 2006
Provence Loops Cycling
May 7-13
June 4-10
September 17-23
7 days/6 nights
Level: B
Price Per Person: $2,400.00
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Overview: Discover Provence! On this fascinating and fun-filled
trip we cycle the Roman villages, lavender-scented foothills
and sun-drenched vineyards of the legendary south of France.
Our route, focused around the towns of St. Rémy and
Gordes, features the astonishing hilltop village of Les Baux-de-Provence,
the imposing medieval castle at Tarascon and the marvelous
Pont du Gard, a 2000-year-old Roman aqueduct. On this trip,
rich in equal measures of history, culture and sun-clad scenery,
the simple pleasures include shaded squares, breathtaking
panoramas, charming hotels and the celebrated cuisine of Provence.
• There are 5 full days of cycling
• The total trip distance is 188miles
• The average daily distance is 38 miles (Optional
mileage is available)
The tour price is based on double occupancy. If you prefer
a private room, there is a single supplement of $900.
There is no extra charge if you are traveling alone yet
willing to share a room.
Inclusions
• Use of a 24-speed hybrid bicycle
equipped with a removable rear trunk, a lock, and a new
water bottle for you to use and keep.
• All
lodgings, all breakfasts (6) and all but two dinners (4)
• Entry fees for selected visits
• Full
van support and the services of 2 experienced trip leaders
Exclusions
• Beverages at dinner (e.g. wine,
beer, mineral water, soft drinks)
• Two dinners
• Lunches
|
DAY
1: Welcome to St. Rémy-de-Provence! Our
trip’s starting point is the lively southern town
of St. Rémy-de-Provence, located about ten miles
south of Avignon and just a few miles east of the Rhône
River. Your EUROPEDS guides will meet you in front of
the Avignon train station at approximately 2:30 p.m.
to provide a transfer to St Rémy (please consult
the “special note” at the end of this itinerary).
Once we are settled into our hotel rooms, we will meet
in front of our hotel, Les Ateliers de l’Image,
for a bicycle fitting/orientation meeting before we
take a short ride in the surrounding countryside. We
should return to the hotel with plenty of time to freshen
up before gathering for dinner in one of St. Rémy’s
many great restaurants for our first taste of the fabled
Provençal cuisine. |
DAY 2:
Tarascon/Arles Loop. After a satisfying breakfast of croissants
and pains au chocolat, we’ll set off on our first
day of beautiful  biking
and discovery. A series of gorgeous rural lanes will lead
us through the beautiful Provençal countryside
on our way to the day’s first destination, the imposing
fortified castle in Tarascon. Located on the banks of
the Rhône River, the château sits immediately
opposite its counterpart on the other side of the river,
in the village of Beaucaire. These architectural legacies
remind us of the turbulent medieval period, when Provence
was an independent country with its own language and culture
as well as being one of the final stops on the famed Silk
Road. King René, Provence’s favorite royal,
lived here with his wife, Jeanne d’Anjou, in the
mid-15th century, the golden age in Provence’s long
history. It was here that the “Good King”
preferred to organize extravagant festivals, receive prominent
guests, and engage in scholarly pursuits. From Tarascon,
we’ll follow the course of the mighty Rhône
to the lively city of Arles.
Aside from its beautiful location on the banks of the
Rhône River, Arles has an amazingly rich history
and many different faces. Its strategic location on the
Via Domitia (the road leading from Italy to Spain) was
a major factor in Arles’ rise as one of the most
important cities in the entire Roman Empire. Centuries
later, the city took on a different role, becoming a major
religious center during the Middle Ages. In more contemporary
times, Vincent Van Gogh lived and painted some of his
most famous pieces in Arles in the late 19th Century.
While these eras have long since passed, history and culture
abound in modern Arles. We should expect to arrive in
Arles just in time for lunch in any of the numerous cafés,
bistros, and restaurants. Once our bellies are full and
we’ve had a chance to wander around town, we’ll
gather again for a brief walking tour of the city and
a visit to its spectacular 1st Century Roman amphitheater.
Pulling ourselves away from Arles may prove difficult,
but the open road beckons once again… The ride back
to St. Rémy takes us along several tranquil roads
that meander through some of France’s most fertile
farmland, where an astounding variety of fruits and vegetables
flourish. Today’s ride consists of approximately
40 miles of mostly flat riding. Dinner tonight is "on
your own" in any of St. Rémy’s wonderful
restaurants. |
DAY 3: Les
Baux/Les Alpilles Loop. After another hearty breakfast
at our hotel, we’ll hop on our bikes once again
for another great day of spectacular cycling. We’ll
put our legs to the test right off the bat, as one of
the more challenging climbs of the week begins soon after
we leave St. Rémy. It will have been worth it when
we reach the top though, where a stunning view is ours
to savor at a panoramic orientation table. Another half-mile
of riding brings us to La Cathédrale d’Images,
a fascinating audiovisual experience consisting of projected
photographic images and corresponding music set inside
a vast limestone quarry. From here it’s just a short
climb to the village of Les Baux-de-Provence, where a
cluster of medieval stone buildings clings dramatically
to a bald rock spur. Below the precipitous heights lies
Le Val d’Enfer (The Valley of Hell), so named centuries
ago for the curious shapes carved in the surrounding limestone
hills by the howling wind. While the village’s ruined
fortress and strategic location give it a rather militaristic
air, Les Baux was once renowned throughout Europe for
its courts of love, where lords and troubadours vied for
the honor of the ladies of the court.
After lunch in Les Baux, anyone looking for a shorter
day of activity may wish to return to St. Rémy.
Otherwise, our afternoon route leads us into the heart
of Les Alpilles, a jagged chain of limestone peaks that
dominates the countryside around St. Rémy. A fantastic
descent out of Les Baux will project us immediately into
a beautiful, sun-drenched landscape dominated by vineyards
scattered between dramatic limestone hills. For those
interested in sampling some of the very good wine produced
in the area (a regional appellation called Côteaux
des Baux), a stop at the Mas du Gourgonnier will be a
welcome break. Afterward, we’ll pedal our way back
over Les Alpilles as we work our way to a fabulous backcountry
finish into St. Rémy. Today’s ride covers
roughly 30 miles and includes 2 significant hills. Tonight’s
dinner is in town in one of our favorite local restaurants. |
 |
DAY 4:
Pont du Gard Loop. Setting out from St. Rémy, our
lunchtime destination is one of the most-renowned Roman
monuments in all of Europe, the 2,000-year-old bridge
known as Le Pont du Gard. If it’s a warm day we
can take a dip in the Gardon River, floating on our backs
as we look up at this incredible stone masterpiece that
was an integral part of a 31-mile-long aqueduct. Once
we’ve picnicked and taken plenty of time to marvel
at the Pont du Gard and its surroundings, we’ll
follow a beautiful route back to St. Rémy. We'll
stop along the way at a beautiful 10th Century abbey,
l'Abbaye de St. Michel-de-Frigolet, known for its tranquil
setting and a unique thyme-flavored liqueur produced by
the monks. Mileage for today’s ride is approximately
48 miles. Dinner tonight is "on your own" in
town. |
| DAY 5:
St. Rémy to Gordes. Today we change hotels as we
head east across the Durance River into the Lubéron
Valley. The first half of the day's ride is long and flat,
on a network of beautiful secondary roads in prime agricultural
country with a view of Les Alpilles in the distance. After
traversing busy Cavaillon, an ancient town founded by
Julius Caesar that is now the renowned melon-growing capital
of France, we arrive in the tiny, nearly forgotten village
of Oppède-le-Vieux. We'll stop for lunch and visit
the fascinating ruins of the upper village, from which
the view across the valley to Mont Ventoux is magnificent.
After lunch we descend from Oppède and traverse
the Lubéron Valley, slipping past the villages
of Les Poulivets and Les Baumettes before climbing to
Gordes, our home for two nights. Gordes has become the
best-known postcard image of the hilltop villages of Provence,
and it is definitely a sight to behold. The village is
built on a series of terraces from the top to the bottom
of a jutting limestone escarpment, almost like a huge
wedding cake in stone. Our hotel in Gordes is the delightful
Gordos. Dinner this evening will be at one of the many
wonderful restaurants in and around Gordes. Today’s
ride begins flat before giving way to gentle hills near
the end, for a total of about 36 miles. |
DAY 6: Lubéron
Loop. Today's ride takes us into the heart of the Lubéron
Valley, known for its rugged natural beauty, picturesque
villages and provincial charm. We begin with an exhilarating
downhill run out of Gordes, descending into the beautiful
valley floor amidst fields of lavender and fragrant wild
herbs. Before long, we'll make the brief ascent to the
village of Roussillon, perched majestically atop  hills
rich in ochre whose brilliant red and yellow hues glow
on the walls of the town's modest assortment of buildings.
After a stroll along the base of a series of impressive
ochre cliffs at the edge of town, we'll mount our bikes
again for another great downhill spin. Once back on the
valley floor, we'll cross the miniscule Calavon River
by way of the Pont Julien, a Roman bridge erected in the
3rd Century BC. After several kilometers we'll begin a
gradual ascent toward the village of Lacoste, above which
lie the ruins of a château once inhabited by the
Marquis de Sade. After checking out this infamous locale,
we'll enjoy yet another thrilling descent as we head toward
the village of Ménerbes. Home to British author
Peter Mayle while writing “A Year in Provence”,
Menerbes, with its picturesque setting and harmonious
village architecture, could be the Lubéron Valley's
quintessential village. Once we've taken ample time to
explore, we'll hop on our bikes again for the ride back
to Gordes. Today's ride covers roughly 34 miles. Tonight's
dinner, our farewell celebration, will be in another of
our favorite local restaurants. |
DAY 7:
Au Revoir to Provence! After breakfast, EUROPEDS will
provide a shuttle to the Avignon TGV train station. A
relatively early departure will allow us ample time to
catch trains to Paris or to other European destinations.
|
Of Special
Note:
Any train times listed in this itinerary are based on
the best information available at the time of publication
and are thus subject to change. Definitive schedules will
become available as the trip’s start date nears.
We suggest that you check with your travel agent approximately
one month prior to your trip’s start date to purchase
your train tickets and make any necessary reservations.
Europeds reserves the right to modify published routes
due to any unforeseen circumstances. In the event that
one or another hotel is unable to accept our reservation
for a given date (rare that this may be), we assure you
that EUROPEDS will endeavor to book another hotel of comparable
class and charm. |
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