Provence – The Luberon and Alpilles in Provence

Arrival during the day to the medieval town of Avignon.

Today you shall be cycling between the Durance and Rhône Rivers, through a mosaic of orchards and cypress trees. Your route today first takes you via the little town of Barbentane before climbing up on the “Montagnette” – literally “little mountain”. Here you can see wide panoramic views across the plains. On the Montagnette you can see the monastery of St. Michel de Frigolet. The grand abbey has Romanesque to Neo-Gothic architecture and ates back over 900 years. Now you continue by bike and cycle through the charming villages of Graveson and Maillane before reaching Saint Rémy de Provence. Saint Remy is an artists’ town where Van Gogh spent the last year of his life.

Today you can either relax and explore Saint Remy or do a loop ride through the countryside and visit Les Baux de Provence. If you decide to cycle you can visit Saint Paul de Mausole. This is where Van Gogh spent the last year of his life and did some of his best work. Adjacent to the monastery is Glanum, a Roman archaeological site, its massive limestone ruins are a testament to over 2000 years of history. By bike, you continue along the winding streets of the Alpilles mountains through landscapes of pine trees and wildflowers until you reach Les Baux de Provence. You will surely be delighted with what you see as this village perched on top of a rocky crag is one of the most beautiful in France. Take your time to explore this wonderful village before making your way back to Saint Remy.

Our route today takes us across the Alpilles massif to reach the Luberon. On the way you pass Eygalières, surrounded by vast olive groves and beautiful stone houses, and climb the hill to the castle ruins from where you’ll have a magnificent view. Now you continue through farmlands and many orchards as you cross the Durance river and onto the town of Cavaillon. This is an ideal place to take a break and buy provisions for a lovely picnic or maybe go to one of the many street-side cafes. After you are refreshed you continue to Isle Sur la Sorgue also known locally as the Provencal Venice, as it has many water wheels and canals. Here you will spend the next two nights. This veritable island of a village is completely encircled by the clear green waters of the Sorgue river. Explore the antique shops that line the quays, and watch the world go by at one of the many cafés that line the waterfront.

Today you can choice between one of four posisble loop rides. Below is a description of one of them. This is probably the best way to sum up the day’s ride: a never ending barrage of eye candy and gorgeous perched medieval villages. The effort put forth during your climbs will be rewarded by visits of villages classed among the most beautiful in France, including Gordes and Roussillon. Today is the longest ride, so make sure to get an early start to take advantage of all the sites along the way. We recommend lunch in Roussillon. Either a picnic set beside the ochre quarry, overlooking the village, or a quaint restaurant in town

Depart after breakfast.