EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

GORDES , just 5km east of Fontaine as the crow flies, but 18km by road, is a picturesque Provençal village much favoured by Parisian media personalities, film directors, artists and the like. This might prompt you to give it a miss - and it is an expensive place - but there are good reasons for its popularity with the rich and famous, for it's a spectacular sight. You climb winding roads past buildings of ancient stone before arriving at the summit, where church and houses surround a mighty twelfth- to sixteenth-century château , housing the contemporary paintings of the Flemish artist Pol Mara (daily 10am-noon & 2-6pm; 25F/¬3.81).

The tourist office is in the château (daily 10am-noon & 2-6pm; tel 04.90.72.02.75, www.gordes.enprovence.com ). If you're looking for somewhere to stay , the most reasonably priced hotel within the village is Le Provençal (tel 04.90.72.10.01, fax 04.90.72.04.20; 220-300F/¬34-46), while Les Romarins (tel & fax 04.90.72.12.13; over 800F/¬122), overlooking the village on the route de Sénanque, is an old country house with comfortable, traditionally styled rooms. The best eating place in town is the Comptoir du Victuailler on place du Château (tel 04.90.72.01.31; closed Tues evening & Wed out of season), always full of Parisians in summer, and serving menus from 210F/¬32.03. Tante Yvonne (tel 04.90.72.02.54; closed Sun evening & Wed) on place du Château is a bit less expensive, and offers good Provençal standards.

Four kilometres north of Gordes, amidst fields of lavender in a hollow of the hills, stands the twelfth-century Cistercian Abbaye de Sénanque (March-Oct Mon-Sat 10am-noon & 2-6pm, Sun 2-6pm; rest of year Mon-Fri 2-5pm, Sat & Sun 2-6pm; 30F/¬4.58). It is still in use as a Cistercian monastery and you can visit the church, cloisters and all the main rooms of this huge and austere building; a shop sells the monks' produce, including liqueur, as well as honey and lavender essence.

The other historical site of note near Gordes is the Village des Bories (daily 9am-sunset; 35F/¬5.34), 3.5km east off the D2 to Cavaillon, a strange collection of dry-stone dwellings with peculiar geometric shapes that suggest prehistoric pedigree. In fact most were built in the eighteenth century and inhabited up until a hundred years ago.

The best and most surreal detour in the vicinity is to the old ochre mines between Gordes and Apt. The houses in the village of ROUSSILLON , 5km east of Gordes, radiate all the different shades of the seventeen ochre tints once quarried here; a well-signed footpath leads from the car park on place de la Poste to the old workings. More dramatic quarries, known as the Colorado Provençal , are signed off the D22 towards Gignac, just before you reach RUSTREL , about 10km northeast of Apt. Various paths lead you to an amphitheatre of coffee, vanilla and strawberry ice cream whipped into pinnacles and curving walls.