The village clings to a limestone cliff 250 metres above the Coulon Valley. The houses are honey-coloured stone, stacked so tightly that one rooftop serves as the terrace for the house above. Gordes has been a Provence postcard since the 1950s, when artists and writers, including Marc Chagall and Victor Vasarely, settled here. The village is classified as one of “Les Plus Beaux Villages de France” and it earns the title through stone, light, and a position that controls the entire Luberon valley.
\n\n
In This Article
The Castle at the Top
\n
The Chateau de Gordes, built between the 11th and 16th centuries, sits at the highest point of the village. The original fortress was built in 1031 by the Lords of Gordes. The current structure dates from 1525, rebuilt after the Wars of Religion by Bertrand de Simiane, who added the Renaissance windows and the grand staircase. The castle houses the Musee Pol Mara, a gallery of 20th century Flemish art, and the Vasarely Museum, dedicated to the optical art pioneer Victor Vasarely. The castle terrace overlooks the entire Provencal landscape, including the Luberon mountains and the Plateau de Vaucluse. Entry is 5 euros.
\n\n
The Village: Walking the Rueles
\n
The narrow streets, called rueles, are the original medieval lanes, some no wider than 1.5 metres. The Rue de la Comtesse leads from the castle to the Place du Chateau, the main square where the weekly market sets up every Tuesday morning. The Church of Saint-Firmin, built in the 18th century on the site of a 10th century Benedictine priory, contains a 17th century wooden statue of Saint Firmin. The village has roughly 2,000 permanent residents. In July and August, it receives over 5,000 visitors per day. The best time to walk the rueles without the crowds is at 8am, when the shop shutters are being raised and the only sound is brooms on stone.
\n\n
Abbaye Notre-Dame de Senanque: Cistercian Silence
\n
Four kilometres east of Gordes, the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Senanque sits at the base of a narrow valley. The abbey was founded in 1148 by Cistercian monks from Burgundy. The Romanesque church, the cloister, and the chapter house were built between 1170 and 1210. The abbey was closed during the French Revolution in 1789 and sold as a private property. In 1854, the Cistercians returned. The abbey’s lavender fields, which bloom from mid-June to mid-July, are the most photographed in Provence. The monks produce a lavender honey, lavender oil, and herbal teas sold in the gift shop. The entrance fee is 7.50 euros. The guided tour lasts 45 minutes.
\n\n
Was Gordes the Provence village you imagined, or did a smaller village in the Luberon leave a stronger impression on you?
\n
Explore all our France travel guides, from Parisian boulevards to Provence lavender.
Explore More
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:
