Maisonluberon.com: Markets and villages of the Luberon

Markets and Villages

The markets are one of the great aspects of Provence – wonderful food and wonderful atmosphere. It is possible to shop at a different village market almost every day.

Most markets open very early and begin closing down around noon. If you miss a morning market there are small market shops in the villages or very large supermarkets at Manosque and Pertuis. The supermarkets, while devoid of charm, do stock a fair amount of good local produce (olive oil, fruit, vegetables etc).

The perched or ancient villages and lush plains of the South Luberon are towards the village of La Bastide des Jourdan and beyond. These beautiful villages of Grambois, La Tour d’ Aigue, Cadenet, Cucuron, Ansouis, and Loumarin are all within a 15 to 30 minute drive of the house.

Also close to the house are the small villages of Beaumont de Pertuis and Mirabeau. Both are absolutely charming and the latter enjoys the prestige of being used in the film "Manon des Sources."

The Petite Luberon offers the famous perched villages of Gordes, Menerbes, Lacoste , Bonnieix , Roussillon(with its ochre cliffs) and the famous town of Apt. These are all with 25 to 40 minutes reach of the house.

Pierrevert and Manosque are the gateways to the wide open spaces and lavender fields of Haute Provence. The pretty, perched village of Pierrevert is 5 or 6 minutes from the house. Here there is a boulangerie, small market, newsagent and Post Office. La Trombone is a good, village restaurant offering the traditional, thin crust pizza and in the summer with tables outside it is a charming and friendly place.

Forcalquier is the headquarters of Les Oliviers, the exclusive olive oil shops. This historically important town has beautiful old streets and houses and good shops.

Mane is a small village enroute to Forcalquier and also has a well-preserved old quarter.

Montfuron is a tiny perched village, visible from the grounds of the house. The village is very pretty and offers extraordinary views of the area.

The magnificient Gorge du Verdon is within a few hours drive of the house via its western gateway at the perched village of Moustiers-Ste-Marie – the village is famous for its traditional Provencal faiences. There is also a Michelin-starred restaurant at Moustier.

SATURDAY

Manosque:

The famous town of Manosque, birthplace and home of Jean Giono, is just 15 minutes from the house. The old town centre is handsome and sophisticated. Restaurants and smart shops abound and the ancient gateway leads to a bustling morning market on Saturdays.

Manosque is home to the L’Occitane shops and the factory shop is open to the public. The home of Jean Giono is also open to the public.

Apt:

Apt is an even bigger town and has a very , very large Saturday market with many food, pottery, and fabric stalls.

Vaugine:

This is a tiny, very pretty village 25 minutes from the house. It has a minute Saturday market – a "petite marche" were you can just russle up enough to last the day – bread, olives, vegetables, cheese and maybe poultry but the latter is not always guaranteed. There is often a local wine maker who sells his wine - it’s cheap but decent. Vaugine is a really small but perfect village; it has a beautiful moss covered fountain and a good pizzeria! Well worth the drive – which is very scenic - through the hamlets of La Motte, Pepin d’ Aigue and Cucuron.

SUNDAY

Grambois:

There is a very small Sunday market at Grambois – which is a really beautiful perched village just 10 to 15 minutes drive from the house. The village was one of the locations for the film "La Gloria de Mon Pere."

MONDAY

La Bastide des Jourdans:

This small village is very close to the house (5 to 7 minutes) and has a good boulangerie which is particularly useful for baguettes and pastries first thing in the morning. The village also has a fruit and vegetable shop and a small convenience store.

In the summer, the weekly market becomes an evening affair and this quiet but charming village is transformed - stallholders sell their wares while scores of people dance in the square to live music. The local bar sets out tables on the pavement and serves a good meal (booking in advance is essential) while other food and wine is sold from tables across the square.

La Bastide has a good restaurant – Cheval Blanc, in the middle of the village.

Cadenet:

Cadenet is a large village about 25 minutes from the house. It has a very big market with all varieties of foodstuffs, clothes, Provencal fabrics, pottery, baskets etc. The fish monger is up near the fountain, which is worth a visit - and there’s a bar next to the fountain too which offers welcome relief on a really hot day. Cadenet is good for buying gifts and typical Provencal wares. Highly recommended.

Forcalquier (see above)

also has a very large market on Monday mornings. .

TUESDAY

La Tour D’Aigue :

La Tour is a lovely village about 10 minutes from the house – it has a grand but ruined chateau (torched during the Revolution) which is the setting for numerous art, theatre and music events through the summer. The markets are fairly large and definitely worthwhile.

Cucuron:

Cucuron is a little further (25 minutes from the house) than La Tour but it's a fantastic village. It  offers a very good market. Once in the village, follow the signs to L’Etang where the market is set up around a large, shaded village pond. There is always good food and good-value pottery. A drink at the bar next to the pond is a must.

The village has two good butchers if you want to stock up and an exceptionally good restaurant.

THURSDAY at ANSOUIS

Ansouis is a small but magnificent perched village. It’s market is very tiny and its food probably won’t sustain you for the day. But Ansouis is absolutely worth a visit. The chateau has been owned by the same family for the last 700 years and at one time a single generation of the family produced five European queens. The chateau is open for guided tours.

FRIDAY

Lourmarin:

Both Ansouis and Lourmarin have received "Most Beautiful Villages in France" awards. The market at Lourmarin is very big. The village has a beautiful chateau and was home to, and is the burial place of Albert Camus.

The market is extensive, it gets very busy and it is best to arrive early. Loumarin has good restaurants and a handful of really good shops.

EXTRA’s

WINE

Chateuneuf de Pape is about one and half hours away from the house – obviously the wine is great and the estates are beautiful.

ANTIQUES

And if anyone is interested in antiques, the most famous antique site outside of Paris is the antiques market at Isle sur La Sorgue every Sunday. It’s spectacular.