Provence by bike

1988 was the year that the wines of the Luberon first received AOC status (then called 'Côtes du Luberon'). These vineyards are located in the southernmost part of the Rhone Valley, and cover an area of approximately 8,400 acres. Between Cavaillon and Apt, almost half of the region's production is devoted to rosé wine, which is made from Grenache and Cinsault grapes. These are fresh and easy-drinking wines, perfect as an aperitif. Drink responsibly.

You've only just started out, but if your trip ended right here, it would already leave you with wonderful memories! Between June and July, by following the D177, a steep and narrow road, to the bottom of a lost canyon, you'll find lavender fields blooming with color in front of the Abbey of Sénanque. The Cistercian monks chose this very isolated site in 1148 to renounce the 'outside' world. The people who live there today produce, among other things, an excellent honey sold on the premises...

Perched on a rocky spur, the small village of Ménerbes first appears as a mirage from afar. You'll need to cross the vineyards and tackle a steep road to reach its center. In the Place de l'Horloge, all your tiredness will disappear as you take in the 360-degree panoramic view that has seduced many artists, from the painter Nicolas de Staël to Dora Maar, Picasso's most famous muse.

It is in this part of southern Luberon that Claude Berri filmed the adaptation of Pagnol's works in 1985: 'Jean de Florette' and 'Manon des Sources'. Not only will you recognize the fountain square in the village of Mirabeau where card games and pétanque are played, but also the church in Ansouis, and the cemetery in Vaugines. And of course, all the natural landscapes in which Yves Montand, Daniel Auteuil and Emmanuelle Béart clashed with each other...

La Tour Philippe, whose crenellated top stands out above the tree tops, was built in 1888 in the heart of the splendid Cedar Forest by a slightly crazy artist who wanted to 'see the sea'. Unfortunately, Philippe Audibert died before his tower was high enough to fulfill his dream. It is not open to the public, but the surrounding forest offers life-saving shade in the summer and splendid panoramas of the surrounding countryside.