Luberon, France: Ultimate Guide to the Picturesque Villages
Luberon, France was one of our favorite areas we visited during our 3 week France road trip. If you’re dreaming of visiting Provence, most likely what you’re imagining is Luberon, France. It was what I was picturing. Long leisurely lunches, endless beautiful countryside, picturesque hilltop villages, daily markets, and fields of lavender – all this is found in Luberon, France. This Provencal region that lies east of Avignon and north of Aix-en-Provence was made famous by Peter Mayle’s adventures in Provence and the movie “A Good Year”. Since then, a rush of tourists have made their way to Provence, dreaming of the life described in the Peter Mayle’s stories. What not all visitors realize is that the region they are looking for is Luberon, France. The Luberon is characterized by a series of picturesque villages perched on a rooftop. Each village has a distinctly unique personality and slightly different charm to offer. We fell in love with each one we visited and would be hard pressed to choose a favorite. Here’s our ultimate guide to exploring the picturesque villages of Luberon, France.
Luberon, France:
Ultimate Guide to the Picturesque Villages
Tips for visiting Luberon, France
1. Consider narrowing down your south of France itinerary to just the Luberon
The south of France, and even just Provence, are very large regions. It can be difficult to see the entire region during a week long trip. If you have a shorter period of time, we recommend focusing your trip to one portion of the region. The Luberon would be a great choice!
2. Luberon, France makes for a great home base
If you are planning on having a home base while visiting Provence and taking day trips, we recommend the Luberon as your home base. It’s a delightful area to stay in and relatively central to all the parts of Provence that you’ll most likely want to visit. We chose the Luberon village of L’Isle Sur La Sorgue as our home base and wrote here about why it’s the perfect place to stay when visiting Provence.
3. Getting to Luberon, France
We drove from Paris to the Luberon as we were enjoying a beautiful French road trip with lots of stops. If you aren’t planning on undertaking such a road trip {which takes about 7 hours}, there are a few easier ways to get to the Luberon. The region is best navigated by car, so whichever option you choose, we do highly recommend renting a car. Public transportation in the Luberon is limited.
From Paris:
By Train – Take the train to Avignon {about 3 hours}, then drive to the Luberon. You can also take a bus to L’Isle Sur La Sorgue from Avignon
By Plane – Fly into Nice or Avignon, rent or hire a car, and drive to the Luberon
From Most Countries in Europe:
By Plane – There is a small airport you can fly into in Avignon and a larger airport in Nice. Flights into Nice will most likely be cheaper. With either option you’ll need a car to get to the Luberon. If you will be based in L’Isle Sur La Sorgue, you can take a bus from Avignon
From Outside of Europe:
By Plane – There is an international airport in Nice you can fly into. If flights are expensive, it may be more cost effective to fly into Paris then book a separate flight to Nice or Avignon. From there, the best method would be to rent a car to the Luberon
4. Have realistic time expectations
Some of the villages are relatively smaller and others can take a full day to visit. We listed suggested time frames to set aside for each village. Keep in mind a large part of the charm in Luberon, France is the slow pace of life. You can easily take a full day or more to explore each of the villages as you indulge in a luxurious 3 hour lunch, slowly savor a pre dinner aperitif, or simply just wander the charming cobblestone streets without an agenda and being open to the possibilities that can arise around each corner. Part of what made these regions so famous by Peter Mayle and other books and movies set in Provence is exactly this slow pace of life.
We totally understand the feeling of wanting to cram as much as possible in and that is what we typically do, but we suggest you take at least a day or two to just immerse yourself in the slow pace of life, fully enjoying and savoring every small moment. Part of the magic of this region is taking the time to be fully present, moving slowly, and keeping your eyes open to opportunities and experiences you might miss if you’re just rushing through each village to check it off your list. Also, keep in mind that others won’t necessarily assist you in rushing through your jam packed agenda. The locals move slowly, fully present in each moment. They will not appreciate you rushing them and you may get labeled as a rude tourist if you do.
I will share two stories with you to illustrate the pace you can expect when visiting Luberon, France. Much of the south of France is like this, but we noticed the slower pace is to be the most salient in the Luberon. While these are very simple stories, they taught us a very big lesson. In France, especially in Provence, you do not rush. What matters most is the present moment and squeezing every bit out of whatever that moment has to offer, no matter how routine is seems. This attitude of giving importance to an experience and the current moment is one that really resonated with us and that we have tried to keep in our minds even after we came back to our hectic daily lives in the states.
Story 1: The Cheese Shop
We visited a cheese shop to stock up on “essentials” for our apartment just minutes before closing time. We tried to be polite to the shopkeeper by rushing through our order so that she wouldn’t have to stay late, but she told us to slow down, she didn’t mind at all. She took her time to ask us what types of flavors, aromas, and tastes typically appeal to us. As she asked us questions she gave us samples of try. It seemed she really wanted to make sure that we went home with our ideal cheeses. As this was happening, a line began to form behind us. We began to feel uncomfortable again in continuing to take our time when we knew so many people were waiting. We tried to just choose a cheese quickly, but the lovely cheese lady said, “Non!”; the people could wait. They would get the same service when it was their turn. By this point we had narrowed down that we really love comte. The cheese lady had us try every single year of aged comte she had available before letting us choose which one to buy. She gave us one small piece at a time, waiting patiently for us to savor the bite and focus on the flavors, then asked us to tell her what we liked and didn’t like about it. This process of slowing down and really focusing on the flavors was unlike any other cheese buying experience we’ve ever had. We ended up purchasing a comte aged for 32 months and it was the most magical cheese we’ve ever eaten.
Story 2: The Delivery Man
Part of our time in Luberon, France was spent hunting down Bassam’s drone which had gone missing in the French postal system {don’t ask}. Bassam decided to hunt down a delivery man to ask his questions since we weren’t getting any answers at the post office. {The one thing we don’t like about France are the frustrating systems, but that’s beside the point of this story.} We found a delivery man who had parked his large truck in the middle of a small village street and had to left to go buy a sandwich. Keep in mind, these small village streets are SMALL. No other cars could drive around him and so a line of cars had formed behind him. If this had occurred in the States, the cars would most likely be going crazy honking at him and trying to drive around him. The delivery man sauntered out of the sandwich shop 10 minutes later with his lunch in hand. We approached him to tell him we wanted to ask him a few questions. I expected him to say, “okay, let me move my car”, but he said “go ahead”. We asked him our questions and he proceeded to explain the entire French postal system to us. All the cars that were waiting just kept patiently waiting as they watched this interaction. No one seemed upset or bothered at all. Just another day of life in the Luberon.
Best Villages in Luberon, France:
With over 30 villages in Luberon, France, exploring the whole region would take you a long time. We’ve narrowed down the absolute best ones to visit, as well as included their market day and suggested amount of time to dedicate to each village. Keep in mind the markets generally end by 12:30pm. You’ll find that we didn’t include many recommendations per village as the best thing to do is simply to wander and let the village unfold its charms to you. There’s something interesting and charming around each corner, making the villages of Luberon, France perfect for the traveler who loves to wander and explore. From little ice cream shops selling cones of lavender ice cream to charming little art galleries, there are many magical treasures to uncover. Take your time in each village to see what you will find.
Gordes:
Time to spend: Full day
Market day: Tuesday
Closest other villages: Goult and Roussillon
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Gordes just may be Luberon, France’s crown jewel. It’s a compact town that was chosen as one of the most beautiful villages in France. The drive to Gordes is stunning, as is the whole village and the views from its hilltops. The entire village is made from stone, even the gates! Just outside of Gordes is the picturesque Senanque Abbey, which was made famous by its stunning lavender fields. We went in the fall, so the lavender were just stubby little bushes, but it was still a beautiful sight.
Don’t miss:
- Senanque Abbey – 12th century monastery with beautiful lavender fields in the summer. Stop by to view the gorgeous property even if the lavender isn’t in bloom
- Village de Bories – An open air museum of stone huts
- Dining at Les Bories – This was one of our favorite dinners! Everything was absolutely impeccable: service, presentation, and food. We couldn’t get enough of the bread basket and made a French faux pas of taking seconds {okay and maybe thirds}. This is super random, but I had the most incredible jasmine tea here and I absolutely loved how they served the sugar to go along with the tea. I ended up purchasing it from their gift shop as I felt it would make a beautiful statement when we are entertaining at home
- Drinks at La Bastide de Gordes – Pricey, but OMG THE VIEW!
Bonniuex:
Time to spend: Half day
Market day: Friday
Closest other villages: Lacoste, Goult, Menerbes
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Built on a plateau above the valley, Bonniuex has some of the best views in the region. We think this is one of the villages you can’t miss. From the picturesque cobblestone streets and the amazing views to the fabulous dining and the fantastic market, Bonnieux offers so much Provencal charm. We wish we had time to try some more of the dining options as we didn’t really like where we chose, but there’s always next time.
Don’t miss:
- Boulangerie Museum – If you have some extra time, this museum all about bread baking is actually pretty interesting and it’s located in a beautiful old building that was used as a bakery until the 1920s
- Vieille-Eglise-de-Bonnieux – A 12th century church and the landmark of the town. Climb up to the top for a stunning view of the valley
- Market – The Bonnieux market may be one of the best in the Luberon. It’s not as large as the one in Apt, but it is said to be just as great
- Wine tasting at Chateau la Canorgue – The gorgeous winery where “The Good Year” was filmed. Please don’t go just to take photos, the owners really don’t like that, go to taste the wine!
Not worth the hype:
- Dining at Edouard Loubet –
Let’s talk positives first. The restaurant is absolutely gorgeous. Edouard Loubet is easily one of the most beautiful places we dined at in Provence with a breathtaking view of Bonniuex, the gorgeous garden on property, and the impeccable design and decor. All of the food is presented creatively and beautifully. Finally, the cheese cart is the most beautiful thing you’ve probably ever seen. All that being said, we did not find the food to be remotely worthy of 2 Michelin stars or worth the cost. We do not mind paying high prices for amazing food that’s worth it, but we didn’t find any of the dishes we tried to taste as good as they looked. We had much better food every single other place we ate at in Provence and yet this was our most expensive meal {even more expensive than the 3 Michelin star restaurant we dined at outside of Provence!} Our bill at Edouard Loubet came out to around €450 for a lunch of 4 courses, aperitifs, and wine.
Funny story: the menu for women didn’t have any prices on it, so I ordered a ridiculously expensive appetizer as Bassam just looked at me in shock. After the waiter walked away I told Bassam, “I wonder how much (xyz) is” and he looked at me and said, “what do you mean you wonder how much it is? Didn’t you look?!” That’s when we realized only his menu had prices on it. It’s an old fashioned custom not to provide women with prices on their menu so they can blissfully enjoy their meal without worries of things like money {eye roll} and one that the restaurant adopted. I felt so horrible having ordered something so ridiculously expensive when it wasn’t even extraordinarily delicious! It’s quite possible we went on an off day, as the reviews on TripAdvisor seem to be more favorable than our experience. If you absolutely must try it, we suggest going for lunch and limiting your drinks to keep the cost down. The ambiance is really very lovely.
Oppede:
Time to spend: 1-3 hours {Oppede is a very small village and an easy add on to other villages. Go early in the day, there’s not much here in the evening}
Market day: Saturday
Closest other villages: Menerbes and Maubec
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An old village dating back to the 12th century with picturesque cobbled streets and plenty of french blue shutter windows. It’s a very quiet town and perfect to explore for just a few hours.
Dont Miss:
- The Old Village – Oppede is known to be two villages – the old and the new. Park your car at the “new village” which is the entrance to Oppede and walk up to the Old Village. You’ll see ruins of the castle and several chapels. It’s a beautiful walk with with lots of Roman ruins and historic charm
- Grab a small bite at Le Petite Cafe – If it’s open while you’re there, this is a very cute, colorful, and whimsical spot to sit for a bite to eat. We don’t recommend having a full meal here as there are many better dining options in the nearby villages, but they offer a wonderful little basket full of small bites for two to share. We enjoyed sitting down to this small meal as we didn’t have breakfast and were going to do quite a bit more exploring before lunch
Roussillon:
Time to spend: Half to full day
Market day: Thursday
Closest other villages: Bonnieux and Gordes
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It’s easy to understand why Roussillon was proclaimed one of the most beautiful villages of France. The entire village appears to be sun soaked in a myriad of orange, red, and dusty pink hues. This village in Luberon, France originated from a castle in 987 and has long attracted artists.
Don’t miss:
- Les Sentier des Ocres – This looped walk is a must so be sure to make time for it! There is a 30 minute loop and a 50 minute loop, each one offering equally beautiful panoramic views. You’ll also get to see the ochre the village is famous for and what gives it the beautiful orange and red hues. The ochre deposits in Roussillon are the largest in the world!
- Art Galleries – Roussillon is full of art galleries and has long been home to many artists. You may see the artists at work in their galleries; many of them creating their masterpieces with pigments from the village
Read more about Roussillon here
L’Isle Sur La Sorgue:
Time to spend: Full day
Market day: Sunday {the whole town turns into an antique market}
Closest other villages: Gordes and Menerbes
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L’Isle Sur La Sorgue is one of the busier towns in Luberon, France and is best known for its antique market. Antiques hunters from all over the world come treasure hunting here. It’s also known as the Venice of Provence as a river runs through the charming town. This is where we set up our home base while in Provence and we absolutely loved it. So many great dining options here as well as charming streets and shops. We spent a lot of time here and still couldn’t eat our way through all the spots we wanted to try.
Don’t miss:
- Sunday Antique Market – Although there are antique stores all week, on Sundays the entire town turns into one big antique market. It’s quite a sight! Even if you aren’t planning on doing any shopping, it’s fun to do a bit of exploring and see what kinds of French treasures you may find
- Dine at Le Vivier – This is a Michelin recommended restaurant and one of the best meals we had. Our dinner was about $60/person and so delicious. We also had our favorite wine of the trip here and it was priced lower than anywhere else
- Pasta at Bella Vita – This is just a tiny little hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant owned by an older Italian lady. It’s not fine dining in the slightest, but all the pasta is made in house {except for the gnocchi} and may possibly be the best pasta we’ve ever had
Read more about L’Isle Sur La Sorgue here
Menerbes:
Time to spend: Few hours – half day
Market day: Thursday
Closest other villages: Oppede, Goult, and Lacoste
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Menerbes is an incredibly charming little town and we regretted that we weren’t able to spend very much time here. It’s another one of the charming Luberon villages that is designated as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Most of Peter Mayle’s stories take place in Menerbes and he lived just outside of the village until he finally moved away due to all the tourists that would come to try to see his house. Mayle isn’t the only one who called Menerbes home, Picasso also purchased an 18th century home here for his lover, Dora Maar.
Don’t miss:
- Truffles and wine at Maison de la Truffle et du Vin – An amazing spot to try local truffles and sample some delicious wine of the region
- Castellet – A beautiful 15th century fortress
- Musee Du Tire Bouchon – This quirky museum is all about corkscrews! If you have some extra time, it could be a fun experience, plus you’ll learn some facts about wine making
Note: We did not make it to the following villages, but we wish we did!
Lourmarin:
Time to spend: Half day
Market day: Friday
Closest other villages: Bonniuex and Boux
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Lourmarin is one of the few villages in Luberon, France that is not perched on a hill-top but it looks absolutely beautiful. This village is known for its dining culture with tons of cafes and restaurants to choose from on the cobbled streets. You’ll find lots of wine tasting here, as well as horse back riding. If you’re a fan of pretend “house hunting” when you travel, you can take a walk to admire all the cozy cottages with beautiful gardens here. Writer Albert Camus lived in Lourmarin and was buried in this part of the Luberon.
Don’t miss:
- Chateau de Lourmarin – a beautifully maintained renaissance castle in the heart of the town
Lacoste:
Time to spend: 1-3 hours
Market day: Tuesday
Closest other villages: Bonnieux and Menerbes
Lacoste is a perched on a hill top and offers stunning views. It’s a charming medieval village that cars aren’t allowed to drive through. Keep in mind there aren’t many dining options in Lacoste, so don’t visit here when you’re hungry! You can actually walk here from Bonnieux via a 45 minute path. If you are visiting when the weather is cool, this would be a wonderful activity!
Don’t miss:
- Explore the old village – Start by walking up the hill from Place de l’Englise and walk through the stone gateway into Lacoste. From there you can explore the cobblestoned old village that is said to have maintained its historic atmosphere. it’s one of the least renovated villages in Luberon, France
Apt:
Time to spend: A few hours to half day
Market day: Saturday
Closest other villages: Roussillon
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This old town has plenty of character, but the BIGGEST reason to visit is for its impressive Saturday market. It’s also the capital of candied fruit, so be sure to try some while you are here. Although we haven’t visited here ourselves, we have heard it is not exactly the prettiest town in Luberon, France.
Don’t miss:
- The market! – This is the largest market in the region, with over 300 stalls. We very much regret not making it here and hope to on our next trip
- Industrial museum – If you have extra time, this museum showcases the development of pottery in the region as well as the history of the ochre pigment found in Roussillon
Looking for more towns in Luberon, France? Here’s a full list
Sample Luberon, France Itinerary:
It’s very possible to combine several villages in Luberon, France in one day, especially since they are very close together. If you tend to move at a faster pace, you can do 2-3 villages in a day. If you like to move at a slower pace and explore all the twists and turns, plan for 1-2 villages a day. Make sure to budget time to enjoy the drive through the countryside and pull over for stops at anything that may catch your eye. Driving through the Luberon, France is absolutely gorgeous! You can do any combination you like, but here’s a sample itinerary for Luberon, France:
Day 1: Gordes
Day 2: Oppede, Bonniuex, and Menerbes
Day 3: Isle Sur La Sorgue and Fontaine de Vaucluse {Try for a Sunday, as most of the charm is the antique market}
Day 4: Apt and Roussillon {try for a Saturday to visit the Apt market}
Day 5: Lacoste and Lourmarin
Where to stay in Luberon, France
While each village in Luberon, France has its own charm, we recommend staying in one that has more going on in the evening and ample dining options. We also recommend renting an apartment or staying at an Airbnb so you can cook for yourself after shopping the markets and feel a bit more like a local. If you are visiting in the summer, try to find a place with a pool as it gets HOT! If you prefer a more authentic feel, Roussillon is a good option. If you prefer a slow paced village with not a lot of crowds, Oppede would a good choice. Here are some recommendations of busier towns:
L’Isle Sur La Sorgue
This is where we stayed for our entire Provence trip. We wrote here about why we feel it is the perfect home base. L’Isle Sur La Sorgue is the only village in Luberon, France that has a public transportation system, so if that is a concern for you, this will be the best place to stay. L’Isle Sur La Sorgue also has the most variety of dining options in terms of cuisine and price point. It has also has the most open restaurants and shops on Sunday. We loved that it gave us a taste of village life while also being busier than the other towns. It’s pretty centrally located, so we never felt we were driving too much.
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Gordes:
This is a very popular town to stay at as it is the most well known town in Luberon, France and has fantastic views and dining. It’s also home to the incredible 5 star hotel La Bastide de Gordes.
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Menerbes:
Menerbes is another popular town to stay at as it has a lot of great dining options. It doesn’t seem to get as crowded as the other towns do and doesn’t feel like it caters to tourists. It’s my fantasy to stay HERE. Maybe one day we’ll be able to make it happen!
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Recommended for your trip to Luberon, France:
Comfortable Shoes
Many of the villages in Luberon, France are visited by foot and do not allow cars. We strongly recommend wearing comfortable shoes so that you can explore all day. We have a post on cute and comfortable shoes for women here. Here are a few options other options I have personally tried and love.
Books to Inspire
I love reading about a destination before I go there to get excited for the trip. Here are some wonderful books that are great reading and will get you inspired and excited for your trip.
We hope you found this guide to Luberon, France helpful!
We loved visiting this part of Provence so much and are dreaming of the day when we can go back to Luberon, France!
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