My Favorite Villages in Luberon, Provence, France
It’s no secret I’m obsessed with this lavender covered, rosé producing, architectural oozing richness, linen enveloped, culinary heaven, set in the French countryside, Provence.
What I consider to be the ultimate paradise can be found at the southern edge of France. Provence is broken up into 6 departments, one of which being Vaucluse, in which you can find the Luberon. Luberon is a National Park region compromised of three mountain ranges and is known as the home of the famous hilltop villages.
The Luberon is full of luxury accommodations, alluring villages, al fresco dining, natural landscapes, and these are all the reasons I can’t stop going back. Below I list my favorite villages in the Luberon.
GORDES
Maybe one of the most famous villages in this region. We parked outside of the town and had a nice stroll up to the town. There is some parking in town, but we liked parking outside to avoid traffic and pedestrians. You can see the day we went was a little stormy. I bought THE cutest transparent umbrella that kept was sheltered from the intermittent torrential downpours. In the early afternoon thunderstorms rolled through as we ran from shop to shop during the storm breaks. I’ve never had quite an experience like this as the weather made us feel so close to nature in the city.
LOURMARIN
Not one of the hilltop villages, but full of wonderful shops and an amazing Friday market. I love the Friday morning weekly outdoor market. It’s one of the largest outdoor market I’ve ever been to. Olives, spices, soaps, linen, oh the linen! This is where I had the best pastries in all of France and you must go to La Maison du Gibassier Boulangerie Riquier. On our way out of town we discovered a field of poppies, and you know how much I love running through fields.
MÉNERBES
Walled village atop a hill, full of wonderful people. Thursday morning we ventured to Ménerbes market. I’m so glad we got to the town early as it got super super busy in the afternoon each day we visited. My favorite part was exploring the town just before all the shops opened for the day. We walked through the neighborhoods and were graciously welcomed by villagers on their daily walking “commute” to work. I feel like we got a true taste of Provençal life.
BONNIEUX
Towering above vineyards and orchards, the 12th century church is a gem. After exploring the church, I loved grabbing a cocktail at one of the many restaurants and watched the sunset.
L’ISLE-SUR-LA-SORGUE
With the river running through the middle of town, this is a great village to do some antique shopping. We spent a long afternoon in this town, checking out all of the cute antique shops and exploring the riverwalks. All the walking make us work up an appetite and we stopped for a delicious lunch at La Casa di Paolo.
I love how these charming Provençal towns are set in the countryside surrounded by tons of nature. I keep dreaming of Provence and just keep trying to find ways to get back to this special place on earth.
Do you have any favorite places in Provence?
