The Local Area

The house is just 1.5 km outside Cairanne, a provençal village located 15 minutes north-east of Orange and the Autoroute du Soleil. It is one of the Côte du Rhone villages, though in fact the wine has now been accredited 'Cru' and on a par with the more famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas. Cairanne has a baker, café, restaurant, newsagent and handy grocers selling everything! The nearest full supermarket is in lovely Sainte-Cecile-les-Vignes, which is 7 minutes from the house. It sells everything and has a petrol station. Nearby Rasteau has an excellent Cave Cooperative you should not miss, with tasting and a good selection of gifts. Certainly this is a great area if you are into wine-tasting, with caves to be found literally 200 metres from the house and every kilometre or so in every direction. 

A major advantage of this house is its proximity to Vaison-la-Romaine, which is a picturesque and historic town famed for its Tuesday market. A stunning 15 minute drive from the house, it has extensive Roman remains including an amphitheatre as well as a beautiful, medieval citadel on the hill just across the Roman bridge from the 18th century town centre. We also regularly re-visit its cathedral which is simple but exquisite. On a more practical note, you can find everything you could possibly need here - including very large supermarkets, a hospital, DIY, car repairs/wash and scores of cafés and restaurants. In July it hosts an excellent dance festival in the amphitheatre. These 3 pictures are all of Vaison.

Villages and Towns

Cairanne old village itself was visited by the knights templar and makes a nice bike trip from the house. There are great views from the ramparts by the church. We also love Sainte-Cecile-les-Vignes which has a great Saturday market, banks, several good restaurants and cafés and a handy 'Utile' supermarket with its own petrol station. It is about 5 minutes drive from the house.

There are tons of pretty provençal villages around and no doubt you will discover your own favourites. Ours are nearby Séguret, which has a couple of great restaurants and Gigondas which is visible from the garden. Other highlights include sophisticated Aix-en-Provence and Avignon- the former papal seat.  In July, Avignon mounts its world famous theatre festival.  l'Isle sur la Sorgue 'floats' on the rivers that pass through its centre and on Sundays they are flanked by market stalls and antique dealers. In fact the town boasts many antique shops and it's a great place to come to for lunch. Les Baux de Provence is a hilltop village with stunning views, set in an astonishing landscape of bauxite towers. The Carrieres de Lumières light show is not to be missed - everyone we take there is surprised and impressed. If opera is your thing then there are top-quality productions in Orange's antique Roman theatre, only 15 minutes away. The spectacular Roman aqueduct, Le Pont du Gard, is about 40 minutes drive.