Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CAR There's parking by the tourist office.
Dentelles de Montmirail
The Dentelle's 8km-long limestone ridge rises abruptly from vineyard-covered plains. Its
spires take their name from the dentelles (lace) they resemble. Forty kilometres of foot-
paths wind through the Mediterranean scrub - look for buzzards, eagles and fluorescent-
green lizards. Climbers favour the southern face. Around the ridge, find tiny villages fam-
ous for wine. The best tourist offices are in Beaumes-de-Venise ( Click here ) , Vaison-la-
Romaine ( Click here ) , and Gigondas ( Click here ) .
Getting There & Away
Trans Vaucluse ( Click here ) line 4 connects Orange and Vaison-la-Romaine, via Séguret
and Sablet. Line 11 connects Carpentras and Vaison, via Le Barroux. La COVE ( 08
00 88 15 23; www.transcove.com ) buses operate from Monday to Saturday on the
Carpentras-Beaumes-de-Venise-Gigondas route, but you must telephone the day before
for pick-up.
GIGONDAS
POP 598 / ELEV 282M
Wine cellars and cafes surround the sun-dappled central square of Gigondas, famous for
prestigious red wine. The tourist office ( 04 90 65 85 46; www.gigondas-dm.fr ; rue du
Portail; 10am-12.30pm & 2.30-6.30pm Mon-Sat year-round, plus 10am-1pm Sun Jul
& Aug) has a list of wineries. In town, Caveau de Gigondas ( 04 90 65 82 29; place
Gabriel Andéol; 10am-noon & 2-6.30pm) represents 100 small producers and offers
free tastings - most bottles cost just €12 to €14. Wine-tasting here provides an excellent
counterpoint to Châteauneuf-du-Pape: both use the same grapes, but the soil is different.
Above the central square, along the Cheminement de Sculptures , enigmatic outdoor
sculptures line narrow pathways, leading ever upward to castle ruins, campanile, church
and cemetery with stunning vistas.
SÉGURET & AROUND
POP 904, ELEV 250M
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