Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt

Our townhouse stands in the late-medieval centre, opposite the town hall and a few steps from the church of Saint-Étienne with its octagonal bell tower and nine bells.

Above the village rises the 11th-century château ruin, reached in a 15-minute walk along the ridge. Cobbled paths lead up through stone archways to the preserved chapel, with a breathtaking view across the Luberon. On the other side of the village stand the old windmills.

Saint-Saturnin is not a stage set: two bakeries, a butcher, two grocers, a hairdresser, three restaurants, two bars and the post office, all within a few minutes on foot. Every Tuesday the market takes over Place Gambetta.

In summer the local cultural association brings the village to life: open-air theatre or concerts almost every Wednesday in July and August, plus changing exhibitions in the Four Banal, the old communal oven. All around, marked hiking trails lead past ancient watering troughs and stone bories, through cherry and olive groves, and in summer through fragrant lavender fields.