A Guide to Lourmarin: The Prettiest Village in Provence

lourmarin

The Prettiest Village in Provence

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when is the Best time to visit Lourmarin

Spring, Summer, Autumn

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how much time to see lourmarin

Day Trip or Full Days

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Things to do in Lourmarin

How to Spend the Day and Where to Eat

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Where to stay in Lourmarin

Our favorite Provencal hotels and Airbnb rentals to book in the village

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How to get to lourmarin

Taking the train from Paris and/or renting a car

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bonjour

If this is your first time on The Weithouse - welcome! My name is Taylor and I’m the girl behind the screen and camera bringing you resources to help you plan the trip of your dreams.

In January of 2022, my husband and I left our home in Atlanta, packed our bags and moved to Paris! Every day we wake up in disbelief that we get to call this incredible city our home, a city full of rich history, world-renowned food, and beauty hidden around every corner.

In this Lourmarin Travel Guide, we’re sharing all of our favorite things to do, places to shop, restaurants to eat at and hotels to stay in that are based in our favorite regions of France: Provence.

lourmarin

The first time I visited Provence in June of 2021, I instantly fell in love. The flowers, the aromas, the villages and the people captured my heart in a way like no place else in the world.

During our week in Provence, we had the privilege of staying in the most gorgeous hotel located in the Luberon village of Lourmarin. I knew Lourmarin was something special after strolling through it the very first time, and now, after having seen many-a-village in the Luberon region of Provence, I can declare that Lourmarin is the prettiest of them all.

Truth be told, this title and claim is partially for SEO purposes and partially because I just love Lourmarin. I have yet to visit every beautiful village in Provence (although this seems like a good goal) as there are 873 villages total, so my claim might not be fair, but what I can say is that if you find yourself in the region, you don’t want to skip visiting this stunning little village.

Lourmarin itself is incredibly small, but what she lacks in size she makes up for in charm and in village activity. It seems that every square inch of the village is full of Provencal life, featuring the most charming French boutiques, antique shops, art galleries, casual restaurants, boutique hotels, adorable Airbnb rentals and endless ivy-covered facades.

As you spend time enjoying Lourmarin, you’ll notice an extra special communal charm that isn’t as prevalent in any of the other villages. There is a central street of curbside cafes where both tourists and locals gather at the bistro tables outside and enjoy sitting amongst friend and stranger in this charming setting.

when is the Best time to visit lourmarin

The best time to visit Lourmarin is when the weather in warm, and you can enjoy all that the rich land of the region has to offer. The most popular time to visit both Lourmarin and the Provence region is late June or early July when the lavender is in full bloom and the air smells like heaven. This is peak season for the Provence region, resulting in more crowds and expensive accommodations, but the experience is definitely worth it.

Lourmarin in June

Lourmarin in June

If you are ok with missing the lavender, anytime from April-October is good to travel to Lourmarin. In Spring you will be greeted with lovely flowers, in summer (outside of July) you’ll still get the best of all the summer harvest brings (including the smell of jasmine everywhere). Summer is also the best time to find the Provencal stone-colored buildings covered in ivy.

The region is seasonal, so in the months outside of March-October, shops are likely to be closed and you might have a hard time finding a place to stay. For less crowds I would choose May, June or September. And if you want to see the ivy change from green to orange, trying visiting Lourmarin in October.

Lourmarin in early August

Lourmarin in early August

Nonetheless, we visited Lourmarin once in mid-March and the village was still open and bursting with locals enjoying lunch at the cafes. That being said, not all of the shops were open, and many of the rental properties weren’t yet available to book. A good rule of thumb is that the season in Provence kicks off Easter weekend.

Lourmarin in mid-March

Lourmarin in mid-March

Lourmarin in mid-March

how long to spend in lourmarin

Whether you decide to use Lourmarin as a home base for the rest of your Provencal travels, or are just passing through during the day, you need to allot a certain amount of time to the village.

If you are visiting Lourmarin from another location, I would recommend giving yourself a half or full day to enjoy the village. My recommendation is to visit on a Friday (market day - more on this in the next section) and after the market to grab lunch and then do some of the things to do in the list below.

If you’re staying in a larger city like Aix en Provence and don’t have a car, you can book a guided day trip to a handful of Provencal villages, like this one from GetYourGuide that includes a stop in Lourmarin.

If you are planning a Provencal road trip, I would give yourself one to two nights in Lourmarin. By spending the night, you can have the pleasure of waking up and walking through the village while it’s still empty, having a French breakfast at the local cafe and enjoying whatever lodging you end up booking for yourself (my Lourmarin recommendations are at the end of this post).

Things to do in lourmarin

Lourmarin is a very small village, but despite its small size, has plenty to explore for however long you find yourself there.

Château de Loumarin

Standing on the edge of Lourmarin, you’ll find yourself looking upon the local château, Château de Lourmarin. The chateau was built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and according to Lourmarin.com, was the first Renaissance castle in Provence.

The chateau is walking distance from the village and can easily be seen in a few hours. It is also kid-friendly, with a “treasure hunt” available to entertain the littles.

You can find hours and ticket prices here.

Friday Market

If you’re planning to visit or stay in Lourmarin, be sure to find yourself near it on a Friday. Every village in Provence has different market days, and the Friday market in Lourmarin is easily one of our favorites.

The market is decently sized and is bursting with everything Provencal. At the Lourmarin market, you can find cheeses, soaps, lavender, clothes, honey, meats, local fruits and vegetables, straw baskets and hats, Provençal art, jams and jellies, olive oil and salts.

There is an ATM nearby, but I’d recommend having cash already in-hand, as the ATM lines can become very long on market day. Also if you’re driving into Lourmarin for the market, plan to get there before 10AM to find easy parking.

Château Constantin

Throughout Provence are endless vineyards, most of which you can drive up to for a free wine tasting (and then purchase bottles onsite). On the edge of Lourmarin sits one such vineyard, Château Constantin, a family run estate purchased in 2016 and currently working to convert the estate to organic. You can visit Château Constantin from Monday to Saturday – 10am to 1pm and 3pm to 6:30pm.

Shop

If you love strolling through charming streets, you will find yourself happy as a clam in Lourmarin. The petit village is lined with charming boutique after charming boutique, and you can spend a few hours wandering through the shops and sharing pleasantries with the boutique owners.

A few of my favorite shops in Lourmarin are:

• FRANC 1884: For gorgeous lavender spindles

• Les Commissions du Moulin: If you’re staying in the area and need provisions for your week, pop in to this cute grocery store associated with hotel Le Moulin Lourmarin.

• Villa de Nada: A cute Mediterranean themed interior design store

Discover the beautiful doors of lourmarin

France is a country of beautiful doors and Lourmarin is no different. As you stroll through the quaint rues of Lourmarin, notice how each and every porte (door) is different from the next. Some of the doors are aged with hundreds of years of time, and other are a blend of old and new. Each is unique. Each is beautiful.

Day Trips from lourmarin

If you decide to use Lourmarin as your home base in the Luberon region of Provence, you can easily take day trips to many of the famous surrounding villages.

• Lauris: 7-minute drive from Lourmarin

• Bonnieux: 20-minute drive from Lourmarin

• Apt: 25-minute drive from Lourmarin

• Lacoste: 27-minute drive from Lourmarin

• Roussillon: 31-minute drive from Lourmarin

• Ménerbes: 32-minute drive from Lourmarin

• Gordes: 38-minute drive from Lourmarin

• Oppède-le-Vieux: 42-minute drive from Lourmarin

• Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque: 46-minute drive from Lourmarin

• L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue: 47-minute drive from Lourmarin

• Valensole (lavender fields): 58-minute drive from Lourmarin

Where to Eat in lourmarin

Lourmarin has a decent number of restaurants if you do plan to use it as your home base or need a bite to eat while passing through. Below are some of the places we’ve tried during our travels there and have enjoyed.

If you book an Airbnb or a place with a kitchen, I recommend buying food (either at the market or driving to a little grocery store) in order to save some money, as the restaurants in the region can be pricey.

• Cafe Gaby Lourmarin: traditional French cafe, good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, a coffee or just enjoying sitting “en terrace”

• Pizzeria Nonni: Delicious Italian restaurant

• Le Moulin Restaurant: The restaurant within hotel, Le Moulin, in a beautiful courtyard setting or interior

• Restaurant l’Ormeau: Located in the center of the village with curbside seating, good for lunch or dinner.

• La Recreation: Traditional French food, can order a set menu

• Market Food: Recommend buying local produce, cheese, meats and bread from the market

where to stay in lourmarin

In Provence, you have two types of stay options, the first being at a château or bastide (normally set off from a village in the countryside), or an apartment within the village. Both offer different experiences and choosing between the two depends on what you wish to get out of your travels.

Every time we’ve visited Provence, we’ve opted to stay in one place as a home base and do day trips from there. I personally think this gives you time to get familiar with whatever location you choose as your home base, enrichening the experience.

The first time we spent a week in Provence, we spent the entire stay at Le Galinier Lourmarin, and the second time we stayed in an Airbnb within the village. After having done both, I much prefer staying at a property outside of the city or village, as often the grounds are stunning and you can enjoy the spaces of the ancient properties at the end of your day of exploring.

Le Galinier Lourmarin

My favorite hotel in the world - Le Galinier Lourmarin is an 18th century bastide (large house) that has been transformed into a modern-day Provencal getaway. The property consists of the main house (with rooms) and two separate buildings that were once the chicken houses and horse stables that can sleep larger groups. The property is located just off the edge of Lourmarin, and has a pool as well as stunning gardens on site.

Le Moulin Lourmarin

Sister property to Le Galinier, Le Moulin Lourmarin sits within the village of Lourmarin and has been recently renovated with bright Provencal interiors. It is a traditional hotel (with no grounds) but a stunning, more affordable option within the village.

If you want to experience staying in one of the cute Provencal buildings within Lourmarin, there are beautiful options to book on Airbnb in the village whether you need a place that sleeps two or a larger group.

la petite maison

During our April visit to Lourmarin, we had the opportunity to stay at the beautiful Airbnb, La Petite Maison. The Airbnb is located in the heart of the village down a charming side street and can sleep three guests (one master bedroom and one twin bed). The twin room is located on a mezzanine and has a beautiful window overlooking the rooftops of Lourmarin.

Other Airbnbs in Lourmarin

La Maison Gris Piedra, le coeur de Lourmarin

A 100 sqm house, old, completely redesigned with precious materials, sleeps 4.

LA SUITE D’AMOUR Lourmarin

A beautiful suite in the heart of Lourmarin that sleeps 5 and has a terrace.

Le Nid d'Albert - Duplex avec vue

A romantic duplex that sleeps two, located on the third and top floor of an old mansion, with views of Lourmarin.

Casa Masté

On the edge of Lourmarin, a small farmhouse that sleeps five guests and has a pool.

How to get to lourmarin

As it’s such a small and remote village, there are no direct trains or flights to Lourmarin. That being the case, you can access Lourmarin through either flying/train/tour or rental car, or driving from your starting destination.

how to get to lourmarin From Paris

From Paris, you can either take the train or make the 7-hour drive from Paris to Lourmarin. If you’re just getting off of your overnight flight, we don’t recommend making the drive from Paris unless you plan to stop in other French destinations along the way.

To access Lourmarin from Paris by train, you will need to first take the train to one of the destinations below and then either rent a car from one of those train stations, or book a guided tour like these if without a car.

Aix en Provence (TGV): This is the easiest train station for accessing Lourmarin. The train station is a 20-minute drive outside of Aix en Provence and is a 46-minute drive from the train station to Lourmarin. This is the option we always choose when visiting Lourmarin from Paris.

The direct train from Paris takes three hours. Book your tickets from Paris to Aix en Provence.

Avignon: The Avignon train station is normally one stop prior to the Aix en Provence train station, and is another good option to access Lourmarin from Paris. From my research it’s always been slightly cheaper to book to Aix en Provence vs. Avignon and it’s a slightly longer, over one-hour drive to Lourmarin from the Avignon TGV train station.

The direct train from Paris takes a little less than three hours. Book your tickets from Paris to Avignon.

other ways to access Lourmarin

If Lourmarin is part of a larger South of France itinerary, you can access the region by flying into either of the airports listed below and then renting a car from there.

Marseille (MRS): Marseille Provence Airport is a short 1-hr drive from Lourmarin. The drawback of this option is that there aren’t direct flights from the US to Marseille, so you would need to connect in CDG (Paris).

Nice (NCE): Nice Côte d'Azur Airport the farthest from Lourmarin with an over 2-hour drive, however, if you’re planning to visit both the French Riviera and Provence during your travels, it is the perfect access point to the region.

Planning for Provence

If you are planning a larger trip through the Provencal region of France, you can find all of the details of how to spend your time in our Provence Travel Guide (Luberon).

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Need help planning the rest of your trip?

If you’re exploring more of France, be sure to check out our Complete Guide to Paris, our Normandy Road Trip Itinerary, read our quick guide to visiting Monet’s Home & Gardens, or learn what it’s like to live as an American expat in Paris.

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