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Goult
is perhaps the least known and visited of the villages in
the Petit Luberon. Perhaps because it isn't really visible
from afar, like its more photogenic cousins, but certainly
not because it isn't worth visiting. It's a little jewel
of a village, with a very pleasant atmosphere, a good café
on the main square, and a 'hidden' and beautifully preserved
old neighbourhood.
When
you arrive in Goult you park in the square and the ever-popular
Café de la Poste is on the square - a great place
for a drink or a light meal at one of the outside tables,
usually buzzing with as many locals as visitors.
If
you walk up the narrow road that goes up the hill past the
grocery store, this takes you to the old Goult, which is
all in golden stone, and in some places carved out of the
rock of the hill. At the top you come out onto a plateau
with a picturesque windmill and panoramic views.
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Honey-coloured
Goult is as floral as an English village.
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Goult
is grouped around the 17th century castle and 12-13th century
Romanesque/Gothic church with its arches and buttresses,
which is definitely worth a look as it is an interesting
meld of two churches and other buildings.
The
cultivated terraces
There
is a good walk around the restored agricultural terraces
just outside the village. You can clearly see how the farmers
here turned the unfavourable conditions to their advantage
- steep slopes coupled with sudden and infrequent downpours
were overcome with a system of terracing that levelled the
land in steps, like a dry stone amphitheatre, and captured
all the water while preventing soil erosion.
And
aesthetically the terraces marry superbly to the landscape,
not just the stone walls but the ancient olive trees, oaks
and fruit trees that grow there. It's like stepping into
Jean de Florette. The walk reveals stone walls, cisterns,
huts and arches. The walk takes an hour and is signposted
in yellow.
Shops
in Goult: 2 butchers, 2 bakers, a grocery store, post office,
and café.
Restaurants: Le
Café de la Poste, La
Bartavelle
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