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Lourmarin
is not a perched, hill-top village, and it is not on the
north side of the Luberon, but it is one of the loveliest
Luberon villages anyway.
If
your idea of a perfect Provence village includes cafes and
restaurants spilling out onto the cobbled streets, Lourmarin
is the place for you.
The
café culture is sparse in some of the Luberon villages
but not here. There must be 15 restaurants and cafes to
choose from, and several of them are very good.
In
the centre of the village where the roads converge there
are tables everywhere on the sidewalk for anything from
a coffee in the morning sun to a 5-course dinner.
The
streets of Lourmarin meander round, past fountains and tight-packed
houses, and you get the impression that they are circling
around the impressive belfry (Castelas) at the highest point
of the village. The belfry is built on the vestiges of the
medieval moated castle that once defined Lourmarin.
Lourmarin
has been an important staging post on the Marseille-Apt
route since the XIth century. It is in the cleft that runs
right through the Luberon mountain range, separating the
Grand Luberon from the Petit Luberon, and marked by the
course of the Aiguebrun river. The drive to Lourmarin is
quite thrilling, winding through cliffs and forest, with
a few hairpin bends thrown in.
Lourmarin itself is on a plain, with two slight hills
(more like rises) - one houses the village of Lourmarin,
on the other is the (mainly) Renaissance chateau. Between
the two, a little on its own, the protestant temple dating
from the start of the 19th century.
The
chateau is known as the Villa Medicis de Provence, and is
used for concerts and exhibitions. There are guided tours
of the chateau and its art, including some engravings by
Piranesi.
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| Lourmarin's
lower church |
Albert Camus
Lourmarin's most famous resident was Albert Camus,
the Nobel prize-winning author whose L'Etranger (The
Stranger) is one of the great texts of the 20th century.
It opens memorably: "Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday,
I'm not sure." ("Aujourd'hui, maman est morte.
Ou peut-être hier, je ne sais pas.")
Camus
hated driving and said he couldn't imagine a death more
meaningless than dying in a car crash. For a writer so preoccupied
with the meaninglessness of existence, it was tragically
fitting that he died in a car accident, on the way from
Lourmarin to Paris, in 1960. He was 46.
Albert
Camus is buried in Lourmarin cemetery and has a street in
Lourmarin named after him.
Lourmarin restaurants
Lourmarin
is known for its restaurants - here are some of them:
L'Antiquaire
Rue du Grand
Pré
Tel : 04 90 68 17 29
Closed Sunday night and Monday
Provence
and traditional, light and fresh ingredients.
Le
Ratelier
2, rue Albert
Camus.
Tel: 04 90 68 23 33
email: pamollier@wanadoo.fr
Closed Monday and Saturday lunch, and Wednesday
Family
restaurant, pizza, pasta, grills and salads.
L'Oustalet
Avenue du
Rayol (facing the castle)
Tel : 04 90 68 07 33
Closed Tuesday-Wednesday
Traditional
and local Provencal dishes, in a 17th post inn, shaded patio,
beautiful view of the castle.
La
Récré
15 Avenue
Philippe de Girard (next to the Tourism Office)
Tel: 04 90 68 23 73
email: salarecree@wanadoo.fr
Closed Wednesday
Traditional
Provencal and organic. Shaded terrace
Per
head: 20-30 euros
Le Michel Ange
Place de la
Fontaine.
Tel : 04 90 68 02 03
Closed Tuesday-Wednesday
Mediterranean
and seafood. Shaded terrace
Price
per head: 20-60 euros
Le Moulin de Lourmarin
(facing the
castle)
Tel: 04 90 68 06 69
Website: www.moulindelourmarin.com/gb_bistrot.htm
The
old, Michelin-starred Moulin de Lourmarin has moved to the
Bastide de Capelongue, this is now a simpler, more affordable
bistro. Garden with fountain.
Price
per head: 30-70 euros
Lourmarin mini-golf - Les Cerisiers
Tel : 04 90
68 14 07
Open: April-September except Monday, and every day July-August.
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