5 towns you're going to love
If there's one place where beauty is as much to be breathed in as it is to be seen, it's Provence. With its golden light, ancient stonework and fragrant flowers, each village seems to emerge from a dream. As you stroll from lane to lane, you'll discover a different way of life, one that's simple, sunny and deeply inspiring. Here are five must-see Provencal villages, where every turn connects you to nature.
1. Gordes: The elegance of dry stonework
Perched high in the Luberon, Gordes is undoubtedly one of Provence's most emblematic villages. The first thing that strikes you is the beauty of the sun-drenched dry-stone houses that grace the hillside. At the summit, the imposing Renaissance château overlooks the valley.
You can see cobbled streets, lavender shutters and the scent of herbs wafting from the gardens. Just below, the Abbaye de Sénanque, surrounded by lavender fields, is an unforgettable sight, especially in July.
This village is beautiful for the harmony between architecture and nature, for the unique morning light, and for the peaceful silence that reigns at siesta time.
2. Roussillon: A village of a thousand shades of ochre
Welcome to an open-air painting studio. Roussillon, listed as one of France's most beautiful villages, owes its charm to its cliffs and houses tinted with ochre, a natural pigment once extracted locally.
The “sentier des ocres”, accessible from the village center, takes you through almost unreal landscapes of burnt red, bright orange and sandy yellow. Inside the village, colorful alleyways lead to pretty squares, art galleries and shady terraces.
The village is beautiful for its vibrant colors, unique in France, and for the feeling of being in a tableau vivant. Roussillon offers a more mineral Provence, but just as warm.
3. Les Baux-de-Provence: Between sky, stone and light
Clinging to the white cliffs of the Alpilles, Les Baux-de-Provence is a spectacular village. Its medieval ruins, small chapels and noble houses sculpted from white stone... everything here evokes the strength of the past and the wild breath of nature.
But that's not all: below, the landscape stretches as far as the eye can see, between centuries-old olive trees and proud cypresses. The scents? Thyme, rosemary, resin, lavender... a veritable olfactory palette in the open air.
This village is magnificent for its impressive panoramic views of the Alpilles and its character as a timeless fortress. You can still feel the medieval soul and the power of the wild south.
Don't miss: the Château des Baux, the Carrières de Lumières for an immersive show, and olive oil tastings at nearby estates.
4. Lourmarin: the French art of living
Lourmarin is soft, elegant Provence. Situated at the foot of the Luberon mountains, this village has it all: a superb Renaissance château, lively squares, charming bookshops, designer boutiques and cafés under the plane trees.
Everything here is refined yet authentic. The Friday morning markets are among the finest in the region, filled with local produce, lavender soaps, bouquets of wild flowers and sweet figs. The atmosphere is chic but never pretentious.
The village is beautiful for its bohemian, artistic atmosphere, its lively, soulful streets, where every detail is meticulously preserved.
5. Moustiers-Sainte-Marie: The star above the Verdon
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is a village suspended between two cliffs, crossed by a waterfall, and adorned with a golden star mysteriously stretched between two rocky peaks. It's like entering an enchanted parenthesis, protected from the passage of time.
Renowned for its earthenware, the village also seduces visitors with its mountain charm and spectacular scenery. It's here, at the gateway to Lac de Sainte-Croix and the Gorges du Verdon, that Provence becomes almost Alpine.
This village is beautiful for its blend of water, stone and sky, and its feeling of being out of the world. The air is fresher, the wildflowers grow freely, and you immediately feel at peace.
Don't miss: the climb to the Notre-Dame de Beauvoir chapel, the waterfall that runs through the village, and the starry evening sky.
Arcadie Florale : Provence captured in fragrance
All these villages have one thing in common: they inspire. A light, a smell, an emotion. And that's exactly what we find in Arcadie Florale, one of Poécile's unisex French fragrances.
This fragrance is a tribute to Provence, with its lavender fields, sun-drenched fig trees, golden honeys and field flowers lining the paths. It also reveals a heart of luminous jasmine, a nod to summer evenings.
Arcadie Florale is a dreamy Provence, soft and powerful at the same time. A fragrance with jasmine, yes, but above all an invitation to explore: villages, nature, and your own summer memories.