Villages of Provence

Many of the "most beautiful villages in France" (a prestigious award) are located in Provence. All can be visited from L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Gordes, Roussillon, Ansouis, Lourmarin, Menerbes and Venasque deserve a special mention. For wine lovers, the famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape is only 40 minutes away by car.

Cities of Provence

You should visit Avignon with its papal palace and its beautiful gardens. Enjoy the city with a spectacular view of the Rhone, the Luberon and, if the weather is good, as far as Mont Ventoux. Here are also the remains of the famous Pont d'Avignon of nursery rhymes. Marseille has shed its slightly discredited reputation after extensive renovation work during its term as European Capital of Culture in 2013. Orange and Arles are worth a visit for their Roman buildings. Aix-en-Provence is a vibrant and beautiful city, which you can still easily explore on foot.

Beaches and the coast

There are beaches about 45 minutes away by car and beautiful coastal roads. Cassis, La Ciotat and the Calanques along the coast of Marseille are worth a visit. The beach of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in the Camargue and a boat trip (or paddle steamer) up the river to see gauchos, flamingos, white horses and black bulls is a great day trip.

Mountains of Provence

Above all, the giant of Provence as it is also called here - the Mont Ventoux. It towers above the surrounding mountains by almost 1000 m. Its deforested flanks show the bare scree in the summit area and so, from a distance, it often appears covered with a light-coloured cap (but sometimes it wears a cloud cap or a snow cap). At the summit it is often 10 degrees Celsius cooler than at the foot of the mountain. In addition, it is often extremely windy at the top, from which the name derives: Mont Ventoux - windy mountain. If you don't want to cycle up here, a trip by car or motorbike is also very popular. In winter you can ski up here. The mountain ranges of the Vaucluse-Plateau or the Luberon mountain range south of it are more peaceful. Visit the Foret de Cedres - an impressive cedar forest south of Bonnieux on the Petit Luberon.

Activities around your holiday at La Marisol

There is a climbing park in Lagnes. In Fontaine de Vaucluse you can start a kayak trip on the river Sorgue. With Kayak Vert it is a wonderful, leisurely 8 km paddle down the Sorgue to Partage des Eaux in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. You will see trout, ducks, kingfishers, dragonflies and with a little luck even beavers. Mention la Marisol for a 10% discount. The source of the Sorgue is in Fontaine de Vaucluse and is so deep that Jacques Cousteau famously could not measure its depth. There is also a working paper mill, which shows the process of papermaking from start to finish. In Les Grottes de Thouzon (le Thor) there are underground caves to visit.

Sports

Cycling is very popular in France and bicycles can be rented in the city and stored safely in the garden of la Marisol. Mont Ventoux, the largest mountain in the region, is only 40 minutes away by car (the most dramatic section of the Tour de France) and dominates the landscape. Walks and hikes are also very popular, and there are numerous footpaths that you can find at the tourist office. Skiing can be found to the north-east of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, and the nearest ski resort is just an hour's drive away.

This is just a small selection of the things you can do in Provence. There are numerous guides, information brochures and maps that you can find in la Marisol to help you plan your holiday.