Cabrières d'Avignon

Situated on a hillside in the Monts de Vaucluse across from the Luberon mountain range, Cabrières d'Avignon is a peaceful little town located 27 kilometres from Avignon.

Never invaded by masses of tourists, Cabrières d'Avignon has kept all its authenticity. Small and picturesque, this village presents you with very old, dry stone houses admirably restored, fountains beautifully lit up at night, the parish church of Saint-Vincent with Romanesque origins and the castle built in the 13th century and then reconstructed in the 1700s following a distressing episode in the history of the village, which witnessed the massacre of hundreds of Vaudois, or Waldensians. (Unfortunately, the castle is private property and the interiors cannot be visited).

In the surrounding countryside, you can see the bories, those dry-stone constructions, which date mainly from the 17th and 18th century. Some have even been restored and turned into sumptuous little houses. For hikers, there is a very pretty walk along the somewhat less jolly Plague Wall. Built of dry stone in 1720 over a distance of 27 kilometres, it was supposed to protect the Comtat Venaissin from the plague coming up from Marseille.

For those who find the region a bit too arid, rest assured. Cabrières also boasts a cedar forest covering more than 5 hectares with facilities such as a beverage bar, picnic area, marked walks and a fitness trail.

In the area around Cabrières d'Avignon:

It's immediate neighbour, Coustellet with its lavender museum

Gordes, its more posh neighbour but still one of the most beautiful villages of France, 5km away

Fontaine de Vaucluse and its famous natural spring, 4km away