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An imposing 12-century castle-looking castle dominates the pleasant little perched village. Le Barroux is well restored and well tended, and the amazing big castle (rebuilt in the 16th century and restored in 1960) gives the village an ever-present mood of medievality. Here it's easy to imagine knights and ladies and, why not, even dragons.
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Nearby: |
Avignon 37 km |
Beaumes-de-Venise 9 km |
Bédoin 12 km |
Caromb 3 km |
Carpentras 12 km |
Dentelles-de-Montmirail 5 km |
Gigondas 18 km |
Malaucène 6 km |
Orange 35 km |
Saint Hippolyte-le-Graveyron 4 km |
Saint Pierre-de-Vassols 5 km |
24 km |
Below: |
Olive-Oil Mills |
Sites |
History |
Transportation |
Hiking |
Lodging Hotels |
Off-season at least the village seems a bit sleepy, as if it's more of a place to vacation than to live. It's lovely though, and not spoiled by tourist attractions. The narrow streets wind between lovely old buildings, with many little squares with their fountains hidden away for discovery. Among various places to stay in the region, there's a pleasant looking Gîte Rural right in the village.
A stream runs down through a deep valley along the eastern edge of the village, far below the high castle, and the D938 Malaucène-Carpentras road runs along the river through a rocky gorge, cutting through the rock in a short tunnel.
Artisana Monastique de Provence
Location:
Abbaye Sainte Madeleine
Tel: 0490 622 522
Web: www.barroux.org
Olive oil available.
Other Sites
Abbey
Abbey Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux
The recent but famous traditionalist Roman Catholic Benedictine Abbey of Sainte Madelieine was founded in 1978 by Dom Gérard Calvet (1927-2008).
Location:
1.5 km north of le Barroux; 4 km southwest of Malaucène. Accessable by car or by hiking.
Abbey Our Lady of the Annunciation - Abbaye de Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation
The Benedictine abbey of Our Lady of the Annunciation was beguin in 1979 by four young girls with Mother Elizabeth. The site of old monastery at La Font-de-Pertus was selected in 1983. The monastery was made an abbey in 1992, and today (2010) there are more then 40 nuns in the order. The nuns are served by Priest-Monks from the nearby Abbey Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux.
Location:
3 km northeast of Le Barroux; 3 km southwest of Malaucène.
Tel: 0490 652 929; Fax: 04 90 65 29 30
The Nuns of the Abbaye de Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation got some rare publicity in July 2010 when they signed a record deal with Decca Records (part of Universal Music). Selected as some of the best Gregorian Chant singers from a world-wide search, the sisters will release the album Voice: Chant From Avignon in November 2010.
Avignon is 35 km to the southwest, well past the town of Carpentras. But then, who's heard of Le Barroux.
History
Name
First record, 1113: Albaruffum
Gallo-Roman:
The St. Jean-Baptiste church in the village was built by the Romans, and later restored.
Medieval:
the commune was ruled in turn by the Baux family (see also Baux-de-Provence), the Peyre and the Rouvillac. The village changed hands several times during the Wars of Religion. Le Barroux was pillaged during the Revolution.
Transportation Le Barroux
Bus
Department 84, Vaucluse Buses
See Beyond's Bus Schedules Page 2: Vaucluse Department for downloading Vaucluse bus-lines map [Plan global des lignes] and bus-line schedules [pdf for each line] (link for PDF files).
• Avignon has train or bus connections to Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Nîmes, Saint Remy-de-Provence, Paris.
• Cavaillon has bus connections to Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Saint Remy-de-Provence.
• Pertuis has bus connections to Aix-en-Provence and Marseille.
Hiking
- Maps:
- IGN (1/25,000) #3040 ET "Carpantras, Vaison-la-Romaine"
- Didier Richard (1/50,000) #27 "Ventoux"
 Le Barroux sits at the southern edge of the hills between the Dentelles Montmirail and the hills of Mont Ventoux, and all of those hills have good hiking trails.
One hiking trail leaves the village to the west, crossing low hills and fields.
The trail branches about 4 km out, with one branch continuing west to Beaumes-de-Venise and the other going north to the hamlets of La-Roque-Alric and Lafare. Either branch will take you up to the top of the Dentelles and eventually on to Gigondas.
A trail goes north from Le Barroux, about 4 km through fields and woods and past a monastery, to join with the east-west GR4 (Grande Randonnée).
To the east, the GR4 goes past Malaucène and into the mountains of Ventoux.
Lodging - Hotels
Hotels in Towns Nearby to Le Barroux
• 4 km — Saint Hippolyte-le-Graveyron hotels
• 12 km — Bedoin hotels
• 12 km — Carpentras hotels
• 35 km — Orange hotels
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Photo gallery of One large photo for Le Barroux
