On our third day in Avignon, we made our way to one of the most enchanting towns in France – Gordes. The small Provincial village is set in the hills of the Luberon region. The narrow hillside driving can make it a challenge to reach the hill town in poor weather. However, to our good fortune, we had an amazing day to visit Gordes – 72 degrees and sunny.
After parking mid-way up the hill, we walked the remaining distance to the city centre to find that most of the shops and even restaurants were closed for another hour. But unlike other small towns in Provence that rely on the character and charm of their shops and restaurants, Gordes captures visitors with its amazing views and ambience. And the farther you walk up the winding pathways around the hill, the more you see and can appreciate of this incredible place.
We spent nearly 3 hours in Gordes – the longest we had spent in any Provincial town outside of Avignon – soaking in the views and taking photographic memories of the quaint houses, tiny stone streets, interesting doorways and Mediterranean-like scenes.
As we started our descent down the hill, we kept our sights on the small town, feeling a little meloncholy as we watched it fade in the distance. This magical place, with no extraordinary monuments or museums, was truly one of the most intriguing places I’d ever been and left me feeling nothing less than enchanted.
