Gordes
The small medieval town of Gordes is located on the north side of the vast Lubéron National Park in the Vaucluse department, north-east of Cavaillon. It is not without reason that Gordes is one of the area's most popular tourist destinations. Gordes is the epitome of a Provençal village, and probably the most interesting. Gordes is primarily known for its impressive location on top of a small cliff. At first glance, it looks as if the village could fall at any moment from the top of the cliff to which the houses cling. But over the centuries, this peculiar location has contributed greatly to the town's defence. Gordes has had a very interesting past. It has seen gruesome religious wars and during the last world war it was the stronghold of the local resistance movement. The town is dominated by the mighty 16th-century Château de Gordes and the church of Saint-Firmin. From here you can enjoy panoramic views of the valley and the Lubéron mountains. The town is exciting to walk around. Beautiful stone houses with coloured shutters and flowering bougainvilleas creeping up the walls, narrow stone-paved streets, arched passageways and cosy squares with plane trees and old fountains. There are many small restaurants and cafés and several interesting small shops. The city has attracted several artists over the years, including the famous op-art artist Victor Vasarely, who, with the help of influential friends and financiers, restored the city's old Renaissance castle and turned it into an art museum. However, Vasarely's own works have now been moved to the Fondation Vasarely in Aix-en-Provence. Southwest of Gordes is a Borie village whose well-preserved stone dwellings have been used for centuries by nomadic shepherds. These remarkable houses, built of flat stones stacked on top of each other, originally date back to the Celts and Ligurians. Passing Gordes in a northerly direction and heading into the mountains, you'll soon come to the secluded Cistercian abbey, Abbaye de Sénanque (1148), the oldest and best preserved of Provence's three Cistercian monasteries. 
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