Why Visit Gordes, France?

Welcome to Gordes, France! Gordes is one of the hilltop villages you’ll find in the Luberon, within the Provence region of France.

Gordes is one of the most beautiful Luberon villages, famous for its ancient history, as a home to artists and for the cultural events it hosts every summer. It’s also quite accessible from places like Avignon and Aix-en-Provence.

But should you visit Gordes? When putting together a South of France itinerary, it can be hard to decide where to visit, especially if you’re short on time.

When we visited Provence in February 2024, Gordes was absolutely on our shortlist. I fell in love with pictures of the village and couldn’t wait to explore the stone huts and castle for myself.

Luckily, Gordes lived up to the hype. Besides a bit of a driving snafu, we had a lovely half-day in Gordes and I would recommend adding it to your Provence trip.

Below I’m sharing why you should visit Gordes, the best things to do there, how to get to Gordes and where to stay.

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6 reasons to visit Gordes, France

1. Because it’s beautiful!

As I mentioned, Gordes is easily one of the most picturesque towns in the Luberon – if not all of France!

However, to get the best view of Gordes, you actually want to see it from outside of the village walls. Remember, Gordes is a hilltop town, which is hard to appreciate unless you’re farther away.

This is the iconic viewpoint. Save it on Google Maps and make a point to pull over here when you’re approaching Gordes (or at least take a photo out the car window, like I did above!). Trust me, you won’t regret it.

2. Because of the stone houses at Le Village des Bories

Le Village des Bories is an open-air museum located just 10 minutes outside of Gordes. It’s home to a series of dry stone huts that date back to the 17th Century.

When my husband, Colin, and I visited the Le Village des Bories, we practically had the whole place to ourselves. It was a beautiful, sunny, winter day and we enjoyed exploring the little town.

Our visit started with a video that explained how the bories were built and their use around Europe. We then got to walk around, popping into the different huts and figuring out their uses. Some even had props set up, such an ancient tools and housewares.

I really liked being able to get up close and personal with these historic structures. It was cool to be able to walk into the homes and imagine living there.

Note: Keep in mind that it’s a bit of a long and windy road to reach the bories village.

3. Because of the Gordes Tuesday market

Like many villages in Provence, Gordes has a weekly market where local artisans and producers sell their wares to residents and visitors alike. We planned our visit to Gordes for a Tuesday, which is their market day.

Since we were in Provence in the winter, we witnessed a smaller version of the Gordes Tuesday market. I’m sure this place is bumping in the summer!

Despite it’s smaller size, we still enjoyed walking around, looking at the products and talking to the different stall owners. Everyone was very friendly and encouraged us to sample their produce.

We ended up buying some very pricy almonds and a huge block of cheese. Did we pay tourist prices? Probably. But the almonds and cheese were extremely good quality and we had a fun time shopping.

4. Because of the castle, Chateau de Gordes

Chateau de Gordes is the large castle that sits in the centre of Gordes (in front of which the Tuesday market is set up).

Unfortunately, the castle appeared to be closed during our wintertime visit. But I still loved admiring the outside and walking through the open courtyard area.

When it is open, visitors can tour the castle as well as see the art gallery set up inside. Double check opening times/days before you go so you’re not disappointed.

5. Because of the underground cellars

Another big point of interest in Gordes is Les Caves du Palais Saint-Firmin or The Cellars of the Saint Firmin Palace.

Here you’ll head down to discover the world underneath Gordes. You’ll walk through excavated cellars and see the archeological objects that have been found and restored there.

While I can get claustrophobic, I was actually very excited to walk through the cellars. It reminds me of the underground palace we visited in Brussels or the crypts we saw in Arles.

Sadly, Les Caves du Palais Saint-Firmin were closed over the winter. So I’ll have to save them for my next visit to Gordes!

6. Because of the lavender at L’Abbaye de Senanque

If you’ve ever seen a photo with a stunning field of lavender in front of an ancient monastery, you’ve likely been looking at a photo of L’Abbaye de Senanque, which is just 10 minutes outside of Gordes.

The Abbey of Our Lady of Senanque (or simply the Senanque Abbey) is a 12th Century monastery famous for its Romanesque Cistercian architecture and, of course, for the stunning lavender field out front.

The abbey is still used and lived in by Cistercian Brothers but parts of the building are open to the public. You can go on a guided tour or a self-guided tour using a histopad.

We used a histopad when touring the Pope’s Palace in Avignon and it was really cool! If the guided tour times don’t work out for you, I’d encourage you to pay the extra $0.50 for the histopad.

Besides the abbey itself, there’s also a gift shop, which I hear is a great place to stock up on handmade lavender items.

Unfortunately, a driving snafu in Gordes meant that we didn’t have time to visit the Senanque Abbey. But maybe that’s for the best as we were there in February when the lavender wouldn’t have been in bloom. Now we can go back in the summer and get the full experience!

Note: Because the abbey is still in use for religious practices, they ask visitors to dress appropriately and “respect the climate of meditation and prayer.” I think this means you have to be quiet!

How to get to Gordes, Provence

Here’s how to get to Gordes from nearby cities in Provence and France:

• Avignon to Gordes: 45 minute drive
• Aix-en-Provence to Gordes: 1 hour drive
• Marseille to Gordes: 70 minute drive

I would highly recommend renting a car for your visit to Gordes and any of the Luberon towns. While you can get around some areas of Provence by train, it becomes much harder with these tiny villages.

We rented our car through AutoEurope, picking it up in Avignon. I’d also recommend checking out Discover Cars, as they often have cheaper rates.

If you don’t want to rent a car, I recommend doing a day trip from Avignon or Aix-en-Provence. That way, you don’t have to spend hours navigating France’s rural public transit system.

Here are some good tour options for exploring the Luberon (including Gordes):

Driving & parking in Gordes

Throughout our Provence trip, we generally had a very easy time driving and parking. But our luck ran out in Gordes!

Despite it being winter, and therefore not so busy, the first parking lot we tried to enter was full. Because of how the cars were parked, Colin had to drive all around the village to re-enter a different parking lot.

We then had some issues with the meter but eventually figured things out – and got to enjoy 30 minutes of free parking!

When it came time to leave, we ran into even more trouble. Google Maps directed us to drive right through the Tuesday market, which while technically not illegal, didn’t feel right.

Google Maps then wanted us to drive down a street that absolutely would not fit a car; it looked more like a garden path that people would stroll down. Getting our car out of that dead-end and out of town was a huge mission, but we made it eventually!

So learn from us: Double check your Google Maps directions or else take a tour and leave the driving to someone else!

Where to stay in Gordes

We visited Gordes on a day trip from Avignon. Actually, it was on our way from Avignon to Nice where we stopped in Gordes, Rousillon and Aix-en-Provence.

But if you’ve fallen in love with the charming sights of Gordes, want to spend more time exploring this little village or want to use it as a base to discover the Luberon, here are some top-rated places to stay:

Luxury stay in Gordes: If you want to treat yourself to a stay fit for royalty, check into Airelles Gordes La Bastide. Here you’ll find gorgeous 18th Century suites, an incredible breakfast buffet, multiple pools and spas, and the best location in town!

Mid-range stay in Gordes: If you’re looking for a slice of serenity, check out Le Jas de Gordes, just outside of Gordes. Enjoy walking around the garden, dipping in the outdoor pool and feasting on your buffet breakfast.

More affordable stay in Gordes: While cheaper than the two options above, Mas des Romarins, The Originals Relais certainly isn’t a budget stay. You’ll still enjoy beautiful views, an outdoor pool and a quick walk into the village.

Wrapping up: My favourite part of Gordes, Luberon

I really enjoyed the half-day we spent in Gordes. The village is very charming, the market was fun to browse about and, besides the parking/driving issues, we had a lovely morning there.

However, my favourite part was definitely visiting the Bories Village. This just felt so different from all of the small towns in the Luberon and was a very unique part of our Provence itinerary.

While I loved visiting the South of France in the off-season, enjoying cheaper prices and smaller crowds, I do think we missed out on some things in Gordes.

I would have loved to see the lavender in bloom, the market bustling, and the caves and the castle open.

But hey, maybe then I wouldn’t have enjoyed myself as much. There’s something about having a charming place all to yourself in mid-February!

So, have I sold you on Gordes? Will you be adding Gordes to your France itinerary?