Stroll in Bonnieux Visit Bonnieux Guide Luberon Provence

Friday 8 August 2008
St Dominique

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Bonnieux, a perched village in the Luberon

Bonnieux village and the church

There are regions in France that are unforgettable. If your holidays take you to Provence, especially to the Luberon region, you will discover some marvellous sites and a very special atmosphere. Amongst its attractions are the famous perched villages and Bonnieux is one that’s not to be missed.

You should put yourself in holiday mood to explore it, stop time, take a deep breath and experience each moment! What other option is there when you stand on the top of the walls with, before you, a panorama of the round, green hills of the Luberon, the proud top of our ”mountain”, the Mont Ventoux, whose summit always appears to be covered in snow because of the white rock at the tip of its nose. At your feet spreads a sunny valley, a patchwork of fields of lavender, vines and cherry trees and, on the hill slopes just opposite, is the outline of other villages: Lacoste, Gordes, Ménerbes…

Any of the cafes in Bonnieux will provide you with a breath-taking view as well as refreshing drink.

Exploring Bonnieux

Before your start your trip, preferably on foot, here is a little history:

In the first century, the Roman road from Cadiz to Milan crossed the vast territory of Bonnieux, with a staging post at Lumières; it was one of the most important roads in Western Europe!

Bonnieux appears to have been a Templar Commandery until 1312. Around this time the commune belonged to the pope and its lands were held by the church until 1791. As part of the papal estate, it automatically became an enclave of the lands of the Count of Provence, thereby holding a special place in the history of the region.

Bonnieux is on three levels, which you can reach either via an old stairway or by a twisting, looping road.

At the bottom of the village, to the left, are the “low” church, the town hall, the post office, the police station and the butcher-cum-delicatessen. To the right are the pharmacy, the baker’s and a butcher-cum-delicatessen. A string of pleasant shops decorates the street, with other shops throughout the village. A little lower down is a large car park, the school and the imposing “Maison du Livre” library that also serves as the cinema and for putting on shows. Bonnieux has everything. In the centre is a car park where the Friday market is held. Ah, the markets of Provence! Whatever you do you must find the time to wander around, to breathe in the perfumes and absorb the friendly, happy atmosphere of the Luberon. Here you can make some good buys, too, and meet famous people who are simply doing their shopping. Everything is heady with the holiday air.

On the middle level are the little supermarket and tobacconist’s shop as well as more restaurants and shops, not forgetting the estate agencies in case you decide to stay on! There are often two churches in the Luberon villages. The old church is usually originally a little chapel that has been complemented by a larger place of worship as the number of homes and farms extended down below.

The upper church in Bonnieux is built on what was probably a Roman oppidum, perhaps even a prehistoric village. This fortified village was in fact inhabited as long ago as the Neolithic period.

Originally, the first place of worship, probably dedicated to Saint Sauveur, was only a chapel. The site of the parish church was on the plain. It was only towards the end of the 12th century that the upper church became and, until the beginning of the 20th century, remained the parish church. In 1856, since the population of Bonnieux had moved down the hill, the construction of a new church started. Today the upper church is used above all for ceremonies, particularly weddings, and then the door is entirely covered with flowers. The door is south-opening, as was often the case in Provence in Roman times, allowing the church to “expose to the sun and protect from the mistral wind the members of the congregation who lingered at the entrance”.

Two associations have been created in Bonnieux to actively take care of the church. One of them focuses on its overall restoration, especially the bells, which still chime nowadays, thanks to a Bonnieux artist who loves his bells and writes music especially for them! The other organization concentrates on saving the organ, an 18th century heritage jewel, built by the famous Isnard.

To go down again, take the circular path; its spectacular stairway will lead you to the former mairie, or town hall, in the centre of the village.

Walks in the countryside around Bonnieux

Bonnieux is bigger than just the village itself and you can keep on walking into the surrounding countryside, in the cedar forest, which extends over 250 hectares and descends as far as Oppède, with opportunities for walks that are as long and as steep as you choose.

The village of the bories has been expecting you for centuries. Bories are small dry-stone built cone-shaped constructions where our ancestors used to live, who were far smaller than we are, to guess from the door heights! The shepherds of the Luberon continued to shelter in them until the beginning of the 20th century.

Millions of photos have been taken of the Pont Julien, a bridge dating from the second century BC, but it has not been possible to drive over it since 2004. A younger bridge has been added alongside it, to preserve it. It deserves its retirement!

The Claparèdes plateau above Bonnieux will take you by car or bicycle towards Saignon, along a magnificent road high above the lavender fields dotted with bories.
From Bonnieux, which is very centrally located in the region, you can visit the whole of the Luberon, a little oasis of happiness preserved in the heart of Provence, despite being close to the large towns of Aix-en-Provence, Avignon and Marseille.

Enjoy your stay in Bonnieux!