Avignon & Luberon

Western Provence: the Palais des Papes and Pont d'Avignon, the Pont du Gard and Nîmes, the Orange theatre, Van Gogh's Arles and Saint-Rémy, plus Luberon hill villages and the lavender of Sénanque Abbey.

Avignon & Luberon lies in western Provence, centered on the papal city of Avignon on the Rhône and covering the Luberon hills of the Vaucluse, the neighboring Alpilles, the Gard and the Camargue delta. It is the part of Provence with the densest concentration of historic monuments and hill villages. Avignon's old town is ringed by medieval ramparts, with the Palais des Papes, the Pont d'Avignon and the Rocher des Doms forming a continuous line, and Fort Saint-André in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon on the opposite bank. To the north are the Roman Theatre of Orange, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine region, Vaison-la-Romaine and Mont Ventoux. To the west are the Pont du Gard, Uzès, and Nîmes with its Arena and Maison Carrée. To the south are Van Gogh's Arles and Saint-Rémy, hilltop Les Baux-de-Provence and the Camargue wetlands. To the east, the Luberon hills hold "most beautiful villages" such as Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Ménerbes and Lourmarin, as well as the lavender of Sénanque Abbey, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and the spring village of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. Climate: Mediterranean; lavender blooms from late June to mid-July, and in July the Avignon Festival fills the city with performances; spring and autumn are mild and ideal for hiking and sightseeing; winter occasionally brings strong mistral winds. Getting there: the TGV from Paris to Avignon TGV station takes about 2 hours 40 minutes; trains between Avignon, Arles, Nîmes and Orange are convenient, but the Luberon hill villages are almost only reachable by car or on a day tour. We suggest 4–6 days, staying in Avignon's old town or at a countryside guesthouse in the Luberon. Notes: market days differ from village to village (for example, Saint-Rémy on Wednesday and L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue on Sunday), so plan your itinerary accordingly; parking in hill villages is hard in peak season, so arrive early; and in summer some trails close on days of high wildfire risk.

Top sights

• Palais des Papes, Avignon – A giant 14th-century Gothic palace from the Avignon Papacy, when popes resided in Avignon. It is the largest medieval palace in Europe and…
• Pont du Gard – The best-preserved three-tier Roman aqueduct bridge, 49 meters high, spanning the Gardon River. After two thousand years, it remains a marv…
• Arles – A historic town with a Roman arena and ancient theatre still in use, a World Heritage site, and the place where Van Gogh painted “Café Terr…
• Les Baux-de-Provence – A medieval stone village and castle ruins on the Alpilles plateau. The “Carrières de Lumières” immersive art projection in a disused quarry…
• Gordes – The Luberon's most famous stone village, its houses stacked up the cliffs. The panorama from the D15 road viewpoint is Provence's signature…
• Sénanque Abbey – A 12th-century Cistercian abbey hidden in a valley near Gordes. The lavender fields in front and its grey stone walls make up Provence's mo…
• Roussillon – The whole village is painted in red, orange and yellow ochre tones. The “Ochre Trail” beside it winds through orange-red cliffs formed by f…
• Pont Saint-Bénézet (Pont d'Avignon) – The 12th-century stone bridge from the French children's song 'Sur le pont d'Avignon'; only four arches remain, reaching into the Rhône, an…
• Rocher des Doms – A free garden on a limestone hill north of the Palais des Papes, overlooking the Rhône, the broken bridge and the Fort Saint-André on the o…
• Les Halles d'Avignon – An indoor market with a living green wall on its facade, offering more than 40 stalls of Provençal cheeses, olives, deli foods, and seafood.
• Fort Saint-André, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon – A 14th-century fortress with twin towers on a hill across the Rhône, the best spot for a panoramic view of the Palais des Papes and the Avi…
• Saint-Rémy-de-Provence – An elegant small town at the northern foot of the Alpilles, the hometown of Nostradamus and a place tied to Van Gogh, with plane-tree boule…
• Saint-Paul de Mausole – The psychiatric asylum where Van Gogh voluntarily checked in during 1889–1890. His bedroom has been recreated, and in the garden you can fi…
• Glanum – An ancient site just south of Saint-Rémy, tracing the town's history from Gallic times through the Roman period. The triumphal arch and mau…
• Arena of Nîmes – A Roman amphitheater completed at the end of the 1st century AD, seating about 24,000. It is one of the best-preserved Roman arenas in the…
• Maison Carrée – A Roman temple built around 16 BC. It is one of the most completely preserved ancient Roman temples in the world and was inscribed as a UNE…
• Roman Theatre of Orange – A UNESCO World Heritage Site with the best-preserved Roman theater stage wall in Europe, 37 m high and decorated with a statue of Augustus.
• L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue – The “Venice of Provence,” surrounded by multiple channels of the Sorgue River and known for its waterwheels, clear waterways, and France's…
• Fontaine-de-Vaucluse – France's largest karst spring gushes from the foot of a cliff to become the source of the Sorgue River. The poet Petrarch once lived in sec…
• Camargue (Pont de Gau Ornithological Park) – Expansive wetlands and salt marshes in the Rhône River delta. Flamingos, white horses, and black bulls are the three symbols of the Camargu…
• Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer – A whitewashed seaside town in the Camargue. The fortified 12th-century church has a rooftop terrace with views over the Mediterranean, and…
• Châteauneuf-du-Pape – The most famous wine region and village in the Rhône Valley. The ruins of a hilltop papal castle overlook vineyards covered in round stones.
• Mont Ventoux – The “Giant of Provence,” rising to 1,909 m. Its bare white limestone summit is a famous climbing stage of the Tour de France.
• Vaison-la-Romaine – A small town at the northern foot of Mont Ventoux. The lower town holds extensive Roman ruins, and across the Roman stone bridge is the med…
• Lourmarin – A “most beautiful village in France” at the southern foot of the Luberon, with a Renaissance château, café-lined squares, and the grave of…
• Bonnieux – A hill village built in tiers on the northern slope of the Luberon. From the old church at the top, the terrace offers sweeping views of th…
• Ménerbes – A “most beautiful village in France” perched on a boat-shaped ridge, made world-famous by Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence.
• Colorado Provençal – Abandoned ochre quarries near Rustrel, with red, orange, and yellow sandstone canyons and spires that rival the American West. Its hiking t…
• Uzès – The “First Duchy of France,” Uzès is a graceful old town of arcaded squares, a ducal castle, and the Fenestrelle Tower.
• Sault Lavender Plateau – A hilltop village at 760 m on the southeastern slope of Mont Ventoux, surrounded by lavender fields on the plateau. It's a classic lavender…

Where to eat

• La Fourchette – A family-run classic that opened in 1960 and is now in its third generation. Its signature is Avignon-style braised bee…
• La Trinquette Scenic Restaurant – A scenic restaurant in the hilltop village of Gordes, with a terrace that looks over Luberon countryside at sunset. Its…
• Happy Flavors · La Fenière – A Michelin one-star farm restaurant between Lourmarin and Cadenet, where Nadia Sammut creates entirely gluten-free, fre…
• L'Agape – A Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant beside the fountain on Place des Corps-Saints, using Provençal seasonal produce and…
• BIB Grande Brasserie – A grand French brasserie in the cloisters of a 14th-century monastery, run by a one-star chef, with one of the most bea…
• Fou de Fafa – A small restaurant in Avignon's old town run by a couple, with a short seasonal menu of Mediterranean market dishes. It…
• Ju Maison de Cuisine – A Michelin one-star restaurant in the hilltop village of Bonnieux, where chef Julien Allano runs an open kitchen servin…

Itineraries

• Classic Provence & French Riviera Road Trip – Enter via Avignon and exit via Nice, connecting the Luberon hilltop villages, Valensole, Verdon Gorge, and the coast
• Valensole to Sault Lavender Loop – In and out of Marseille, cover the Valensole Plateau, Sénanque Abbey, and Sault flower fields in four days.
• Car-Free Provence Itinerary – Travel by train and bus from Avignon to Marseille, exploring Roman ruins, Van Gogh's town, and the Calanques.
• Barcelona to Nice South France Panorama – Cross the French Mediterranean coast, connecting cities by train and renting a car for the Provence segment.