How do you test a hotel’s 5-star rating? Forget about checking for dust on picture frames — deliver a thunderstorm in the middle of a meal service. L’Orangerie’s terrace was brimming with lunchtime customers enjoying their market-fresh plats du jour and local rosés when the typically far-reaching view of the Luberon vanished …

This Wednesday, April 15th, L’Art Glacier reopens after its winter break. This is a restaurant tucked away on a wooded hillside near Ansouis and is well-worth seeking out. It has a fabulous terrace which overlooks the Luberon and its ice-creams and sorbets must be the best ever! Explore the original …

Luberon Villages Ansouis was a gift – 963 AD, and it still is! This village first appears in a written record in 963 AD, referring to Lambert de Reillane, who donated Ansoye lands to the Abbey of Saint-Pierre de Montmajour. This land in the Aigues valley belonged to his grandfather …

Is there something in the Provencal air, in the water, or is it in the earth? Provence’s ceramics industry is a vibrant and integral part of the region’s cultural and economic landscape. It blends traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation, contributing significantly to local heritage and the economy. Below, we explore …

When students join me in Provence for a French immersion stay, I want to make sure that they improve their language skills and also get a chance to visit the region. Below are a few excursions from Aix-en-Provence that I have taken with students during their visits. Some of these …

Below is our visitor’s guide to help you discover some of Provence’s ceramics and pottery artists. The page is organized alphabetically by department within the region. We have included the artists we know and some galleries and museums worth visiting. Please feel free to send us any suggestions so we …

Lavender blooms for a relatively short time in Provence. Like any plant, the exact peak flowering time depends on several factors, including weather and altitude. Generally, the lavender fields in the South of France peak in early July and are harvested by mid-August. Many people plan their trips specifically to …

We have featured many villages and larger towns from St Remy to Nice in our “Where we live in Provence” series, including other places in the Luberon. Perhaps missed by the typical tourist itineraries, Rustrel is a small Luberon Valley village worth visiting. We asked Beth, who owns a home …

Visiting Provence’s famous lavender fields is truly what dreams are made of. It’s a magical, sensory experience. You inhale the earthy fragrance filling the summer air and see the rows of deep purple flowers dancing toward the horizon. Experience the lavender plateaus and visit many remarkable sites in the South …

Paul Shawcross lives in Newcastle, England, and he is a devoted Francophile who has made many work and personal trips to France. In 1979, passing through France for the first time on the way to Spain, his long relationship with the French country and its culture began. A professional travel …