Luberon, France

The Luberon is a hilly region located in the south of France, in the historic region of Provence, between the towns of Manosque and Cavaillon. The characteristic plant here is the lavender. So when it blooms, in summer it's a paradise - fields of purple and the unrivalled scent of lavender. On the territory of the massif is the Luberon Regional Nature Park, the management of which is in the small town of Apt.

Many of the villages in this area are picturesque and attract large numbers of tourists. Five villages in the Luberon area - Gordes, Roussillon, Lourmarin, Ansui and Menerbes - are listed as the most beautiful villages in France.

Gordes Gordes is a beautiful village in the small Luberon with about 2 thousand inhabitants, located on a terraced hill. Many of the houses are old, stone with arched windows, and narrow cobbled streets lead to the highest point of the village, where the magnificent 16th century castle is. Inside are works by contemporary artists. Most of the hotels here have interesting architecture-a mix of old and new construction, swimming pools and lots of greenery.

Bori Near Gord is the village of Bori, which is attractive for its open-air museum, where there are about 20 stone huts built in the 18th century. For a better tour of the surroundings, a bicycle can be hired, and after a pleasant walk, delicious Provençal food is a must. North of Gordes is the Abbey of Senonque, where the chapel's light stones contrast with the lavender fields.

Roussillon Roussillon is a village located in the heart of Provence. The walls of the houses range from red to pink to crimson. The blood red cliffs outside the village are a fascinating sight especially at sunset. An old quarry for the production of coloured earth-ochre can be seen here. At the nearby Ochre and Colours Centre Museum one can get an insight into the processing process. Before the era of synthetic dyes, ochre quarrying was the main industry in Luberon.

Lourmarin Lourmarin is a village located 50 km from Avignon with about 1000 inhabitants. Its houses are typical of this area-stone and the streets are narrow cobbled. The sights here are the 15th-century Château de Lourmarin and the 17th-century Château de Corret, which preserves a park with a lake in which lilies bloom and also a beautiful fountain. Of interest are the church of Saint-Trophism-Saint-André and the Old Windmill. The writers Albert Camus (1913-1960) and Henri Bosco(1888-1976) are buried in Lourmarin.

Ansouy Ansouy is a settlement occupying a prime position in the valley of the river. It is a village in the centre of the town of Ansoucy, situated in the village of Ansoucy in the centre of the town of Ansoucy. Its population is about 1,000. The castle, owned by the de Sabran family, is remarkable. Built in the 10th century as a fortification, it was converted into a family chateau in the 12th-13th centuries and more buildings and improvements were added later in the 15th-19th centuries. The garden of the castle is terraced and slopes down the hill, where the view of the surroundings is fantastic. This is one of the most beautiful castles of Luberon. The 13th century church of Saint -Martin has beautiful stone decoration around the wooden door of the main entrance. The Museum of Wine Art is located in the Château Turcan, and its collection includes more than 3 thousand objects. The museum of the artist Georges Mazois has his own works, Provençal furniture and a restored 15th century sea cave in the underground floor.

Menerbes Menerbes is a hamlet in the Vaucluse department in the Provence region, 34 km northeast of Avignon. Menerbes is crossed by several rivers. Its population is about 1,000. It is a beautiful place in the Luberon, described by the British writer Peter Mayle in A Year in Provence.

Apt Apt is a town in the Provence region, 60 km from Avignon. Apt is the largest town in the Upper Massif of the Luberon.Its population is about 12 thousand. Founded by the Gauls, after many destructions and renovations, it was finally rebuilt in the Middle Ages by the Counts of Provence, who built a defensive structure here. The town's main landmark is the 17th-century St Anne's Cathedral. It is one of three churches in the Avignon archdiocese, bearing the honorific name of "little basilica". In the surrounding area there are many artifacts from Roman times . And the Pont-Julien bridge, crossing the river Calavon dates back to the 1st century AD. The Saturday market in Apt offers candied fruit, lavender oil and beautiful pottery.

Southeast of Apt, a steep trail leads to Moor Negr-the highest peak of the Luberon, where the view is magnificent. And beyond the Vaucluse plateau rises the formidable Mont Vantu-1900m. The Tour de France cycling tour includes this peak in the stages.

The Fontaine de Vaucluse The Fontaine de Vaucluse lies along a ravine at the foot of which is the source of the River Sorte, a beautiful place that inspired Petrarch to compose many of the sonnets dedicated to Laura. The Petrarch Museum exhibits his editions of poems illustrated by Picasso, Miró and others. Another attraction here is the Valis Cloza Paper Mill, which has produced paper from the 16th century to the present day.