Gordes FRANCE 🇫🇷 A Guided Walk 🤩 The Acropolis of Provence [4k]

Gordes FRANCE 🇫🇷 A Guided Walk 🤩 The Acropolis of Provence [4k]

Bonjour, I’m Pierre from French Moments and in  this video, I’ll take you for a walk through the   hilltop village of Gordes in Provence. We’ll set off on a hike and reach the   bottom of the village before walking up the  hill to the lively upper village centre. 

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Let’s begin our tour at the Gendarmerie  car park in the north-west of the village.  On the left, the Route de la Combe leads  directly to the old village and its shops.  To the right, the D15 leads  to Cavaillon and Avignon.  We’re going to follow the  D15, away from the village. 

But don’t worry, we’re going to follow a route  that will give us some superb views of the   village, and we’ll be returning to explore the  old streets of Gordes a little later in our tour.  We’ll be following the D15  road for just over 600 metres. 

If you decide to follow the same route, just  a word of caution: watch out for traffic as   there are no pavements in some places. Walking along the road can be dangerous,   especially when there’s a lot of traffic,  such as on sunny summer days or at weekends. 

But having said that, we’re about to discover some  fantastic views of the hilltop village of Gordes.  The village of Gordes is perched on the edge of  the Vaucluse Plateau, facing the Luberon mountain.  The houses were built from the stone of  the rock on which the village was built. 

In 2023, Gordes was voted the  most beautiful village in the   world by the American magazine “Travel+Leisure”. The charm of the village lies in its limestone,   drystone walls and terraced layout  of stone houses and gardens.  Ok, let’s go a bit faster to save time! Because this part of the route can sometimes  

Be boring, especially when the view of  the village is hidden behind a wall.  Now we’re getting some fine views of the hilltop  village rising above the Provence countryside.  At the top of the village, you can clearly  make out the castle and the church,  

Whose façade has recently been restored. In a moment, we’ll find ourselves opposite,   at the very top of the village. You can imagine the climb   I’m going to have to endure! I think all first-time visitors to Gordes will agree with me: when you discover  Gordes for the first time with this view,  

You’re impressed by so much beauty. It’s no coincidence that Gordes   is part of the association of the  Most Beautiful Villages of France.  “Les Plus Beaux Villages de France” is a  French association and certification brand   created in 1982 that brings together  a network of more than 176 villages. 

Other neighbouring villages in the network  are Vénasque, Ménerbes and Roussillon.  This part of the road is a  little safer for pedestrians,   allowing us to admire the magnificent views. However, you’ll have no idea that you’re   walking on the edge of a cliff,  and it’s forbidden to go near it. 

It’s better to stay on the road anyway, and  that doesn’t stop us from enjoying the view.  All right, let’s go a bit faster! And here we are at the viewpoint of Rocher de Bel Air. It’s the best view of Gordes.  Just look at this magnificent picture! Gordes is rightly nicknamed  

The Acropolis of Provence. This place is one of the most   photographed in Provence and even France. You’ll recognise it from countless tourist   brochures, magazines, coffee-table books,  and social networks like Instagram.  The views are superb at any time of day, but if  you want to take photos of the village in the  

Sunshine, you’ll need to come in the afternoon. For example, in this video,   I was there at around 3.30pm in early October. Some locals call this place “the monkey rock”.  This is because, in summer, many foreigners  get off their coach for a moment, take a photo,  

And then return to their coach without  taking the time to explore the village.  Also, you don’t need to walk 600 metres from  the Gendarmerie car park to admire this view   as there’s a car park right next door. But there aren’t many parking spaces,  

So it will be difficult to park there  in the summer or at the weekend.  What’s more, although the car park is  free, parking is limited to 5 minutes.  At the end of the car park, let’s  turn left down the Chemin de Bel Air. 

We’ll do better than the tourists coming  out of coaches: we’re going to walk to   the hilltop village down to the Fontaine Basse  district before heading back up to the castle.  Few tourists realise it, but this road offers  other fantastic views of the hilltop village. 

It was a very hot day in early October, and  I was glad to be able to walk in the shade.  We are making our way gently down the slope of the  Bel Air rock towards the bottom of the village.  The views from here are breathtaking, aren’t they?

In this video, we’ll be focusing on the hilltop village, but you should be aware that the commune  of Gordes contains several other tourist sites   that are accessible on foot or by car. These include the village of the Bories.  This is a village of around twenty dry-stone  huts that was inhabited until the 19th century. 

To the north of the village, hidden  away at the bottom of a valley,   lies the magnificent Notre-Dame de Sénanque abbey. This Cistercian monastery, still in use, is one of   the most photographed sites in the region, with  its Romanesque architecture and lavender fields. 

A few kilometres east of Gordes  are the superb Gorges de Véroncle,   which form a 7.5-kilometre-long gorge. Much less well known, the Protestant temple   in the hamlet of Les Gros is a testament  to the Protestant presence in the Luberon. 

It is one of five historic Protestant churches  in the Luberon, along with those in Lacoste,   Lourmarin, Puget and Mérindol. During the Second World War,   Gordes was an important site for the Resistance. On 21 August 1944, a week after the landings on   the coasts of Provence, a German  patrol was severely hounded by  

The French Resistance fighters. The following day, the village fell   victim to violent reprisals. The Germans set up cannons   on the Bel Air rock to bombard the village. These bombardments destroyed a dozen houses,   while several others were blown and then set on  fire, mainly at the entrances to the town to block  

The crossroads and slow down any pursuers. In all, twenty buildings were destroyed   due to reprisals or acts of war. Thirteen people from Gordes were   killed or executed during the Second World War. It is said that the intervention of a monk from   the Abbey of Sénanque with the Kommandantur  prevented even more severe violence. 

Three days later, on 25 August  1944, the French Forces of the   Interior regained control of the area, and  the département of Vaucluse was liberated.  We arrive at the top of the  Fontaine Basse district.  The Rue Jean Deyrolle, which climbs to the  left, leads directly to the top of the village. 

As for us, we’ll continue our descent  via the Rue de la Fontaine Basse.  We arrive in the Bas de Gordes  district at the foot of the village.  It’s also known as the “Quartier de Fontaine  Basse”, or district of the lower fountain. 

It’s an almost forgotten part of Gordes. The charming area is as quiet as a lost village.  It is full of stone houses, secret  gardens and the scent of fig trees.  This is the old wash-house. The presence of water in this area helped  

To make it the economic heart of the village from  the 18th century until the early 20th century.  It was here that tanneries, craftsmen, a silk  spinning mill, shopkeepers and cafés flourished.  However, a series of earthquakes in the late  19th century and early 20th century damaged the  

District, which quickly fell into disuse. And the German bombings in 1944   only made matters worse.  This fountain-wash house complex is unique in that it backs onto the cliff. It was located outside the village and   fed directly from four water sources. This type of wash-house prevented the  

Spread of bacteria through the water  and provided more space for washing.  It ceased to be used in 1957, when running water  finally reached all the houses in the village.  Even though the wash-house is no longer in use,  it still bears witness to village practices. 

On Shrove Tuesday, 1886, a fire destroyed  the Fontaine Basse spinning mill.  This economic disaster forced the spinner  women to walk more than three hours to work   in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. Since then, the path they   took has been known as the “Chemin des  Fileuses” or the spinner women’s path. 

See that path on the left? We’ll take it a little later in   our exploration of the lower part of Gordes. But first, let’s continue along the Rue de   la Fontaine Basse to discover the  old stone houses and their arcades. 

Let’s take the street of the Chemin de  la Calade, which allows cars to serve   the houses in the lower part of Gordes. Craft production was mainly focused on leatherwork by tanners and many shoemakers. In the 19th century, the shoemakers’ guild   numbered up to 400 workers and craftsmen. In those days,  

A single-shoe model was worn on both feet. Then Alexis Godillot, a Parisian manufacturer   born in Besançon, came up with the idea of  differentiating between right and left shoes.  That was in 1854, and this brilliant idea  caused the village to lose the military   market, and the business collapsed. For the record, Alexis Godillot’s  

Shoes were known as “godillots”. The term gradually took on a   pejorative connotation, giving rise  to the French slang word “godasse”.  If you wish, you can continue along  the road to the top of the village.  But I want to show you another  path that is even more picturesque. 

Let’s go no further and return to  the junction I mentioned earlier.  This is the Rue Pavé d’Amour, an old lane  lined with old houses, some still in ruins.  You can see walls carved directly into the rock. Look at this view: it’s like something from a vintage movie about “la Douce France”.  

If you take your time, you’ll find some unusual works of art here and there. We’ll take the path on the left,  but before we do, let’s continue along  the Rue Pavé d’Amour for a few metres.  Do you recognise this place? That’s where we were earlier before I decided  

To turn back and show you the Rue Pavé d’Amour. So, let’s retrace our steps again and take the little path that leads upwards.  We’ll pass under this archway. It’s a lovely late afternoon light,  illuminating the stone facades of the houses. 

I really like this part of Gordes. You won’t find many tourists here because you   have to earn your way to this part of the village. Either people don’t have the time to get there –   especially if they’re travelling on a tourist  coach – or they don’t have the right shoes. 

As in other villages in the Luberon,  stilettos aren’t really appropriate here!  We haven’t reached the top of the village  yet, but the view is already ‘magnifique’.  To appreciate this, let’s walk up to the Calvary. Ok, now, let’s retrace our steps. We’ll resume our ascent by following  the cliff that rises to our left. 

See that large stone archway  against the cliff on the left?  That’s the old Chapelle d’En-Bas, the  chapel at the bottom of the village.  Its stone altar is the only surviving feature. It was somewhere here, in a former oil mill,   that Marc Chagall lived from 1939 to 1941. This video doesn’t really give the

Impression that the slope is steep. But I can assure you that it is, and the   effort is doubled under the hot afternoon sun. I counted that between the bottom and the   top of the village, there’s a  70-metre difference in height.  And it takes me around ten  minutes to climb those 70 metres. 

But I’m holding on, and you  can see! “Bonjour, ça va bien?” Now, let’s climb these steps. And these steps also. We’re now level with the Théâtre des Terrasses,  which hosts several concerts, including the   “Festival des Soirées d’été” which has become  a not-to-be-missed summer event in Gordes. 

Now we’ve reached the bottom of the upper  village if that makes any sense to you!  The road leading up to the left  gives access to the Belvedere.  The view of Gordes overlooks a vast plain  of vineyards and olive and almond trees.  In the distance, the Luberon  mountain dominates the horizon. 

The stone structure on the left contains  the cellars of the Palais Saint-Firmin,   which I had the opportunity to visit. Here, you can discover cave rooms,   cisterns, underground staircases and oil mills.  It’s a fascinating insight  into the history of Gordes. 

You’ll learn that the underground of Gordes is  a kind of Swiss cheese, a city under the city.  We are now on the Rue André Lhote  at the upper part of the village.  The street takes its name from André Lhote,  a painter who embraced cubism in 1912,  

And took part in the great adventure of  the avant-garde in the early 20th century   with Braque, Picasso and many others. This is the Place du Petit-Lavoir. The porch on the left is the site of a  former chapel, the Chapelle Saint-Pons. 

It has been so desecrated that even the locals no  longer know that it was once a place of prayer.  In 1938, André Lhote discovered  Gordes, where he bought a house   in the style of Louis XIII, which he renovated. This is the ornate gateway to André Lhote’s house. 

He lived here and introduced his  friends to the appeal of the village.  Marc Chagall, Jean Grenier, Willy  Ronis and others became his neighbours.  These artists helped raise Gordes  from its disuse in the post-war years.  Let’s take the stairs on the left,  and we’ll reach the Route Neuve. 

This is one of the few shopping streets in Gordes  where you’ll find craft shops, art galleries,   estate agents, and restaurants.   And here on the right is our favourite boulangerie-pâtisserie:  Le Fournil de Mamie Jeanne.  I recommend their bread and pastries.  When we were based in  Bonnieux, we often went there. 

We won’t go any further because I want  to show you one aspect of old Gordes.  The Rue du Four is narrow and lined  with fairly high houses that must have   been the homes of well-to-do craftsmen  or shopkeepers until the 17th century.  It’s a real pleasure to explore  the narrow streets of the village,  

With their vaulted passageways, arcades and  staircases that give Gordes its unique charm.  We arrive in the church area. On the left, under the arcades,   are a pharmacy and a bakery. This is a very picturesque part of Gordes.  Here is the church of Saint-Firmin. It was built on the foundations of  

An old 13th-century church and  then rebuilt in the 18th century.  Let’s go inside for a quick look. OK, now let’s continue our tour of the upper village of Gordes down the Rue du Belvédère.   Then let’s turn right onto the Rue de l’Église,

Which for me is one of the  prettiest streets in the upper village.  Most of the streets in Gordes are called  ”calades”, meaning they are stone-paved lanes.  We arrive at the “Porte de Savoie”. This fortified gate was one of the main  

Entrances to the village in the Middle Ages. We’re going to pass beneath it so that we can   see it from its “Campagne” side, that  is, from outside the medieval village.  And in the process, we’ll be admiring this  pretty corner of Gordes, typically Provençal. 

We’re on the Rue Jean Deyrolle. If you walk down it, you’ll come to   the lower part of Gordes, in the Fontaine  Basse district, where we were earlier.  This is the Porte de Savoie as  seen from outside the village. 

It takes its name from the support given by the  Agoult Simiane family to Béatrice de Savoie,   Countess of Forcalquier, in the conflict that  opposed her against her son-in-law, Charles   of Anjou, in the middle of the 13th century. This is the beautiful townhouse of Hôtel de   Pluvinel and its fine gateway. 

Then, let’s continue our tour up the Rue de la Porte de Savoie. Beatrice of Savoy never accepted the   sovereignty of the King of France over her states. Charles of Anjou, the brother of the French king   Saint-Louis, married the daughter  of Beatrice and inherited Provence. 

For two centuries, it remained  in the hands of the Anjou family.  On the death of King René, Gordes and  the county of Provence were incorporated   into the kingdom of France in 1481. On the left is the Aumonerie Saint-Jacques.  This building housed a hostelry for pilgrims  on their way to Santiago de Compostela. 

Pilgrims could take refuge here to spend  the night sheltered by the ramparts.  But to do so, they had to do what we  did: walk to the top of the village.  In fact, most pilgrims didn’t make this deviation,  preferring to continue along the Calavon valley on  

The Via Domitia, which linked Italy to Spain. You can see the church tower.  The square tower probably  dates from the 14th century.  It serves as a bell tower and was  probably a belfry in the Middle Ages.  Let’s turn left onto the Rue des Clastres,  which leads to the Place du Château. 

Here is the Castle of Gordes. This Renaissance castle dominates the village.  Its construction began in the 11th century,  and the medieval fortress was later   rebuilt in the 16th century by the powerful  Agoult-Simiane family in Renaissance style.  We will approach it via the charming  Place Genty Pantaly, named after a  

Famous chef from the early 20th century. The square is well sheltered from the Mistral   wind by the castle and shaded by plane trees. Take a look at the square’s fountain. It was the only water point in the  village until 1956, when running   water was finally installed in homes.  

Today, the castle is used for temporary exhibitions during the summer months. It also houses the tourist office,   where you can pick up a map of the village and  practical information about the surrounding area.  The water from the fountain was  reserved for everyday consumption,   and washing clothes was forbidden. Remember, to wash your clothes,  

You had to go to the wash-house we  saw at the very bottom of the village.  We’ll now complete our exploration  of Gordes by walking around the   castle to reach the Place du Château. In front of us stands the Chapel of the White

Penitents, which dates back to the 17th century. For a time, it housed the garage   for the village fire engine. And here is the Place du Château, the liveliest   square in Gordes, with the war memorial statue  commemorating the First World War at its centre. 

It is here and in the surrounding  streets that the weekly Provencal   market is held on Tuesday mornings. It is sometimes said that Gordes is   the Saint-Germain-des-Prés of Provence. This is partly true when you realise   that the Parisian macaron maker  La Durée has opened a shop here. 

In 1988, the newspaper Libération wrote  that Gordes was “less showbiz than Cannes   but more intellectual than Deauville, where the  political and literary Parisian elite meets up”.  That’s it; we’re leaving the village on the Route  de la Combe to reach the Gendarmerie car park. 

There are other car parks in the village. Sometimes, I park in the Place Charles   de Gaulle car park, which is  accessible from the Route de Murs.  However, I wouldn’t recommend this car park if  you’re coming from the south on the weekend or  

On Tuesday mornings because of market day. The first thirty minutes were free during   my visits, but a free ticket was required. If you’re watching this on YouTube and you’ve been to this part of Provence, I’d love  to hear about your experiences in Gordes! 

Drop a comment below and tell  us what you loved about it.  Thank you for watching this video. It was a real pleasure to bring   you along on my discovery walk in  the village of Gordes in Provence.  I’ll see you soon for other adventures. A bientôt!

📌 Location: Gordes, Provence, South of France

🇬🇧 Bonjour! Welcome to Gordes, a hilltop village in the heart of Provence in the Luberon region.
Perched on a hill, Gordes is rightly nicknamed the “Acropolis of Provence”.
The village will treat you to stunning views over the Luberon.
As you stroll up and down the narrow cobbled streets, you’ll get a snapshot of traditional Luberon villages with well-maintained stone houses, vaulted passageways, arcades and staircases that give Gordes a unique charm.
This guided walk takes you through the steep streets of Gordes in search of the lost village of Fontaine-Basse, the castle and church in the hilltop village, and past sublime vantage points overlooking the village and the surrounding Luberon countryside.

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🎦 Filmed in high-quality 4K in Gordes, 6 October 2023.
Turn on optional [CC] English (United Kingdom) captions to follow the commentaries.

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🌐 Learn more about GORDES on the blog!
– Gordes in Provence: What to see and do: https://frenchmoments.eu/gordes/
– Chasing Autumn in Provence: A Traveller’s Tale: https://frenchmoments.eu/autumn-in-provence/

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📚 Get the eBook “MÉNERBES: A Guided Walk of the Charming Village in Provence”
The irresistible companion to your exploration of Ménerbes!
This comprehensive discovery guide takes you on an immersive 10-stop journey spanning 1.8 km (1.2 mi) of pure enchantment.
Get your copy here 👉 https://sowl.co/s/5qv1A

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✅ Chapter Markers
00:00 Intro
01:01 Parking de la Gendarmerie
05:00 Rocher de Bel Air (Belvedere)
10:19 District of Fontaine-Basse
15:59 Rue Pavé d’Amour
18:06 Ascent to the Upper Village
24:36 Rue André Lhote
27:02 Rue du Four
28:03 Church District
29:40 Porte de Savoie
32:19 Castle and Place Genty Pantaly
34:30 Place du Château
35:42 Back to the car park
36:22 Final words

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@FrenchMoments

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📝 Follow along using the transcript!
My commentary during the visit is delivered in English, accented with a touch of my French accent 😉.
To ensure you can easily follow the names of the places we explore and understand the historical dates, I recommend turning on the subtitles!
Click on the TRANSCRIPT button below ⬇️

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” Gordes FRANCE 🇫🇷 A Guided Walk 🤩 The Acropolis of Provence [4k] : https://youtu.be/IlKDADKHhyA ”