Region & activities
Le Pays de Banon
Here at the Champ de l’Amant, the sun shines over 300 days of the year, providing dazzling blue skies ans stunning starry nights. Nestled in the earth of lavendre country, our property is within easy walking distance to the twin village of Saumane-l’Hospitalet (1 and 2 kilometers respectivly) and a seven minute drive from Banon, famous for its chèvre cheese bundled in chestnut leaves.
This vibrant hub town is home to one of France’s greatest bookshops, Le Bleuet, and hosts a lively farmers’market on Tuesday mormings. Just beyond Banon, you can explore the cobbled streets leading to the chateau wich crows the fortified medieval village of Simiane-la-Rotonde or admire the stunning views into the gorges from the perched village of Oppedette.
Our valley is a paradise for a wide variety of outdoor activities. There are facilities for horseback riding, hot air ballooning and paragliding in the immediate area and from the property we have direct (no driving) access to many hiking, riding and cycling trails.
La Provence
The bustling towns of Forcalquier, Apt and Manosque are all nearby. In Manosque, you can visit the pedestrian streets of the ancient, walled town center, take a French language immersion class, or visit the Occitane factory. The farmers’ markets at Forcalquier and Apt are among the very best in Provence.
Fifteen minutes beyond Apt you can explore the beautiful perched villages of the Luberon (Bonnieux, Ménerbes, Gordes, Opède, Roussillon and others) or you may choose to go antiquing at Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, cycling on Le Mont Ventoux, wine-tasting at one of the côtes du Rhône villages, Verdon.
The vibrant provençal cities of Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Nîmes, and Marseille, as well as picturesques coastal towns such as Cassis and privileged destination like St Rémy, Moustiers and Le Pont du Gard or narrow-gauge railway between Digne-les-Bains and Nice all make wonderful day trips.
