villages built on 3 mountain ranges and the home not only of the extremely popular Peter Mayle book “A Year in Provence” set in the village of Ménerbes which spawned a TV series, but also the location of the two classic Marcel Pagnol films set in the early decades of the 20th century, “Jean de Florette” starring Gerard Depardieu and “Manon des Sources” starring Emmanuelle Béart, that provided a much less glamorous take on the realities of subsistence farming in the area.

Cavaillon

Our first visit was to Cavaillon, a market town with an industrial base that provides the amenities needed for the region. Cavaillon’s old town centre is charming, with a rich history waiting to be uncovered if you are prepared to dig a little. The town is known for its 8 species of Cavaillon melons, and the lusciously sweet fruit has its own festival in July. They were a favourite of author Alexandre Dumas (The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers) who, so the story goes, traded all his original manuscripts for a delivery of 12 Cavaillon melons a year. Cavaillon dates back to the 6th century BC.

Built and populated by Greeks, with walls like those at Mycenae, other waves of settlers included the Celts and then the Romans, who built the Roman Double Arch that sits next to the town’s Tourist Office. As time moved on, Cavaillon became part of the Kingdom of Naples, only becoming French after the revolution. The locals at that time spoke Provençal and had a distinct cultural identity.

Cavaillon’s “Notre-Dame and Saint-Véran” Cathedral was built around the same time as Notre Dame in Paris but in an Italianate, not a Gothic style. Look out for the 17th-century gilded woodwork and some fine paintings from the same period, including some by Nicolas Mignard, a friend of Molière. Legend has it that Saint Véran, the 6th C. Bishop of Cavaillon, tamed the local dragon at the village of Fontaine de Vaucluse and that the ochre colour of some of the local soil came from the dragon’s blood.

For a period of about 100 years beginning at the start of the 13th C., Jews were expelled from the UK, France and then Germany. In the late 16th century, the Pope, who was at this time based in Avignon, allowed a few Jews to settle in Cavaillon and three other settlements in the Papally controlled Comtat Venaissin independent state within Provence. They were known as the Juifs du Pape (Jews of the Pope).

However, the Jews were forced to live in a one-street ghetto with a night-time curfew and with windows only looking out onto the street. The men had to wear a yellow hat and the women a yellow veil. The French composer Darius Milhaud emerged from the Cavaillon ghetto. The street houses the Cavaillon Synagogue with its drab 15th-century exterior hiding the surprisingly rococo 18th-century interior. It’s worth a visit to understand the enclosed lives that this vibrant community were forced to live.

If you are interested in archaeology, the Musée Archéologique de l’Hôtel-Dieu has a fine collection of Celtic, Greek and Roman artefacts. Probably the most eccentric collection in Cavaillon is the Hôtel d’Agar, which not only has the oldest garden in France dating from the pre-Christian era but also what has been described as a “cabinet of curiosities”, a family collection displayed in a private mansion. There are artefacts from the Greek and Roman eras, two glorious paintings by Caravaggio and some contemporary artworks. Visit is by appointment for a guided tour. See the website.

Architecture fans will be intrigued by the Pont-aqueduc de la Canaù just outside of the town. This “masonry and siphon” bridge dates from 1537 and is rumoured to be taken from a Leonardo da Vinci design for a much bigger structure originally planned to span the Bosphorus rather than in Provence.

Fontaine-de-Vaucluse

Just over 20 minutes’ drive from Cavaillon is the charming village of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, the source of the beautiful river Sorgue. Park just outside of the village and follow the river uphill to near its source, a spring with the largest flow in mainland France, fed by nearby mountain waters, which is fenced off for safety reasons. The riverbank is the perfect spot for a lazy picnic in a bucolic setting.

Abbey of Sénanque

Not far from Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is the Abbey of Sénanque. Set in a deep valley amongst the vertiginous gorges, its gorgeous white stone, stunning cloisters and the pervasive scent of lavender transport you to a more serene place. The abbey is very much a working monastery and you even get to see the straw mats that the monks use for sleeping in their dormitory. As with most attractions in Provence, it’s worth arriving early, as in the summer season it gets busy.

Gordes

Also in the same area is the bijou village of Gordes, ranked by Travel + Leisure magazine as the “most beautiful village in the world.” I can’t judge that, but it is one of the prettiest in Provence. With the Château de Gordes dominating the skyline, its chi-chi boutiques, cobbled streets and steep paths and a popular Tuesday morning market attract a wealthy crowd; there’s a Ladurée macaron shop and a Sotheby’s estate agent. The village has to be seen but gets very crowded, and parking is restricted to the official car parks.

Right in the centre of the village are the St Firmin cellars, semi-troglodytic caves used as artisan workshops and storage spaces during the Middle Ages. It’s worth a visit to gain an understanding of the history of the Luberon villages before the area was redeveloped. You can see where wine vats, a bread oven, an olive oil press and a tannery all coexisted, providing a subterranean workspace in the cool of the caves.

If exploring troglodytic caves has made you hungry, then go for lunch at La Bastide de Pierres in the heart of the village near the castle square for reasonably priced pizzas, pastas and salads and a spot of people watching.

Village de Bories

Close to Gordes is the extraordinary Village des Bories. Dating back to the 14th century, this collection of thirty dry-stone buildings was originally built for livestock and human shelter from the infamous Mistral wind. Peasants removed the stones used for their construction to clear the land for farming. Restored in the 60s and 70s, it’s a must for aficionados of dry-stone construction but the buildings have an otherworldly sculptural presence and a sense of deep-rooted Provençal history that makes the village an important destination.

Roussillon

In the same region is the town of Roussillon with its glorious Ochre Trail with easy parking near the town’s centre. There are two different trails of 30 and 60 minutes, neither of which is suited to anyone with mobility problems. However, if you can get around, then the landscape is mind-blowing, and unlike anything else I have seen in Europe. It’s a bit like being on a French-speaking planet with gorgeous ochre canyons and a charming gift shop. Park at Le parking des Ocres, which is only 100m away.

Legend has it that Lord Raymond d’Avignon, who lived in the castle in Roussillon, preferred hunting to spending time with his wife, Lady Sermonde. She took a lover, a young nobleman, and when Raymond found out, he had the lover’s heart cut out, cooked and served to his wife in a spicy sauce. She threw herself off the top of a cliff, and her blood coloured the surrounding landscape, giving it the signature ochre colour. The town of Roussillon is very picturesque and worth looking around once you have completed the Ochre trail.

Château de Lourmarin

North of Aix-en-Provence is the delightful Château de Lourmarin, originally built in the 15th C. and with an evocative Renaissance wing built a century later; it was bought in 1920 by Robert Laurent-Vibert, a Lyon industrialist, who restored it. After his death, the Robert Laurent-Vibert Foundation of Lourmarin was set up, which hosts young artists in residence during the summer, with concerts, conferences, and exhibitions throughout the year.

It’s a beautiful building, and you are likely to wander into rooms which are full of contemporary art with young musicians practising. While you’re in Lourmarin, eat at the Bacheto restaurant, part of the 4-star boutique Le Moulin hotel nestled in a converted mill, for a contemporary take on the cuisine of Provence.

L’Isle sur la Sorgue

To the east of Avignon is L’Isle sur la Sorgue, a lovely town full of canals and the many water wheels that powered wool production. There are also over 300 antique shops, and it’s easy to spend a day wandering and discovering atmospheric squares such as the Place de la Liberté, home of many intriguing shops and bars and the most important church in the town, the Collégiale Notre Dame des Anges. If you are looking for somewhere quiet to eat, Maison Moga is set back from the main drag and offers wonderful seafood, cheese or charcuterie platters. 

Les Grottes de Thouzon

Just a short journey from L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue are Les Grottes de Thouzon. In 1902, an explosion revealed the cave’s opening, which led to a 230-meter-long gallery studded with stalactites and stalagmites. They are stunning, and it’s well worth a visit if, like me, you like that sort of thing. Take a sweatshirt or cardigan as it can get quite chilly underground!

Other Villages

Other villages to visit in the Luberon include Oppède-le-vieux which is quiet and has amazing scenery; the artists’ village of Lacoste, where the Marquis de Sade had his castle; Bonnieux, the highest village of the Luberon, for its stunning views and bakery museum; and the often-neglected Lauris and Cucuron, with its famous rectangular pond.

I could spend weeks exploring the Luberon and will certainly return the next time I am in Provence. There is a sense of permanence and mystery about the region that will draw me back for further visits. Our next article exploring Provence will look at Arles and the neighbouring Camargue region, home to the famous white horses, pink flamingos, black bulls and cowboys.