Sur le pont d’Avignon, a popular French song, has been used by teachers in Spain to teach French vocabulary in mandatory education. The use of stories, songs, and fables in different languages helps children become familiar with pronunciation and comprehension. This French song narrates the dances between knights and ladies in the city of Avignon, one of the protagonists of this article for being the capital of Vaucluse.
Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, one of the 84 departments of the country. It is located within the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and presents great tourist attractions that attract about 3.5 million visitors each year. Vaucluse combines magnificent cities like Avignon and Orange, landscapes of exceptional beauty like Luberon, and mountain peaks that are milestones in current cycling, such as Mont Ventoux, one of the most historic mountain passes in the Tour de France.
For those who are less familiar with French geography or history, Avignon may be known for Picasso’s painting, «Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.» In this case, it is worth noting that the name of the work is not related to the French city, but to a street in Barcelona where there were brothels. Nonetheless, Vaucluse remains a great unknown to many tourists. Its main area of activity is pastoral agriculture, and it is the country’s top provider of melons, cherries, strawberries, grapes, and tomatoes. It also has a strong presence in the wine industry, thanks to the Cotes du Rhone wines.
Vaucluse is a part of Provence, an important French historical and cultural region bordered by the lower Rhône river on its left bank and stretching to Italy in the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. This French territory is ideal for enjoying rural tourism, with its lavender fields and olive groves. Avignon, which we did not mention before, has important historical significance as it was the Papal seat during the 14th century. Seven popes resided in the French city during the almost seventy years of this transient situation in the Catholic Church.
Nevertheless, it is important not to confuse this historical period with the immediate post-period when Avignon became the residence of the antipope. This lasted until 1417. The capital of Vaucluse is declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, but the department has much more to offer, from Bollene to Carpentras and even Orange. It is a region deeply rooted in its traditions, full of stories and legends worth discovering.
With over 3,000 kilometers of signposted trails, Vaucluse is a gem for lovers of hiking. On these trails, you can enjoy the vineyards of the Rhône valley, the lavender fields, the ochre color of its crops, and the charming villages scattered throughout this rural landscape. There is even a trail that allows visitors to discover the entire department in an activity that requires seven days and includes very accessible paths of between 7 and 14 kilometers. If you’re not up for this proposal, here’s an easier one – the excursions in Colorado de Provence. France Voyage provides a detailed description of this route, which takes about an hour to travel and is surprising for the intensity of the colors.
Known as the Giant of Provence, Mont Ventoux rises 1,909 meters above sea level. Although this altitude may not be notable when compared to the mountains located in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, where there are mountains over 3,200 meters high, its appeal goes far beyond altitude. Mont Ventoux is a unique landmark in French cycling. Its lunar landscape caused by strong gusts of winds, in addition to its significant slope, 21 kilometers at 7.6% gradient, makes it a daunting climb for much of the peloton when included as the finish of a Tour de France stage. Throughout the history of the race, this mountain has witnessed significant feats by cyclists like Fausto Coppi, Marco Pantani or Chris Froome. It was also the place of death for Tom Simpsons, an English cyclist who collapsed during the climb and later died from using amphetamines. This marked the beginning of anti-doping controls in the sport.
These two recommendations are only a small preview of the proposals that France Voyage offers with its Vaucluse guide, the best document on the web to discover this comprehensive department in the southeast of France.
