Back to Main Wilderness Travel Page

Exploring the Untouristed Lubéron - The Best of Sunny, Southern France Easy-to-Moderate Hiking and Cultural Adventure Itinerary/Days 1-2: Avignon, France / Gordes 3-4: Roussillon / Menerbes / Bonnieux 5-6: Lourmarin / Cucuron 7-9: Montagne Sainte-Victoire / Aix-en-Provence / Depart Meeting / Departure Points Meeting Point: Avignon Departure Point: Marseilles Lodging charming inns and small hotels Meals all meals except 3 lunches and 2 dinners (free to maximize dining opportunities) Details 9-day easy-to-moderate hiking and cultural adventure Explore the country trails and traditional villages of untouched Lubéron A wealth of medieval history and vibrant rural culture; legendary and artistic Aix-en-Provence hiking 2-5 hours per day over rolling hills and through oak forests

The joys of the Lubéron are many--and best discovered on foot. Our hill walks and country rambles showcase the dazzling light of Provence as it illuminates the intoxicating landscape of the Lubéron hills. The Lubéron is Provence at its most picturesque, a dreamy pastoral world of herb-scented oak forests, sweet-smelling fields cultivated in lavender, and olive orchards that produce famously fragrant oils (Provence's "liquid gold"). Painters from Cézanne to Picasso have reveled in the light of Provence, and indeed we walk one of Cézanne's favorite paths, a trail below Montagne Saint-Victoire, a peak the artist captured on canvas many times. We stay in classic villages including Gordes, the ultimate in enchanting elegance, and romantic Bonnieux, an ancient hilltop town with (where else but in France) a museum devoted to the history of bread, housed in a 100-year-old bakery.

Departure Dates   1: May 1 - 19   2: May 22 - 30   3: Jun 12 - 20   4: Aug 21 - 29   5: Sep 8 - 16 1 - 2: Avignon, France / Gordes From Avignon, we drive to exquisite Gordes, an artists' colony. We check into a magnificent hotel, our home for 3 nights, with views across the Lubéron Valley. 3 - 4: Roussillon / Menerbes / Bonnieux We hike right from the hotel through aromatic fields of thyme and rosemary, to the ancient village of Les Bories, and further to the 12th century Abbé de Senanque, framed by fields of lavender. The next day we amble down through cherry orchards to Joucas for a café lunch and a hike to the "red village" of Roussillon, with its distinctive red-stone architecture. 5 - 6: Lourmarin / Cucuron A walking tour takes us around Lourmarin, "capital" of the Lubéron. After lunch, we hike to an exquisite little village surrounded by orchards. 7: Montagne Sainte-Victoire / Aix-en-Provence We walk a trail below Montagne Saint-Victoire in a landscape that inspired Provence-born Cézanne. 8: Aix-en-Provence Ramble through Aix's wonderful open-air market and enjoy a city walking tour. 9: Return to US

COST Land Cost / per person dbl occ Cost 5 - 10 members 11 - 15 members   $3395 $3095 Single supplement: $550