| Day 1 : In the city of the Popes
Avignon
Rendezvous at your hotel in Avignon, city of great culture and history, where in the 14th century the Popes ruled from their imposing palace. Take the time to discover the ancient fortification walls, the famous bridge on the Rhône, and a myriad of off-the-beaten-track squares and streets throughout the town. Dinner and night in Avignon.
Day 2 : In the plains: cypress trees and lone farmhouses
Avignon>Saint Rémy
- About 35km cycling -
Leaving Avignon you enter the plains to the south, along tiny country roads and passed the lavender-blue shutters of old farmhouses. The cicadas chirp in the Provençal sun, orchards and vineyards guide you along the way. On the Montagnette, a small hill laden with thyme and rosemary, you will discover the hidden Monastery of St. Michel de Frigolet, which has hosted a religious community since the beginning of the 12th century. You continue toward St. Rémy de Provence (market on Wednesdays), birthplace of Nostradamus, its streets full of artists’ shops and patisseries, inviting you to find a café and bask in the ambiance. Dinner and night in St. Rémy, just a stone’s throw from the old village gates.
Day 3 : Van Gogh’s Provence
St. Rémy>Les Baux>St. Rémy
- About 40km cycling -
It is no wonder why Van Gogh chose St. Rémy as a second home, a town bathed in light and colour: it’s an artist’s dream. Leaving St. Rémy you can visit Saint Paul de Mausole, the former monastery converted into a rest home for the mentally ill, where Van Gogh spent the last year of his life, and did some of his best work. Just beside the monastery is Glanum, a Roman archaeological site, its massive limestone ruins a testament to over 2000 years of history. Winding through the Alpilles mountains, in landscapes of pine trees and wildflowers, you will reach Les Baux de Provence, a town perched vertiginously atop a rocky crag, crowned by the ruins of its feudal castle. Les Baux is listed among the most beautiful villages in France. Dinner and night in St. Rémy.
Day 4 : The mistral swept plains of the Durance Valley
St Rémy>Eygalières>Cavaillon>Maubec
- About 40km cycling -
From St. Rémy, heading into the plains to the east, you cycle towards the lost village of Eygalières, surrounded by vast olive groves, its beautiful stone houses set atop a hill, and up to the ruins of its castle. Through farmlands and endless orchards, and under the graceful flight of herons and egrets, you cross the Durance river. On the opposite bank of the Durance you are met by Cavaillon, a lively town filled with restaurants and cafés, and bursting with locally grown fruits and vegetables. Find the local produce in a small shop, and with a fresh baguette and some cheese find a lovely picnic spot outside of town, under the shade of a centuries-old plane tree. Dinner and night in Maubec.
Day 5 : Peter Mayle’s Luberon
Maubec>Bonnieux>Ménerbes>Maubec
- About 35km cycling -
Today’s journey takes you through the landscapes of A Year in Provence, where perched villages are joined by small country roads – roads dotted by 500 year-old shepherd’s huts, cherry orchards, and truffle oak plantations. Reach the village of Bonnieux and discover its tiny squares; pass through the limestone archway and up the cobbled steps to the 12th century church crowning the village, hidden in the shade of a giant cedar. Next is the town of Ménerbes, with its massive stone homes sitting vertiginously above a ledge, and its quaint streets and cafés. In the centre of town is the wine and truffle museum, a delight for all the senses. Dinner and night in Maubec.
Day 6 : Gordes and Roussillon: two of the most beautiful villages in France.
Maubec>Roussillon>Gordes>Isle sur Sorgue
- About 45km cycling -
On the north side of the Calavon valley you reach Roussillon, a village sitting atop the world’s largest ochre deposit. The village homes are painted with ochre pigment in every hue of yellow, orange, and red, a rainbow of colour highlighted by the ever-present Provencal sun. Take the time to explore the abandoned ochre quarry, with sands and dunes in every colour. Just six kilometers farther is the town of Gordes, its noble grey stone homes winding up in dizzying circles to the renaissance castle that crowns the village. Cycling above the valley, through landscapes of pine and cedar forests, you slowly make your way down to l’Isle sur la Sorgue (Sunday market), veritable island of a village, completely encircled by the clear green waters of the Sorgue river. Take the time to explore the antique shops that line the quays, and sit down at one of the many cafés that line the waters and watch the world go by. Dinner on your own. Night in l’Isle sur la Sorgue.
Day 7 : A village framed by the river
Isle sur Sorgue>Avignon
After breakfast, take advantage, one last time, of the morning ambiance in Isle sur Sorgue (market & antiques on Sunday) before your rendezvous with the taxi for your return to Avignon. Au revoir in Avignon!
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