Mas la Gayanne |
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Outdoors and sporting: Golf: There are several first class golf courses within a short distance from the house. There is a 9 hole course in Orange, and superb 18-hole courses in Avignon and Aix-en-Provence, the latter designed by Seve Ballesteros. Have a look here for an overview of further golf courses in our region. Tennis: The village Uchaux has a tennis club with two new hard courts. We have a membership which enables you to book court times. The village of Uchaux is 4 kms away from our house. Cajak, Canoë & Rafting: Gorge d'Ardeche is an amazing canyon where you can rent a canoë or a cajak and enjoy the magnificent nature at your own pace. The river is relatively quiet with only a few rapids, and it therefore suitable also for children (children must be aged 7+ and must be able to swim to be allowed on the water). Drive to Valons Pont d'Arc (40 mins from our house) from where you can rent a canoë and chose from trips ranging from 1hr to 6hrs or even excursions with overnight stay. Buses pick you up at your chosen arrival point and bring you back to your car every full hour. This is a great experience! For those looking for whiter water, from April to September Aqua viva est let's you discover the Gorges du Verdon with a large range of activities including rafting, canoe, kayak and more. Activities opened to everybody, no prior experience required. Canyoing: There is no better way to explore a canyon than this. You will be swimming, walking, sliding and abseiling down deep-cut and narrow gorges where water has carved beautiful grooves and harmonious shapes.There is something for everyone - vertical canyons involve more abseiling down waterfalls and dry sections, and horizontal canyons imply more swimming in wide pools and jumping. No particular technical experience is necessary to go canyoning; first-timers can easily discover these otherwise inaccessible areas, where the pleasure of jumping in deep clear pools and going down natural slides mix with the thrills of abseiling down spectacular waterfalls. Canyoning can even be done with children! We recommend using Philippe Roux, who is based in the Gorges de l’Ardeche and arranges trips both for families and thrill-seekers. Alternatively you can use Aboard, which organises canyoning trips in Gorge de Verdon. Both of these canyons are extraordinarily beautiful! Diving: Scuba diving is a popular sport along the Mediterranean coast, where many of the underwater artifacts date back a few centuries before the Romans began sailing along here. Visitprovence offers an excellent overview of both diving and deep sea fishing providers in and around Marseille and Cassis. Alternatively click here for another overview of diving centers. Fishing: Deep sea fishing is available departing from several places along the coast in the villages east of Marseille. See link above for more information. In addition, rivers, mountain streams, and mountain lakes are stocked with trout and offer wonderful fishing opportunities. Click here for more information. Climbing: Some of the mountains in this region are just incredible to climb. The Calanques are highly recommended! Click here for more information. Horseback riding: Jean-Pierre is the man to talk to about excursions on four legs. Several further stables nearby for shorter rides. Bungee Jumping: Bungee jumping in Pont de l'Artuby is certainly not for the faint-hearted. With its 182m it is the greatest jump of Europe. The Pont de l'Artuby is 15 km west of Comps-sur-Artuby, on the D71. Twelve km west of the village is the Balcons de la Mescla, a wonderful and popular lookout point on the south rim of the Gorges de Verdon. Three km further south, the road crosses the Artuby river over a deep canyon, and here you'll find the bridge. Another place that offers bungee jumping at the weekends or in the summer is Pont de la Mariée at the norhtern end of Gorges de Daluis. Zoo: Zoo de la Barben is located in the heart of the Provence, half way between Marseille and Avignon. It offers 33 hectare forest where 600 animals from 120 different species live together. There is also a crocadile farm located close to Bollene, which is about 20 mins away from our house. Skiing: The Southern Alps offer large skiing areas, nature resorts and village resorts, and the snow quality and stability is supported by the alternation of cold nights and sunny days. Here is an overview of resorts and skiing areas in this region. The closest of these can be found on the famous Mont Ventoux, whose peak reaches over 1900 meters, and which in the winter offers alpine skiing in the resorts of Mont Serein and Chalet-Reynardas, which are about 45 mins away by car from our house. Other activities: Acrobat forest trails / 4-Wheel-Drive & MotoQuad / Hot air balloon / Caves
Sightseeing and daytrips:Gorges du Verdon is a spectacular canyon that forms a border between the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and the Var. Up to 700 m deep, the 21-km-long canyon is much smaller than Arizona's Grand Canyon, but the Grand Canyon du Verdon is deep, compact, wild and beautiful. From Castellane to the village of Rougons, the Verdon river flows clear and swift, and the road follows along the banks for those who want enjoy its breathtaking beauty without strapping on hiking boots. Click here for more information. The Calanques are Provencal fjords in the rocky cliffs along the coast between Cassis and Marseilles. They were formed by rivers flowing into the sea, submerged long ago by the rising level of the Mediterranean. The long narrow inlets in the high white rocks are truly impressive, some with tiny harbors or beaches at the ends, and rock climbers scaling the walls along the sides. The best way to visit the calanques is to walk along the line of boats at the Cassis harbor and see which ones are filling up for which trips. They are going to a set of 3, 5, or 8 calanques. Calanque d'En-Vau, with its steep white cliffs, is one of the prettiest but the other calanques - Port-Miou, Port-Sin, Sugiton, Morgiou und Sormiou - are well worth the visit too. Click here for more information. The 200-kilometre coastline bordering the Bouches-du-Rhône is an ideal venue for other types of water activities, such as fishing, diving, windsurfing, sailing, motorboating, etc. For an excellent overview of what the coastline has to offer including practical information on boat rentals, fishing excursions, diving venues and more go to Visitprovence. Time permitting it is also worth getting on a boat trip to visit the island of Frioul and world-famous Château d'If, fortress of the Count of Monte Cristo, which is situated not far off the coast near Marseille.
Cultural highlights:Les Choregies d'Oranges is not to be missed. This famous opera festival takes place every July in the Theatre Antique in the middle of Orange. The magnificient open-sky theatre, dating back to 20 BC with its enourmous stage wall supporting a statue of Caesar Augustus, makes the experience a truly unforgettable one. Tickets need to be booked early in advance. Festival d'Avignon takes this city by storm during the three last weeks of July. This time-honoured theater festival is a great experience. Even though all productions are in French, the magic of the theater weaves its spell even if your French is a little rusty. Click here for more information. The final programme is available in May and that is when the tickets should be booked as well as tickets are hard to come by.
The markets:The Provencal market is a deeply ingrained part of daily life throughout Provence, with one in a nearby village every day of the week. The markets are a great way to experience the local way of life and also to fill up your basket with local produce. These are the best market days in the Vaucluse: Monday: Cadanet, Cavaillon Tuesday: Vaison-la-Romaine Wednesday: Malaucene, Sault Thursday: Orange, La Motte d'Aigues (Jun-Sep, 18:00-22:00) Friday: Bonnieux, Carpentras, Pertuis Saturday: Apt, Pernes-les-Fontaines Sunday: Coustellet, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue L’Isle sur la Sorgue is a small town renowned for it’s pretty setting, abundant antique shops and a Sunday market. It is a great way to spend a Sunday, quietly strolling the streets of this beautiful little town while looking for bargains before enjoying lunch at one of the many restaurants alongside the river Sorgue. It is also possible to rent cayaks in Fontaine de Vaucluse and travel from there to Isle on the Sorgue. For more information on markets in general, and a complete list of markets by days or villages, click here.
Restaurants:Chateau de Massillan is a beatufully restored hotel less than 3 kms away from our house. It has a large garden with century old trees and a lake, a splendid terrace and pool, as well as a renowed restaurant. The food and ambience here is excellent! Relais et Châteaux de Rochegude is less than 10 minutes away by car and is great both for terrace lunches and evening dining. More info here.
Wine:Our house and the villages surrounding us are located in the middle of the Route des vins du Côtes-du-Rhône. The numourous vineyards in our area can be visited for a winetasting and purchasing at most days. Châteauneuf du-Pape is the most famous district and a must for any wine-lover. In addition the vineyards of Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Beaumes-de-Venise are about 20 minutes away and offer excellent wines at affordable prices. St Esteve d'Uchaux is a local vineyard not more than 5 minutes away from our house, which offers winetasting and very high quality wines at reasonable prices. Vins-Rhone offers loads of information about Cotes de Rhone wine varieties, grapes, appelations, wineroads and much more. Here is a good overview of domaines close to Orange. |
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