On the far side of the mountain, where the Luberon opens onto the gorge that cuts it in two, Lourmarin holds a special place in the hearts of our guests. Listed among the most beautiful villages in France, it is nothing like a perched village: it spreads across its plain of vines and olive groves, gentler and more literary, bathed in a particular light that has long kept writers and painters here. From Le Clos de Manon, allow around 40 minutes by road, the time it takes to cross the Lourmarin gorge along the spectacular D943. Here is what to know before you settle in for the day.
The Château de Lourmarin, the first Renaissance château in Provence
You spot it from afar, set on a rocky knoll at the entrance to the village. The Château de Lourmarin is reputed to be the first Renaissance château in Provence: onto a medieval core from the 15th century, a new Italian-inspired château was grafted in the first half of the 16th century, with its colonnaded gallery, its grand spiral staircase and its sculpted fireplaces.
Fallen into ruin in the 19th century, it was saved in the 1920s by the industrialist Robert Laurent-Vibert, who restored it and bequeathed it to the Académie d’Aix. Today the château hosts artist residencies and welcomes visitors: you wander through the furnished rooms, climb the spiral staircase and step out onto the terrace to take in the village rooftops and the Aigues plain.
- The visit takes a good hour; allow plenty of time if you like to study the furniture and the collections.
- The spiral staircase is one of the marvels of the place: carved from stone, it has long fascinated architects and stonemasons.
- On summer evenings, the château regularly stages concerts in the courtyard: a musical interlude well worth watching out for.
In the footsteps of Albert Camus and Henri Bosco
Lourmarin is inseparable from Albert Camus. The 1957 Nobel laureate in literature bought a house in the village with the prize money, and found here the peace to write far from Paris. He has rested here since 1960, in the municipal cemetery, beneath a simple stone marker bearing only his name, quickly recognisable by the rosemary and the pebbles that readers leave there. A few rows further on lies the grave of the writer Henri Bosco, author of L’Enfant et la rivière and Le Mas Théotime, who also fell in love with this corner of Provence.
Pausing at these two graves is a quiet, moving way to step into the soul of the village. The cemetery is a few minutes’ walk from the centre; you go there without a sound, ideally in the early morning, before the heat and the crowds build up.
The Friday market, one of the most renowned in the Luberon
If you had to keep just one date, it would be this one. The Lourmarin market is held on Friday mornings and ranks among the most popular in all of Provence. It spills across the squares and winds up the lanes: stalls of sun-ripened fruit and vegetables, tapenades and anchoïades, goat cheeses from neighbouring farms, soaps, Provençal tablecloths, wicker baskets and bunches of lavender in season.
We always advise our guests to arrive early, around the start of the morning, both for the cool of the day and for parking, which quickly becomes a sport in high season. Park in the lots on the edge of the village and walk in: it’s far nicer to wander with a basket on your arm.
- Basket and small change: bring something to carry your finds and a few coins, as some small producers don’t take cards.
- The perfect picnic: tomatoes, goat cheese, olives and a fougasse, to take down to the foot of the château.
- Out of season, in autumn or spring, the market stays lively and far more peaceful.
Strolling the village and its favourite spots
Beyond the château and the market, Lourmarin is best savoured at a stroll. The village has that easy elegance of the plain, made of shaded little squares, fountains that sing, the silhouette of the old belfry and the two churches, the Catholic one and the Protestant temple, witnesses to a Waldensian and Huguenot past that is still very much alive here. The lanes are full of art galleries, independent bookshops, ceramicists’ studios and lovely boutiques, making it one of the liveliest villages in the southern Luberon.
When it comes to dining, Lourmarin has long shone for its cuisine, and you’ll find everything from café terraces in the shade of the plane trees to refined tables. Rather than naming spots that change with the seasons, follow your instinct: a terrace where it feels good to sit down at the hour of a chilled rosé, a bakery where the smell of bread stops you in your tracks. That is exactly the spirit of Provence we love to share with our guests.
Lourmarin within a tour of the perched villages
Lourmarin is at its best when linked to its neighbours, both north and west. To plan your days and understand how it fits into the massif, we suggest our guests read our guide to the most beautiful perched villages of the Luberon, which places Lourmarin within the region as a whole.
From there, several combinations come naturally. To the north-east, perched above Apt, the village of Saignon, a perched village above Apt offers a magnificent viewpoint and a more secret atmosphere. Heading up towards the land of springs, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse and the source of the Sorgue reveal one of the most powerful resurgent springs in Europe, while L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, the Comtat Venice and its antiques wins over lovers of antiques and shaded canals. More than enough to build a wonderfully rich stay, without ever rushing.
Making Lourmarin part of your stay
From Le Clos de Manon, our Provençal villa with a private heated pool a ten-minute walk from Gordes, Lourmarin makes a wonderful day out: cross the gorge in the cool of the morning, wander the Friday market, visit the château, pause at Camus’ grave, then have lunch beneath the plane trees before heading home for a dip in the pool. That is the whole art of a five- to seven-night stay in the heart of the Luberon: ranging from the north to the south of the massif without ever hurrying. If the idea appeals to you, you can check our availability and book your stay at the villa right now.