Trails of the Luberon

➢ Easy access: Direct train from Marseille Airport (station named “Vitrolles”), or from Avignon central station.

Arrive in the town of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, a veritable island of a village, surrounded by the crystal-clear waters of the Sorgue river. The town’s Sunday market is among the most colourful in Provence, while its canals are bordered by quaint cafés, restaurants, and antique shops. Lose yourself among a labyrinth of narrow streets and in the town’s warm, Provençal charm.

Overnight: Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Market on Thursday & Sunday (big and famous one on Sunday)

Distance: 13 km | Ascent: 450 m | Descent: 200 m | 4 hrs approx.

A short transfer this morning takes you to Fontaine de Vaucluse, the mysterious and spectacular spring that is the source of the Sorgue River. Through cedar forests you will follow a 300-year-old mur de la peste: a stone wall built in 1720 to protect Provence from the great plague. Your path takes you through the village of Cabrières before finally arriving into Gordes, a spectacular tiered village which rises dramatically out of the valley and is crowned by its majestic Renaissance castle.

If you prefer a shorter walk today, there is also the option of starting from Cabrières instead. More details will be provided in your road book.

Overnight: Gordes. Small market on Tuesday mornings

Distance: 10 km | Ascent: 250 m | Descent: 250 m | 3 hrs approx.

Today’s circular walk takes you through thyme-laden fields dotted with old stone huts, and down into the Sénancole valley. Soon you will be greeted by the iconic view of the medieval Sénanque Abbey, surrounded by a sea of fragrant lavender. Built in 1148 (and still in use), the abbey is one of the best conserved Romanesque buildings in France, and certainly one of its most magnificent. You will have time to explore the abbey before returning to Gordes via a cobbled path.

Overnight: Gordes

Distance: 11 km | Ascent: 320 m | Descent: 250 m | 3½ hrs approx.

Short morning transfer to the village of Goult, which has a morning market on Thursdays from June to September.

Crossing the Calavon valley, you will pass the ruins of ancient stone farmhouses before reaching the town of Lacoste. Crowned by the ruins of the castle of the Marquis de Sade, Lacoste offers a stunning ensemble of old village gates and cobbled streets, not to mention the haunting allure of the castle and its Marquis… A great place to have picnic, or a lunch in the very nice restaurant “Café de France”. You continue after lunch to the hilltop village of Bonnieux, another gem of the Luberon which was immortalized in Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence. Visit its beautiful town squares and the old cobbled steps leading to its 12^th century church.

Overnight: Bonnieux. Market on Friday morning

Distance: 14 km | Ascent: 400 m | Descent: 400 m | 4 hrs approx.

> Optional cedar forest loop: add 2.5km | +100m | – 100m | 45 mins approx.

Climbing to the highest reaches of the Luberon mountains you reach its cedar forest; its dark green canopy providing the perfect shade and shelter for a picnic lunch, with awe-inspiring views extending from the Alps all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.. if you are lucky!

Overnight: Bonnieux

Distance: 14 km | Ascent: 250 m | Descent: 150 m | 4 hrs approx.

The first half of this walk is leisurely, along quiet country roads. Remember to look back from time to time before the village of Bonnieux disappears from view.

Your walk on the plateaus takes you through truffle oak plantations and past exquisite stone villas. After the Col du Pointu pass you’ve reached the Grand Luberon. A quaint path through the oak forests leads to the Château de Buoux, then up to the 12^th century Chapelle de Ste. Marie. Passing the tiny village of Buoux, you walk alongside imposing cliffs (not too close through…), before descending along a magical cobbled mule track with hairpin bends all the way to the base of the Aiguebrun Valley, where you’ll find the charming and surprising Auberge des Seguins.

Overnight at Auberge des Seguins with dinner included.

Hidden at the base of the Aiguebrun gorge, beside the only river in the mountain, and at the very end of the road, Les Seguins is both storybook scenic and peaceful. And with no television, Wifi, or cell phone reception, we’re taken back in time, blissfully. All that’s left is watching the swifts dance atop the soaring limestone cliffs, or relaxing in a lounge chair in the open field, facing the centuries-old golden stone buildings. We’re taken back in time, too, by the restaurant and hotel signs, written not only in French but also in Provençal: a language that your three young hosts speak fluently. Dinner is family-style, with home-cooked Provençal specialties – like lamb shoulder braised with olive purée – served in a large casserole for the whole table, near the huge roaring fireplace. Breakfast is also “communal”: eaten on large farm tables, with no bells and whistles but with the freshest breads and tasty homemade jams. We’re in an age where the hotel and restaurant business moves farther toward all that is modern and sophisto-chic, towards sterile monotony, towards overly-fancy restaurant concoctions unrecognizable by name and taste, and towards pamper-me-and-embrace-my-posterior service. The Auberge des Seguins is none of that, for better or worse. We think (we’re convinced) for the better.

Your hiking trip in the Luberon comes to an end today after breakfast. A transfer is arranged to take you back to Isle-sur-la Sorgue, where you can take an onward train to Avignon or Marseille.