Village Life...

The West of Provence is the place to come to enjoy the sun and to savour the pleasures of village life. An ideal break if you are tired of the stress of city life. A good size village will be large enough to support its own food store, a local bar and a restaurant or two. The hardest part of the day is deciding whose turn it is to go out and buy fresh bread and croissants for breakfast.

Most villages in this area date back to medieval times, Vaison la Romaine, as the name suggests, dates back to Roman times. The heart of the local economy is the wine industry so the main villages each have a local Cave Cooperative. Provence Olive Oil is delicious, the variety grown in this area is a smooth creamy one, delicious on bread or in salads.

Cairanne wines are the heart of the village economy and its medieval centre adds to its charms. Close to St Cecile des Vignes it lovely place to feel at home in Provence.

Click here to find out more about Cairanne.

Mirabel aux Baronnies is a little further into the hills, it has an interesting 13th century church and fountain, lovely old cobbled streets which meander among the houses and shops, and a family run olive oil mill

Click here for more details of Mirabel aux Baronnies.

Sablet is famous for its fine wines. The hilltop village at the edge of the Dentelles du Montmiral is surrounded by the vineyards produce its fine wines. There is easy access to all the great sites in Provence, such as the historical city of Avignon, the town of Vaison la Romaine and the Luberon.

Lagarde Pareol lies in the hills between Bollène in the North and Orange in the South. This charming village boasts less than 400 inhabitants but is in easy driving distance from larger towns. A perfect place for country walks, cycling or just tasting the local wines.