Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LE PETIT LUBERON
South of D900, Le Petit Luberon mountains lie west of the Combe de Lourmarin - the
north-south divide between Petit and Grand Luberon. Its craggy, silvery-green landscape
of scrub is dotted with compact villages overlooking forests, valleys and vineyards.
PEDAL POWER
Jaunty blue signs mark the way for the
Autour du Luberon
, a 236km cycling itinerary through the region that
leads from one picturesque village to the next. Tourist offices have maps for this, as well as
Les Ocres en Vélo
, an-
other route through ochre country. Decommissioned railway lines near Apt are being redeveloped into cycling
paths; to date, 28km exist. Stay tuned. Bicycle club
Vélo Loisir en Luberon
( 04 92 79 05 82;
www.veloloisirluberon.com
)
has extensive info on everything from where to rent bikes and how to arrange transport
of luggage, to the location of toilets en route.
If you can't bear pedalling up all those hills, Sun-E-Bike (
Click here
)
, in Bonnieux and Gordes, rents electric bi-
cycles; they're not scooters - you have to pedal - but the motor helps significantly with the ascents, putting cycling
within reach of non-athletes.
Bonnieux
Navigating Bonnieux is a little jigsaw puzzle in itself. The tiered village straddles several
levels: from place de la Liberté, 86 steps lead to 12th-century
Église Vieille du Haut
. The
village has a history of good bread; discover the backstory and symbology at
Musée de la
Boulangerie
( 04 90 75 88 34; 12 rue de la République; adult/student/child €3.50/1.50/
free; 10am-12.30pm & 2.30-6pm Wed-Mon Apr-Oct)
.
Bonnieux extends beyond its hilltop village. Just south (6km via D36, direction Buoux),
discover the dense, fragrant
Forêt des Cèdres
, a protected cedar forest with staggering vis-
tas and a lush
botanical trail
(allow two hours), which is shady and cool in summer. North
of town (5km on the D36), sample local wines in
Caves de Bonnieux
( 04 90 75 80 03;
www.cave-bonnieux.com
;
La Gare de Bonnieux;
2.30pm-6pm Mon, 9am-noon &
2.30pm-6pm Tue-Sat).
