Sainte Cécile-les-Vignes

Towns and Villages - by Provence Beyond

Villages > Sainte Cécile-les-Vignes

Nearby:  | Avignon 45 km | Beaumes-de-Venise 20 km | Bollene 13 km | Cairanne 4.5 km | Carpentras 28 km | Dentelles-de-Montmirail 16 km | Gigondas 14 km | Orange 14 km | Richerenches 16 km | Suze-la-Rousse 10 km | Vacqueyras 16 km | Vaison-la-Romaine 18 km | Valréas 19 km |

Below: | Hiking | Lodging Hotels |

It's a pleasant place, but it's a living-and-working town, not a tourist attraction. There are a couple of major wineries in the town, including the "Cave Cecilia", and the Office de Tourisme is modern and active.

There are a couple of good cafés, a scattering of shops, a post office and a gendarmerie. The town's church is a grand affair, brighter than most, with its white stone and its white marble columns.

There are a few nice old fountains about the town. We especially liked a mossy old thing that was somewhat hidden from view: we spied it over the top of a wall near the center.

Hiking

Maps:

IGN (1/25,000) #3040 ET "Carpantras, Vaison-la-Romaine"

IGN (1/25,000) #3040 OT "Orange, Massif d'Uchaux"

Didier Richard (1/50,000) #27 "Ventoux"

Set amidst vineyards, this is not hiking country. You have immediate access to a good bottle of wine, but you'll have to drive a bit for good hiking, with one important exception. The GR 4 (Grande Randonnée) passes south of town, less that 1 km away.

Follow the GR 4 about 4 km east, along the lanes through the vineyards, to Cairanne. From Cairanne, two good hiking trails, the GR 4 and the GR de Pays, wander eastward through wooded hills that aren't too steep.

West of Sainte Cécile, the GR 4 is mostly via vineyards to Lagarde-Paréol (4 km). Further west and southwest, the trails get into wooded areas that are more interesting.

Lodging - Hotels