.jpg)
| Day 1 : Avignon of the Popes
Avignon
6:00pm, welcome meeting with your guide in the heart of Avignon, at the hotel. Take the time to discover the imposing Pope’s palace, the largest gothic castle in all of Europe. The 14th century city walls remain intact and surround the old city, and don’t forget the famous pont d’Avignon: the 12th century Bridge that nowadays spans only partway over the mighty Rhône River. The town boasts a labyrinth of tiny streets to explore, and many hidden squares to enjoy a cool drink and watch the world go by. Dinner and night in Avignon.
Day 2 : Stunning villages and vines
Avignon>Séguret>Gigondas
- walking time about 4 hours +300m/-200m
A morning transfer takes you to the town of Séguret, perched high above the Rhône Valley and listed among the most beautiful villages in France. You enter the old medieval gates, and walk along its narrow cobbled streets, passing under massive stone arches and among ancient stone homes. Along old farming tracks you walk above the vines and the olive orchards, making your way toward the renowned vineyards of Gigondas, the thick and mangled vines harboring bunches of Syrah and Grenache, concentrated in flavours and sugars under the intense Provencal sun. Try some of the delicious reds at the famous wine cellar in the middle of town before reaching your hotel, hidden in the vines. Dinner and night in Gigondas.
Day 3 : Through the vineyards of Gigondas
Gigondas>Dentelles de Montmirail>Gigondas
- walking time about 4 hours +250m/-250m
Leaving your hotel, a short climb takes you to the foot of the imposing Dentelles de Montmirail, a set of chiseled limestone teeth hovering dizzyingly above the ground. You are surrounded by the vines of Gigondas, used to make a Grand Cru of Côtes du Rhône wines. You walk on paths laden with aromatic herbs and boxwood, while the oak trees provide shade from the Provencal sun. Soon you find yourself atop the hills, from where views extend across the entire southern Rhône plains, seemingly carpeted by one gigantic vineyard, while the backdrop is painted by the silhouettes of the Cevennes Mountains. You’ll enjoy a leisurely picnic amongst the vines before descending back to Les Florets through the vineyards. Dinner and night in Gigondas.
Day 4 : Towards medieval villages
Gigondas>Beaumes de Venise>Le Baroux>Malaucène
- walking time about 5 hours +550m/-500m
Leaving your hotel on foot, you take old farming tracks through the vines, where you can admire the terraces carved into the hillsides. The scent of rosemary and roasted pine needles guide you through the forest. Secret paths atop the hills lead you through the ancient stone ruins of an abandoned village before descending to Beaumes de Venise, a town renowned for its sweet white wine made from Muscat grapes. Enjoy a cool drink in the village square before continuing towards a hidden lake and then up to Le Barroux, a perched medieval village crowned by its imposing 12th century castle, from where the views are spectacular. Transfer to the village of Malaucène, set at the base of Mont Ventoux. Dinner and night in Malaucène.
Day 5 : At the foot of Ventoux: Provence’s highest peak.
Malaucène>Mont Ventoux>Malaucène
- walking time about 5 hours +400/-400m
Ventoux: it’s a veritable paradise for walkers, a mountain interlaced by dozens of paths and tracks through the wondrous and forested hills. Your hotel marks the line between the untamed Ventoux and the cultivated plains – between the vast cherry and apricot orchards below the village and the thick oak and cedar forests that compose the lower tier of the mountain. Just beyond the hotel lies the Groseau spring, an ancient and sacred place of worship, and one of the many water sources throughout the mountain. Though no communities have ever dared build a village on the slopes of Ventoux, you will be visiting its centuries-old chapels, built for spiritual protection and as the pilgrims’ plea for rains; they are hidden in the thick forest, where the distant rumblings of wild boar are faintly heard, but the animals seldom seen… Return to Malaucène for dinner and night.
Day 6 : Toward the Roman ruins of Vaison
Malaucène>Le Crestet>Vaison la romaine
- walking time about 6 hours +450m/-550m
The hills are covered in thyme, rosemary, and boxwood, and lead you from Malaucène and up toward the jagged limestone summits. Crossing over a ridge you descend into the cherry orchards and vines, to find the most secluded of picnic spots. After a Provencal meal and a quiet sieste in the shade, you continue to the lost village of Le Crestet, where you can enjoy a well deserved ice cream overlooking the plains and facing the imposing barren summit of Mont Ventoux. A quaint track through the vines takes you on your final stretch towards Vaison la Romaine, whose Roman ruins and perched medieval village are well worth an evening stroll. Dinner and night in the medieval town of Vaison.
Day 7 : Carpentras market
Vaison la romaine>Carpentras>Avignon
Morning transfer to the town of Carpentras, whose legendary and lively Friday market fills the entire centre of town. The market stalls boast the freshest of Provencal produce and its best products and crafts. Transfer to Avignon. 12pm End of trip.
|
.jpg)
