Le Beaucet, France

Enticing hilltop village

At any turn along twisting Provençal roads, you might encounter ooh-worthy remote villages set high on rocky hilltops, poking above olive groves, vineyards and forests.

A little bit of a climb

We came upon exactly that type of village set into the Vaucluse hills. Le Beaucet is a tiny, serene town of 400 residents built into rocky cliffs. We were curious to get a closer look so we climbed (well, drove and then walked) up to get a look around.

View of quintessential Provence

It didn’t take long to explore the few narrow streets and pass by the two 12th-century churches. It continues to amaze me that, regardless of size, every town has at least one church. Unfortunately, they were both locked.

Surprise – a church!

The other sight is a fortified château at the very top of the hill. Rather than hike up to that, we poked around the few shops selling local crafts then continued on our way.

Le Beaucet is along the D39, just between the Monts of Vaucluse and the Luberon valley.