The Luberon
Impeccably restored, this deluxe hotel is one of the Luberon's star turns, from the boater-wearing bellboys through to the beamed lobby stuffed with antiques, oil paintings and bookcases. Rooms are enormous and aristocratic (a valley view is essential); spa, gardens, an incredible pool and a trio of restaurants (one Michelin-starred) ice this most indulgent of cakes.
If you really fall for the style here, there’s a shop where you can pick up decorative souvenirs.
24.84 MILES
Orange's monumental, Unesco-protected Roman theatre is unquestionably one of France's most impressive Roman sights. It's one of only three intact Roman…
19.73 MILES
The largest Gothic palace ever built, the Palais des Papes was erected by Pope Clement V, who abandoned Rome in 1309 in the wake of violent disorder after…
19.86 MILES
Legend says Pastor Bénézet (a former shepherd) had three visions urging him to build a bridge across the Rhône. Completed in 1185, the 900m-long bridge…
29.54 MILES
Aix established one of France's first public museums here, on the site of a former Hospitallers' priory, in 1838. Nearly 200 years of acquisitions …
20.68 MILES
It might lack the scale and ambition of some of Provence's better-known Roman monuments, but for a glimpse into everyday life in Gaul, this ancient town…
1.3 MILES
If you're searching for that classic postcard shot of the medieval abbey surrounded by a sea of purple lavender, look no further. This sublime Cistercian…
15.16 MILES
Named after its fiery red and orange landscape (which locals likened to Colorado), this former ochre quarry is one of the best places to appreciate the…
20.39 MILES
This monastery turned asylum is famous for one of its former residents – the ever-volatile Vincent van Gogh, who admitted himself in 1889. Safe within the…
1.21 MILES
Beehive-shaped bories (stone huts) bespeckle Provence, and at the Village des Bories, 4km southwest of Gordes, an entire village of them can be explored…
2. Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque
1.3 MILES
If you're searching for that classic postcard shot of the medieval abbey surrounded by a sea of purple lavender, look no further. This sublime Cistercian…
1.44 MILES
Heading 3.5km south from Gordes along rte de St-Pantaléon (D148), you hit this marvellous rural museum: an olive-oil mill with a 10m-long Gallo-Roman…
3.32 MILES
Beneath the limestone cliffs an easy 1km walk from the village, the magical spring after which the village is named gushes forth at an incredible rate –…
5. Musée d’Histoire Jean Garcin: 1939–1945
3.64 MILES
A small museum exploring the harsh realities of life in occupied France during WWII.
3.74 MILES
The façade of this eye-catching hôtel particulier dating from 1900 is pure romance. Sitting pretty in pink on the left as you walk from the car park to…
3.89 MILES
To get to grips with Provence’s most prestigious crop, this excellent eco-museum makes an ideal first stop. An audioguide and video (in English) explain…
4.8 MILES
You have to be a real wine buff to appreciate this museum – dedicated to the art of the humble corkscrew. There are more than 1000 of them on display at…