When my wife and I toured Provence a few months ago, we asked the inhabitants of this beautiful region in France which towns they would suggest as to be the most beautiful. Different answers were received, but at the end the following three got the most votes, all of them in the Luberon area, east of Avignon.  And, reading the brochures afterwards, we discovered that they are indeed also officially rated as amongst The Most Beautiful Villages in France. So, off we went, to see for ourselves!

Gordes, about 36 km. from Avignon, is a typical hilltop village, on the edge of the Vaucluse plateau, spilling down in terraces from the rocky outcrop on which it is built. It boasts an impressive architectural heritage: its medieval castle, the Abbey of Sénanque, the Bories village…

Driving up the narrow, winding path along the steep slope, you are amazed to see that almost every structure is built from the stone of the rock which it envelops: the houses, walls, and even the paving of the streets! Like most of these hilltop villages the best way to discover it is on foot. From the car park the old and narrow alleyways lead to a spacious square in front of the fortified 11^th century Chateau de Gordes (Gordes Castle). Surrounding the square are old, cut-stone houses, cafés, small shops selling Provencal oils and a large number of art galleries. The imposing castle, built 500 years ago, is protected by thick walls with rounded towers and turrets, as well as carefully spread out gun openings. It has a fine Renaissance entrance door, and inside a magnificent Renaissance fireplace, one of the biggest in France. It is today also the home of the Pol Mara Museum.

Just outside Gordes is the medieval Abbaye de Senanque (Senanque Abbey), probably the most photographed abbey in the world, because in June and July the flowering lavender fields around it are spectacular! Nestled at the bottom of a small valley of severe beauty this ancient abbey with its semi-circular apse, massive dome and square church tower is a serene apparition.

 

Also next to Gordes is a mysterious village of stone, beehive-shaped huts called bories. It has been around for many centuries, inhabited until in the early 1800s. They were built by flat stones laced one on top of the other, with a slight downward tilt to repel rainwater. The walls, one-meter thick at their base are solid enough to support the colossal weight of the entire construction. Some are laced side by side, so as to form a self-contained unit with living space, stables, pigsties, etc.

Roussillon: It is hard to do justice to the unique splendour of  this village, dominating the valley of Calavon, with houses crowded together on an eroded spur of multicoloured rock form which ochre was quarried for centuries. Some say that there are 17 shades of  colour daubed across the buildings, with reds, yellows, oranges, browns, russet, burgundy and pink merging into one another, creating a special glow in the streets. This is contrasted against the green of the pine trees and the blue sky against the red cliffs. No wonder that it has attracted, charmed and inspired some of the most important artists of the 20^th century. 

Millions of years ago the Luberon was a sea-bed, where the mineral called goethite (named after the German writer, Goethe, who was a keen mineralogist) was deposited. The legend goes that early in the Middle Ages a young damsel called Sermonde was married to Raymond d’Avignon,lord of Roussillon. When he found out that she deceived him with a troubadour during one of his hunting trips, he killed the man, cut out his heart and served it to Sermonde for dinner without telling her. When she learnt that she was literally “heart to heart” with her lover, she threw herself from the top of the cliff. Since then the earth all around runs red with her blood for all time! You can visit the deserted quarries by way of the fee-paying Chaussé des Géants (Gaints’ Causeway), starting off east of the Place du Pasquir, after passing an interesting astronomical clock. Thanks to the commentary of the guide, and the beauty of  the site, this is an unforgettable walk.

The hub of the village is a small, lively square near the top. As you wander along the spiraling alleys, the history of Provence takes on an almost dreamlike quality. The Place de la Forge was the courtyard to the castle which dates back to 987, of which some traces remain. Located on the edge of a cliff, the Church of Saint-Michel stood within the fortifications.

The Clock Tower is the door to the esplanade where the castle was situated. In the narrow streets you will come across interesting galleries, cozy restaurants and enticing shops, even one that has ochre coloured glassware to offer.

All along the way the views of the surrounding countryside are memorable: from the Café du Progrès northward over the plain to the Monts de Vaucluse and the white-tipped Mont Ventoux, or southward to the Luberon mountains. In the Place de l’Horloge at the top of Menerbes is the House of Truffels and Wine in a beautifully restored grand village house. But Menerbes jealously guards the sumptuous private houses of the present inhabitants, who greets you when walking by whilst sitting outside at the end of day enjoying a good glass of wine and the superb views. Like the other pretty villages Menerbes has also attracted artists. Picasso even brought his mistress Dora Maar to a house near the top of the village.