TRAVEL GUIDE: a few days in Provence
three days in provence
(find all the pictures below)
A few weeks ago Luca and I headed to Provence for a few days. It's an area that we had never visited but were very drawn to, mostly because of the beautiful lavender fiels we had seen everywhere online. We had a great time discovery this place and I thought I'd share a few tips in case you would like to head to Provence as well :)
where to stay
We stayed in this beautiful maison d'hôtes for two nights and it was such a relaxing experience. The property is not only huge and tastefully put together, but the two hosts, Jacqueline and Alex, are the sweetest. They did everything they could to make our stay as cozy as possible and the meal we shared with them on our last night made us feel like we were with friends. They also grow a lot of organic fruits and veggies that you can then enjoy for breakfast. It was an absolute pleasure for us to stay there and we would definitely go back!
For our last night we got the chance to stay in one of the four tree houses on the property of La Bastide du Bois Bréant, a charming little hotel. It was such a fun experience! I was not so sure about it at first as sleeping in the tree definitely gets you out of your comfort zone a bit, but in the end we had a great time and really enjoyed our night there. Our tree house was equipped with a bathroom and electricity, which definitely made the stay more comfy.
what to do
// LAVENDER FIELDS
The best time of year to enjoy the beautiful lavender fields in Provence is late June / early July. We personally visited Les Agnels, a lavender distillery (where by the way you can also buy lots of local, lavender based products such as soap, biscuits, essential oil, etc) and from there we did a little road trip among the lavender fields of the area. There are quite a few of them so they're really easy to find!
// CANOEING DOWN THE SORGUE RIVER
Another fun thing that we did was canoeing down the Sorgue river. We rented a canoe from Kayak Vert (they give you paddles, life jackets and a waterproof bucket to put your things in) and the path they suggest is a rather easy one. Neither Luca nor I had ever done this before and we were fine! It is quite long however (around 1h30) and also, if you go make sure that you're wearing a swimsuit and shoes that you don't mind getting soaked wet.
// VILLAGES TO SEE: ROUSSILLON, SAIGNON, GORDES
The best thing if you want to explore those picturesque Provençal villages is to have a car. We had driven down to Provence with our own car (it's about 4 - 5 hours from Switzerland) but I think you could also rent one on the spot. Our personal favorite one was Roussillon, and then we also enjoyed Gordes (very photogenic but a bit more staged) and Saignon (smaller and more authentic). In Saignon we paid a visit to Margotulle, a local hat maker whose creations were super pretty.
// ABBAYE DE SENANQUE
Another must see if you're in the area is definitely l'Abbaye de Sénanque. It's a really beautiful place, although quite crowded with tourists.
// ANTIQUE SHOPPING
If you're a fan of vintage furniture and antiques of all kind you have to stop in L'Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue. It's one of the best spots in France for antique shopping and I have to admit that I did spot quite a few pieces I wouldn't have minded taking home with me!
where to eat
I'm not gonna lie, I did have quite a hard time finding vegetarian options in Provence. I know from personal experience that restaurants in France do not always offer veggie options on their menus, but in the end we always managed to find a solution! I don't have a ton of places to recommend but I'd still like to mention Café Fleurs in L'Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue. In Gordes, after looking at all the menus we decided to grab a sandwich from the bakery that was right next to the church, which ended up being a super delicious + more budget friendly option.
- scroll down for pictures of the places i mentioned -
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