Getaway in the Luberon
The Bassin de l'Etang in Cucuron
The life of Cucuron is organised around a vast basin, in the shade of tall plane trees.
A large basin at the heart of Cucuron
The Bassin de l’Etang in Cucuron is striking for its scale. The water extends lengthwise, framed by the rows of plane trees and the surrounding facades. Terraces, benches and house doorways line the promenade. This long opening contrasts with the narrow streets of the old centre.
At 61 metres long and 13 metres wide, the basin occupies enough space to form one of the centres of village life. The two rows of trees define its banks and maintain a band of shade around the water. Depending on the hour, tables spread along the edges and passers-by walk around the rectangle before entering the streets that climb towards the older quarters.
The basin, a record of Cucuron’s rural past
The reservoir was already in existence in 1403. Acquired by the municipality in 1515, it was enlarged with water brought from several springs in the Luberon. It served as a watering place for animals, while an underground channel carried its water to two flour mills downstream.
The basin therefore connected several aspects of local life: watering animals, supplying water and running the two mills. These functions explain its scale and position in Cucuron. The rectangle visible today was not an ornament, but part of a hydraulic network on which some of the village’s activity depended.
From utilitarian structure to public square
After the mills closed in the nineteenth century, the basin gradually lost its former economic role. The plane trees, planted in 1813, already marked its transformation into a place for leisure. Benches and terraces later took their place around the water without erasing the geometry of the old structure.
On Tuesday mornings, the weekly market sets out its stalls around the basin. During local festivals, tables and gatherings occupy the water’s edge in turn. At other times, the square follows the comings and goings of residents and visitors, conversations beneath the trees and café terraces beside the basin. Its use changes with the hour, the village calendar and the seasons.
From the basin to the old streets of Cucuron
A walk around the basin is only the beginning of Cucuron. From the square, streets climb towards the old centre. Passages narrow between the facades, change direction and occasionally reveal the relief of the Grand Luberon above the rooftops.
From the basin, the climb leads towards the quarters established higher up, while roads leave the village along the southern slope of the massif. The open space around the water gives way to the winding streets, doorways and slopes of old Cucuron.
The village’s roofs and streets also served as a setting for The Horseman on the Roof, directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau and released in 1995.
Cucuron on the southern slope of the Grand Luberon
Cucuron lies at the foot of the southern slope of the Grand Luberon. From the village, roads lead through vineyards, olive groves and farmland towards Vaugines, Ansouis and Lourmarin. To the south, they gradually open towards the Durance valley.
Cucuron can be included in a day linking several villages on the southern side of the Luberon. A few kilometres away, the Friday morning market in Lourmarin presents another form of village life among stalls, streets and café terraces.
Our selection
Guest houses around Cucuron to extend the getaway
Around Cucuron, Lourmarin, Vaugines and Ansouis, the southern Luberon lends itself to a guest house stay between villages, vineyards, small roads and shaded terraces. The portal favours direct links to owners' websites, so you can compare atmospheres and prepare a stay close to the territory.