Leave by coach for an optional tour of interesting sites in the Luberon area. You will see the village of Gordes, awarded the label "One of the Most Beautiful Villages in France." Located in the heart of the Vaucluse hills and the Luberon Regional Natural Park, Gordes and its majestic château dominate the valley. Admire the beauty of the village dotted with stone houses perched atop limestone cliffs. Arrival at the Sénanque Abbey, a fantastic example of Cistercian work. The abbey was founded in 1148 by Cistercian monks from Mazan, located in the Ardèche region. The abbey church forms a tau cross, and rather unusually, its traditional liturgical east end actually faces north. The monastery took 60 years to build, and the oldest parts of the complex were built with local stones. The monks of today continue to uphold their monastic tradition of lives dedicated to prayer and labor as dictated by the Rule of Saint Benedict. The community gathers in the church seven times a day to celebrate collectively. Each monk performs a duty within the structure of the monastery, which itself is focused on the cultivation of lavender. After the flower is harvested in July and August, the monks extract the scent as an oil, which they then use to produce various products, including perfume.

In the case of unavailability, the visit to the abbey will be replaced by a visit to the Lavender Museum.
The Lavender Museum is located in the heart of the Golden Triangle, near Gordes. This picturesque museum, in the form of a traditional local dry-stone farmhouse, houses a veritable conservatory of fine Provençal lavender. More than 346 exhibits retrace the history of lavender in Provence from the 16th century to the present day. You'll be plunged into the spellbinding world of this plant that is so emblematic of Provence. The tour begins with an introduction to the history of lavender, where you'll discover how it has been used throughout the ages, both culinarily and medicinally. Interactive exhibits will enable you to learn more about the different varieties of lavender and their specific characteristics. Next, you can explore the various stages in the distillation of lavender essential oil, and to round off this sensory experience you'll have the chance to smell and test the lavender essential oil.

At the end of our tour, we’ll return to the ship.

PLEASE NOTE

• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.