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A weekend in the Luberon, mostly on foot

Base in one village, walk the marked paths between Bonnieux, Ménerbes and Lacoste, and be at the Apt market by 10:00 on Saturday. Fares, fees and timings inside.

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A weekend in the Luberon, mostly on foot

Words by Louise Holden8 July 20262 min read
Illustrative example · the real Journal begins in 2027 This article was written ahead of launch to show the kind of guide we will publish. The stay described is an example, not a review, and any Crew Portfolio properties named are fictional and not yet bookable. Public travel information such as fares and opening times was checked at the time of writing.

The Luberon is the part of Provence people picture without knowing the name: stone villages on hills, vines between them and marked footpaths connecting the lot. You can cover a good deal of it in a weekend, most of it walking, if you base in one village instead of driving between ten.

Getting there

Fly to Marseille or take the TGV to Avignon; the fast train from Paris takes about 2 hours 40. From Avignon TGV the drive to Bonnieux is about 45 minutes, and from Marseille airport allow an hour. You need the car for arrival and the market run, and for nothing else once you are based.

The walking

Bonnieux, Ménerbes and Lacoste sit within sight of each other and are linked by marked paths through vineyards and oak scrub. Any two can be walked in under 2 hours, which makes the pattern simple: walk out mid-morning, lunch in the next village, walk back in the late afternoon when the coaches have gone and the stone goes gold. Take proper shoes, water and a hat; shade is scarce between the villages in summer.

Saturday is the market

The Apt market runs Saturday morning until about 12:30, year round, and is the biggest in the Luberon: cheese, olives, honey, knives and half the department doing its weekly shop. Go before 10:00, park on the edge of town rather than fighting for the centre, and carry a bag you are prepared to fill. If Saturday does not fit, Roussillon has its own market on Thursday.

The Apt market runs Saturday morning until about 12:30, year round, and is the biggest in the Luberon.

Roussillon before you leave

On Sunday, drive the small road over the hill to Roussillon for the ochre cliffs. The Sentier des Ocres is the managed trail through them: two marked loops of roughly 35 and 50 minutes, €3.50 to enter, children under 10 free. NB. Wear shoes you do not mind staining; the ochre dust is permanent on white canvas.

When to go

May, June and September give you the same villages with room to move and a table without booking. July and August are full, and every restaurant needs reserving. If you want the lavender, it flowers from late June to the middle of July, which is also when the coach traffic peaks; decide which matters more to you.

The essentials

Getting there

TGV Paris to Avignon about 2h40, then a 45-minute drive. From Marseille airport allow an hour. Hire the car at the station or airport; there is none to be had in the villages.

Base yourself

One village, not three. Bonnieux, Ménerbes or Lacoste all work; each is walkable to the other two.

Don’t miss

Apt market, Saturday before 10:00. The Sentier des Ocres at Roussillon, €3.50, loops of 35 and 50 minutes.

Best time

May, June and September. Lavender late June to mid-July, with the crowds to match.