The Luberon Mountain stretches its undulating spine between Cavaillon and Manosque. It has been given star status by its crowds of cosmopolitan visitors, and its slopes contain delightful villages whose old stones reveal an area of outstanding beauty. The Regional Nature Reserve preserves most of the natural environment and offers facilities for outdoor activities.

Gordes, Lourmarin, Bonnieux, Roussillon, Apt, the ochre quarries, Sénanque Abbey, the ‘village des bories’: who has not heard of these treasures of Provence? In choosing to come to the Luberon, the tourist throws off his mask and discovers a taste for beauty, harmony and subtle balance...

The Luberon is, first and foremost, two mountains, the Grand and Petit Luberon, separated by the Lourmarin fissure, a natural line between the north and south sides. The bare ridges with their sparse vegetation provide wonderful adventure opportunities for mountain walkers, cyclists and horse riders. There are many marked paths across the slopes, giving spectacular views over the limestone hills of the coast, the Mont Ventoux and the Southern Alps...

The lower slopes provide a setting for fruit orchards and villages. The best-known of these are in the north and have become the refuge for a small number of celebrities who fell in love with the region before the crowds began to flock here. Wasn’t it the writer Peter Mayle who made the region famous? You may prefer the tranquillity of Oppède to the lively atmosphere of Gordes, or the peace of Simiane to the bustle of Roussillon.

Or why not head towards the hills on the south side? Apart from Lourmarin - where the writer Albert Camus is buried -, this side has managed to remain less frequented and more intimate. It worships wine as much as its alter ego d’Ubac but the villages in the Pays d’Aigues or on the banks of the Durance still see agriculture as their main resource, a contrast that makes this outstanding region even more attractive.