Lovely LourmarinUnlike

Lovely LourmarinUnlike many of Provence’s lovely villages,Lourmarin isn’t atop a hill but instead theoldest part of the village sits on a mound,where you’ll see remains of an 11th centurywatchtower which is easy to reach.Lourmarin sits at the foot of the LuberonMountain chain. When you take a picture ofthe village you’ll see the Luberon clearlyfilling the foreground of your photo. Thepassage over the mountain starts inLourmarin then winds through a geologicalcrack forming the “Little Luberon” and“Large Luberon”. This gorge has long been acrossing place and used to be considered themost dangerous passage in Provence. Tradeto and from Marseille passed this way andthe natural caves along the route were agreat hiding place for bandits.way it is laid out with so much space andlight between the historical treasures. Thevillage, Renaissance castle, and the early19th century Protestant Temple areseparated from each other by a prairie,private gardens, olive groves and a soccerfield. Taking a stroll in Lourmarin reveals aperfect blend of nature, monuments, openspaces, and charming little boutiques.Many have loved its charms – French writerAlbert Camus bought a house here 1958after winning the Nobel Prize for literature(1957 - The Plague). He didn’t care forcelebrity life in Paris and found the tranquillifestyle he craved in Lourmarin. Peter Mayle,author of many books on Provence including“ A Year in Provence” (1989), also had ahome here.What I love most about Lourmarin is the