The Luberon
In the days before synthetic dyes, natural colours obtained from plants, fruit and seeds were the main way of creating tints for clothing, textiles and tapestries. This garden contains a collection of such plants (known in French as plantes tinctoriales), and hosts regular workshops demonstrating how they were used. Guided visits (€8) run on Tuesday and Saturday at 5pm.
It's on the southern edge of the village.
28.93 MILES
The largest Gothic palace ever built, the Palais des Papes was erected by Pope Clement V, who abandoned Rome in 1309 in the wake of violent disorder after…
29.12 MILES
Legend says Pastor Bénézet (a former shepherd) had three visions urging him to build a bridge across the Rhône. Completed in 1185, the 900m-long bridge…
16.77 MILES
Aix established one of France's first public museums here, on the site of a former Hospitallers' priory, in 1838. Nearly 200 years of acquisitions …
23.85 MILES
It might lack the scale and ambition of some of Provence's better-known Roman monuments, but for a glimpse into everyday life in Gaul, this ancient town…
Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque
14.06 MILES
If you're searching for that classic postcard shot of the medieval abbey surrounded by a sea of purple lavender, look no further. This sublime Cistercian…
22.06 MILES
East of Aix rises Cézanne’s favourite haunt, the magnificent silvery ridge of Montagne Ste-Victoire, its dry slopes carpeted in garrigue (scented scrub),…
15.29 MILES
Named after its fiery red and orange landscape (which locals likened to Colorado), this former ochre quarry is one of the best places to appreciate the…
23.98 MILES
This monastery turned asylum is famous for one of its former residents – the ever-volatile Vincent van Gogh, who admitted himself in 1889. Safe within the…
1.74 MILES
The Abbaye de Silvacane is one of a trio of medieval abbeys built in Provence by Cistercian monks. Constructed between 1175 and 1230, it has all the…
2.69 MILES
This Renaissance château was the first of its kind in Provence. Built during the 16th century and later expanded, the castle has had a string of…
4.63 MILES
In the scrubby hills about 6km south of Bonnieux, a twisty back road slopes up to this wonderful cedar forest, whose spreading boughs provide welcome…
5.31 MILES
A museum all about the history of breadmaking might not sound like a Bonnieux must-see, but it’s actually an intriguing visit. Located in a 17th-century…
5. Observatoire Ornithologique de Mérindol
5.4 MILES
This bird reserve on the Durance River is home to some 243 species, including herons and great cormorants. Hides are strategically positioned along the…
6.02 MILES
Occupied since prehistoric times, the site of this clifftop fortress commands an incredible view over the surrounding valley. Abandoned in the 17th…
6.3 MILES
This part-ruined, 9th-century château once belonged to the scandalous Marquis de Sade (1740–1814) but was bought in 2001 by the couturier Pierre Cardin…
7.58 MILES
This curious village museum was founded by Provençal painter and diver Georges Mazoyer, whose passion for the sea shows in the museum’s fossil exhibits…