Tours of Provence : Bonnieux - a medieval Lubéron village
Bonnieux is a picturesque perched village in the Lubéron with its higgledy-piggledy homes built on the hillside facing the sun and is one of the centre-stage villages in Peter Mayle's “A Year in Provence". Located on the northern slope of the Lubéron mountains, Bonnieux is a medieval village with 2 churches, one at the bottom of the village and the other church, dating from the XII century is perched at 425m on the hilltop offering stunning views on your Provence trip over the neighbouring villages of Gordes, Roussillon and Lacoste.
To see and do in Bonnieux
Bonnieux is home to some beautiful old houses dating back to the XI, XII & XIII century to a time when it was a very prosperous village and was home to many high dignitaries of the catholic community. Today there are still many religious monuments scattered throughout the village that you will stumble upon on your Provence walking holiday.
A must see in the village is the bread museum ‘Le Musée de la Boulangerie'. Centred around an old bread oven, the museum gives you an insight into the 8000-year-old bread making history, talking you through the entire process from the fields to the dinner table! You’ll not only become a bit of an expert on the subject of the French baguette but it’ll whet your appetite too! Not to worry, as Bonnieux has a huge choice of restaurants and cafés for you to choose from.
Friday is market day in Bonnieux and stall holders are there selling everything from fresh and local fruit and veg, to meats and cheeses, clothes, fabrics, utensils, furniture and more. Go along to soak up the market vibe, eavesdropping on the conversations around you and picking up a delicious picnic for your Provence self-guided walking tour.
Around Bonnieux
The village looks down onto the Calavon valley where vines, cheery and olive trees grow in abundance. In the distance, the horizon is defined by the Vaucluse mountain range, dominated by the infamous Mont Ventoux. Bonnieux faces the Claparède plateau where, in the springtime, the scent of Provence lavender fills the air. The plateau is a beautiful section of your Provence cycling trip, with meadows of wild flowers, lavender and old dry stone huts or ‘bories’, built during the XIX century by the local farmers as a place to shelter.
At 6km from the village lies the ceder forest, spreading over 250ha and home to centuries old cedar trees. A real family outing for locals and tourists alike, there are many different shaded trails through the trees, guiding you on a beautiful and pensive self-guided walk of about 2h.
Why don't you check out our Provence walking stays and Provence cycling tours in Bonnieux?
- Self guided walking in Provence :
- Walk from Van Gogh's landscapes to the Luberon
- Luberon walking: short and sweet
- Hiking in Provence: Luberon walks and medieval villages
- Self guided cycling in Provence :
- Freewheeling & cycling through the Luberon and lavender fields
- Cycling the best of Provence and Mt Ventoux in 5 days
- Self guided multi activity tours in Provence :
- Walking & Cycling: From Van Gogh's Provence to the Luberon villages
