Lourmarin
• Vaucluse (84160) • Population: 1,108 • Altitude: 20 m
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Lourmarin is a pleasant town, and very popular with both French and foreign tourists. The surrounding countryside is fields, vineyards, olive groves, with the extensive forests of the Luberon just north of the town. The town is very quite off-season (through May), but then you can visit the next-door town of Cadenet which is active year-round.
Lourmarin is one of the Most Beautiful Villages (Plus Beaux Villages) of France.
• Market day Fri.
Sites to see in Lourmarin include the 15th-16th century castle, the Romanesque St. Andre church, a lovely campanile and some nice old fountains. [photo]. There are several shops, including souvenir shops, antiques, art galeries and clothes boutiques. There are also a few terrace cafés, some grouped around the cobblestone junction in the heart of the town.
The town isn't as compact or cute as our typical perched medieval villages, but the architecture is Mediterranean and some of the streets are narrow and interesting. On the practical side, there are several restaurants and hotels (many nearby in the surrounding villages and countryside).
Lourmarin is nicely situated as a base for visiting Provence. It's in the heart of the Luberon, with Aix-en-Provence about 30 minutes to the south and Avignon 45 minutes to the west. Some lovely nearby villages along the southern edge of the Luberon are Vaugines (our favorite), cucuron, Cabrières d'aigues and La Motte-d'Aigues. Also very close, on the northern edge of the Luberon, are Bonnieux, Lacoste, Ménerbes and Oppède; and the market town of Apt is only 20 minutes away.
The drive north towards Bonnieux goes through the beautiful, narrow river valley called Combe de Lourmarin. Just past the "combe", only 7 km from Lourmarin, take the D36 turning to the left; about a km later, off to the right of the left-hand hairpin, is a large borie. If you wander out in the fields a bit further you'll find a few more bories here.
Nearby (somewhere) is the "pont des Vaudois", a beautiful little arched stone bridge over the Aigue Bruin stream, from 1606.
La Ferme de Gerbaud. This "farm" specialises in aromatic and tinctorial plants, and is open for guided visits and, of course, sales. The shop is open daily, 9h-20h. Visits (30 F) daily 17h (summer), 15h (off-season). Their aromatic plants include lavandin, thym, romarin, sauge, laurier, hysope, menthe, marjolaine, origan, sarriette, serpolet. The tinctorial plants are pastel, gaude, garance.
- Tel 0490 681 183; Fax 0490 683 712
Chateau de Lourmarin
The 15th-16th century chateau was built by the Agoult family between 1479 and 1545. The part of the chateau open to the public includes the furnished apartments and the library (with some 28000 books). The highlight is probably the magnificent stairway (escalier).
- June-Oct: 11h-16h30; July-Aug: 10h-17h30; Sept:10h-16h30
- Open every day, except: Sept-Mar closed Tuesdays
- Entry: 30 F (about 5 euro)
- Open every day, except: Sept-Mar closed Tuesdays
Famous Sons
Jean Giono (1895-1970) and Albert Camus (1913-1960) both lived here and are buried in the local cemetery.Raoul Dautry (1880-1951) lived and worked here. The 17th-c house where Philippe de Girard can be seen. Apparently some high-level politicians live here.