Page 251 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

boutique. Afterwards, tions are essential to visit
the hilltop village of TRIP HIGHLIGHT inside but out of high sea-
Gordes is worth a detour, 2 Abbaye Notre- son they can be made on-
especially at sunset, fol- Dame de Sénanque site (conservative dress
lowed perhaps by a drink and silence are required).
at the newly renovated Isolated and ridiculously Tours begin around 10am,
Bastide de Gordes (%04 photogenic, this 12th- so for some tranquil time
90 72 12 12; www.bastide-de- century Cistercian abbey with the lavender, arrive
gordes.com; Le Village; r from (%04 90 72 05 72; www. well before then.
€346; aW) hotel. abbayedesenanque.com; adult/
child €7.50/3.50; h9.45-11am The Drive » The way out of
The Drive » The museum is Mon-Sat, tours by reservation) the abbey has you heading north.
just off the D2. From here, it’s is famously framed by Continue up the D177 then turn
another 7km to Gordes along right onto the D244 and follow
the D2, then a turn-off onto lavender from mid-June the signs to Murs, a very winding
the D177 for 4km till you reach through July. The abbey 9.5km drive accompanied by
the abbey. You’ll pass plenty of was founded in 1148 and wheat fields and vineyards. From
lavender photo ops en route, so is still home to a small here it’s about 25 minutes to the
feel free to stop if you can find number of monks. The next stop.
an appropriate spot. cloisters have a haunting,
severe beauty; reserva- PROVENCE & SOUTHEAST FRANCE 22 LAvENDER ROUTE
3 St-Saturnin-lès-
Apt
St-Saturnin-lès-Apt is a
refreshingly ungentrified
80 km to village, with marvellous
F G views of the surrounding
‚
18
Vaucluse plateau punctu-
Buëch
ALPES DE ated by purple fields –
0 ¸ PROVENCE climb to the ruins atop
HAUTE-
D946
LINK
/ · YOUR
A51
TRIP
0 ¸
D951
i Foothills of the
Bléone Alps
#
#
6
Banon Prieure de Swap rolling hills for
/ · 0 ¸ Ganagobie R spectacular gorges and
D950
D5
(660m)
then alpine air: take the D6
# \ and D852 to Moustiers-Ste-
# Forcalquier Durance Marie, or drop in at Sisteron
# 7
Prieuré de Salagon# 0 ¸ from Forcalquier.
8
#
D4100
0 ¸
D13
F G l Roman Provence
c
18
From Roman
0 ¸ Plateau de Provence’s last stop in
D4100
H / · / · Valensole Vaison-la-Romaine, it’s a
#
D5
A51
#
#
10
p252 m K gorgeous drive to Gordes via
0 ¸ Carpentras and Venasque.
D907
D6
Manosque# / ·
9
#
Parc Naturel
Régional
du Verdon 249