From Lacoste to Bonnieux,
two hillside villages of the Luberon
This hiking tour at the foot of the Luberon mountains gives you the chance to see two of the most famous hillside villages: Lacoste and Bonnieux. For centuries, they have been standing face to face, each one on its hill. Lacoste is towered by the imposing ruins of a castle which belonged to the Marquis de Sade. From the village, you walk across olive groves and truffle plantations, vineyards and lavender fields, enjoying the local color that set the charming ambiance of Peter Mayle‘s novels.
Through the countryside, you get a multitude of viewpoints over the village’s picturesque terraces, on your way to Bonnieux. Once there, a panorama extends from Lacoste to Roussillon and Gordes, three of the loveliest perched villages. In the background, you can catch sight of Mont Ventoux.
Walking time : 3.5 hours (point-to-point hike)
Rating : leisurely
Season calendar : year-round (summer : 8am – 11am only, not allowed on fire risk days)
The heart of genuine Luberon :
the Aiguebrun Gorge
You would be very lucky to come upon this secluded spot nestled in the foothills of the Luberon mountains. Because the tiny valley of the Aiguebrun river and the ancient hamlet of Sivergues, snuggled above, are off the main tourist routes, 6 miles upstream of Lourmarin. During this hike, you walk on a mule path, part of a salt route that was famous in the Middle Ages. The place, by the river, where an inn can be found today, is very special, peaceful. Its imposing cliffs are world-renowned by rock climbers. And if only a few dozen people live in the area today, it has been occupied by men for at least 50,000 years. What makes it so special is probably the contrast between the cool, humid valley and the desolate plateau above. The first one is covered with lush vegetation and temperate climate plants, as the second one with lavender fields and scrubby woods, so parched in summer.
A gem to discover !
Walking time : from 2 to 3 hours
Rating : moderate
Season calendar : year-round (summer: morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)
Gorges de Régalon,
a spot that piques your curiosity
Starting from the Durance valley, this hike first takes you up to the foothills of the Petit Luberon mountain. You walk accross an open landscape, very stony, where sheep herding has been practised for millennia. Before the slope becomes too steep, you are on your way down a narrow valley whose river dried up several thousands of years ago. In the final part of your descent, you roam through the scenery of a spectacular canyon, ever narrower. This canyon, called the Gorges de Régalon, is very special for its luxuriant vegetation and for its narrowness, as well. In places, the walls rise 200 feet above the pathway and somewhere else, the width of the gorge is barely one meter!
Walking time : 3 hours
Rating : moderate (stony ground)
Season calendar : year-round (summer : not allowed on fire risk days)
The ochre cliffs of Colorado Provencal
Among the numerous former ochre quarries still visible north of the Luberon Regional Natural Park, one of the most prodigious spots is called Colorado Provencal. It displays fascinating landscapes, sculptured over the ages both by nature and man, in a broad palette: colors vary from saffron yellow to blood red and include white sands as well. What brilliant colors contrast with the bright blue of the sky and the varied green shades of trees!
Located near the small village of Rustrel, Colorado Provencal is one of the most popular hiking tours in the Luberon.
Walking time : 3 hours
Rating : leisurely
Season calendar : year-round (summer : morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)
Gorges de Veroncle, a half day trip from Gordes
Not far from the picturesque Provence village of Gordes, your local hiking guide will lead you in the lowest section of the 5-mile canyon that the Veroncle river cut into the south-western bottom of the Monts de Vaucluse. What makes this short hike unique is that the cultural heritage is even more valuable than the one nature has left: you will see during your walk the remains of three of the ten watermills that were built between the 16th and 19th centuries. These old buildings are of a high quality in an area that is not easily accessible: dams, cutstone penstocks, retaining walls, large reservoirs and long canals carved out of the rock as well as numerous millstones. A wild and beautiful spot.
Walking time : 3 hours
Rating : challenging (some rocky passages, a few ladders)
Season calendar : year-round (summer : morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)
A singular walk
through the intriguing Mourres rocks
The Mourres limestone outcrops can be found to the north-east of the Luberon, next to the charming town of Forcalquier. It is a fascinating site, where can be seen several hundreds of strangely shaped rocks: some look like giant mushrooms, others like big weird muzzles. As you climb up to the highest part of the trail, you enjoy a beautiful view of the Alps on the horizon. And before the end of the circular walk, you have the pleasure to see a few Cabanons Pointus. These picturesque traditional dry stone huts are typical of the Pays de Forcalquier. You will certainly hear stories about them from your local guide.
Walking time : 4.5 hours
Rating : moderate
Season calendar : year-round (summer : morning only, on a shortened itinerary)
The dry stone heritage of Gordes and Sénanque
During this hiking tour, you can see one of France’s most beautiful villages, Gordes, situated east of Avignon in the Luberon Regional Natural Park. And your local guide shows you the amazing rural architecture of Gordes surroundings: dozens of huts and other ancient farm buildings, such as cisterns, vats, ovens, and sheep shelters, all built in dry stone. Another major attraction is the 12th c. Cistercian Sénanque Abbey, Hidden in the narrow Sénancole valley at the foot of the Monts de Vaucluse, it has harmonious ensemble of buidings considered as one of the purest examples of the Cistercian architecture.
Walking time : 4 hours
Rating : moderate (stony ground)
Season calendar : 1/1 – 6/15 & 9/15 – 12/31
Visits of Village des Bories outside Gordes and Abbaye de Sénanque are not included
Walking up to the Mourre-Nègre,
summit of the Luberon mountains
This itinerary starts in Castellet, a tiny village on the Luberon mountains northern slopes. Your local guide takes you within two hours up to the top. If the trail across the downy oak forest is steep, the result is worth the effort: you get, from the Mourre-Nègre (3,690 ft), a 360 view that allows you to gaze at all Western Provence‘s peaks. Northwards, you can see, in particular, the white ridge of Mont Ventoux ; and, southwards, besides Mont Sainte-Victoire, if not invisible in the heat haze, you can spot the Mediterranean Sea.
Walking time : 4 hours
Rating : challenging (steep slopes)
Season calendar : year-round (summer : 7:30am – 1pm only, not allowed on fire risk days)
On the heights of the Petit Luberon
The Petit Luberon is the western area of the Luberon range. Although lower than its neighbour, the Grand Luberon, it looks more mountainous, because of the great number of steep rocky cliffs, ravines and gorges. This beautiful trail climbs the southern slopes from the foot up to the ridge of the mountain. Your local guide leads you through a mixed and mostly low vegetation (scrubland, pine groves, holm oak woods). Later, on the summit plateau, you walk accross a Cedar Forest. The tall Atlas cedars up there were planted in the 19th c. Back amid a more open environment, you have the opportunity to admire spectacular boulders and other massive rocks. And then, you start your descent into the valley.
Walking time : 6.5 hours
Rating : challenging (2,000 feet elevation gain, 14 miles)
Season calendar : year-round (summer : can be very hot, not allowed on fire risk days)
From the terraced village of Bonnieux
to Roussillon, standing on its ochre hill
At the foot of the Luberon mountains, Bonnieux, the start village of this hiking tour, rises in tiers on a hillside. From the top, you enjoy panoramic views, seeing as far as Mont Ventoux and the southern Alps. Closer, you can catch sight of the three famous perched Luberon villages: Lacoste, Roussillon and Gordes.
After walking down through the narrow streets of Bonnieux, you roam the countryside made up of vineyards, orchards and woods. You marvel at this mosaic of a landscape for an hour and a half, under the unique Provence light, and then reach Pont Julien. This is a 2,000-year old Roman bridge that spans over the Calavon river. Before the striking village of Roussillon comes out, the trail on which your guide takes you snakes its way accross wooded hills. To top it off, a dramatic walk on a pathway starting in the heart of the village awaits you: it allows you to discover the wonderful red colored cliffs of the former ochre quarries.
Walking time (including the visit of villages) : 6.5 hours
Rating : challenging
Season calendar : 1/1 – 6/30 & 9/1 – 12/31
Visit of ochre museum (Okhra) outside Roussillon not included.