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Provence - Villages & Vineyards
Independent Tour and Group Tours. 7 Days / 6 Nights, 210kms.
Provence is the land of light, colours and scents, reasons, many well known painters such as Picasso, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Cézanne and Chagall have lived here. The Mediterranean climate is pleasant, the sun shines more than 3000 hours a year.
The people enjoy the outdoors, even during the winter when they still play “pétanque” and drink their “pastis”. Provence is also one of the richest cultural regions in Europe with numerous monuments from Greek and Roman times, through the Middle Ages and to the last centuries.
Important towns on this route are: Avignon, famous for the Popes Palace (UNESCO World Heritage), and its imposing wall and the song about the bridge – “Sur Le Pont D’Avignon”; Orange has the best preserved Roman monuments such as the theatre and the triumphal arch; hilltop Vaison la Romaine is a cross between a Roman city and medieval town.
You’ll cycle beautiful landscapes to Fontaine de Vaucluse which has the deepest spring in the world, pass the famous vineyards of the Côtes du Rhône, typical villages of Provence such as Gordes and Roussillon with its splendid ochre rocks, the lavender fields at the foot of the Lubéron, visit the beautiful Cistercian Abbey of Sénanque surrounded by lavender fields, and stay in the lovely town of Isle Sur-la-Sorgue. Not to mention the quality of wine and food during the cycle tour would be a great omission. You will discover the excellent cuisine of Provence with its wonderful Mediterranean flavour when you dine each night at specially chosen restaurants.
Your JourneyDay 1 Avignon: Arrive. Day 2 Avignon - Orange, 40 km: Cycle along the Rhone River. Visit the Roman theatre at Orange then stop for a wine tasting at the famous wine village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Day 3 Orange - Vaison-la-Romaine, 45 km: Ride through vineyards of the Côtes du Rhône and past typical villages. Day 4 Vaison la Romaine - Isle-sur-Sorgue, 30 or 65 km: Continue through vineyards and past quaint villages to Isle Sur Sorgues, the Venice of the Provence. Day 5 Isle-Sur-Sorgue - Lubéron, 40-60 km: Circuit ride to the village of Gordes and its famous Vasarély Museum; the Cistercian Abbey of Sénanque surrounded by lavender fields; and the ochre rocks near the lovely village of Roussillon. Day 6 Isle-sur-Sorgue - Avignon, 35 km: Today enjoy a varied landscape of forest and traditional countryside houses: cabottes (small stone houses) and wash houses with fountains. Pass through the medieval town of Gengoux Le National and Cormatin, a village known for its chateau. From here the route becomes hilly until you reach Cluny, the spiritual centre of Europe in the Middle Ages. Day 7: End of the tour. Extend your stay in Avignon to visit the sights not covered by the bike tour.TerrainEasy to moderate - Biking mainly on flat, quiet roads and paths. Suitable for the whole family. Electric bikes can be requested. |
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