Gordes

One of the most beautiful villages in France, Gordes is a village perched on its rock, make sublime by the centuries and the work of man. Its architectural and cultural richness, its history and breathtaking panorama make of this must-see village a flagship of Provence.

Gordes, classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France, occupies a special place. It is a village that you see from a long distance and when you reach its feet, you feel that it has always been there watching over the valley; the village became one with the plateau and stands there powerful and proud.

Gordes, Stone Sentinel

Gordes has long been one of the most beautiful villages in France and rightly so. It is a must-see village where limestone, dry stone walls and bories are everywhere. The village is sheltered under the castle, designed to protect the vulnerable junction with the plateau, since 1031.

For 7 centuries, it became one of the lookouts of Provence with its strong walls, its high houses with rare openings and its lattice of alleys. In the upper part of the village: the castle, Saint Firmin's Church, restaurants and shops.

Gordes

The birth of the hilltop villages

To protect themselves from the barbarian troops who attacked the villages in the 5th century AD, the populations regained the highest points to take refuge on the rocks (Gordes) or the hills (Oppède). These eagles' nests will become our perched villages to visit and discover during your stay.

Discover the must-see sites that make this village famous.

Gordes Castle

Classified as a Historical Monument in 1931, it was built between the 12th and 17th centuries. It was the property of the Agoult Simiane family who ruled Gordes for nearly 700 years. They transformed the medieval building into an imposing Renaissance castle (1525). From 1971 to 1996, it housed the didactic museum of the Hungarian master of Op Art, Vasarely and from 1997 to 2011 the works of the Flemish artist Pol Mara . Today it hosts major summer exhibitions.

The Abbey of Senanque

Located in the heart of the Senancole Valley, 4km from Gordes, this Cistercian monastery, still hosting a community, was founded in 1148. It still is a place of worship with monks and where services are celebrated. (Exclusive visit this yearvmade by a Cistercian monk. See more in the guided tours section)

The Abbey of Notre Dame de Senanque is one of the most famous tourist sites of the Luberon Regional Natural Park

The cellars of the Saint Firmin Palace

Semi-troglodytic site built by man and dug into the rock; it sheds the light on the craft activities of the village in the Middle Ages (olive oil mill, silos, vats...).

The Village of the Bories

Restored in the late 1970s, this village presents some bories; houses of shepherds who came to the heart of the countryside to bring their flocks on pasture during the season.

In addition to this article

Marché de Gordes

Discover a colourful atmosphere at the Provencal market in Gordes! It is held in the heart of the listed village, at the foot of the imposing renaissance castle.

The Cellars of the Saint Firmin Palace

Semi-troglodyte site built by man and dug into the rock, a witness to the craft activities of the village in the Middle Ages (olive oil mill, silos, vats...).