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 village where limestone, dry stone walls and bories are omnipresent features of the landscape. The village has been sheltered under the castle, designed to protect the vulnerable junction with the plateau, since 1031.

For 7 centuries, it thus became one of Provence's watchtowers, with its strong walls, tall houses with few openings and labyrinth of narrow streets.
Perched at the top of a steep hill, Gordes offers an uninterrupted view of the surrounding area, a reminder of its strategic position, which in the past gave it an essential surveillance role.

In the upper part of the village: the castle, a symbol of the village's medieval history, stands majestically at the top of the hill, as does the church of Saint-Firmin, with its solid, sober appearance, 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.

But Gordes' reputation is not limited to its remarkable architecture. The village also boasts a rich cultural and artistic heritage. Artists have been drawn to the inspiring beauty of Gordes for decades, and numerous studios and art galleries are dotted around its narrow streets. Lovers of art and culture will find a real source of inspiration here.

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

Nestling in the heart of the Sénancole valley, 4 km from Gordes, in a landscape of striking beauty, is the Sénanque Abbey. This majestic edifice is one of the Luberon's most emblematic treasures. A working Cistercian monastery founded in 1148, it is still a place of worship where monks live and services are held.

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.

Saint-Firmin Palace Cellars

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...).

Galerie photos