A Complete Guide to Lourmarin Village | Bonus Pocket Card!
Lourmarin, France has been designated as one of the most beautiful villages of France. It not difficult to see why. Its narrow streets offer a multitude of small shops that will keep you busy for an entire day of shopping. It also has its own fairytale castle, and the best weekly market in the area. For such a small village, with a population just short of 1,200, it has everything you need to enjoy a comfortable stay.
The village of Lourmarin is always on my agenda each time I visit Provence. It makes a great day trip, as well as jumping off point for visiting other beautiful villages and sites that are just short drives away. Here is everything you need to know when planning your trip to this beautiful little village.
This post is packed with information!! I will give you an overview of the village, as well as a list of things to do. Plus I’ve included a printable Must Have Pocket Card for on the go!
Getting there
The first thing you will need to do is fly into Provence. The closest airport to Lourmarin village is Marseille-Provence airport, which is 41 miles, or 66 kilometers away.
Getting from the airport to Lourmarin:
- By Car – It is a logistically easy drive from the Marseille airport (which is actually located in Vitrolles) to Lourmarin, and it only takes about 45 minutes. I have always rented a car when exploring Provence. I find that the flexibility of having a car can’t be beat. But, driving around some parts of France is not for the faint of heart. So, if you know that renting a car is not an option for you, public transportation is available, albeit less convenient.
- By Bus– It is possible to get to Lourmarin from the Marseille-Provence airport by bus. It takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes, and you will have to make several connections.
- The easiest way to plan this route is by downloading the Zou! app from the Apple store. Zou! is the bus transit system for Region Sud (the South Region of France). Take note that you will place your destination in the app prior to placing your starting point. (ie. Lourmarin first, then Marseille airport). It will tell you the route, which connections and buses to take, and how much it will cost per leg.
Where to Park:
If you are staying in Lourmarin, and at an Air B&B, VRBO, or other rental property, there might be private parking available. However, the old village, which is the most desirable place to be, does not have off street parking available for most village houses, and the narrow streets won’t accommodate car parking.
If there is not private parking available at your hotel or rental property, or if Lourmarin is a day trip for you, then you will have to use one of the public car parks available around the village. The good news is that they are free, and because the village is small, they are not a far walk from amenities. There are several Free Public Car Parks in Lourmarin, plus a couple of other locations that I will tell you about.
Free Public Car Parks:
- Parking des Cerisiers – Parking on the Northeast side of the village. This is my preferred parking lot. It close to the cafes and shops, and remains open, even on Friday morning Market Day. There are many parking spaces, and a public toilet nearby. (*note: you may see this parking lot named Parking Petitou on some outdated GPS maps)
- Parking Calinou – Parking is located at the Château de Lourmarin. It also extends down Boulevard Raoul Dautry in both directions. It is located on the Northwest side of the village. This is a great place to park if you are planning on visiting the château. It is a little further away from the shops and cafes, but the walk is definitely doable, and there is a sidewalk available into the village for the entire walk.
- Parking du jeu de boules – Also known as Parking Philou – Northwest of the village, about 650 ft. walk
- Boulevard Rayol – There are also parking spaces available along this street, but they will be blocked off and unavailable on Friday morning market day.
- Parking du Tennis – This parking is furthest away from the old village. You will cross the street and take the Chemin des Ferailles into the old village.
Amenities in the Village:
- Boulangerie – La Maison du Gibassier
- Boucherie – Boucherie de Lourmarin
- Small grocery store – Vival de Lourmarin
- Weekly Friday Market
- Small Tuesday evening produce market
- Pharmacy – Pharmacie de Lourmarin
- Tabac – this also doubles as the village post office for stamps, mailing cards, and small packages
- Restaurants
- Cafes
- Shops
- Public Playground
- ATMs
- Public Restrooms
- Tourist Information Office
Public Restroom Locations:
Public Restrooms in France are hit or miss as far as cleanliness goes. I always carry several squares of toilet paper, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer with me, wherever I go. It is a good practice to be prepared.
There are 3 public restrooms in the village, and they are all located on the North part of town.
- VC (Voie Communale) du Galinier – This public restroom is located adjacent to Parking des Cerisiers. Once you park, you will descend a bit onto Rue Montee du Galinier (abbr. VC du Galinier), and find the restrooms to your left.
- Adjacent to the Steps leading from Avenue Philippe de Girard to Place Henri Barthelemy, one of the public squares.
- Adjacent to the Philou car park (Parking du jeu de boules) – Not the cleanest choice, but it works in a pinch!
Where to Stay:
If you are staying in Lourmarin, there are many options from staying in a luxury villa, among the olive groves, to staying in a hotel, or even a village house. I highly recommend staying in the old village for the proximity to the shops and restaurants. This allows you to have a few drinks with dinner and not worry about driving home.
I have found that the closer you are to the Place l’Ormeau, the louder the nights are. This is where as many as 6 streets converge, and there are several restaurants here with outdoor seating.
In the summer months, if your rental does not have air conditioning, you will want to sleep with the windows open, and unless you like staying up late, it can be difficult to sleep through the noise of music and conversations.
If you are in a hotel or rental that has air conditioning, this won’t be as much of a problem.
So, if you are looking for a little night life, and action, anything near Place l’Ormeau is the place to be.
But, if you prefer peace and quiet, stay in the heart of the village, closer to the South and Southwest areas, and steer clear of Place l’Ormeau.
There are several village houses listed on VRBO that are great options if you are looking to stay in an authentic Provencal house. You can read my post here on why I prefer vacation rentals over other places to stay.
If you prefer a hotel, the ones I recommend that are within walking distance to amenities are Le Moulin and La Maison de Lourmarin.
What to do:
There are several things to do in Lourmarin. If you only have a short time to visit, see the pocket card at the end for the highlights!
- Friday morning weekly market (This is an absolute must!) – from 8 am – 1 pm
- Visit the Château de Lourmarin and its Cave
- Shop in the many little shops along the narrow streets
- Tuesday evening produce market – at the Fruitiere numerique – April 5th – October 25th from 5 pm- 8:30 pm
- Bring the kids to the Public Playground
- See the three-masked fountain
- Visit the Protestant Temple (the largest in the Vaucluse Region)
- Have a drink at one of the many cafes in Place l’Ormeau or Place Henri Barthelemy
- Village Tours – by appointment only – Phone: +33 04 90 68 10 77
- Walk along the Perrouret trail
- Walk along the GR 97
- La Cavale winery tour (just outside the village)
- Visit Domaine de Gerbaud
- Luberon a Velo (Luberon by bike)
- Pay respect to Albert Camus, who is buried in the Lourmarin cemetery
Where to eat:
There are so many restaurants to choose from in Lourmarin. Any of them would be a fine choice. Here are a few recommendations.
1. La récréation – This is a great place for lunch. The menu is authentic Provencal food, and it has a beautiful spot for outdoor dining.
2. L’Insolite – This is a good choice for dinner. Great food and a beautiful terrace for dining.
3. Bacheto – This is another great choice for dinner. It has outdoor seating, and occasional live music.
4. Café Gaby – I couldn’t resist putting this one on the list. The food is great, and this is a good choice if you want to be on the action of the Place l’Ormeau, which is a great place for people watching.
Market Day!
Lourmarin has a fantastic market every Friday morning from 8am-1pm. A visit to this market is a must!
For practical purposes, I highlighted (in purple) the areas on the map below where the market takes place. Typically, from April-September, the market has more vendors and will extend to this area. During the shoulder seasons, it may not extend as far.
Knowing where the morning market is happening will allow you to avoid the roads and car parks that are closed on Market Day. Your car GPS and google maps doesn’t always understand these closures, and you don’t want to get stuck at a barricade because you didn’t realize that the street would be closed off!
Also, see the details in the ‘Free Public Car Parks‘ section above to know which car parks I recommend using on Market Day!
Visiting Lourmarin for the day – Go to POCKET guide!
*Print these out or take a screen shot for easy reference!
*For Printing, click to download .pdf and print and select Paper size 4×6, and choose ‘Print on front and back’
Enjoy!
I hope you enjoy these practical tips for visiting Lourmarin, one of the most beautiful villages in France. Please let me know if you visit, or have any other questions before you go!
À Bientôt!
