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Hill-Top Villages of the Luberon
The heart of Provence

Holiday information
Nights: 7
Grade: 2, some ascents & descents
Terrain: rolling hills, garrigue (expanses of wild herbs and low shrubs), woodland
Hotels: one inn; two 2-star hotels; one 3-star hotel
Meals: breakfast each day, dinner on 5 nights, plus 2 picnics
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Extend your stay
If the standard week-long holiday gives a real sense of the area, why not add on three extra nights and walk the entire length of the Luberon Massif? Our spectacular ten-night version is even more rewarding, revealing ever softer landscapes. You spend just one night in Bonnieux and then, after leaving Saignon, you journey east to the 2-star Hotel Lou Caleu, complete with a pool, followed by the Auberge de Reillanne and the Bastide St Georges, where you finish with two nights.
  About Provence >The Romans so loved Provence that they called it Provincia – ‘The Province’. Their legacy extends beyond monuments such as the splendid theatre in Orange, to the shaping of modern roads – some follow the Via Domitia, a route which linked Rome and Spain. The centuries of turbulence that followed the fall of the Roman Empire resulted in many walled villages – Provence’s famous villages perchés – being built in the hills in an attempt to protect against attack. Provence’s distinctive cuisine draws its flavours from the land – truffles; honey from the bees which draw nectar from the ubiquitous lavender fields; oil from the olives; and garlic and fresh herbs. Traditional dishes include bouillabaisse, a tomato-based stew of at least three different fish; slow-cooked dishes such as estouffade made with beef or lamb; and civet, a game casserole with onions and mushrooms. Provence’s wines are growing in popularity and standing; the Vacqueyras, Gigondas and Côtes du Luberon wines are very good.
  • self-guided hotel-to-hotel walking, luggage transported
  • fascinating, quintessentially Provençal villages
  • varied walking
  • delicious regional cuisine

Beneath the dense forest and bare limestone cliffs of the imposing Luberon Massif lies a sunny, undulating plain. Here, between the Alps and the Mediterranean, you are in the very heart of Provence, where the Côtes du Luberon vineyards thrive in the warmth, their light wines the ideal accompaniment to the delicious regional cuisine flavoured with rosemary and thyme. Our walk is a discovery of the quintessentially Provençal villages that crown the rolling hills to the north of the massif.
Stroll through the narrow, cobbled streets, marvelling at the way houses cling to the hillsides, seemingly one on top of the other.
     
Characterised by narrow streets, crumbling châteaux and fortified, honey-coloured houses, they bask in the glorious sunshine, affording sweeping views over the surrounding landscapes. As you journey east, you walk from the vineyards and orchards beneath the Petit Luberon to the bulkier form of the Grand Luberon, with options up the panoramic slopes of the massif, before finally turning north towards increasingly open countryside.
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France
 Grade 2 Walk
Local Map
 Walking Chart
Walking Chart:Hill-Top Villages of the Luberon This is an approximation only. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of the chart as this can differ.
 Average Temperatures
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