Luberon / inland Provence

The Luberon is a mountain range and regional natural park in the Vaucluse department of inland Provence, stretching from Apt to Cavaillon, halfway between Avignon and Aix-en-Provence. Peter Mayle's bestseller A Year in Provence (1989) put it on the international map. The area is known for hilltop villages officially classified among the Most Beautiful Villages of France: Gordes, Roussillon, Ménerbes, Lacoste, Bonnieux. For travelers, inland Provence has been quietly building a distinctive hotel scene since the 2000s, with converted Provençal farmhouses (bastides) like La Bastide de Gordes, Crillon le Brave, Coquillade, and Capelongue. Season runs April to October, anchored in wine, lavender, olive oil, and winter black truffles.