A getaway in the southern Luberon
Market day in Lourmarin
On Friday mornings, the stalls and café terraces set the pace for market day in Lourmarin.
A summer Friday morning in Lourmarin
From early morning, café tables spread across the squares and pavements. Awnings and parasols provide the first patches of shade while the sun lights up the pale façades and cobbled streets.
Local residents and visitors share the same streets. Shopping, chance meetings and stops at a café come together in a village linked by small roads to Cucuron, Vaugines, Ansouis and Lauris.
The stalls of Lourmarin market
The market occupies Avenue Raoul-Dautry, beneath the plane trees, between the village and the château. As the morning progresses, the crowd grows and the space between the stalls narrows. Fabrics and baskets sit beside fruit and vegetable stalls, charcuterie, cheese and olives.
People linger at some stalls and occasionally retrace their steps. A few metres away, the terraces on Rue du Temple welcome those leaving the busiest part of the market. Further into the village, the sound of the stalls fades in the narrow streets.
From the market into the streets of Lourmarin
The market is also a way into the village. Beyond the avenue are narrow streets, pale façades, covered passages and small squares. Set slightly apart, the château marks the entrance to the combe that crosses the Luberon towards Bonnieux.
Henri Bosco and Albert Camus also connect Lourmarin with literature. Bosco first came to the village in 1922 and later bought a small country house here. Camus bought a house in 1958. Both writers are buried in Lourmarin cemetery.
Lingering on a terrace after the market
The terraces line the market route, particularly on Rue du Temple. They offer a place to set down your shopping and have a drink while visitors continue to pass a few metres from the tables.
On Friday mornings, a café stop follows naturally from the shopping. From a table, you can watch visitors and their baskets go by. The hum of the market still reaches the terrace, set back from the busiest part of the crowd.
Lourmarin in the southern Luberon
The market places Lourmarin within a close network of villages. To the east, Cucuron, Vaugines and Ansouis extend a journey through the southern Luberon. To the north, the combe crosses the mountains towards Bonnieux and Apt.
This location makes Friday morning part of a wider exploration of the Luberon, without reducing Lourmarin to its market alone.
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Bed and breakfasts around Lourmarin
Lourmarin, Cucuron, Vaugines, Ansouis and Lauris provide several bases for exploring the southern Luberon. The portal favours direct links to owners' websites, making it easier to compare locations and plan a stay.