Day 3 : Carpentras - Dentelles de Montmirail - Beaumes de Venise - Gigondas - Vaison la Romaine
Go through
Carpentras (see the Friday morning market) and enter the beautiful Côtes du Rhône vineyards in the heart of
the Dentelles de Montmirail.
First stop is in the village of
Beaumes de Venise, ranked as an “Outstanding Good Taste Site” for its famous Muscat wine, a natural sweet wine, and for its olive oil made at the La Balméenne mill (shop and video on olives).
Nestled in the midst of the vines, the town of
Gigondas deserves a stop. Gigondas is famous for its heady wines, and the village is full of charm. At the top of the winding streets, there is a sculpture path with contemporary monumental works. The exhibit changes regularly and is free.
On the way to Vaison, stop in the village of Séguret.
Séguret is also one of the “most beautiful villages in France”. Makers of the traditional Provencal figurines known as “santons” have workshops in Séguret, and the village itself seems to personify the scenes traditionally portrayed in the Provencal crèches. One Séguret santon maker, Monsieur Fournier, is quite well known and his workshop is open to the public.
Vaison-la-Romaine has grown up on both sides of the Ouveze river, and is surrounded by rolling hill. On the right bank lies the Gallo-Roman city, home to archaeological treasures. On the left bank, the winding narrow streets of the later Medieval meander in the upper city. The Roman city is an open-air museum with its Roman villas, mosaics, baths and theatre …