Cycling tour through Provence

Welcome to the cycle tour through Provence. A region that has been and continues to be a source of inspiration for many creative people, providing the ideal backdrop for their art. You arrive in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, a former fishing village. Today, the small town has made a name for itself as an art and antiques Eldorado. Numerous wrought-iron bridges adorned with flowers cross the rushing Sorgue, wooden paddle wheels have been turning for 200 years and the small alleyways lead through the picturesque old town. On Sundays, you can look forward to a typical Provençal weekly market with over 260 market traders.

The first day on the bike takes you to Carprentas, a small town steeped in history in the heart of Provence, at the foot of Mont Ventoux. The oldest synagogue in France is located here. You travel through an agricultural landscape to Beaumes-de-Venise. The town, famous for its wine-growing, is dominated by the ruins of a medieval castle. Don't miss a visit to the 11th century chapel of Notre-Dame-d'Aubune, a jewel of Romanesque art in Provence. The rocky landscape consisting of several mountain ridges must now be bypassed or crossed. You will soon have reached Vaison-la-Romaine

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Be sure to visit the Roman villas, thermal baths and the ancient theater with 6000 seats in Vaison-la-Romaine before heading to the capital of lavender Sault. The beautifully situated towns of Mollans and Montbrun-les-Bains on the Plateau d'Albion are bursting with Provençal charm. You will love it! The lavender fields glow purple and the cycle tour through Provence couldn't be more authentic. You soon reach Sault. The town lies on a rocky outcrop at the foot of Mont Ventoux and is a typical Provençal village with narrow streets and inviting cafés on every corner.

On this day, you will explore the region around Sault. The scent of lavender is omnipresent and the colors could not be more intense. You cycle along the beautiful, rugged Plateau d'Albion to St. Christol. Back in Sault, you can follow the tour signposted 1 heure sur les pas du loup, which translates as an hour on the trail of the wolf through the picturesque streets of the former village center. You will discover the former castle, its ramparts, curtain walls and entrance gates, as well as several houses from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the 18th century.

This stage of the cycle tour through Provence takes you through the wild and rugged originality of the Luberon Nature Park. You have reached your destination in Apt. The town used to be a prosperous Roman colony and one of the earliest episcopal seats in the region. It lies on the Via Domitia, the first Roman road in Gaul. Today, Apt is known as the candied fruit capital of the world. The streets are narrow, the cafés inviting and the ambience very charming southern French.

On this day, you are spoiled for choice: if you want to visit three of the most beautiful villages in the Luberon – Bonnieux, Buoux and Saignon – you will have to pedal hard. The villages glow ochre in the Provençal sun and nestle on the wooded slopes of the Luberon. If you fancy a less physically demanding stage, we recommend a trip to Gargas, where the bright ochre is still mined today. Then cycle to the Colorado Provencal. Take a walk under blue skies, through green forests and all the shades of brown, yellow and red of the ochre quarry.

The last day of the cycle tour through Provence has great things in store for you. You cycle to Roussillon, once the center of ochre mining. The small, sleepy village is the gateway to one of the scenic highlights of Provence, the ochre quarries. Don't linger too long, because the mountain village of Gordes is one of the most beautiful villages in France. Artists such as Marc Chagall have already succumbed to its charm. But that's not all. Fountain-de Vaucluse, the largest spring in France, is also worth a visit. The emerald green source of the Sorgue offers a spectacular natural spectacle.

After breakfast in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, your cycle tour in Provence ends with an individual return journey. We are also happy to extend your vacation in the south of France.