Provence Travel Diary: Gordes, France

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As many of you are likely starting to plan summer travels I wanted to share a travel diary from last July‘s magical trip to Provence. After spending four days in Paris (blog post here) we flew south to enjoy sunny days on the French Riviera (blog posts coming soon!) and exploring the ancient hilltop towns of Provence. We’ve been to Provence many times in the past (find past travel diaries here) but have always wanted to spend a couple days in the village of Gordes, and specifically stay at the stunning La Bastide.

Set in the heart of one of the prettiest villages in France and perched on a cliff, La Bastide is an exceptional place. Cascading down the medieval village’s 18th century ramparts, with beautiful views over the Luberon valley, a stay at La Bastide feels like you’re stepping back in time. The rooms of the hotel are a charming mix of textiles from famed French decorative house Pierre Frey, and antique furnishings sourced from Provence's many brocantes.

This is one of those hotels that is so special you never have to leave the property. During our stay we would start our day lingering over the most incredible breakfast enjoyed on the L’Orangerie balcony, spending the afternoon relaxing by the pool, then settling in for sunset cocktails in their beautiful bar bathed in a golden glow from from the sherbet colored skies. The staff are incredibly thoughtful, and we were surprised by all of the little touches from the monogrammed luggage tags they fastened to our bags during check-in to the incredible local treats that kept appearing in our room. I’ve heard the longer you stay (and the fancier category of room you book) they may even go so far as to provide monogrammed silk pajamas as a souvenir of your trip!

While we spent most of our time enjoying the property (I was 4 months pregnant and enjoying taking things slow!) we made a few excursions to neighboring towns including lunch at another favorite hilltop property - Hotel Crillon le Brave - which is a beautiful 45 minute drive north from Gordes, and another day we made the trip down to Apt, France to shop for local pottery and explore Goult. Whether you use Gordes as your homebase for adventures around the region or just stop through for an afternoon you can’t go wrong. We will definitely cherish our memories of our stay in Gordes forever.