La Provence is one of the most beautiful areas of France. Cities such as Avignon, once the residence of the Popes, Beau and Toulouse bear witness to a rich history. The French Riviera and the Ardeche are renowned far beyond the French borders. Much less known is the Luberon, which was declared a protected nature reserve by UNESCO in 1977.
The nature reserve consists of three parts:
- The land of water; the area of the Durance River and numerous mountain streams in the Pays d’Aigues, in the south of the Luberon. An area full of castles. A region also full of hidden villages where time seems to stand still. The domain of the mountain eagle, but also of fragrant lavender fields, cedar forests and groves of olives and grapes.
- The land of fire; the mining site of the reddish dye ocher north of the town of Apt. A region full of picturesque towns full of narrow streets that sit like eagle nests on top of the mountains.
- The land of light; a desolate and desolate mountain range in Pays Fourcalquer, the area of the Hautes Alpes de Provence.
Waldensians
Various routes run through the area. Such as the route of 1545, which recalls the religious struggle between Catholics and Waldensians. The latter rebelled against the overly luxurious lifestyle of the Popes, who at the time had their palace in Avignon. Because of their lawless life, Pope Gregory XI called the city a great brothel when he returned to Rome in 1377. It was the period of the Great Schism in the Catholic Church with a papal palace in Rome and, until the French Revolution, in Avignon. The Waldenses were particularly brutally persecuted in 1545. As many as nineteen of their villages were burned down and three thousand people killed. Seven hundred were taken as galley slaves. A silent witness is the town of Oppède le Vieux. In Merindol people have been pushed off the rocks, where at the bottom of the mountain there is a museum dedicated to the Waldensians (in French: vaudois).
Pays d’Aigues
In Pays dAigues, a castle route runs past villages that are qualified as the plus beau villages de France. Such a village is Ansouis. Nostalgic and romantic streets wind here at the foot of the castle that has belonged to the de Sabran family for 1,000 years. Lourmarin is also beautiful with its majestic Renaissance castle. In Lacoste there is the ruin of the castle of the Marquis de Sade. The Route dAigues named after the area goes to picturesque Cucuron, among other places. The old village rests on foundations from the XIIIth century and the houses consist of stones from times gone by. From the Donjon St Michel you have a view of the so-called fathers and nuns or roof tiles of this beautiful town.
Hidden villages
The route villages perchés, or the route of the hidden villages, is also particularly beautiful. They are often located on the tip of a rock like eagle nests. Often in the shadow of a castle, which had to protect the town. Ménerbes is particularly beautiful, which rightly belongs to the les plus beau villages de France. Worth a visit are the church and the old cemetery, which are located high above the city. From there you have a beautiful view over the Luberon. Bonnieux offers another beautiful panorama. It includes the fields of the Calavon valley, and the Monts Vaucluse and Ventoux. The town itself spreads out over the ridge of the Claparèdes plateau and the banks of the Calavon.
Pays d’Ocre
The route through the Pays dOcre, with the beautiful village of Roussillon, is also beautiful. Pays dOcre is especially surreal because it is the bottom of the sea that dried up 110,000 years ago. What remained was an unprecedented paradise of reddish layered rocks in every imaginable color. Now ocher, sand and slate form a natural harmony with the surrounding landscape. There you can take a walk through the ocher domain. It colors mountain gorges, gorges, rock formations and valleys red, purple, orange, yellow. Like everywhere else in the world, the residents of Luberon also cover their houses with what the land offers them. For example, we see ocher, an earth dye used to prepare paint, on the homes of Roussillon and elsewhere in Luberon.
Cezanne
One of the most beautiful mountains in Provence is the Victoire. This was a favorite of the impressionist painter Paul Cézanne (1838-1906). His studio still stands in Aix en Provence, in the south of the Luberon. The landscape and light of the Luberon provided him with inspiration for his forms of nature, reduced to cylinders, cones and balls. He does not imitate nature, but brought about a creation that took place parallel to nature. A walk in Aix en Provence, about 30 km from Cadenet, takes you past the places where Cézanne stayed. The nature around Mont Ste Victoire is impressive. Light and shadow form a wide palette of colors and landscapes. To the south the mountain slopes steeply downwards, but to the north it descends slowly in steps. As with so many mountains in Luberon. Another striking phenomenon is that many mountains have one side bare and the other overgrown with forest.
Cote du Liberon
Of course they also make wine in Luberon. The wines under the Côte du Luberon label are famous. The red wines of Côte du Luberon are wines with character, sensual and charming. They have a somewhat wild but full aroma with fruity nuances. Velvety soft and a bit stubborn, they are especially beautiful wines for autumn and winter because there is so much to discover. The white wines are fresh in taste and aromatic. Floral in character, they are distinguished by their sparkling mouthfeel and elegance. They taste great with fish and regional goat cheese. The rosés from Côte du Luberon are beautiful in structure and noble in character. Their freshness and red fruit aromas are surprising. Because of their structure, they are a good accompaniment to a meal, especially with white meat or exotic dishes.