Fontaine-de-Vaucluse
Fontaine de Vaucluse is built on the site of a Roman settlement, and prior to that the area had been inhabited since pre-historic times. It now has a resident population of about 600, but a summertime population rather higher...
At Fontaine de Vaucluse you can see the source of the River Sorgue - a calm tranquil pool, that gives rise from its depths to an enormous amount of water (average of 22 cubic metres each second) that soon goes crashing off down some rapids. This is especially dramatic in spring when melting snow high above the village gives rise to an enormous amount of water. Fascinating, I promise! Even in autumn when the river is much lower the river valley remains green and verdant, and very pretty indeed, especially beacuse of the high cliffs that tower over the valley.
But there is more to Fontaine de Vaucluse than this source, and the village is an attractive medieval village surrounded by the dramatic high cliffs of the Vaucluse - this setting plus the emerald green river help to explain why this is one of the most visited villages in Provence.
The paper mill in the village is also interesting, demonstrating paper production techniques from the Middle Ages, and there are a large assortment of museums although none struck me as being as pleasurable as a walk through the local countryside...although the 'geology' museum and 'local history' museum are quite interesting.
The village centre itself is very small, with the Sorgue River source a couple of hundred metres up the river valley from the village. The town have done their best to destroy the valley by allowing lots of cheap gift shop type cabins to set up all along the valley, but happily the beauty of the scenery - especially the last 50-100 metres in the section passed the stalls - outweighs the harm they have done. So highly recommended for a visit anyway.
As with many of the perched villages of Provence, spring and autumn are the ideal time to visit Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. See the other places to visit in Luberon.
Visit Fontaine-de-Vaucluse (Provence, Vaucluse) travel, gites and hotels
Best Prices on Hotels in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse - Guaranteed
(see guarantee details) Reserve online, pay at the hotel
The Fontaine-de-Vaucluse hotels listed feature descriptions, guest reviews, ratings, location maps, online booking etc. as well as the 'best-price' guarantee. The search for hotels in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is provided by booking.com. General holiday / vacation options- See Provence gites for Fontaine-de-Vaucluse holiday rentals - Holiday villages in Provence Holidays nearbyLooking for something close by? See a wide choice of hotels, holiday villages and holiday rentals at: Places to Stay near Fontaine-de-Vaucluse Fontaine-de-Vaucluse Car HireFind locations offering car hire nearby at Fontaine-de-Vaucluse car hire VisitSee Visit Fontaine-de-Vaucluse for places to visit near Fontaine-de-Vaucluse including: a detailed map, villages in bloom and most beautiful villages DiscussAsk questions or leave a comment about Fontaine-de-Vaucluse in our Provence forum Airports near Fontaine-de-VaucluseAvignon airport at 25 km Marseille airport at 54 km Montpellier airport at 133 km Nimes airport at 80 km Fontaine-de-Vaucluse property for saleSee Provence property for sale
|
|
||||||||||||
Places to visit near Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, France
Explore places of interest within about 70 kilometres on a map at places near Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.
Some places to visit within 30 km: 
25 km: Avignon airport (airport) 23 km: Bonnieux (beautiful Luberon village) 8 km: Gordes (Most beautiful village) 19 km: Lacoste (Marquis de Sade village in Luberon) 31 km: Lourmarin (Most beautiful village) 14 km: Luberon Natural Park (Scenic highlight) 13 km: Menerbes (Most beautiful village) 19 km: Roussillon (Most beautiful village)
See also Fontaine-de-Vaucluse (version Francais)
