Vaucluse |
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| Following the Rhône-river to the west and the Durance to the south, The Vaucluse is the gate to the Prealps to the east. A part of the region is flat and goes under the name of the Comtat Venaissin. To the south you will find the impressive mountain range of the Lubéron with its vast and relatively untouched, regional park, le Parc Régional du Lubéron, and to the northeast there are the extraordinary and curious looking peaks of the Dentelles. The main part of the area is covered by another big mountain range, le Plateau de Vaucluse, which has, as its northern boundary, the highest mountain of Provence, the legendary Mont Ventoux (1912 m) with its permanently white summit. | |
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| The Vaucluse offers a wide range of sports activities such as walking and hiking, climbing, horseback riding, canoeing, sailing, cycling, paragliding and golfing. Here, you can explore the beautiful nature scenery, visit idyllic medieval villages like Gordes, an incarnation of a Provencal village and probably the most interesting one as well. You can also visit some of France’s finest wine cellars, in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, or you can enjoy the refined cuisine with its abundance of herbs, fruit and vegetables. | |
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| The Mont Ventoux, blooming cherry trees in Malaucène, vast fields of lavender in Sault and the copper shaded mountains of Roussillon, these are some of the things to enjoy in the Vaucluse. It is also here you can find one of nature’s biggest wonders in France, the powerful springs of the Sorgue river in Fontaine de Vaucluse. The cultural pearl of the Vaucluse is the ancient fortified papal city of Avignon with its impressive Palace of the Popes. The heritage of the Romans is in evidence in the old Roman city in Orange with two of Europe’s finest monuments from Roman Times: a Roman theatre from the 1st century A.D., one of the best preserved antique theatres in the world and an imposing triumphal arch from the same period - or in the important archaeological sites in Vaison-la-Romaine. Carpentras is another Roman city, deserving closer attention; also, France’s oldest synagogue is to be found here. | |
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| The Vaucluse has a mild temperate coastal climate. The summer is hot with an average temperature of 30°C, while the winter is relatively cold with an average temperature of 5°C. The rainy season is in the autumn and spring, periods also marked by the strong Mistral wind. | |
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