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When the summer lavender flowers, this medieval abbey surrounded by purple fields is a spectacular sight (see Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque).

The relics of St Anne (mother of the Virgin) were discovered on this site in 776, and here they remain, having survived the destruction of the church and its rebuilding from the 11th century on. The two crypts have also survived, containing sarcophagi from early Christian times. The cathedral has 18th-century paintings and a 15th-century stained-glass window of the Tree of Jesse. The 17th-century St Anne Chapel contains what is said to be the saint’s veil, although it’s probably of 9th-century Egyptian origin.

From the base of grandiose, 230-m (750-ft) high cliffs, Europe’s most powerful spring pumps out the water which creates the River Sorgue. The romance and mystery of the setting (no one has yet found the exact source of the water) attracts millions of visitors every year, as it once attracted 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch (see Fontaine-de-Vaucluse). Downstream of the source, the charming little village celebrates its most famous inhabitant with a museum in one of the houses claimed to have been his. It also boasts an excellent museum dedicated to the history, art and literature of World War II and another equally good one devoted to speleology (caves and caving).

Second only to the Verdon gorges (see Grand Canyon du Verdon) in dramatic potential, the Nesque gorges run for 20 km (12 miles) between the villages of Villes-sur-Auzon and Monieux. The rocky drop descends more than 300 m (1,000 ft), its sides alternately bare or covered in scrub vegetation. Cut into the cliff, the winding road is definitely not for vertigo sufferers. The Castelleras viewpoint looks onto the 850-m (2,800-ft) Rocher de Cire (Wax Rock – so-called because it is home to millions of bees). This is also the start of a testing walk to the bottom of the gorges, where Chapel St-Michel is dug into the rock.

Probably the prettiest mountain range in Provence, the Dentelles are formed by three ridges of chalk topped by ragged crests. The French think of these as lacework (dentelles ), but they can look more like fangs in rough weather. Within the range, tiny villages (Suzette, La Roque Alric) cling to the crags as if by magic and climbers are attracted to the sheer rock-faces. The walking, too, is spectacularly good, notably up to St Amand, at 730 m (2,400 ft), the highest point. Round the western edge cluster the picturesque wine villages of Beaumes-de-Venise, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Séguret. It’s advisable to stop here after, rather than before, a ramble (see Vineyards and Distilleries).

The bald-headed “Giant of Provence” is the Vaucluse’s greatest landmark, a vast pyramid of rock which has inspired poets, mystics and botanists for centuries. Rising 1,900 m (6,300 ft), it commands the surrounding landscape, affording astonishing views to the sea, the Alps and the Rhône. Snow-capped in winter, the summit is revealed as arid chalk in summer and buffeted by strong winds all year round. The lower slopes are dense with trees, 1,000 plant varieties and wildlife.

The Luberon has a wild, mountain beauty and it is the park’s job to maintain the balance between tourists and the environment. Covering 150,000 ha (375,000 acres), it takes in the rugged Petit Luberon of crags, gorges and perched villages to the west and the more rounded Grand Luberon to the east. It also stretches north to the Monts de Vaucluse. The park’s headquarters in Apt have information on walks, the ecology and the area’s traditions (see Parc Naturel Régional du Luberon).

The finest Roman theatre in Europe has its original stage wall, guaranteeing perfect acoustics (see Parc de la Colline St-Eutrope, Orange).

Expelled from France in the 14th century, the Jews sought refuge in those parts of Provence then belonging to the pope. This included Carpentras, whose synagogue, founded in 1367, is the oldest still functioning on French soil. Rebuilt in the 18th century, the synagogue looks like neighbouring buildings from the outside: laws forbade decoration. Within, the ground floor and cellar boasts the old bakery (for unleavened bread) and pools essential for Jewish rituals. These are presently being restored. A monumental staircase leads to the sumptuous two-storey area of worship (men upstairs, women below), setting for the tabernacle, teba, candelabra and magnificent chandeliers.

One of the best preserved Roman towns in Provence (see Vaison-la-Romaine).