Free walking tours in La Bastide-des-Jourdans and what to see

Must-sees

La Bastide-des-Jourdans is a small fortified village in the southern Luberon, in the Aigues Valley, founded in the 13th century as a bastide, a walled town built to settle people and watch over the territory. It grew up around a castle, whose remains stand above the houses, and the Gothic church of Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens, from the same period, with vaults and a carved portal.

Next to the church is the 16th-century chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Consolation, a listed historic monument, and the village keeps a 17th-century bell tower. More than any particular monument, the appeal here is strolling quiet stone streets and heading out for walks in the surrounding countryside, among vineyards and olive groves, with the Luberon massif in the background. Grambois, La Tour-d’Aigues and other villages in the valley are close by if you want to continue by car.

Free tours and guided visits

There are no free walking tours in La Bastide-des-Jourdans. The village is easy to explore on your own in a short time. Civitatis offers a private Citroën 2CV tour of Provence, an original way to see the Luberon villages along back roads. Otherwise, people usually get around by car and combine the visit with other villages in the Aigues Valley or with Aix-en-Provence.

How long to spend

An hour or two is enough to see the village, the church and the chapels. If you want to do one of the walking routes in the surrounding area, add another hour and a half or two. The most sensible approach is to treat it as a stop on a one- or two-day tour of the southern Luberon, adding other nearby villages, a winery and a Provençal market.

Where to stay

In the village and the surrounding area there are mainly country cottages, guest rooms and holiday homes, many in old farmhouses with pools and countryside views. They are ideal for a few peaceful days, but you will need a car. If you prefer more services, Pertuis and the villages of the Aigues Valley have more choice, and Aix-en-Provence is a reasonable distance away for combining country and city.