Forêt de Venasque


The Forêt de Venasque, criss-crossed by walking trails (including long-distance GR91), lies east of Venasque. Cross the Col de Murs mountain pass (627m) to pretty little Murs, and see remains of Le Mur de la Peste (the Plague Wall), built in 1720 in a vain attempt to stop the plague from entering papal territory.

You could also walk into the Luberon from here, calling at Gordes and Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque. The map Balades en forêts du Ventoux de Venasque et St-Lambert (€8) outlines several family-friendly walks.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Baptistry

2.99 MILES

Tucked behind the Romanesque church, this baptistry was built in the 6th century on the site of a Roman temple.

2. Église de Venasque

2.99 MILES

The village church contains the pride of the Pays de Venasque: an unusual late-Gothic Crucifixion painting (1498).

3. Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque

4.79 MILES

If you're searching for that classic postcard shot of the medieval abbey surrounded by a sea of purple lavender, look no further. This sublime Cistercian…

5. Maison de la Rose

6.51 MILES

The façade of this eye-catching hôtel particulier dating from 1900 is pure romance. Sitting pretty in pink on the left as you walk from the car park to…

6. La Fontaine de Vaucluse

6.52 MILES

Beneath the limestone cliffs an easy 1km walk from the village, the magical spring after which the village is named gushes forth at an incredible rate –…

7. Village des Bories

6.93 MILES

Beehive-shaped bories (stone huts) bespeckle Provence, and at the Village des Bories, 4km southwest of Gordes, an entire village of them can be explored…

8. Moulin des Bouillons

7.3 MILES

Heading 3.5km south from Gordes along rte de St-Pantaléon (D148), you hit this marvellous rural museum: an olive-oil mill with a 10m-long Gallo-Roman…