There is no better way to see Provence than on a bike. You won’t travel as far as in a car, but you will really experience and interact with everything Provence has to offer: the scent of a lavender field, the sound of the songbirds, the babble of the village fountain.

Cycling in Provence is popular, whether local cycling clubs taking to the roads at the weekend, or visitors who want to see Provence the slow way. So there are plenty of places to rent bikes or fix them, and marked routes as well as dedicated cycle paths. All levels are catered for, from the gentle Veloroute cycle road along the flat to the brutal Mont Ventoux non-stop climb.

Cycling in the Luberon

The Luberon region is particularly well suited to bike touring. The beautiful hill-top villages are close to one another, providing convenient ports of call, and between the villages is the famed landscape of vineyards, orchards, and lavender in season. It is easy to find quiet roads wherever you are heading. Climbs up into the villages can be sharp but are usually short.

There is a complete circuit of the north and south Luberon that is 236km long (147 miles), circunmnavigating the Luberon mountain in the middle. This is designed to take in some of the best landscapes and villages on the way, and you download the route in PDF here: veloloisirprovence.com

When on this round-Luberon circuit you will see these signs indicating the route:

• Clockwise direction (Apt – Forcalquier – Manosque – Lourmarin – Cavaillon)
• Anti-clockwise direction (Lourmarin – Manosque – Forcalquier – Apt – Cavaillon)

These are called ‘Velo Loisir’ itineraries and are signposted. They take in secondary roads and paths, and are ideal for all-terrain or electric bikes.

Other routes

Also on the above official site of the Luberon natural park, you can download maps of the following rides:

• Pays d’Aigues route, which is to the south of the mountain and takes in the vineyards and chateaux, as well as the villages of La Tour d’Aigues, Pertuis, Cadenet, Lourmarin, Cucuron and Ansouis. This is a variable length depending on your route, between 40 and 90km (25-57 miles).
• Les Ocres en velo, this is a circuit around the spectacular ochre hills of Roussillon, Gargas and Rustrel. 15 to 51km (9-32 miles).
• Forcalquier and Monts de Lure, over to the east of the Luberon region, this sets off from the market town of Forcalquier and does a circuit in the pre-Alp countryside to the north, past tiny villages and the producers of lavender, honey, truffles and olives. Route length varies from 44 to 78km (25-49 miles)
• Valensole – Lac de St Croix, a ride taking advantage of the proximity of two of the most stunning of Provence’s natural attributes. The plateau de Valensole is the centre of lavender production, where purple fields seem to stretch to the horizon (from late June to early August). And the Lac de St Croix is a lake of stunning blue at the end of the wonderful Gorges du Verdon.

Practical information

A listing of public water fountains and toilets in the villages of the Luberon can be found here.