Kathy Wood, a part-time resident of Bonnieux and the full-time owner of European Experiences, shares the following. I love the Luberon, and Bonnieux is a perfect village for exploring this area and for longer day trips to other parts of Provence. Bonnieux has an enviable position on the north side of the Luberon mountain, spilling down a hillside where the Grand Luberon and the Petit Luberon intersect and adjacent to a long, narrow plateau, the Plateau des Claparèdes. A road crosses the plateau at the top of the village before entering a twisting mountain pass to southern Luberon.

From Bonnieux, there are spectacular views across the valley to another mountain range, the Monts de Vaucluse. On a clear day, you can see several other villages on nearby hilltops and even the top of Mont Ventoux, the highest mountain in Provence and over 25 miles away. From the top of the Petit Luberon mountain, you may even spot the edge of the snow-covered Alps in the east.

Perched high on a hilltop, Bonnieux was initially built by the Romans for its strategic vantage point. Today, it rewards visitors with breathtaking views of the Luberon Valley. Make your way up through the village’s winding lanes to the 12th-century Église Saint-Pierre at the summit. This spot offers panoramic views of the valley that stretch as far as the eye can see.

Provence’s Luberon is known for its beautiful ‘villages perchés.’ Many are unaware of the existence of Pont Julien, and indeed, some visitors stumble upon it while visiting the most well-known of these villages, Bonnieux. The Pont Julien originally carried the Via Domitia, the Roman Road from Italy to Spain, over the Calavon River. The bridge was built with such precision that the limestone blocks, cut from the Luberon Mountains, needed no mortar. The portals between the arches allowed floodwater through. The continued existence of this wonderful structure testifies to the genius of the Roman engineers who built it.

Market days in the village are on Wednesday and Friday. The Wednesday morning market is small. On Fridays in peak season, July and August,  there can be 100 sellers selling seasonal fruits and vegetables, cheeses, honey, lavender, fabrics, clothes, art, and more.

Fondation Blachère Art, launched in 2003 by Jean-Paul Blachère, promotes contemporary art from the African continent and its diaspora. Since then, the art centre has hosted nearly 50 art exhibitions and supported 400+ art residencies in Apt and Ngaparou in Senegal. La Fondation Blachère also includes the family’s artwork collection. After a restoration project, the one-time Bonnieux train station now houses a space dedicated to contemporary African art. Read more here

Luberon à vélo, part of the Mediterranean Cycle Route, is a voie verte (or “greenway”), a paved route for bikers, walkers and rollerbladers. There is a network of these cycle paths in France. Many of the pathways were previously railroad tracks, making them nice and flat. Many sections are suitable for families with younger children. The Véloroute du Calavon begins in Cavaillon and goes to Apt, though it is not yet complete, so there are gaps along the way. Here’s a website with more information.

The Enclos des Bories, an ancient settlement of dry stone structures outside Bonnieux. Privately owned, this property is much less visited than the Village des Bories near Gordes.