Trip Length: 5 days/4 nights
Start/Finish: Avignon/Avignon

Everyone loves Provence for a different reason: the smell of lavender permeating a sun-bathed town, the sound of evening vespers sung in a 12thC monastery, the lively chatter of locals at a weekly market. Some people love the flavours, while for others it’s the light that inspired van Gogh – or the pace that demands you while away an afternoon sipping pastis and playing pétanque.

We love all of those things, as well as our two hotels – because they are so special and quintessentially Provençal that they actually deepen our experience of the region. Perhaps it’s in their history: Château des Alpilles is a 19thC mansion run by the welcoming Bon family, while Bastide de Marie is a restored centuries-old “farmhouse.” More likely, it’s their relaxed charm and intimate settings – amidst gardens and vineyards in the heart of the Alpilles and Lubéron Valley.

Trip Highlights:

• Tour St-Rémy and the landscapes of van Gogh with our guide Mathilde, with a chance to visit its remarkable weekly market
• Dine at Michelin two-starred Chez Bru in Eygalières
• Cycle through orchards to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, then have lunch overlooking the river
• Bike to the classic villages of the Lubéron: Ménerbes, Gordes, Roussillon and Lacoste

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