Charming one bedroom apartment in the Old Provencal villages

Village

recommended

Located in the heart of the Vaucluse, surrounded by the Luberon/Alpilles yet only 15 kilometres from Avignon, 35mins from Aix-en-Provence, and 45mins from Marseille. From here you can enjoy every delight both culturally and rurally that Provence has to offer including hilltop villages, dramatic coastlines, bustling cities, tranquil lavender fields and vineyards.

In July the nearby (20min) Avignon turns into one big theater festival with hundreds of plays to watch

Marseille with it's lovely old harbour is just one hour away and is famous for it's Boullabaisse (fish soup).

15 minutes away you will find one of the great mysteries of nature, Fountaine de Vaucluse. For most of the year all you can see is a deep blue pool of water at the bottom of towering cliffs. But during spring or very heavy rainfall it lives up to its name, with water gushing out at 200m3 (52,000 gallons) every second - this is one of the largest springs in the world.

In the 50s, Jacques Yves Cousteau came with a submersible to explore the depths but did not find the bottom. Since then a probe has made it to a sandy bed at a depth of 308 metres (1010 ft) but the spring itself comes from somewhere even deeper. It is said that all the rainwater from the Luberon and other surrounding mountains comes out of this one source, making a catchment area of 1100 square km (425 sq. miles).

The Grottes de Thouzon Caves, 1.5 km northwest of Thor, were discovered in 1904, and are in excellent condition. A feature of the caves are beautiful golden fistulous stalactites. A nice break when the temperature climbs above 35C in the summer.

Every Sunday: Vide Grenier/Brocante (flee markets) in nearby villages.
Sporting events: Tour de France, Football, Rugby tournaments.
Festivals from June-August with the choice of daily events taking place throughout the region.
Feu d'artifice (fireworks) in Monteux in mid August
Randonee at Mont Ventoux or in the Luberon valley.
A paradise for road and mountain biking.
Windsurfing, waves (1h) and flat water (45m) when the Mistral blows.
Scuba diving (1h) both nature and wrecks.

L'Isle sur la Sorgue is one of those places in Provence that one has to see. This "island city" lies at the foot of the Vaucluse plateau in the plains of Comtat Venaissin.

Isle sur la Sorgue is famous for its graceful waterways, and antique markets, which give this chic town its character and atmosphere. The 'isle' was created when the River Sorgue was split into canals ploughed by water wheels powering its paper and silk mills in the 18th century.

On a Sunday morning, the quays, main streets and narrow side streets are swamped with antique and brocante stalls, as well as the heady olfactory sensations of traditional Provencal ware, changing as you move through the market.
The town, despite its size (around 17 000 inhabitants) has the biggest collection of antique dealers outside Paris, and art galleries too, reminding us of the area's Impressionist roots (there is even a 'sculpture' of a discarded ear thrown into the river!)

The town is a good size and has a healthy selection of restaurants, cafés and shops, but is small enough that you can quickly become intimate with it. There are two markets a week, so when the famous Sunday meeting gets crowded in July and August, you can choose to pick and squeeze the ingredients for your gourmet creations on a Thursday instead. The town has a thriving local community, so doesn't 'die' in the winter like many of the more 'chocolate box' tourist attractions, and there is a sense of grittiness or realism about the town, which quickly makes you feel like you are not 'just a tourist'.

Golf at the Provence Country Club
Kayaking down the river Sorgue with Kayak Verte starting at Fontaine de Vaucluse

Beach, diving and Windsurfing 1 hour drive away

Cycling, Watersports, Diving, Windsurfing, Fishing, Swimming pool, Golf, Tennis, Horse riding, Walking, Beach

• Marseille - Marignane (Airport) - 70.0km / 43.5miles
• Avignon (Airport) - 25.0km / 15.5miles
• Nice (Airport) - 230.0km / 142.9miles
• Bus to Avignon etc. (Public Transport) - 80.5km / 50.0miles