Monieux Village Vaucluse
Cheryl ShufflebothamExploreVillages Towns and Cities

Monieux Village A Hidden Gem Near the Gorges de la Nesque

One day while driving through the Gorges de la Nesque, we “needed” a place to stop to have an apéritif before heading to Venasque for dinner at one of our favourite restaurants, les Remparts. My husband suggested Monieux since he had passed through the village on his bike in the …

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Simiane La Rotonde Cycle
ExploreJulie WhitmarshStay FitVillages Towns and Cities

Stepping back in time in the Village of Simiane La Rotonde 

Over the summer one of our favourite cycle rides took us to the delightful boulangerie at Simiane-La-Rotonde, just across the border from us towards Banon in the neighbouring Department of Alpes de Haute Provence. The boulangerie itself is worth the hour-long uphill cycle, but it’s not the only attraction as …

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Banon Village Provence Cobblestone Vineyards
Cheryl ShufflebothamExplore

Banon the Prettiest Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Village of Them All?

At the top of Banon, located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, there is the prettiest group of houses all bedecked with flowers, whose colours change depending on the season. This is absolutely one of the most photogenic spots if you are looking for charm. Additionally, as you continue to walk up …

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Séguret Village View Vaucluse
ExploreOur House in ProvenceVillages Towns and Cities

A visit to nearby Séguret, a Most Beautiful Village of France

Our village in Provence is surrounded by small wine-making villages, the closest of which is Séguret, about 1.25 miles northeast of Sablet. As you can see in the picture below, Séguret is elevated above the vineyards that separate Sablet from Séguret and wraps around the bottom of a steep hill topped …

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Luberon Cycling Routes
ExploreJulie WhitmarshStay Fit

Provence’s Luberon is Great for Cycling in all the Seasons

What we’ve realised since we bought the house this time last year is that there is no really bad time to cycle in Provence. Yes Summer is hot, but speaking as a‘mad dog’ I’m very happy to go out in the mid-day sun and to be honest it gives us …

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hilltop village of Venasque
ExploreOur House in Provence

Visit the beautiful village of Venasque for Lunch at Les Remparts Restaurant

Contributor blog post by Michel: We frequently take day trips from Sablet to explore the hilltop villages of the Luberon. To get there, we drive down the D4, a scenic route that takes you across Carpentras before it becomes a narrow winding road flanked by cherry orchards until it passes below …

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Bedoin Village in the Vaucluse
Cheryl ShufflebothamExploreVillages Towns and Cities

Visit the Charismatic Provencal Village of Bedoin

Bedoin is a village, in the Vaucluse, that grows on you. At first it may not appear to be as polished or refined as some of the other popular villages in the area. But give it a chance. Wander the streets and enjoy the atmosphere, the frenzy of excitement as …

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Exploring Provence architecture
InspireJulie Whitmarsh

Painted Shutters and the Relaxed Architecture of Provence

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: There is something so wonderful about French buildings and all too often we miss seeing them as we hurry past or simply focus on everything at eye-level. In the past I’ve probably been one of the worst, focusing on just cramming as many of …

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Village of Gardanne painted by Paul Cezanne
AixcentricExploreVillages Towns and Cities

Reasons Why You Should Plan a Visit to Gardanne

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: I have to confess driving round/past/through Gardanne several times but never stopping to have a look round. We did, this week, and found it interesting. It wasn’t a good start as the tourist office was shut. We had checked the opening hours on the website …

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Lourmarin in the Luberon by Cobblestone and Vineyards
Cheryl ShufflebothamExploreVillages Towns and Cities

Lourmarin The Most Romantic Village of the Luberon

Here’s a tip! When your husband asks if you would like to be dropped off in the village of Lourmarin for the day, you just say “Yes!” You don’t question it. You just go. You won’t be disappointed. Read the original Cobblestones and Vineyards article for Cheryl’s photos of Lourmarin …

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