Luberon

The Luberon or Lubéron Massif (Provençal Occitan: "Leberon" in classical norm or "Leberoun" in Mistralian norm) has a maximum altitude of 1,256 m and an area of about 600 km². It is composed of three mountain ranges: (from west to east) the Little Luberon, the Big Luberon and the Oriental Luberon, lying in the middle of Provence in the far south of France. The valley between them contains a number of towns and villages as well as agricultural land.

The total number of inhabitants varies greatly between winter and summer, due to a massive influx of tourists during the warm season.

It is a favourite destination for French high society and British and American visitors because of the pleasant and picturesque towns and villages, comfortable way of life, agricultural wealth, historical and cultural associations (e.g. Samuel Beckett lived in Roussillon during World War II), and hiking trails.

In the 1970s, people came from all over France to "Le Luberon" in search of a communitarian ideal.

The "Force de frappe" or French strategic nuclear arsenal used to be nearby, underground, on "Le plateau d'Albion" before being dismantled in the late 1980s. Now, the underground site, where the control of the missiles was, is a public multidisciplinary laboratory of the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, the Low-Noise Underground Laboratory of Rustrel - Pays d'Apt (http://lsbb.unice.fr).

In the last two decades the Luberon has become known in the English-speaking world especially through a series of books by British author Peter Mayle chronicling his life as an expatriate settled in the Luberon village of Ménerbes. One of Mayle's books was made into a film "A Good Year" (2006) directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe and filmed in the region.

Towns and villages in the "Luberon park" area

*Cavaillon, small town at the western entrance to the Luberon valley
*Apt, small town near the eastern end of the Luberon valley

Within the 'Golden Triangle' of Luberon

*Bonnieux, village on the border between the Little and Big Luberon
*Gordes, facing the Luberon, this village is considered the top of the Golden Triangle (the base being made by the Little Luberon mountains)
*Goult, perched on a hill in the middle of the valley of the Luberon.
*Lacoste and the ancient castle of the uncle of "le Marquis de Sade"
*Ménerbes
*Oppède with its historic section perched on the hillside Oppéde-le-Vieux
*Roussillon, like Goult, perched on a hill within the Luberon valley

outhern Luberon

*Lourmarin, village on the border between Little and Big Luberon
*Cucuron

References

*Mayle, Peter. "A Year in Provence". New York: Vintage Books, 1991.
*Mayle, Peter. "Encore Provence: New Adventures in the South of France". New York: Knopf, 1999.
*Mayle, Peter. "Toujours Provence". New York: Knopf, 1991.

External links

* [http://www.provence.av-medien.org Luberon]
* [http://www.luberon-news.com/en/Provence-Kiosk/Art-and-Gallery/Photography/Aerial-views-of-the-Luberon Aerial photos of the Luberon]