Provence - seducer of celebs

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30 JUNE 2004
David and Victoria Beckham loved Provence so much they bought a sprawling chateau close to the historic French town of Bargemon. And close friend Elton John has a pink villa just down the road. Discover the herb-scented hillsides, lavender fields and fairytale villages that seduced the celebs. The delights offered by this corner of France are so enchanting you’ll be tempted to spend a year savouring its charms

Medieval villages and markets
During the sunbaked summer months they say there are more actors and film directors per square metre in the tiny Provençal villages of the Lubéron and the Vaucluse than in Paris. Film buffs can spot them sipping pastis and dining on aïoli, a salted cod and garlic mayonnaise dish, in the smart restaurants that dot the Gordes, a popular area that’s home to the Village des Bories. Here, visit the ancient beehive-shaped houses that cling – literally – to the rocks.

Picturesque Provence isn’t just a magnet to the famous French. American actor John Malkovich and British director Ridley Scott love the region, drawn by quaint attractions like Rousillion. This rosy-pink village is coloured by the local earth used to build its structures. Other British visitors head straight for the village of Menerbes, made famous by Peter Mayle’s hit book A Year In Provence. Then there’s Fontaine de Vaucluse and the impossibly deep spring that gushes forth where the River Sorgue emerges.

After sightseeing, go shop! On Sunday visit one of France’s best markets, L’Isle-surla- Sorgue. Rummage with locals for knickknacks from Venetian chandeliers to bicycle sprockets. For a real taste of Provence, visit one of the area’s ubiquitous food markets. Browse stalls heaped with cherries, cheese and olives, and ditch the diet.

Where to stay: Hôtel du Poète in the heart of Fontaine de Vaucluse is an intimate, converted olive mill with gorgeous rooms. For self-caterers, Les Olivades at Pernes les Fontaines is a rare three-bed villa with pool.

Painters and poets
Few places on God’s green Earth have proved as artistically inspirational as Provence. The luminous skies of the Alpilles, and the bleached limestone hills and low, blue-shuttered farmhouses with pink-tiled roofs dotted around Arles and St Rémy de Provence have played muse to talents like the painters Van Gogh and Gauguin, and writer Alphonse Daudet. Spurred on by that heritage, galleries and craft shops sit proudly on the tree-lined boulevards and medieval streets of St Rémy and Arles. Step inside to see the place still holds its artistic lure.

Alternatively, flex your plastic in the sophisticated boutiques and tasty restaurants or visit the chocolatiers and olive oil producers that populate the area. For extra culture points, take in one of the concerts or festivals that run through the summer. Star turn in the Alpilles is Les Baux de Provence. Immortalised on canvas by Van Gogh when he was detained in an asylum, the ruined 11th-century citadel attracts up to 1.5 million visitors a year. Pilgrims to the site, which is almost indistinguishable from the clifftop on which it sits, have included the Aga Khan, Roger Moore, the Queen and Johnny Depp.

Where to stay: The Oustau de Baumanière is a 16th-century farmhouse with great rooms and an acclaimed restaurant. For self-caterers, St Rémy’s Mas des Amarines is a gorgeous house with pool.