Provence is a must-see when you travel in France. Read the story of my getaway in Provence with a guide where I discovered the Luberon.
This summer is about travelling safe and local. This is why my boyfriend and I decided to hit the road late June for a couple of days in the beautiful Provence… We spent 5 nights in a charming and typical Mas (the traditional Provencal family home) in the heart of the Alpilles, in Saint-Remy-de-Provence. I think one post won’t be enough to describe this region and our short but great week there as there is so much to say! But here, I am choosing to tell you about one of the best experiences we had during our vacation. This is about my getaway in Provence with a guide.
This local and passionate guide is named Sophie and I’ve known her for three years now. She is one of the guides we frequently call to take care of our travelers when it comes to the Provence region. She knows the region like the back of her hand and when she talks about it, you can easily understand that she wouldn’t choose any other place in the whole world to live. She is simply in love with Provence and everything that comes close to it. If you want to know more about Sophie and her great job as a guide, I invite you to check this article about her.
At 9 AM, Sophie was already parked in front of our accommodation and waiting for us with a big smile on her face. She is always so cheerful and friendly! We were very excited to spend the day with her to discover beautiful, hidden, off the beaten track places. As soon as we met her, she opened the doors of her minivan (she gives her minivan a cute little nickname, I am not going to spoil it, so if you want to know, ask her directly next time you travel to Provence!) and offered us fresh and good pastries from her favorite bakery. My favorite ones are the Sacristains (you MUST try it!) it’s ridiculously delicious! Up on board to start the day and explore the jewels of the Luberon region.
First, we hit the road towards Oppède Le Vieux. This magnificent perched village has remains dating back from the Antiquity. The village was built during the Middle Age and totally abandoned in the 19th Century as the inhabitants moved down to the plains – easier for access and trade. Since then, the vegetation took back its rights and covered the whole place. The village became a sanctuary for many artists during the second half of the 20th Century and finally a local organization decided to slowly restore the place. Today, the best way to visit Oppède le Vieux is to park your car in the shady park lots at the foot of the village and to walk up through the main square and narrow hill-top streets. The stone houses are just beautiful, the village displays an architecture between medieval and renaissance styles. The higher you walk, the better is the view. Indeed, take your time between the houses to admire the magnificent panoramic view over the Vaucluse mounts and far away you can even see the great Mont-Ventoux. Of course, I am sharing with you what I’ve learned from Sophie during the visit. She explained everything to us about the place and made the walk a very interesting visit.
Next, we drove to Coustellet. Here the main attraction of the village is the famous Musée de la Lavande (Lavender Museum). Indeed, Provence is memorable for its postal card landscapes between sunflowers and lavender fields as far as your eyes can see. Lavender is a whole symbol for this beautiful region and the museum really gives another dimension to the flower. I had the chance to meet with Sophie, (yes another one!) the sales and communication director, who gave me a tour of the whole place. It’s absolutely lovely and much more than a museum. You can stroll around the building to appreciate the little lavender field and its terrace. Take the time to hear the sweet buzz of the bees working hard to produce the delicious lavender honey. You can also observe the free live distillation given outside in the garden. On the first floor, the museum owns a nicely decorated reception/tasting room. I had no clue that so many products can be created from lavender. Are you interested in sipping a mouthful of Champagne with lavender liquor, or in tasting a delicious lavender macaroon? What an experience! What I also loved is the little workshop next to the lavender field. It’s a beautiful place where the visitors can register for an art workshop where they learn how to paint with watercolors for example. Even the color palette is perfumed with local flowers matching the colors. Our guide Sophie often brings our travelers to this museum so they can visit the inside and know more about the history and background of this noble product or simply stroll around the garden.
You cannot leave the Luberon without taking the emblematic picture of Gordes from afar. Gordes is a beautiful perched village and if you type ‘Provence’ it will be one of the first pictures which will appear on your screen. In my opinion and after seeing the outside and inside of the village, I really prefer to admire the view from the road. Sophie will be glad to take pictures for you. She excels at taking non posed pictures to reveal your natural self. So of course, when it comes to Gordes, she will take the best shot of you in front of the village.
Time to take a break! We chose to drive to the charming village of Roussillon to have a nice lunch in one of the many restaurants. Roussillon which is referenced as one of the most beautiful villages of France, is famous for its beautiful ochre quarries that are now transformed into a great walk for the visitors called ‘Le Sentier des Ocres’. The view from the village is also stunning. We decided to have lunch there and to enjoy a postprandial walk by following the Ochre Trail which is a nice 40-minute path taking you through the ochre lands between impressive pillars, hills and a little pine forest.
For the afternoon, we had two requests. We wanted to see lavender fields and to enjoy an ice cream (it sounds silly but there is ONE particular ice cream maker in this region and I’ve always wanted to try it). Sophie knows her spots and so she took us to discover beautiful lavender fields away from the crowds. There was no one around and she took great pictures of us. As we wanted to know more about the flower and the process to distill it, she drove us to the distillery ‘Les Agnels’ located near Apt. This farm still uses the traditional method to distill lavender. We loved the fact that during the same day we saw the Lavender Museum which is very chic and ‘Les Agnels’ which is more the traditional and rural side of the production. We were able to see the big machines that create the unique and organic essential oil.
After a beautiful afternoon between small Provencal roads, charming villages, amazing landscapes and lavender scent, we ended our day with an ice cream. The ‘Art Glacier’ is a family of artisan ice cream maker that creates its own flavors. I had never seen so many ice cream flavors! The menu is so impressive with very strange combinations that I never thought about. Eating an ice cream here is a unique moment. First, you sit at the terrace under the shade of the trees and admire the stunning view over the Luberon. Then, the menu arrives and you realize that it’s going to be very difficult to make a choice. You can have one scoop of ice cream or, if like us you are very indecisive and want to try them all, you can opt for an 18-scoop plate (also called the ‘flying saucer’). We chose some classic flavors like chocolate, salted caramel, vanilla but we also tried very original tastes like Sichuan pepper, Luberon honey, lavender (of course), rose and calisson… everything was delicious and the decoration of your plate was just amazing. There is no difference if you are a kid or an adult, you will have a little flag, Chantilly and a parasol! It was the perfect end to a perfect day!
My getaway in Provence with a guide was a blast. I had the best time with Sophie during my day-trip to the Luberon and thanks to her knowledge of the region, I saw everything I wanted and even more. She always has the good idea to make sure you can discover Provence in the best conditions. Travelling with a guide is not essential, there are plenty of things you can do on your own. But, when it comes to relaxing and admiring the landscapes during the drive, unearthing beautiful and unique spots and learning all the little anecdotes of the region, having a guide by your side is the best choice. I am so glad I spent the day with her and we had a blast! I love recommending her to my travelers when it comes to create their itinerary as I know how wonderful it is to explore the region with her.
If you are looking for a pre-made itinerary in Provence, I recommend you this 100% customizable trip: Highlights of Paris and exquisite road trip in Provence.
A subtle mix of French history and culture, but also pleasures for the eyes and for the taste buds.You will:
