Recently, we spent a long weekend in a stunning village house in Bonnieux. Maison Vue Provence is owned by an Australian couple, Jenny and Jonathan. Fellow foodies and curious travellers, the first thing that I noticed when we walked into their house was the astoundingly gorgeous view that you can glimpse as soon as you walk in and secondly was the piles and piles of books. I thought I was in Luberon heaven!
Bonnieux Village
The house is located up a little cobbled road in the historic centre of Bonnieux village. When you walk in, you can see through the house to the Luberon valley. Think rows of Cyprus trees, vibrant lavender (in July), cherry orchards and hilltop towns. Bonnieux faces Lacoste village and is within 20 minutes of a few of the officially recognised “most beautiful villages of France”.
I have to say, I’ve always been partial to Bonnieux. When we first moved to Provence we would drive to the hilltop town even in the winter, eat a delectable almond croissant and sit in the winter sun with a coffee. Wonderfully, this village has a little bit of life all year round, unlike some more quiet Luberon villages. It’s an hour north of Aix en Provence and an hour from Les Alpilles. This is where you come to experience the ultimate relaxing holiday. I always say to my clients for my Provence itineraries, don’t try to do too much! The perfect recipe for a holiday in Provence, in my humble opinion, is this:
The Perfect Provence Holiday
Wake up early, drive (or even walk) to a nearby village. Explore the market (see list of local markets) and the winding historic streets. Sit in a café and people watch. Find the highest point of the village for the view and see if you can spot Mt Ventoux. Find a little restaurant and indulge in a three course meal (with rosé of course). Then, allow yourself a leisurely sieste and lazy afternoon followed by an evening apéritif. Then, repeat the following day.
Relax. That’s an Order.
Maison Vue Provence lends itself perfectly to this type of vacation because the view is so beautiful from the balcony that you really don’t want to go anywhere else. Have a BBQ, switch off your phone, thumb through a few cookbooks and art books. Dip your feet into the little plunge pool. Sigh. I didn’t want to leave.
If you want to really switch off, you don’t have drive once you’re in Bonnieux. There are several restaurants, a couple little wine bars, and some great walking. Jenny and Jonathan are avid randonneurs (hikers) and can help you with maps and instructions for some of their favourite walks in the area. There are also a couple companies that provide bike rentals (including bikes with sneaky little motors on them to help you with those Luberon hilltop towns.) In July, it gets hot very quickly but I have to say a walking holiday would be perfect in the autumn or early spring when you can see the cherry blossoms or poppies.
For the History Buffs
Maison Vue Provence has three bedrooms, a dining area/kitchen, living room and a little bonus for the curious like me. If you venture into the basement, you’ll find two levels of centuries-old vaulted ceilings. If you’re interested in local history, you’ll be simply astonished. In the hills behind Bonnieux, such as at Fort Buoux, you’ll find troglodyte caves and dwellings that date back to at least neolithic times. Since then, there were of course the Romans (there is a Roman bridge nearby) and winding medieval streets and renaissance facades. You can stand here and just imagine what these walls have seen…
Book Maison Vue Provence
If you’d like to book Maison Vue Provence village house in Bonnieux you can contact Jenny directly via the Maison Vue Provence Facebook page, or book directly on AirBnB. Make sure to tell her that you found out about Maison Vue Provence here. I’m hoping she’ll invite me over again for that walking holiday…ha!
If you’d like to see more photos, check out the Maison Vue Provence Instagram Page.
Private Catering Delivered the House
Have a delicious meal delivered to you directly at the house so that you can enjoy the sunset. We did! See more here: My Catering Provence.
