Unmissable Le Grand Banc
Our guide to the local secret gems...
Towns & Villages
Within 30 minutes there are some wonderful hilltop villages to explore, Viens, Saignon, Simiane La Rotonde, Banon
Dining
Le Petit Jardin, Viens
This is the nearest restaurant in a lovely hilltop village, set in pretty garden with a bar next door.
Fr 4 90 75 20 05
Chez Marcel, Viens
Local pizza restaurant for eat in or take away.
Le Chapeau Rouge, Simiane la Rotonde
About 20 minutes drive, roadside restaurant – possible to eat inside or on the terrace. Next to a great bakery and the tiny village of Simiane la Rotonde above the restaurant is worth a wander through.
FR 4 92 74 22 86
Auberge des Coupoles, St Michel L’Observatoire
About 30 minutes, pretty drive through tiny roads, lovely, typical French village.
facebook.com/aubergedescoupoles/ | FR 4 92 76 67 01
Domaine du Castellas, Sivergues
A real experience, miles off the beaten track (and therefore about 40 minute drive). An old goat farm, recently renovated to small hotel, lunch under the trees and dinner on long tables under the stars. Worth a stop off in nearest village Saignon (of Peter Mayle – My Year in Provence fame).
domaineducastellas.fr | FR 4 90 04 00 65
Bistro le France, Apt
Typical french bistro vibe, red check table cloths.
bistrotlefrance84.com | FR 4 90 74 22 01
La Pastorale, Domaine de Pradaous, Reillane
Good ambiance, well presented food, cosy indoor space, outdoor terrace, run by an Englishspeaking Dutch couple.
restaurant-la-pastorale-cereste.com/ | FR 4 92 79 08 00
Pizza Colorado, Rustrel
Wood fire pizzas made with fresh and local products. Good after Colorado Adventure!
restaurant-pizzeria-rustrel.fr | FR 4 09 74 56 13 23
Shopping
Viens is the closest village with a shop, boulangerie and tabac in the bar. The shop is limited and only good for last minute stuff, but it has a good boulangerie.
Simiane-La-Rotonde has a very good boulangerie on the main road, does cakes and tarts too.
Cereste has a very good butcher (Araujo), 2 x boulangerie, a simple Spa shop, tourist office, bank, post office, hairdresser, tabac and pharmacy. About 500 metres on edge of town is the best (but small) supermarket - Utile, with a petrol station, hardware shop and biscuiterie café.
Rellianne has a good bakery, a Proxi, post office, hairdresser, wine shop and wholefood and eco product shop. On Thursday mornings is has a small vegetable and fish market ( 2/3 stalls). Worth a trip to buy a Pain au Chocolat and eat at the café overlooking the square
Opening Hours
Generally business opening hours are 8am – 7pm. Often shops & businesses are closed on Sundays and Mondays, and for lunch from 12pm for anything up to 4 hours. So best to check online to make sure before making the journey. There are many public holidays during the spring and summer so also best to check online before you make plans. www. publicholidays.fr as it can mean that shops are closed.
All major supermarkets are in Apt, which is a 25 minute drive. As you enter Apt, Intermarche is on left, the other side of town is E.Leclerc and an Auchan. There is a Lidl about a minutes drive further along the road from them. Further still is an upmarket supermarket called Fresh which has an wide selection of fresh fruit & veg, including more obscure and exotic ones from around the world. Luberon Bio is on the trading estate on the road to Avignon. A family store, high quality products including a range of gluten free vegan and world foods. www.luberonbio.fr A smaller supermarket, Utile, but with a good selection is on the outskirts of Cereste (as mentioned above). Manosque and Forcalquier also have a good selection of hypermarkets.
Market Days
Typical French markets offering local produce, cheese, meats, vegetables, hardware;
Apt — 9h à 13h (very big, food, artisan, clothes, art etc)
Reillanne — 9 à 13h (small but good selection of products)
Forcalquier — 9h à 13h (big market, food, artisan, clothes, art etc)
Viens — 9h à 12h (from 01/04 to 31/10, fruit & veg only)
Reillanne — 9h à 12h (very small fruit & veg only)
Cereste — 9h à 12h (fruit & veg, fish, eggs and honey only)
Banon — 9h à 12h (small but good selection of products)
Wine
We highly recommend a wine merchant in Apt called V Comme Vin, 84400 Apt (04 90 04 7738), or if you are in Reillanne at the Sunday market Cave Reillannaise, 04110 Reillanne (04 92 76 4802). Les Davids is a winery near Viens 20 minutes away. It’s also possible to eat on the terrace if there is availability - best to book in advance. lesdavids.fr — FR 0490049748
Cheese
The local village of Banon is world famous for its goats cheese, there is a fantastic shop in Banon selling all types of local cheese and wonderful salami, hung from the ceiling. Best to buy cheese at local markets or specialist cheese shops but the supermarkets do have a very good selection if you choose well.
Vegetables
Seasonal veg can be found at the local markets, there is also a good stand on the Cereste/Apt junction.
Lavender
Daniel Ravote sells lavender oil from his falling down farm below Viens on the way to Cereste/Apt. La Plaine is a family run, organic lavender farm with donkeys located halfway between here and the villages of Vacheres. Ask manager for directions.
Honey
Daniel Ravote also sells honey from his falling down farm below Viens on the way to Cereste/Apt. There is a wonderful shop in Viens, Miellerie Lo Brusc, 84750 Viens.
Petrol
The nearest petrol is at Utile (24/7 self-service) on the outskirts of Céreste (on the main road), otherwise Apt where there are 4 petrol stations usually near to supermarket
Antiques
Very few pickings locally but if you want a day trip to L’isle sur Sorgue, there is a day’s worth of looking.
Do & See
Hot Air Ballooning, Rousillon
Montgolfiere Luberon Vol-Terre, 1066 route des Gaillanes,
montgolfiere-luberon.com
Bikes
The most amazing bike rides in this area for the beginner to the advance rider. Mont Ventoux very close.
For electric bikes; Station Bees, 84400 Apt. Contact Geert Scherrens 06 83 41 0313
For road/mountain bikes; Xtrem Bike, 84400 Apt Contact Eric 04 90 74 6166
xtrembike.pro/
Both companies deliver, advice: take out insurance, it is very cheap.
Boules
An essential evening activity played at Le Grand Banc. Boules sets are in the big wooden box on the boule court up by the light sculptures.
Go Karting
Karting Manosque, Route de la Durance, 04100 Manosque
kartingmanosque.fr
Kids Activities, Rustrel
There is a very good high wire experience with novice, intermediate and advanced experiences. Go early in the day or end of day as can get hot in the summer.
coloradoaventures.com
Lakes
Le Lac Sauvage – Fantastic, about 80 mins drive (well worth it). 3km from Esparron de Verdon route Greoux Les Bains. A small operation, slightly tatty canoes, kayaks, pedalos to rent on a tributary of Lake Esparron. 5 minutes of rowing and you are onto the massive Esparrron Lake. No facilities ie. Restaurants, ice cream shops so take a picnic. Le Cadeno Club de Voile, Gorges du Verdon/Lake St. Croix – just after Moustiers Saint Marie.
Much further drive than above but an experience (2 hour plus journey). Enormous lake and gorge. Drive past Moustier following signs for Gorges de Verdon, pass signs for Petit Lac, then look on right for small sign for Cadeno. Drive down long, dusty road. Best to get there early to secure kayak/pedallo. Turn left on the lake and paddle for 15 minutes to the amazing gorge. Small shack at Le Cadeno selling pancakes and ice creams but picnic advisable.
Tennis
Tennis Club Reillanne, Boulevard Jean Jaures, Reillane
Fr 04 92 76 53 52
Email: tcreillanne@gmail.com
Ask at the ‘Proxi’ corner shop, and they can provide the key for a fee.
Vide Grenier/Brocante
Often at weekends there are Vide Greniers (attic sales) or Brocantes (one up from a car boot). Lists available from the tourist offices in Cereste (www.cereste.fr ) and Reillanne (www. reillanne-en-provence.com ) or you can search https://vide-greniers.org/ PACA?_otid=home-list for those running in the area.
Walks
There are several spectacular walks A great walk from the hamlet is to Vacheres – walk up the hill into the woods and at the top of the second incline follow the yellow sign on the left to Vacheres. The café there is good for a coffee or a beer before returning to LGB or stay for lunch. You can also book to have pizza there on a Wednesday night sitting in long tables on the street – not feasible to walk back in the dark afterwards
Please call first to check restaurants and museums are open, and check the relevant government guidance before travelling.
No responsibilty can be accepted by Scott Williams for any issues that may arise as a result of the enclosed recommendations and information.