| Day 1 : Avignon
Upon your arrival you will be picked up and transferred to your first hotel in the centre of Avignon. You'll have time to relax and explore. Avignon was already important by the 12th century, but with the arrival of the Popes in the 14th century, the city became a second Rome. Going through any of the seven doors of the superbly preserved ramparts, you will discover the city of the Popes. The Palace of the Popes (a UNESCO Heritage site, as is the Avignon bridge), is the largest Gothic palace in Europe. Nearby is the Petit Palais Museum which houses an outstanding collection of Italian and Provencal paintings from the late 13th to the early 16th centuries.
Day 2 : Eygalieres to St Remy 12 km
After a delicious breakfast, and a meeting with your Trip Manager, we transfer you to a 12th century chapel just outside of Eygalieres, a charming little town on the plains by the Alpilles mountains. Your walk will take you on relaxed terrain through olive groves and wonderful vineyards (of course there are opportunities to stop for a tasting!) before arriving in St. Remy at the end of the day. St. Remy is where Vincent Van Gogh was incarcerated in the Saint Paul hospital for a year (and where he completed an astounding 150 paintings!). There are Roman archeological sites that are worth seeing on the site of Glanum; but you may just decide to enjoy St. Remy as the locals do: sitting in one of the many cafes under the shade of a plane tree, and watching life go by...
Day 3 : Les Baux de Provence 9 km
Today is your shortest day, to allow you time to explore both Les Baux and St Remy itslef. You have a short transfer after breakfast to Les Baux, up in the Alpilles. Your walk is spectacular, with the impressive rock formations of these mini-mountains as your backdrop, and the Medieval village of Les Baux de Provence. This fortified village, with its spectacular panorama, is worth some time: visit the chateau, and the many winding streets and shops, and don't miss the nearby sound and light show presented in one of the old (and massive) bauxite mines of the area, before heading downhill back into St. Remy itself. Your final dinner tonight is included.
Day 4 : Oppede le Vieux to Bonnieux 16 km
We transfer away from the Alpilles this morning and into the heart of the Luberon, to a small village called Oppede. From Oppede's ruined chateau you have a gorgeous walk, skirting along the Luberon hills, with virews onto villages made famous by Peter Mayle's book, A Year in Provence, like Menerbes (with its unusual corkscrew museum!) and Lacoste, and then into Bonnieux itself, where you will be staying the night. The terrain is a mix of forest and field, with beautiful views and charming villages. Dinner is included tonight.
Day 5 : Gargas to Gordes via Roussillon 15 km
Your walk today starts in the village of Gargas, just outside Apt, and wends its way through the Luberon Geological Reserve towards Roussilon. this Luberon hill village, charming in and of itself with its winding streets and cafes and shops, is more famous for its incredible ochre mines - these red and burnt orange cliffs were mined for ages for the pigments for dyes. From here you have a relatively easy walk on to Gordes - but save some ebergy for the end, as Gordes is another "hilltop village", and you'll have to climb up to your hotel at the end of the day. We're sure you'll agree the views are worth it!
Day 6 : Fontaine de Vaucluse to Gordes via Abbaye de Senanque 17 km
Your final day's walk is your most challenging. It starts in Fontaine de Vaucluse, a tiny village, sitting on a lively spring. The spring is the largest in France, and the fifth largest in the world, giving out on average 22 cubic metres per second, and set at the base of a cliff. From there you climb along forest paths, that eventually bring you past the Abbey of Senanque, a huge and beautiful 12th century Cistercian abbey, surrounded by lavendar fields. Upon your return into Gordes, your well-earned final dinner is included.
Day 7 : Departure - Bon Voyage!
After breakfast, we transfer you back to Avignon train station.
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