Gordes: The Breathtaking Balcony of Provence | A Comprehensive Travel Guide
Gordes is a beautiful old village in the south of France. It is still perched on the edge of the high Plateau de Vaucluse to the south.
We are in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, and stone is the most important part of the town. Most of the buildings are made of stone and almost touch each other, just like the stones that mark the property lines along the road.
Dominating, then, is a stone with shades ranging from yellow to beige that shines gold when the sun rises and sets.
From the south, Gordes is surrounded by fields and villages perched on the Luberon massif. This is one of the most beautiful views in all of Provence.
The castle, which was built between the 11th and 16th centuries and stands tall over the town and the valley below, keeps an eye on both.
The Celtic word “Vordense” is where the name Gordes comes from. Over time, the name changed into what it is today.
From the north of the castle, you can see both the old parts and the Renaissance-era changes. In 1031, a castle was built on the mountain, which is how the name “Castrum Gordone” came to be. Then, in 1148, the Sénanque Abbey was built nearby, and the city grew in importance. However, it was the Renaissance that changed the castle of Gordes into the great tourist attraction it is today.
Only two towers, topped with machicolations that can be seen clearly along the north facade, are left of the original core of Castrum Gordone.
On the first floor of the castle, there is a great room with a wooden ceiling that is 23 meters long. Here is a beautiful fireplace. It was carved in 1541 and has spaces in it for statues.
From 1971 to 1996, the castle was home to the educational museum of the artist Victor Vasarely. Five rooms were given to the master as a thank you for helping pay for the restoration. When the master died, Pol Mara’s work was kept there.
The castle is now a very important place for art shows.
The fountain in Genty Pantaly square is right in front of the castle. Until the middle of the last century, it was the only place in town where you could get clean water to drink.
In terms of water, the old wash house in the lower part of the village, which has now been fixed up, is the other important place in Gordes’ history.
All of the buildings in Gordes are made of stone, and the Porte de Savoie, a beautiful medieval arch, is also made of stone. In order to keep the old building’s charm, the local government now requires owners and builders to use only this material.
Also, the electricity and phone lines were buried, which made the photographers happy.
But the large number of tourists and the constant coming and going of tour buses make it hard to get a good picture. Since the release of “An excellent year,” a film by Ridley Scott that was filmed in Gordes and starred Russel Crowe and Marion Cotillard, in 2006, the number of tourists has grown by a factor of ten.
This is on top of the many tourists who already knew Gordes was one of the most beautiful villages in France.
Gordes has a market every Tuesday morning, which is a great time to visit the city and buy things that are typical of Provence.
Places to visit around Gordes
The Village des Bories and the Sénanque Abbey are the top places to visit in the area. The Sénanque Abbey is on the cover of almost all guides to Provence because of the colors it gets in the summer when its lavender crops bloom.
The Village des Bories, in particular, is an old settlement that dates back to the Bronze Age. It is 4 km south-west of Gordes and is made up of houses made of dry limestone. Shepherds lived there until the end of the 19th century.
Still close to Gordes is Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. The most interesting thing here is the source of the Sorgue, which is at the bottom of a 240-meter-high cliff and has a strong flow that is hard to believe.
The famous Mont Ventoux is to the north, still in Vaucluse but not on the same group of hills. It is a UNESCO biosphere reserve and is called the “Giant of Provence” because it is 1912 meters above sea level. Over the years, Mont Ventoux has also become well-known as a stage in the Tour de France.
Climate
Gordes can be seen at any time of year. The colors of the sky and plants change, which adds to its beauty. In the summer, Gordes is a great place to start if you want to spend an evening in the cool hills and get away from the hot Provencal plain. In the winter, when fog covers the valleys, the efebic sun shines on the stone houses of Gordes, making them look bright.
Lavender flowers start to bloom at the end of June, giving this area a purple tint.
Spring is also a great time because Provence is full of flowers and the warm light makes the medieval village of Gordes look even better.
Getting there
The best way to get to Gordes by car is to get off the A7 at the Cavaillon exit (18 km). From here, just follow the signs for the medieval village on the D2 or D15. Those who want to fly to Gordes should go to the airport in Marseille, Provence, which is 80 km further south. 75 kilometers away is the city of Aix-en-Provence.
Where to sleep
For those who want to stay in style in the upper part of the city, we recommend La Bastide de Gordes, a 5-star hotel with a classic feel that was built in a 16th-century building on the medieval walls of Gordes. From one of its seven beautiful terraces, which was voted the most beautiful in Europe by industry experts in 2013, you can see the Luberon and the valley in a way that you can’t see anywhere else.
For those who want a more unique and affordable option without giving up the Provencal charm, we are happy to recommend the 3 stars of the Demeure & Table d’hôtes “La Bastide de Voulonne,” a beautiful renovated country house at the foot of the village of Gordes.
