｜Here is the key to romance

Avignon📍Vaucluse

Starting from Avignon, this place is not just the stone city of the Palais des Papes, but also the key to romance.

Vaucluse (Department 84) is located in southeastern France, at the heart of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.

Traveling south along the Rhône River, the winds of France’s Department 84 carry three scents—the bittersweet lavender, the tannin aroma of Châteauneuf-du-Pape red wine, and the sweet juiciness of Cavaillon melons when sliced open. This is Vaucluse, the heart of Provence, hiding a heartbeat more moving than any postcard.

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Avignon is the perfect starting point to explore this land. Standing on the stone walls of the Palais des Papes, the red tile roofs look like caramel softened by the sun, and the shadow of the broken bridge shatters on the river’s surface. Don’t forget to visit the Palais des Papes square early in the morning; as pigeons fly past the Gothic spires, you can almost hear the chants of medieval monks drifting down on the breeze.

To the northeast, Gordes looks like a honey cake casually placed on the hillside by God. Stone houses stack layer upon layer climbing the mountain, with terracotta pots on the windowsills holding geraniums as red as the evening glow. Sitting at a café at the village entrance at dusk, watch the sunset dye the distant Dentelles de Montmirail mountain ridges pink and purple—the jagged peaks are breathtakingly beautiful.

Further southeast, the ochre cliffs of Roussillon will overturn your imagination of color. Reds, oranges, yellows, and browns weave together like an earth-toned palette, and even the village houses look like chunks broken off from the cliffs. Walking on the stone paths at dusk, your shadow carries a warm orange-red hue.

⛰️ Touch the Backbone of Provence

Mont Ventoux is an unavoidable presence. This “Giant of Provence” always wears a white cloud hat; cyclists treat it as a pilgrimage site, while ordinary visitors can drive halfway up and hike through meadows filled with wildflowers. Standing under the cross at the summit, the wind is strong enough to blow away all worries, and the distant Alps and Mediterranean Sea look like two overturned sapphires.

If you want to avoid crowds, head to the hiking trails of Dentelles de Montmirail. In early summer, wild lavender lines the mountain paths, and the buzzing of bees mixes with the sound of mountain winds passing through rock crevices. When tired, sit on a sunlit stone, and even your breath carries the fresh scent of pine needles.

🍷 The Taste of Southern French Sunshine

At the wineries of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, winemakers will tell you that the grapevines here grow drinking water from the Rhône River. Pour a glass of deep purple red wine, swirl the glass, and aromas of blackberry and licorice fill the air. Paired with local goat cheese, the salty fragrance wrapped in wine flavor tastes like holding the entire sunshine of southern France in your mouth.

July in Cavaillon is the kingdom of melons. At the market, piles of shining yellow melons form small mountains. Vendors will cut you a small piece; the moment you bite in, juice dribbles down your mouth, sweet like eating melted sunshine. Locals say these melons are blessed by the popes, otherwise, how could they be so unreasonably sweet?

Olive oil is another treasure not to be missed. Pick a green olive directly from the grove and bite into it; after the bitterness comes a refreshing sweetness. Drizzle the pressed oil on tomato bread—this simple pairing hides the secrets of the land.

✨ Some Gentle Reminders

• June to August is the season for lavender and sunflowers, but don’t miss the Cavaillon Melon Festival in mid-July, when the whole town is filled with sweet fragrance.

• When visiting Mont Ventoux, it’s best to wear a windbreaker; the wind at the summit is stronger than you expect.

• Many village shops close at noon; if you want to shop for handmade pottery or lavender products, remember to go early.

The romance of Vaucluse is never deliberately adorned. It’s the sound of wind passing through grapevines, the gentle sunset dyeing rocks honey-colored, and the sudden urge to slow down time when biting into a melon. Come here and let the sunshine of southern France plant a field of everlasting lavender in your memory.

🌄Scenery:

Mont Ventoux (nicknamed “The Giant of Provence”), Dentelles de Montmirail, lavender plateaus, and villages like Gordes or Roussillon with their ochre cliffs.

🍇Food:

Gourmet delights and fine wine: France’s famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape red wine, olive oil, and Cavaillon melons.