The Luberon region of Provence is famous for its outstanding natural beauty, lavender fields, limestone hills, olive groves, forested valleys, vineyards and slow pace of life.

The area is renowned for its perched medieval villages many of which have been awarded ‘Most Beautiful village in France’. Gordes, Bonnieux, Lourmarin, Lacoste and Menerbes (featured in Peter Mayle’s ‘Year in Provence’) are all within a 10-20 minutes drive of the house.

The Luberon valley lies between the mountain ranges of the Luberon and the Vaucluse. The valley is made up of a patchwork of small farms, vineyards and woodland and is an ideal area to enjoy the beautiful countryside of Provence either by bicycle on foot or on horseback.

There is a market almost everyday of the week in the Luberon, with every village having their own individual stalls and vendors. Two of the largest markets in Provence are held a short drive from the house at Isle sur la Sorgue and the nearby town of Apt. Known as “Little Venice”, Isle sur la Sorgue’s Provencal market on Sunday morning includes over 300 antique dealers, whilst the large and diverse market at Apt has earned the ranking of “Outstanding Market Town”.

The Luberon is considered to be the heart of Provence and the house is a perfect base to explore further afield. The main Provencal towns of Avignon, Aix en provence, Orange and Arles all within an hours drive. If you take the meandering roads that head north out of the valley you will discover the ‘Haute Provence’ or High Provence, here you will find mile upon mile of lavender fields, small farmsteds and eventually Mont Ventoux.