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 image.

Gordes sits on the cliffs at the southern edge of the Vaucluse Plateau, overlooking the Luberon valley. It has been named one of the most beautiful villages in France and served as a filming location for films such as A Good Year. The whole village is built from local grey-white limestone, with houses stacked upward along a cliff more than 300 meters high. At the top stand a 16th-century Renaissance château, which holds a small exhibition, and a church. The classic viewpoint is the Belvédère lookout beside the D15 road at the village's western entrance, which has parking. In the morning the light is best, and in the evening the village is bathed in golden sunset light. The village can be explored on foot in about an hour, covering the château square, the stone lanes, the old Fontaine Basse spring and Rue de la Fontaine Basse, which overlooks the valley floor. A market is held on Tuesday mornings, selling lavender products, olive oil, linen and Provençal printed fabrics. Three kilometres outside the village, the Village des Bories (admission about €6) preserves a settlement of dry-stone huts from the 18th and 19th centuries, offering insight into traditional farming and herding architecture. Four kilometres away is the Sénanque Abbey. Getting there requires a car, or a shared tour from Avignon or Cavaillon. The village car park charges about €4 in peak season and often fills up, so arrive early. Restaurants in the village mostly cater to tourists and are pricey. You can buy ingredients at the market, or dine in nearby Roussillon or Bonnieux. A recommended one-day Luberon loop combines Gordes, Roussillon, Sénanque Abbey and the spring village of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.

Gordes

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