Venasque - Provence

11 km from Carpentras

Altitude: 320 m
Population: 980

A delightful village set high up on a sheer hilltop, between Carpentras and Gordes, close to the Mont Ventoux at the gateways of the Luberon. Venasque used to be protected during the Middle Ages by powerful ramparts, of which three towers and a gate still remain. It is officially listed as one of the prettiest villages in France, and looks out over the Nesque valley and the plain of Carpentras.

AWhat to see, what to visit: the Baptistère (fourth century); the Romanesque church of Notre-Dame; the Saracen towers; the chapel Saint-Siffrein; the priory of Saint-Pierre les Thermes; the ramparts; the bories (drystone huts) and drystone walls – there are 240 bories built throughout the commune.
Recommended activities: walks, horse riding, rock climbing.