La Bastide stands at the top of the medieval village of Gordes, looking across the valley to the Luberon. The main house dates from the 16th century, and behind a modest façade on the Rue de la Combe lie terraced gardens, stone ramparts and olive trees. The village drew Victor Vasarely in 1948, and Marc Chagall and André Lhote also worked nearby. Airelles opened the house in 2015 after a restoration by the architect Christophe Tollemer and more than 150 artisans, with European antiques, period paintings, carved panelling and Pierre Frey fabrics recalling the 18th-century bastides of Provence. The main restaurant, La Table de la Bastide, led by chef Pierre Marty, serves Mediterranean cooking from Provençal produce; Clover Gordes brings Jean-François Piège's plant-forward, wood-fired food, with La Bastide de Pierres and a Beefbar alongside. The Airelles Spa by Guerlain, inspired by nearby Sénanque Abbey, has vaulted ceilings, an indoor pool, a hammam and a sauna, and the terrace pool sits among cypresses. Children have their own camp and pool. There are 34 rooms and six suites, plus a four-bedroom townhouse.
- Nearest airport
- Marseille Provence Airport (MRS), 33 Miles / 53 Kilometres
- Rooms
- 40 rooms and suites, plus a four-bedroom townhouse
- Taken whole
- The full property, 40 rooms and suites
Insider tip Go early to the 12th-century Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque, among lavender fields just outside Gordes, for a quiet morning.
Why I choose it A 16th-century house crowning one of Provence's loveliest villages, restored by more than 150 craftspeople, with room for families.