Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Shaded by tall trees on the banks of Aiguebrun creek, the hideaway country
Auberge
de l'Aiguebrun
( inn 04 90 04 47 00, restaurant 04 90 71 72 27;
www.aubergedelaiguebrun.fr
;
d €170-290; )
serves white-tablecloth meals on its
garden terrace to the sound of chirping birds and cascading water - perfect for a lingering
lunch or romantic dinner and overnight. Rooms and cottages are pricey, but the sylvan
locale is gorgeous. Great pool. It's 6km southeast of Bonnieux, off the D943.
Saignon
pop 1005
Tiny Saignon sits high on rocky flanks, its narrow cobbled streets crowning a hill with in-
credible vistas of Mont Ventoux and the Luberon. The best reason to come is to stay
overnight in a fairytale village hideaway.
Lavender carpets the Plateau des Claparèdes area between Buoux (west), Sivergues
(south), Auribeau (east) and Saignon (north). Cycle, walk or drive through the lavender
fields and along the northern slopes of Mourre Nègre (1125m), the Luberon's highest
point (accessible from Cucuron).
The D113 climbs to idyllic
Distillerie Les Agnels
( 04 90 74 34 60;
www.lesagnels.com
;
rte de Buoux, btwn Buoux & Apt; free tours mid-Jul-mid-Aug)
,
which distills lavender, cypress and rosemary - stock up on lavender products at the
boutique; the small onsite spa has a lavender-scented swimming pool (call ahead).
Dating to the 12th century,
Auberge de Presbytère
( 09 70 44 64 56;
www.auberge-
presbytere.com
;
place de la Fontaine, Saignon; d €65-155; menus €28-38; restaurant
closed Tue; )
is a former presbytery that's now a romantic 16-room village inn,
with higgledy-piggledy staircases, low wood-beamed ceilings, and each room (some with
air-con) in a different style and shape - book well ahead for the top-floor blue room
(€130), with its incredible panoramic terrace. The on-site restaurant, overlooking the
moss-covered village fountain, serves classic French fare.
The discreet 16th-century façade at
Chambre de Séjour avec Vue
( 04 90 04 85 01;
www.chambreavecvue.com
;
rue de la Bourgade; r €80-100; closed Dec-Feb)
belies a
fashion-forward interior - this extraordinary guest house-art studio has three guestrooms
filled with original contemporary artwork.
High in the hills above Apt, with jaw-dropping vistas,
Sanglier Paresseux
( 04 90
75 17 70;
www.sanglierparesseux.com
;
Caseneuve; lunch/dinner menus €23/29; daily
Jul & Aug, closed Tue & Sun dinner)
tops our list of favourite Luberon restaurants. Its
