Crillon-le-Brave

Set off in a vintage car and follow Provençal roads that wind through vineyards, villages and open countryside. The drive is unhurried, giving you time to notice stone farmhouses, roadside markets and small cafés worth stopping for. You’ll pass through towns where daily life continues much as it always has, park near local bakeries or restaurants and take breaks when something catches your eye.

The car itself becomes part of the experience, shaping the pace and mood of the day. You’ll return having covered real distance, seen varied corners of the region and enjoyed Provence in a way that suits curiosity, comfort and conversation.

Leave the village on foot and choose from several marked paths leading towards Mont Ventoux. Many hikers begin from nearby Bédoin, tackling the climb step by step through changing terrain. The route rewards steady effort, with open landscapes and distant villages appearing as you gain height. You’ll walk for challenge, time outdoors or a full-day objective, setting your own pace and turning back when needed.

Conditions change as you climb and the summit is often far cooler than the valley below, so an extra layer matters. You’ll return with tired legs, clear air in your lungs and a sense of having earned the day.

Head out to explore some of Provence’s most established towns and villages, each within easy reach for a day trip. In Avignon, you’ll walk through streets shaped by papal history, while Vaison-la-Romaine leads you across Roman remains woven into the modern town. Gordes and Sénanque offer compact village centres and abbey grounds worth slowing down for. In Roussillon, you’ll follow marked paths through ochre terrain, then move on to L’Isle sur la Sorgue to browse antique shops along the canals.

Les Baux, Saint-Rémy and Arles add layers of art, stone architecture and ancient arenas. You decide where to linger and when to move on.