Lourmarine is a small village deep
in the Luberon about
50 km's easy of Avignon and is surrounded by olive groves, almond trees and vineyards, and epitomizes what we all love about
Provence.It is officially designated one of the prettiest villages in France.A
busy village in summer, it has those lovely leafy terraces and cafe's dotted around the village, some
great medieval houses, a castle with
some most peculiar Renaissance stairs and loads of winding streets, archways
and nooks and crannies to explore.
In the summer there is a
range of activities on
offer for the visitor, the vineyards offer tastings, there are a number
of pretty walks through the forested valley, fishing 4 km's away in the Durrance,
horse riding, even mini golf.There is horse riding available and swimming plus
you can even have a go at Archery but watch where you point those arrows!
For me though, it is the typical Provencal existence that attracts me, a glass of the local
rose or a pasts in
the late afternoon sunshine or lunch, the magical
word in Provence when most things stop for 2 hours.
Lourmarine has also a famous
inhabitant, sadly now deceased, Albert Camus lived and worked here and won
the Nobel Prize for literature.He is buried in the Lourmarine grave yard, and tribute
is paid to him all over the village.
Several other villages
in the surrounding area are also worth a visit.The unfortunately
named Puyvert is
a small hamlet just 2 km's away and Cadenet has a really interesting
classified feudal site with views over the
Durrance River, the Alpilles Mountains, and the
St-Victoire.There is a chateau which
has been turned into a gallery and an outdoor theatre which stages shows from
time to time.There are some troglodyte
cave dwellings which you should go and see and there is also a basketwork
museum, dedicated to a sadly dying art as the growing of willow trees has reduced
a great deal since 1978.There is a Monday morning Provencal market all year around and a summer
market on Saturdays. Bikes for mountain biking can be hired and there is
walking, hiking and swimming available, plus a man-made lake which is
only open in summer.
There is a 12th century Romanaesque church at Vaugines,
plus a couple of other buildings to view, the
Renaissance style Capitanerie
and the 13th century Commanderie.In Cucuron there
are a number of attractions;The Mark Deydiere Museum, the countryside
of Saint Victoire, so loved by Cezanne, and an oilmill built into the 13th
century village ramparts.The village is busy all the year around, especially in November and December when the
picking and the pressing of the olives starts.
There is the odd hotel
in the area, and odd is the operative word!The hotels here, if you can find
one, are slightly quirky and pretty but do not always adhere
to what might be expected by
a discerning traveler.For
the best comfort and ease of exploration, it is far better to consider
renting a private villa as there are a number to choose from, often with great views, many with
swimming pools and other attractions, such as
their own boule courts.A number of companies are dedicated to find that perfect
villa rental for you and many speak
English or indeed in some cases
are English and that can be important if anything goes wrong!
Getting to the area is
not that difficult but you will need a car, Avignon is the biggest town and that's 50 km's away, but the drive is so pretty it will be
over before you know it.The nearest
airport is Marseilles but allow up to 2 hours to get there.Marseilles airport has a
number of destinations on offer, London and several European destinations
benefit from daily flights.
