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home allaboutprovence.com  get useful information before you go.attractions, ideas, food, questions, pictures, and villas in provence. top 10 scenic   web allaboutprovence.com top 10 most beautiful landscapes and hikes in provenceif you are wondering where provencal landscapes could take away your breath please see some recommendations below.provence is a magnific place to hike, whether we are talking about being a serious hiker or just going for a 10 minute walk to enjoy the nature. the views are breathtaking, often extending 25 miles or more.1.        valley of luberon: les falaises de liouxthis is a fairly easy hike that takes you to the small village of lioux and then along the top of this amazing rock cliff that seems to rise up out of nowhere. we love this hike because the cliff is so unexpected (and not visible from the south) and the views are so special. see bonnieux, joucas, murs and roussillon from the top of the cliffs!!! the cliffs can also be admired by under and from the road, around close by villages of lioux, joucas and up to murs.map: ign blue map – 3242 ot (apt)2.        les gorges du verdon/ gran canyon du verdonthe deep cliff of the gorges du verdon is unique in europe and is one of the greatest tourist attractions in provence. at the border with the alpes de haute provence, the canyon is up to 700 m deep, and within its 21-km-long itvaries in width between 6 and 100 m at the bottom and 200 to 1500 m at its rim. water sports, canyoning, hiking, horse riding and rock climbing are all incredible there. even though it is a bit further north than the heart of provence, if your trip allows you to go there, you wll not be disappointed.3.        le petit colorado – rustrelthe ochre color of the "colorado de rustrel" contrasts with the blue of the sky and the green of the trees.after visiting this typical village, you head to the “colorado de rustrel”, large quarry area where ochre was extracted. mining and erosion carved numerous peaks, sheer cliffs, narrow corridors, some earth pillars, colours of which vary from bright yellow to blood red. then you keep on walking to the old fortified village of viens.4.        les dentelles de montmirail close to carpentras/ gigondasthe dentelles de montmirail are short, steep mountains with a distinctive rocky ridge, extending west geologically from the ventoux mountains. the jagged, rocky top is named after the lace (dentelle) it's thought to resemble.a number of hiking trails climb up the dentelles from the surrounding villages of beaumes-de-venise (famous sweet alcohol), gigondas (famous wine), and lafare. there are a variety of hikes possible up on the mountain, including one trail that follows along the full length of the ridge at the top.maps: ign "bleue" (1:25,000) 3040 et "carpentras"5.        mont ventouxsituated as last alpine mountain ridge before the rhône plain, the mont ventoux can be seen almost from everywhere in provence. although the mont ventoux is not a extraordinary high mountain in comparison to the high alps further north and east, its isolated position gives it a dominating feature.you can climb the mont ventoux from three different starting points : malaucène, bédoin and sault.to the south we have the tableland of vaucluse and further the mountain-range "le lubéron". from here you can see the mediterranean sea on clear days. beneath us we see the "gorges de la nesque" . to the east the heighest peak is the "signal de lure" (1826 m.). closer by we have the "col des tempêtes" (1829 m.)  and the military radar . as we turn to the northeast the view plummits down to the toulourenc valley 1400 meters further down. further northeast we have the prealpine hills and at the horizon the high peaks of the "massif des ecrins" . to the west the view covers the valley of the river "rhône" and the "cevennes". finally to the southwest  we see first the civil aviation radar before the rhône plains and delta. the pyrenees (spain) are said to be seen on extremely clear days...6.        sault and the lavender toursault is one of the main stops on the lavender tour (organised for visiting distilleries, lavender fields and summer lavender festivals). the biggest festival is the 14th and 15th of august where games, competitions, or any activities that have to do with lavender, are held. there is also a sales exhibition of all the local products. all around the city lie immense blue fields alternating with fields of wheat for as far as you can see - superb! season is june to september, for more information on the route of lavender go to http://www.routes-lavande.com.also, note that real lavender, and not lavendin, ca only be grown in provence at an altitude of above 600 meters altitude and is known for its more delicate perfume, and its calming powers. only there in the world you can grow real lavender!!!lavendin is easier to cultivate, and that is what you see in many other places. the longevitiy of the smell and the good properties of the lavender are not found in the lavendin. also, do not cook with something else than real lavender!!!7.        mont sainte victoirea symbol of provence like mount ventoux and the sainte baume massif, the major landmark of the aix area, and a favourite motif of cézanne, mont sainte-victoire reaches an altitude of 1011 m at pic des mouches (peak of the flies).there is a road around the mountain with superb viewpoints overlooking mount sainte-victoire; there are also several departure points for walks.8.        cassis – les calanquesfjords in scandinavia, calanches in corsica, the calanques reserve the most extraordinary sensations for the visitor. in marseille and cassis, they offer their white limestone indentations to those seeking strong sensations.different “calanques” are accessible either from marseilles and cassis. from marseille you can nearly all year round access by the road: “les goudes” and “marseilleveyre”, “sormiou”, “morgiou” and “sugiton”. but the road to some of them can be closed and accessible only with special buses during the summer to prevent fires. you can also hike to “la grande candelle” and the “devenson” from the university luminy.from cassis, one easy and recommended way to visit the calanques is by boat. though many are very touristy, it is convenient and simple, and you can take one boat in the morning that will drop you off in one calanque to spend the rest of the day swimming or sunbathing and come back on board of another boat. there are many hiking trails also available to visit the calanques from cassis. be careful, some of them are pretty long!carte ign spéciale n° 82051. carte ign régionale r 21.9.        valley of les alpillesthe alpilles are an extension of the luberon mountains, which stretch out to the east.one good point of view is of course from the top of les baux de provence, but the road around eygalieres are of a true beauty and from there you can reach the top of the “opies”, the higher of the alpilles. from tarascon to salon, the road of “the olive trees” will make you appreciate how beautiful those trees can be.map ign "bleue" (1:25,000) 3042 ouest; 3043 ouest.10.        camarguejust to the north of arles, provence’s chief roman metropolis that we recommend to visit on the way, the river rhône divides into two : to the west the "petit rhône" and to the east the "grand rhône. between and around them lies the vast delta of salt marsh known as the camargue. created by the ebb flow and collision of the great river from the north, swollen by melting alpine snows, and from the southeast buffeted by a robust riposte of the "houle" (sea swell) which douses the salt flats, forever re-designing intricate patterns of pools, ponds, and lagoons "étangs", among sandbars and desolate marshland. horseriding on the beach there is incredible and horses from camargue are a famous breed. provence is irresistible.  so much of this is driven by the array attractions available.  the travel experts at allaboutprovence.com have complied a list of attractions in provence by theme, scroll down to see what theme of attraction is right for you! 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