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Gordes & Borie villages

Chemin de Granan, Gordes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Description

Gordes is a village in the Vaucluse département in South Eastern France known for its 16th century Renaissance castle, its impressive setting atop a calcareous formation, and the nearby Village des Bories and Sénanque Abbey. The Village des Bories is an open-air museum consisting of about 20 dry stone huts located 2.5km west of Gordes. The huts, commonly referred to as "cabanes", were built using 10-15 cm-thick, limestone slabs and traditionally used as barns, grain store and even seasonal dwellings. The village is managed by the Gordes municipality and is open to visitors for a fee.

Access & Transport

Gordes is 45km west of Avignon, 25km southeast of Carpentras, 30km north of Orange and 80km northwest of Aix-en-Provence. There are no public transport options. It is possible to walk (about 30mins) from Gordes to the Village des Bories and there is a parking area near the entrance for those reaching by car.

Instructions & Recommendations

We suggest combining a visit of Gordes & Borie village with the Sénanque Abbey, 3km to the north of the centre of Gordes.

Meta review

The village is regularly featured in travel magazines suggesting Provence itineraries and is regularly ranked among the most beautiful villages in France. Most visitors do agree and highlight the views and good food. However, many reviewers find the throng of tourists during the summer month to be a turn off and the fame of the village not warranted - meaning it is nice but not THAT nice. The advice therefore is to avoid July / August and long weekends. As for the Bories, the majority of people found it very interesting, well reconstructed, and certainly unusual. There are some visitors though who did not see past piles of stones or did not like some of the exaggerations relating to the use of those shelters.

Environmental & Social

Environmentally neutral. Preserves the region's architectural and cultural heritage and brings some economic influx to the village; although that comes with a degree of over-commercialization

Conclusion

Gordes is a charming village with quaint streets, a castle and a great weekly market - how very Provencal. We think it is an excellent activity as countryside sights go but we wouldn't rank it among the very best villages in the country and would hesitate to include it in a summer itinerary because of the tourist crowds. The Bories are unusual stone structures that have been well reconstructed (possibly looking better than they ever did) - interesting but not a must-see.

Key positive

Great views of and from the village

The Bories are quite an unusual sight

Key negative

Gordes is small and very crowded in the summer

Suitability

Suitable for all ages and accessible for visitors with reduced mobility

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

June 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
Opening hours are for the Village des Bories and the closing time depends on the season

av. transport time:1h

est. visit time:3h

Regulated hours

Start of Season 1:Apr, 01

Season 1

MONDAY09:00 - 18:30

TUESDAY09:00 - 18:30

WEDNESDAY09:00 - 18:30

THURSDAY09:00 - 18:30

FRIDAY09:00 - 18:30

SATURDAY09:00 - 18:30

SUNDAY09:00 - 18:30

Start of Season 2:Oct, 01

Season 2

MONDAY09:00 - 17:30

TUESDAY09:00 - 17:30

WEDNESDAY09:00 - 17:30

THURSDAY09:00 - 17:30

FRIDAY09:00 - 17:30

SATURDAY09:00 - 17:30

SUNDAY09:00 - 17:30

Pricing
Age band
Age band
Regular price / pers.
Group price / pers.
Senior
65 - 99
€8
7
Adult
18 - 64
€8
7
Child
12 - 17
€4
7
Infant
0 - 11
€0
0
This is for the Village des Bories

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