Le Thor

• Vaucluse (84250) • Population: 5,941 • Altitude: 53 m

Le Thor is a picturesque village located in the plain of the Sorgue river, with the mountains of the Plateau de Vaucluse 5 km to the east and the activity of Avignon 18 km to the west. Le Thor is a walled village, still surrounded by some of the 1200-m crenelated wall and the ancient portes; the 14th-century fortified Porte Notre-Dame was restored in the 19th century, and is topped with an elegant bulb-shaped campanile. The 14th-century château-fort (castle) on the banks of the Sorgue was restored in the 18th and 19th centuries. • Market day Wed.

The Sorgue river is lovely, with shady banks for picnicking and fishing. The surrounding countryside is flat, with apple orchards, vegetables, olive groves and vineyards. The flatness, though, allows an excellent view from the little Thouzon hill, 2 km north of the village.

Grottes de Thouzon

The Grottes de Thouzon, 1.5 km northwest of Thor, were discovered in 1904, and are in excellent condition. A feature of the caves are beautiful golden fistulous stalactites.

Tel: (33) 490 33 93 65; Fax: (33) 490 33 74 90

Open: Apr-Oct, 10h-12h, 14h-18h; July-Aug, 9h30-19h; Mar and Nov, Sun afternoons 14h-18h

History of Le Thor

Name

First record, 1029 Torum

Prehistoric: Neolithique remains were discovered at Morre-du-Diable, including hexagonal constructions and artifacts.

Medieval: Le Thor was first co-ruled by the Counts of Toulouse and Barcelona, and then by Giraud Amic III of Sabran and the city of Avignon. It later became a fief divided between the Popes of Avignon and several families, including Amic, Villeneuve, Boulbon and, finally, the Ducs de Caderousse.

During the Revolution, the redoubtable "Coupe-Tête" Jourdan decided the commune wasn't enthusiastic enough, and executed the head of the Garde Nationale, which presumably resulted in a headless head.

In an effort to keep the locals from eyeing greener pastures, Le Thor had a program with a Prince d'Amour selected from the town's prominent citizens, and widows or women who married outside the commune paid a special tax.

Dates

Market day: Wed.

May (1st Sun) - Fête Traditionnelle de Thouzon
July (1st half) - Festival de la Sorgue

Hiking

• GPS: 43.92085, 4.987049

Maps

IGN (1/25,000) #3142 OT "Cavaillon, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse"

IGN Verte (1/100,000) #66 "Avignon, Montpellier"; #67 Marseille, Carpentras

Didier Richard (1/50,000) #27 "Ventoux"

Le Thor has no hiking trails at the village, which sits in the rich farmland of the Sorgue, but the Plateau de Vaucluse begins just to the east. Check out the hiking information for Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, 12 km to the east.

Transportation Le Thor

Avignon - Isle-sur-la-Sorgue Bus 6

Vaucluse bus line connects Avignon, Morières, Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne, Le Thor, L'Isle-sur-La-Sorgue.
A more limited service is also provided between L'Isle-sur-La-Sorgue, Saumane-de-Vaucluse, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Lagnes, and Coustellet.
The trip between Avignon and L'Isle-sur-La-Sorgue is about 50 minutes.

See Beyond's Bus Schedules Page 02: Vaucluse Department for downloading Vaucluse bus-lines map and schedules (link for PDF files).

Department 84, Vaucluse Buses

See Beyond's Bus Schedules Page 2: Vaucluse Department for downloading Vaucluse bus-lines map [Plan global des lignes] and bus-line schedules [pdf for each line] (link for PDF files).
• Avignon has train or bus connections to Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Nîmes, Saint Remy-de-Provence, Paris.
• Cavaillon has bus connections to Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Saint Remy-de-Provence.
• Pertuis has bus connections to Aix-en-Provence and Marseille.