Provence, France, is everything you imagine the French countryside to be: charming hilltop villages, rolling vineyards, beautiful stone houses, incredible food, and plenty of opportunities to enjoy a glass of wine while taking in the scenery. It is a destination that combines sightseeing with relaxation, making it perfect for a trip where you want to explore somewhere new without feeling like you are constantly on the go.
During our visit, we explored the beautiful Luberon region, visiting villages including Gordes, Roussillon, Ménerbes, Bonnieux, and Lacoste. We also stayed at La Bastide de Marie, an incredible countryside hotel near Ménerbes that became one of the highlights of our trip.
Between the beautiful property, delicious food and wine, relaxing spa treatments, and convenient location, it was an unforgettable way to experience Provence.
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Getting to Provence from Paris
Getting to Provence was surprisingly easy. We flew into Paris and took the train to Aix-en-Provence TGV, making the journey south comfortable and straightforward.
Once we arrived at the train station, we picked up our rental car and drove into the Luberon countryside. I would highly recommend renting a car if you plan to explore this part of France. While larger towns are accessible by public transportation, having a car makes visiting the smaller villages much easier and gives you the flexibility to explore at your own pace.
One of my favorite things about this region was the drive itself. The roads wind through vineyards, olive groves, and rolling hills, with beautiful villages appearing along the way.
Combining Paris with Provence is also a great option for a longer trip to France. You can enjoy the city before heading south for a completely different experience in the countryside.
Staying at La Bastide de Marie
If you are planning a trip to Provence, La Bastide de Marie is a property worth considering. Located in the countryside near Ménerbes, this beautiful hotel captures everything that makes the region so special.
The property has a wonderful Provençal atmosphere, with traditional stone architecture, elegant interiors, beautiful outdoor spaces, and peaceful countryside surroundings. It feels intimate and relaxing, making it an ideal place to return to after a day of exploring.
Our room was beautiful, and the entire property felt thoughtfully designed. The pools were another highlight, offering the perfect place to unwind in between excursions.
What I loved most was that La Bastide de Marie was more than just somewhere to sleep. It was a destination in itself. We genuinely looked forward to returning to the hotel after exploring the surrounding villages, and it would have been easy to spend an entire day enjoying the property.
The Food and Wine Were Incredible
We opted for the half-board package, which included breakfast and dinner, and it was absolutely worth it.
The food was amazing, and the wine was great too. Dinner became one of the best parts of each day, especially after spending hours wandering through the surrounding villages.
Having dinner at the hotel also made everything easier. We didn’t have to worry about finding a restaurant or driving somewhere else in the evening. Instead, we could relax and enjoy a wonderful meal in the beautiful surroundings.
If you enjoy good food and wine, I would definitely consider the half-board option when booking La Bastide de Marie. It added to the experience and allowed us to enjoy the property even more.
A Relaxing Spa Experience
We also booked a massage and a facial at the hotel’s spa, and both were so worth it. The treatments were a lovely addition to our stay and made the experience feel even more special.
Between the spa, pools, beautiful rooms, and incredible meals, La Bastide de Marie offered the perfect balance of exploring Provence and enjoying some downtime.
Exploring the Beautiful Villages of the Luberon
One of the best things about staying at La Bastide de Marie is its location. Several of the Luberon’s most beautiful villages are within approximately 20 minutes by car, making it easy to explore multiple destinations during your stay.
Each village has its own character, and the surrounding landscapes are just as beautiful as the villages themselves.
Gordes: One of the Most Beautiful Villages in Provence
Gordes is one of those places that looks almost too beautiful to be real. Built into the side of a hill, the village is a maze of golden limestone buildings that seem to cascade down the hillside, with the Luberon Valley stretching out below. It is one of the most recognizable villages in Provence, and seeing it from the panoramic viewpoint outside the village is an experience in itself.
Once you arrive, take time to explore beyond the main streets. Gordes has winding cobblestone lanes, small boutiques, cafés, and tucked-away corners that are easy to miss if you are only stopping for the famous view. The village is particularly lovely to explore on foot, although some of the streets are steep, so comfortable shoes are a good idea.
What makes Gordes special is the way the village seems to blend into its surroundings. The pale stone buildings, terracotta rooftops, and sweeping countryside views capture everything that makes the Luberon so appealing. If you are visiting Provence for the first time, Gordes is a village worth making time for.
Roussillon: Walking the Spectacular Ochre Trail
Roussillon was one of the most distinctive stops in the Luberon because of its striking red, orange, and golden-yellow landscape. Unlike the pale stone villages found throughout much of Provence, Roussillon is famous for its colorful buildings and the dramatic ochre cliffs that surround it.
The area’s vibrant colors come from natural ochre deposits, which have been mined here for centuries and used to produce pigments. The result is a landscape that feels completely different from anywhere else in the region, with rusty-red rock formations, bright orange earth, and deep shades of yellow contrasting against the green trees.
The highlight is the Sentier des Ocres, or Ochre Trail, a walking route that takes you through the area’s incredible ochre formations. As you follow the paths through the former ochre quarry, you pass towering walls of red and orange rock, unusual shapes carved by erosion, and stretches of brilliantly colored earth. The contrast between the warm rock colors and the surrounding pine trees makes this one of the most visually memorable places to visit in Provence.
There are different walking routes to choose from, making it easy to fit the experience into a visit to the village. Wear shoes you do not mind getting dusty, as the colorful earth can leave marks, especially on lighter footwear.
If you are deciding which villages to visit in the Luberon, Roussillon deserves a place on your itinerary simply because its scenery is so different from that of Gordes and the surrounding hilltop villages.
Ménerbes: A Quiet Hilltop Village
Ménerbes was especially convenient for us because it is located close to our hotel. Set along a narrow ridge, Ménerbes has a more understated charm. Rather than dramatic ochre cliffs or the sweeping hillside setting of Gordes, the village is known for its traditional stone houses, historic buildings, and views across the surrounding vineyards and countryside.
It is the kind of place where you can spend an hour or two wandering through the village, stopping to admire the architecture and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. Its smaller scale makes it a lovely addition to a day spent exploring the Luberon, particularly if you want to experience some of the region’s quieter corners between visits to its more famous destinations.
The surrounding landscape is a big part of Ménerbes’ appeal. Vineyards, farmland, and rolling hills extend beyond the village, offering a glimpse of the Provençal countryside that makes this part of France so special.
Bonnieux: Panoramic Views Across the Luberon Valley
Bonnieux is another village worth adding to a Luberon itinerary, particularly if you enjoy historic architecture and beautiful countryside views. Built along the slopes of a hill, it has a layered appearance, with stone houses and narrow streets climbing toward the upper part of the village.
One of the best reasons to explore Bonnieux is to wander uphill through its older streets. Along the way, you will pass traditional houses, small squares, and historic buildings before reaching the higher part of the village, where the views open up across the surrounding countryside.
The landscape around Bonnieux is especially beautiful, with vineyards, orchards, and fields stretching across the valley. On a clear day, the scenery provides a wonderful sense of the scale and variety of the Luberon region.
Bonnieux also has a slightly different atmosphere from Gordes. While Gordes is famous for its dramatic appearance from a distance, Bonnieux is rewarding to explore from within, with its winding streets and changing viewpoints as you make your way through the village.
Lacoste: Medieval Streets and the Château Above the Village
Lacoste offers a glimpse into a more historic side of the Luberon. Its narrow cobblestone streets wind between old stone buildings, creating an atmosphere that feels removed from the busier tourist destinations elsewhere in Provence.
The village’s defining landmark is the Château de Lacoste, which sits above the village and overlooks the surrounding countryside. The castle is closely associated with the Marquis de Sade, who owned the property in the 18th century. Today, the château is privately owned and associated with fashion designer Pierre Cardin, who acquired it and supported its restoration.
As you walk through Lacoste, the steep lanes and weathered stone architecture give the village a sense of history. There are no dramatic ochre formations or colorful facades here; instead, the appeal lies in its medieval character, quiet streets, and elevated position above the valley.
Make your way through the older part of the village and take time to look out across the countryside. The views are particularly lovely, with the surrounding hills and neighboring villages providing a beautiful backdrop.
Lacoste is also an easy addition to a visit to Bonnieux. The two villages are close enough to explore on the same outing, and visiting both gives you a chance to experience different sides of the Luberon without spending the entire day in the car
What Makes Provence So Special?
What stood out most about Provence was how unique the landscape was. Between the rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves, colorful villages, and traditional stone architecture, there was something beautiful everywhere we went.
Even though the villages are relatively close together, each one felt different. Gordes was dramatic and picturesque, Roussillon stood out for its unusual colors, and Ménerbes, Bonnieux, and Lacoste each had their own charm.
The food and wine were another highlight, as was the opportunity to stay somewhere as beautiful as La Bastide de Marie.
I also loved how easy it was to balance exploring with relaxing. We could spend the morning visiting a village, enjoy the scenery along the drive, and return to the hotel for an afternoon by the pool or a relaxing spa treatment.
It made the trip feel special without needing a packed itinerary.
Final Thoughts on Visiting Provence, France
Our trip to Provence was such a wonderful experience, and La Bastide de Marie was a huge part of what made it memorable.
The property was beautiful, the food and wine were incredible, and the pools and spa made it easy to relax. The half-board option was well worth it, and the hotel’s location made exploring the surrounding villages incredibly convenient.
If you are planning a trip to France, I would absolutely recommend adding Provence to your itinerary. Combining a few days in Paris with a countryside escape in the Luberon is a wonderful way to experience two very different sides of the country.
