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Fine
Provencal Walking Through the Luberon
That sublime light and scent of Provence has attracted artists for many years. Walk the secret hills and the gorges of the Luberon dotted with ‘Mas’ (stone Provencal farmhouses) and ochre coloured hilltop villages. Cross the tops of the Petit Luberon under Azure skies; admire a fountain that sings in Lourmarin and perhaps discover a Côtes du Rhône wine that definitely appeals to your taste buds. This is an invitation to walk in the scent of the Mediterranean Maquis and to witness the ‘douceur de vivre;’ the sweet life in the
Luberon.
The start of your trip is in the very heart of Papal Avignon, from the ‘Palais des Papes’ to the ‘Pont d’Avignon’ where one can do a dance as the famous song goes! This is a stroll through history, there is much to see in this fabulous city. After a night at our hotel you have part of the second day to explore Avignon, before transferring to Mérindol by taxi. From the village you can contemplate the vast plain of the Durance River where an abundance of the well-grown melons and vegetables throughout the four seasons can be found in local market stalls.
On the first full day walking you discover the Régalon gorges, which plunge to depths of 30 metres, sheltering a magnificent forest filled with oak, maples, cherry and fig trees, eagles, butterflies and owls. Then there is a walk in the Petit Luberon foothills, with amazing views across the Durance valley and the Alpilles range. Next you walk on to your B&B in Lauris, lost in the Luberon National Park. From Lauris to Buoux, stop in Lourmarin listed as ‘one of the most beautiful villages in France’. The day finishes at Buoux Fort which served as a refuge for the population during the invasions in the Middle Ages and during the Wars Of Religion. Buoux is one of the most famous rock climbing areas in Europe.
From Buoux we follow the Aiguebrun river through its gorges and you arrive in the hamlet of Sivergues whose 40 inhabitants’ principal activities are lavender processing and goatbreeding. Your next 2 nights are in the heart of the typically Provencal hilltop village of Saignon with views over the Luberon all the way to the Mont Ventoux. The following day you walk to Rustrel via the Colorado Provencal ochre quarry. On the final morning a transfer back to Avignon centre, via Apt by taxi and bus.
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Accommodation 7
nights/8 days - The overnight stops reflect the nature of the countryside. Your stay is in 2* town hotels in
Avignon, country guesthouses on the rest of the tour with private facilities.
Your first night is in a comfortable 2* Logis de France inside Avignon’s fortified centre, not far from all the sites.
Nights 2 & 3 are spent just outside the beautiful village of Mérindol in a guesthouse. Relax with an aperitif before sharing a full Provençale dinner with the other guests.
Our 4th night near Lauris you stay in a small B&B lost in the heart of the Luberon Regional Park. Near
Buoux on night 5 you stay in a lovely hotel nestled at the bottom of the Aiguebrun Valley with its pool and a internationally well-known restaurant. Nights 6 & 7 are in a quiet B&B in the heart of
Saignon.
Sherpa Notes
Waymarking
Red and white GR and other various markings.
Accommodation
and Meals
Dinner, bed and breakfast on 6 days, 1 night bed and breakfast in Avignon, in hotels or guesthouses.
Transfers
Taxis and hotel vehicles transfer clients’ bags from one hotel to the next on days 2, 4 and 6. Clients carry their bags with them on days 1 and 8 on the bus. Travel
From Marseille, TGV train to Avignon and shuttle-bus into centre. (10 minutes). (Both not included).
After breakfast on day 8 at the hotel in Saignon, transfer back to Avignon via Apt
(taxi and bus included). |
vacations
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