Some of our favorite places to visit and see
Local Restaurants
Located close to the charming town of Lourmarin, the Mas de Puyvert has lots of great restaurants offering delicious French cuisine. Below are just a few of our favorites:
Bamboo Thai – Lourmarin. In our humble opinion, this is the best Thai restaurant of the region. Eric, who owns the restaurant, has an infinite knowledge of wines and can guide you flawlessly in a new selection of his extensive wine collection to choose the perfect wine for your spicy (or less spicy) dish. https://bamboothai.fr/
Auberge de la Fenière – Lourmarin. This restaurant which is an icon in the region boasts one of the best female chefs in the region – Reine La Samut as well as the new management by her daughter, Nadia. They have two restaurants – one is a bistro style with a nice Sunday buffet and the other more gastronomical (and therefore more expensive). Both worth a stop and a walk in the lovely surrounding gardens.
http://www.aubergelafeniere.com/
Domaine de la Fontenille – Cadenet. This hotel/vineyard is relatively recent and offers spectacular gardens, inside and outside dining and both a more local and gastronomical dining experience. After lunch, you can walk over to the vineyard/wine cellar to taste the local wines.
https://www.domainedefontenille.com/fr
Chez Felicien – Cadenet
A casual dining place with excellent pizzas, hamburgers and family-friendly food. There’s a lovely terrace to eat outside and the owners are warm and welcoming.
Accueil
Practical information:
-For your grocery shopping, you will find the Super U store 300 meters from the house which has everything you need for your stay.
-For great local bread, we suggest Les Hauts des Pains – excellent ! Here is the address: Ancienne gare de Lauris Départementale n° 973 (D973 GPS: 43.745411, 5.306258, 84360 Lauris
-For local gifts and products, Lourmarin is less than 3 km away and is packed with lovely shops, cafés and markets. A must-see and a great way to roam the pedestrian streets and take in the local atmosphere!
-Private chef – www.saveursdesalpilles.com – Dominique Pourrat
-Private in-house massage – Touch Therapy Luberon – 06 22 99 41 31 or adline.touch.therapy@gmail.com
-Local pizza take-away – Pizza des Lices in Lauris.
Things to see/visit
Lourmarin – the village
Lourmarin is a real jewel of a town. It’s considered one of the most beautiful villages of France and has always been a hotspot for artists and tourists. On Fridays, you can enjoy the Farmer’s Market which has a large selection of local cheeses, breads, honey and fruits and vegetables. But every day of the week is perfect to stroll through its pedestrian streets and shop in the many unique shops. If you are a fan of the writer, Albert Camus, you can also pay hommage to him as he is buried in the local cemetery.
Aix-en-Provence and Avignon
Aix-en-Provence is about 40 km from the Mas and is worth the visit. Known as the ‘spa town’ and also a university town, Aix (pronounced ‘X’) offers lots of shops, restaurants, cinemas, museums and other cultural interests for tourists. Avignon which is 60 km away is also worth a day trip as it boasts the Palace of the Popes which can be toured with an audio explication of the historical implication of this sacred place in French history.
https://www.aixenprovence.com/
Roussillon and Gordes
Roussillon is a picturesque village nearby and is listed as one of the ‘most beautiful villages of France‘, and is the most visited village in the Luberon except Gordes, a few kilometres to the west.
Roussillon has been inhabited since neolithic times, then later by the Romans who also left their traces. The village is also well known for being home to Samuel Beckett during the Second World War.
In Roussillon, one of the most memorable features is a visit to the ochre mines next to the village. The range of colours in the white-orange-red rocks is extraordinary, and the curiously shaped rock formations add further to the spectacle. It creates a fascinating ‘out of this world’ experience (like a miniature version of Bryce Canyon National Park, in the US).
Gordes
One of the most beautiful villages in France, Gordes is a village perched on its rock, sublimated by the centuries and the work of man. Definitely a must-visit village!
In addition to visiting the lovely village, you can stop by the Abbey of Senanque.
The Abbey of Sénanque, an active Cistercian monastery, founded in 1148, is located in the heart of the Sénancole valley, 4km from Gordes. A place of worship where monks live and where services are celebrated (exclusive visits this year accompanied by a Cistercian monk. see guided tours)
The Abbey of Notre Dame de Sénanque is one of the best known tourist sites in the Luberon Regional Natural Park.
