Top 10 little-known Provencal villages | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Tourism

Cotignac, a Village de Caractère in the Var & Plus Beaux Villages de France

Come and discover the pretty village of Cotignac 1 in the Var hinterland at the foot of an impressive tufa rock with its waterfall. Its caves have been used many times as shelters for the inhabitants and you can visit them and get a magnificent panoramic view over the village rooftops. Its troglodytic dwellings, lively cafes and picturesque old streets lined with tall ochre houses all give it a special charm. The place we like best is the pretty Cours Gambetta where you can sit in the shade of the plane trees and make the most of the cool water of its two fountains. Walk up to the top of the rock, to get a magnificent view of the terraced hills with their olive trees, cypresses, pines and oaks and other pretty Mediterranean plants.

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Oppède-le-Vieux and its spectacular panoramic views of the Luberon

Oppède-le-Vieux is about ten kilometres from Cavaillon in the Vaucluse. Nestled on a rocky spur between forests of dales and rocks, vines, olive trees and oaks, the village is a Provencal break suspended in time. The chateau and its collegiate church look down over the village and you can still make out some 13th-century remains such as walls, arches, vaulted roofs and windows. The terraced Jardins de Sainte-Cécile are a lush green haven where 80 species of trees, shrubs and plants from the Luberon all thrive. The visit continues across the flower-filled, steep cobbled streets with their shops and old boutiques to church Notre-Dame d’Alidon.

Saint-Laurent d’Aigouze for its traditional Gard bullrings

Welcome to Saint-Laurent d’Aigouze, in the Gard Camargue, and to be more precise, on the right bank of the River Vidourle, between Aimargues and Aigues-Mortes. A listed Grand Site de France, it’s a hotspot for Camargue bullfighting. The village comes alive from April to October with bullfights, abrivados, bandidos, ferrades and folk events. And the bull sculpted by Ben K. which stands tall at the entrance to the village symbolizes the worship of this proud animal. In the middle of the landscapes of marshes, ponds, pine forests, reed beds, prairies and vineyards, you can see the Tour Carbonnière, which was built in the 14th century. Climb to the top and discover a magnificent panoramic view. It is said that the Fort de Peccais was built to watch over the salt harvested in the surrounding marshes, and you can see some remains of this in the distance.

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Maussane-les-Alpilles and its so precious Provencal oil

In the Vallée des Baux, Maussane-les-Alpilles attracts those who love olives and Provencal olive oils. Not far from Arles, at the foot of the Alpilles range, discover the leading French olive oil producer with a crop of 37,000 olive trees. Its olive oil pressed in the village’s two mills has a fruity black taste with a long finish. Head there for a wander around olive trees, olive mills and olive pickling workshops, beekeepers and cheese-makers. On your way, stop and take a pretty photo in the square with its 4 Seasons Fountains. In the summertime, the days are rhythmed by Camargue bullfights, toro piscine in the Arènes, jeux de gardians, traditional processions and even La Fête du Temps Retrouvé.

Brantes, a headquarters for artists and fine craftsmen at the foot of Mont Ventoux

In the Toulourenc valley, Brantes is pure inspiration. At the limit of the Drôme department, the eagle’s nest which has become home to artists and fine craftsmen appears like a balcony where you can find serenity and get a vertiginous view of Mont-Ventoux. Its stone houses huddled together, its little church perched on the hillside, its cascade of roofs and its steep streets and arched passageways make the olden days a source of inspiration. At the top, you get a magnificent view of the Giant of Provence from the ruins of the feudal chateau. Jaap and Martine, a couple of ceramists, make beautiful pottery there. Véronique creates totally blue santons and people are amazed by Edy’s wood carving workshop. In December, the “Brantes sous les étoiles” evening offers a walk at nightfall through the village streets where fine craftsmen open their doors and invite you to discover their professions and their work.

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Le Beaucet: ideal for lovely walks in the Vaucluse

Set off to see Le Beaucet, a charming little village huddled in the shadow of its 12th-century medieval château, located between Carpentras and Fontaine de Vaucluse. The two monumental doors of the former fortress town open onto a picturesque and well-hidden place. With its 12th-century partly restored church and its many workshops devoted to pottery, weaving, faience, santons and glazed clay, your visit to the village will be livened up by all sorts of discoveries. Get closer to the backdrop of the Monts du Vaucluse on the little footpath which links Venasque, Fontaine de Vaucluse and the Abbey of Sénanque.

Saint-Martin-de-Pallières for its regal character in the Haut- Var

A mere twenty kilometres from the Gorges du Verdon, Saint-Martin-de-Pallières shares its gentle lifestyle with wood-covered hills and a farming plain. The village is built in a fan shape and its winding streets and narrow houses are huddled around the magnificent chateau and the church. You can visit the imposing fortress and its garden which was once the holiday destination of the noble families of Provence and the magistrature of Aix-en-Provence. A wander around the paths of the formal garden will be your best memory of this escapade. In the summertime, take a pleasant walk along the narrow streets lined with tall stone houses to get to the more open squares under shady plane trees. The village offers an ideal viewpoint over the vast Durance plain and as far as the Canjuers plateau, and it’ll make you want to visit the surrounding area.

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Cucuron, a very Provencal village

Near Vaugines and Ansouis, Cucuron, which is built on two rocky outcrops, gets its name from the Celtic word “cuc” which means a nipple. It has a flour mill which was once powered by the Bassin de l’Étang, a pool of water supplied by different springs in the Luberon. It’s ideal for a walk along beside the two-hundred-year-old plane trees which line it, and you can see the Chapelle de l’Ermitage, the Church of Notre Dame de Beaulieu, the Tour de l’Horloge and the Maison de la Reine Jeanne, one of the oldest in the village. And of course, the Donjon Saint-Michel which is very noticeable. Inside it there is a vaulted room which hosts exhibitions and at the top a magnificent view of the roofs of Cucuron with the Beffroi in the foreground and the Tour de la Citadelle in the background. Did you know that the village was chosen for the filming of the films “The Horseman on the Roof” in 1994 and “A Good Year” in 2005?

Dauphin, a hilltop village in the Alpes de Haute Provence

Dauphin is one of the most beautiful hilltop villages in Haute-Provence. 10km from Forcalquier, between the Luberon and the Valensole plateau, its stone architecture stands out against the wooded hillside and delights those who love the authentic. In olden times, the village occupied the heights which were topped by a fortress and you cans till see some remains of the fortified enclosure such as the towers and ramparts. Its remarkable ribbed vaulting which forms a rosette and its pretty bell-tower with its green-tiled roof show all the talent of the architects of yesteryear. The cobbled streets of the village threading under the covered passageways are an invitation to wander around with a stop at l’Eglise Saint-Martin on the site where the chateau’s chapel once was.

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Vénéjan, a terraced village in the Gard

In the middle of the plain, a stone’s throw from the River Rhône, you can visit Vénéjan. It dominates a valley of vineyards which are well-known for enticing wine lovers to taste the good wines of the Côtes du Rhône. Vénéjan was awarded the “Petites Cités de Caractère” label and its cobbled Grande Rue which crosses the village from one end to the other makes for a lovely walk among the buildings with their exposed stone walls and hundred-year-old trees. The stairways and dirt tracks lead to a mill dating back to 1813 which has been restored and is once again in working order: demonstrations are often organized. Another walk takes you along the “Le souffle des mots” interpretive trail which tells you about the history and the life of the people of Vénéjan who lived in harmony with their environment.