Along the river

25 km – around 30 minutes

Dotted throughout this charming town are its 41 public fountains, several of which are classed as Monuments Historiques (a designation given to some national heritage sites in France). The “Circuit des Fontaines” enables you to discover them all.

Museums and places to visit:
 ●       5 museums with free-entry (open from April to September) such as Musée de la Résistance and the Musée du cycle Comtadin du in Hotel Cheylus
●       Discover the craftsmen of Pernes, a town which has been awarded the “Ville et Métiers d’Art” (arts and crafts city label)
●       A 2-hour guided visit titled “La Perle du Comtat” (the Pearl of the Comtat) exploring this little mediaeval town
●       A 1-hour guided visit of the Jewish ritual bath – booking required
●       La Tour Ferrande (the Ferrande Tower), famous for its 13th-century frescoes (1 hour)

Practical information

• Guided visits with the Pernes-les-Fontaines tourist office
  T. +33 (0)4 90 61 31 04
  For groups: +33 (0)4 90 61 31 04 – animation@tourisme-pernes.fr
  
  Perle du Comtat group package (maximum 18 people): 100€ during the week and 150€ on weekends
  
  La Vie autour du Mikvé (life around the Mikvah) in Pernes group package: 75€ during the week and 100€ on weekends
  
  La Tour Ferrande group package: 75€ during the week and 100€ on weekends

15 km – around 20 minutes – coach parking

The department of Vaucluse takes its name from the Fontaine de Vaucluse, otherwise known in Latin as “Vallis Clausa” (literally, closed valley). The spring is France’s largest resurgence in terms of flow and its exceptionally pure water gushes out during floods. Fontaine de Vaucluse is the perfect village to explore the old town on the banks of the Sorgue by foot.

Museums and places to visit: Musée du monde souterrain (museum of the underground world) / Musée de la résistance (currently shut for building works) / Musée-bibliothèque François Pétrarque / Moulin à Papier (paper mill) Vallis Clausa

Practical information

• Find information and book guided visits (FR/GB/IT) at l’Isle sur la Sorgue tourist office, or directly at the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse office.
  T. +33 (0)4 84 09 00 28
  
• Coaches:
  One-way traffic from avenue Robert Garcin (D25); passengers get off and on at the bus stop located at the entrance to the village. Available parking on the edge of the D24, before and after the hamlet of Galas.

12 km – around 35 minutes

L’isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a little haven of greenery, through which many branches of the Sorgue run, giving it its nickname “Little Comtadine Venice”. It is also Europe’s 3rd-largest secondhand and antique market with over 300 permanent antique and secondhand dealers.

Don’t miss the fascinating museums in l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue:

·         La Filaventure
after 210 years of existence, the 7th and 8th generations of Brun de Vian-Tiran invite you to share their passion for noble fibres in this sensory museum

·         La Villa Datris is a foundation devoted entirely to contemporary sculpture. Open seasonally, from May to November; free entry

·        Campredon art & image
for over thirty years, it has held three exhibitions per year; large-scale events, dedicated to big names in modern and contemporary art

Practical information

• Find information and book guided visits (FR/GB/IT) at l’Isle sur la Sorgue tourist office (half-day from €210 for a group up to 30 people, €260 from 30 to 40 people).
  +33 (0)4 90 38 04 78
  
• La Filaventure: 8 to 15 persons (6€), more than 16 persons (5€), free accompanying person from 30 persons
  
• Villa Datris: group visits only by appointmentmediation@fondationvilladatris.com
  
• Campredon art & image: price per person 7€