Luberon: hanging villages and lavender

The Luberon is probably the quintessence of what the world understands by "Provence": golden stone villages perched on hilltops, lavender fields stretching to the horizon in shades of violet, centuries-old vineyards, olive groves with gnarled trunks, open-air markets brimming with goat cheese and black olives, and a light so pure and golden it has attracted painters for over a century. Cézanne, Van Gogh, Chagall, Picasso — they all passed through this area and left behind works inspired by its landscapes.

Gordes, classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France, is the first stop on the route and possibly the most visually striking. It is a village of limestone houses cascading down from an 11th-century castle to the valley floor, creating a silhouette that has become the visual icon of all Provence. The first sight of Gordes from the D15 at dawn, with the golden light illuminating the stones and the valley mists dissolving below, is one of the most reproduced images in all of France.

Roussillon has an absolutely unique geological feature: it is built on the largest ochre deposit in all of Europe. The ochre cliffs surrounding the village display a palette ranging from pale yellow to blood red, passing through every shade of orange, and the village houses are painted with these same local pigments, creating a chromatic ensemble that exists nowhere else in the world. The "Sentier des Ocres," a 30-minute walking trail among the ochre cliffs, is an unmissable visual experience.

The lavender fields are, of course, the other great reason for the trip. Luberon lavender blooms from mid-June to early August, with the ideal peak in the first two weeks of July. During those weeks, the fields surrounding the villages of Gordes, Sénanque, and the Plateau de Valensole turn an intense violet that, combined with the gold of the stone, the blue of the Provençal sky, and the green of the cypresses, creates a landscape of almost surreal beauty. The Abbaye de Sénanque, a 12th-century Cistercian abbey set in a valley amid lavender fields, is probably the most iconic image of all Provence.

Rider tips: the Luberon is accessible nearly year-round, but in July and August tourist traffic can be heavy and villages get overcrowded. The ideal season is June (lavender plus light tourism) and September-October (grape harvest, autumn colors). Fuel up in Apt or Cavaillon. For dining, in Bonnieux the restaurant L'Arome serves modern Provençal cuisine with market-fresh produce. And a tip: the weekly Provençal markets (Gordes on Tuesdays, Apt on Saturdays, Lourmarin on Fridays) are a gastronomic and cultural experience in themselves. Arriving early, parking the bike, and wandering among stalls of cheese, olives, oils, and lavender is probably the best possible introduction to Provence.