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The Best Small Towns and Villages
Cordes-sur-Ciel (Languedoc-Roussillon): Perched like an eagle's nest on a hilltop, Cordes is an arts-and-crafts town, with ancient houses on narrow streets filled with artisans plying their trades. Once fabled in France for the brilliance of its silks, today it's a sleepy town 25km (16 miles) northwest of Albi, the city of Toulouse-Lautrec. Ideally, you should visit Cordes as a side trip from Albi, but you might become enchanted with the place and decide to stay over in this town of a hundred Gothic arches.
Uzès (Provence): Uzès is a gem, a bit of a time capsule with lofty towers and narrow streets. Racine once lived here and was inspired by the town to write his only comedy, Les Plaideurs. André Gide also found a home in this "dream of the Middle Ages." Once Louis XIII called Uzès "the premier duchy of France." You can see why by staying at the stately 18th-century Château d'Arpaillargues (tel. 04-66-22-14-48).
Gordes (Provence): One of the best known of Provence's hill villages, Gordes, east of Avignon, is deservedly called le plus beau village de France. Today an escape for in-the-know Parisians, it's a town of silk painters, weavers, and potters. The setting is bucolic, between the Coulon valley and the Vaucluse plateau. Houses built of golden stone rise to the Renaissance château crowning the top. The late artist Victor Vasarély lived here in a fortified château that has been turned into a museum displaying much of his work.
Roussillon (Provence): Northeast of Gordes, Roussillon stands on a hilltop in the heart of "ocher country," where the earth is a bright red (roussillon means "russet"). This ancient village boasts houses in every shade of burnt orange, dusty pink, and russet red -- they take on a particular brilliance at sunset. Roussillon, however, is no longer the sleepy village described in Laurence Wylie's A Village in the Vaucluse. Artists, writers, and trendy Parisians have discovered its charms, and today many use it as their second home.
Roquebrune (Eastern Riviera): This medieval hill village southwest of Menton is the finest along the Côte d'Azur. It has been extensively restored, and not even the souvenir shops can spoil its charm. Steep stairways and alleys lead up to its feudal castle crowning the village. But before heading here, take in rue Moncollet, flanked by houses from the Middle Ages. This castle, dating from the 10th century, is the oldest in France -- in fact, it's the only Carolingian castle left standing.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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