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Australian cyclist, winner of the 2011 Tour de France My ‘bike’ tour through Provence
I discovered Provence thanks to my bike, as you might imagine. When I was in Australia, I used to dream about the Tour de France and when I had the opportunity to take part in it, I was bowled over by the region, its hills and vineyards, its sun and the hospitality of the local people. I was also fascinated by Mount Ventoux, which is a really difficult climb for cyclists and yet so beautiful and majestic when you observe it from a distance, with its cap of white stones.
This is how I discovered that Provence has long been a paradise for the amateur cyclist, with its quiet, winding roads, and its villages perched on rocky outcrops where you can stop for a break. There is an infinite choice of different trips through the area and this route is typical of them – country hotels where you can stop, and the opportunity, in some of the R&C along the route, to hire a bicycle and set off wherever your heart takes you.
I am proud of having come to know the region well, as I was lucky enough, in 2010 & 2011, to stay at La Coquillade Hotel for training and relaxation. It was, in a sense, a kind of Heaven on Earth.
Departure: Avignon (Avignon TGV station) or Marseille (airport) then Crillon-le-Brave.
Arrival: Aix-en-Provence (Aix-en-Provence TGV station), after the visit to Salon de Provence.
Relais & Châteaux proposes its Routes du Bonheur for your inspiration: they are suggestions of itineraries that you can adapt to your preferences and desired experiences. Our advisors are at your disposal to individualise your routes and help you make reservations at our properties. Example for a four-night stay from €932* * Minimum indicative rate per person, subject to availability, on the basis of a double room with double occupancy, including accommodation, breakfast and dinner (menu, without beverages) in the properties suggested for the itinerary. Activities on site and nearby must be reserved by you.
Situated on the summit of the village of Crillon le Brave, surrounded by vineyards
How would you like to stay in a 100% Relais & Châteaux village, in the heart of Provence? That is just what Crillon le Brave offers. It is a stunning hotel which occupies seven stone village houses. Below it, the tiny streets are extensions of the corridors of the hotel, its rooms are elegant, its Provençal restaurant is sophisticated and the pool is sheer delight. An indescribable feeling of grace descends on cyclists and other guests, as they look out over famous Mount Ventoux.
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Baumes de Venise
Some ten kilometres to the west of Crillon le Brave, the large village of Beaumes-de-Venise is built into the Dentelles de Montmirail, a splendid jagged rocky limestone crest…, criss-crossed with tiny routes which are ideal for cycling! Its vine-clad slopes are also famous for their excellent wines and I can recommend the highly-reputed muscat of Beaumes-de-Venise, a fortified wine that you can taste in one of the many cellars in the village.
Mount Ventoux, nicknamed the ‘Giant of Provence’, with its 1,912 m and its white stony summit, towers over the Carpentras area and its vines. It stands in isolation, and the two routes up it are, to my mind, amongst the finest in France, whether by car… or by bicycle. If you climb it by bike you are a seasoned cyclist and its ribbon of tarmac still vibrates with the exploits of famous climbers. The drive up to Sault and its lavender fields is truly memorable.
This peak sums up what cycling is for me. I have raced up it several times and I once even enjoyed the privilege of winning, on its slopes, stage 4 of Paris-Nice, in 2008. Providing you try to forget the effort involved in climbing it, what is amazing about Ventoux, is the way your surroundings change from agricultural plain to desolate summit. There is nothing quite like it – you really should go and see for yourself.
Nesque gorges - kilometre 33
Between Mount Ventoux and the Luberon, I was delighted to discover the 28 km of road which winds along the Nesque gorges, between Sault and Villes-sur-Auzon. This is a truly picturesque and wild route through the limestone Plateau de Vaucluse. The Nesque cuts a gash through the landscape and threads its way through a tunnel of lush green. The cliff road offers superb views over the valley. At the panoramic viewpoint of Castellaras, there is a splendid vista of the string of gorges one after the other.
Just imagine a former 17th century Franciscan convent, the countryside of upper Provence with its fragrances of lavender, a star-studded sky such as you can see nowhere else in France – here you are at Couvent des Minimes, a superb hotel. It is the ideal place to take a break within its historic walls, deep in the heart of Giono’s Provence. Just like me, you will be delighted to put your bicycle to one side, and luxuriate in the serenity of its rooms and the delights of its Mediterranean-inspired cuisine.
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Le spa « L’Occitane »
Couvent des Minimes, and its ‘L’Occitane’ spa with its indoor chromatherapy pool, its 100% organic treatment rooms, its hammam and sauna, has all the equipment you need to forget the efforts you have expended, big or small, on your bicycle! This famous Provençal brand of body and skincare products is the repository of an entire universe of fragrances and beauty care which can be enjoyed summer and winter alike in total relaxation.
I was thrilled to discover this magnificent Romanesque priory, with its plain façade and its fine doorway, in Mane, right next to Couvent des Minimes. You should park your bike and leave the Provençal sun to step inside and find out more in the Museum of the Ethnographic Heritage of Haute-Provence. You will also enjoy strolling through the gardens of Salagon, which provide a superb introduction to the wide diversity of mountain species of Mediterranean flora.
I really like this village, which is ideally located between Provence and the Alps… the ones in Haute-Provence! You can appreciate its calm and solitude all the more when you learn that the commune boasts important remains of the past. There is, of course, Couvent des Minimes, a superb R&C hotel. There is also the Prieuré de Salagon, the Château de Sauvan (a mini Versailles!), the Roman bridge and vestiges of aristocratic residences. I even learnt that the Romans had sent the Via Domitia through Mane…
Some small domes dotting the garrigue will no doubt have caught your attention, in the direction of Saint-Michel – they are the Observatoire, ten kilometres to the south of Mane. It is an astronomical observatory, set up at the end of the 1930s because of the very clear skies in the area. There are always astronomers at work there and this interesting astronomical centre also offers the general public an introduction to the mysteries of the heavens, observations of the night sky and a programme of events.
La Coquillade is perched on a Luberon hill, in a former hamlet that has been turned into prestigious accommodation, and is my favourite hotel – it has huge charm and splendid views, perfect comfort with a blend of traditional and contemporary in the guestroom. There are also its stunning wines… which are produced on the estate of the hotel. It is the dream stop for a wine tour. And if you want relaxation and leisure, there’s always the pool, the hammam, the tennis courts… and bike rides along the country roads of Provence.
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The legendary villages of Luberon by bicycle
If you enjoy cycling, like I do, it’s time to mount your bike! From La Coquillade, it’s only 60 km by racing or mountain bike, which are provided by the hotel, to Roussillon, Gordes, Ménerbes and Bonnieux, four of the most famous villages in the Luberon. Enjoy the chance to see the ochre buildings of the Roussillon, the tiered houses in Gordes, the attractions of Ménerbes. On the way, vineyards and orchards will confirm that you are indeed in the heart of a ‘Land of Plenty’.
The Luberon is a land of flavours with a reputation for wines. After a bike excursion, what better than to taste some wine at La Coquillade estate and enjoy their subtle Provençal aromas. The wines which are produced on thirty hectares of land by sustainable agriculture can be tasted in a leisurely fashion under the watchful eye of Pierre, who is in charge of the Aureto cellar, or at the ‘Bistrot’ at La Coquillade. The estate also offers tasting workshops.
I simply have to mention Hotel La Coquillade again, as this hotel is, for me, a paradise in paradise. Gourmet cuisine, total comfort, exceptional views …, perfect in all respects. The myriad of little roads all around the hotel and the village of Gargas, are a delight for cyclists and provide the opportunity to explore the finest towns in Provence that I have ever seen.
We can advise you on booking your route. Contact central reservations :
A magical, serene place, with views of a Provence rich in history
Abbaye de Sainte-Croix is a romantically charming hotel in the town of Nostradamus, in the middle of the garrigue overlooking the Provence countryside. Like me, you cannot fail to be won over by its architecture as a former convent, its cosy rooms, its huge terrace overlooking Salon and Mount Sainte-Victoire. Its gourmet restaurant offer the opportunity to sample an inspired cuisine which is on a par with its lighter and more lively counterpart offered by La Passerelle, the attractive wine and tapas bar created by the hotel under the stone vaults.
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A cycle ride on the country roads nearby
Abbaye de Sainte-Croix has some astonishing recumbent bicycles available for hire. These are three-wheeled bikes which you lie back on as if you were in a pedalo, and which give you spectacular views wherever you are. There is, starting from the hotel, a route of about 30 km which takes you to the immaculately-preserved local villages, through a rustic countryside with plateaux, orchards and the garrigue. There is a second route, about 40 km long, which takes you to better-known villages in the Alpilles, such as Eyguières, Maussane and Aureille.
The valley of Les Pinchinats and Mount Sainte-Victoire
Cézanne would have been all too happy to paint this part of the Aix countryside! If you start in the suburbs to the west of the town, on the red earth that turns to face Mount Sainte-Victoire, you can take a tiny road that leads through a selection of splendid Provençal bastide towns. Aristocratic residences with imposing gateways and façades in the Classical style, set at the end of straight paths between centuries-old trees, impose a pleasing symmetry on the landscape.
You could also try cycling between Salon and Aix. Once you get past the winding roads of Massif des Costes, on your way to Alleins, Aurons and Vernègues, you return to the plain and the flat roads where the wind – that Mistral again! – can lend a helping hand. On your way, there might also be the opportunity to visit the Château-Bas estate, in Cazan. This is a very fine wine-growing estate with a superb château with, behind it, the Roman remains of a temple to the goddess Diana.
I would say that the town of King René embodies the quintessence of the Provençal art de vivre. Aix-en-Provence is renowned throughout the world for its Lyric Art Festival, and is blessed with elegant architecture with town houses, delightful squares with fountains at their centre and long plane-tree-shaded boulevards. The town pulses to the beat of its café terraces, markets and chic boutiques. The joys of the South that it offers are unending and ever new.
