Golden stone village on a hillside
The village clings to a hilltop in the Luberon region, all nectar-coloured stone and narrow, winding streets. Built vertically into the rock, the houses stack up toward a Renaissance château at the summit. The view from below is classic watercolour.
It’s beautiful. There’s no other way to put it. The village demands to be wandered. Steep cobbled lanes, vaulted passageways, small squares where you can stop for coffee and catch your breath.
The château at the top houses temporary art exhibitions, and offers sweeping views across the valley. Down below, fragrant, calming clumps of lavender stretch, like a patchwork quilt amid olive groves and fruit trees, all the way to the Vaucluse plateau.
Just outside Gordes, you’ll find the Village des Bories – a cluster of dry-stone huts that date back centuries. They were used by shepherds and farmers, built without mortar, just stone balanced on stone.
The Abbaye de Sénanque is nearby too. A 12th-century Cistercian church rising out of its lavender fields like a mirage. If you time it right (late June to early August), the purple rows in full bloom against grey stone are unforgettable.
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