Bonnieux - old fortress with magnificent distant views

Bonnieux is one of the most impressive villages in the Luberon, with many restaurants and cafés, narrow streets, a weekly market and a bakery museum! Situated on a hill, the village offers sweeping panoramic views over Provence. It is dominated by a 12th century church with Romanesque and Gothic elements. The Église Neuve is located in the lower part of the village. It dates back to the 19th century and was built for parishioners who found the 86 steps up to the old church too strenuous.

The area around Bonnieux is home to beautiful castles and bastides, centres of agricultural life and viticulture, many of which are now privately owned or have been converted into guest houses.

History of Bonnieux

The area around Bonnieux was already inhabited in the Neolithic and Bronze Age. The name Bonnieux appears in the archives under the name Castrum Bonils in 975 in connection with a donation. The village was a fortified Roman settlement close to the Via Domitia trade route, which connected Spain with Italy and was one of the most important roads in Western Europe. In Gallo-Roman times, only the lower village existed. In the Middle Ages, the upper part was settled under the protection of the castle. The fortress and the town wall, which comprised four gates and towers, date from this period, of which significant remains are still preserved.

In 1274, Bonnieux was incorporated into the papal domain and was administered by Rome until 1791, and by Avignon from 1309 to 1377. This made it an enclave in the lands of the Count of Provence. In the 18th century, Bonnieux was an active town with 3500 inhabitants. Much of the town that we can stroll through today was built during this period. At the end of the 19th century, there were 18 bistros, six gambling halls and two brothels.

Sightseeing in Bonnieux

Église Vieille

The Église Vieille towers 429 metres above the historic village. It dates back to the 12th century and was repeatedly extended over the following centuries. Behind the upper church is an esplanade planted with cedars and pines, from where you can enjoy the distant view over the beautiful landscape in pleasant shade. This was the site of the feudal castle of Castellas, around which the village developed in the Middle Ages.

Bakery museum

The Musée de la Boulangerie de Bonnieux was built around an old bread oven and tells the more than 8,000-year-old story of bread and its social, economic and symbolic function. It is located at 12 Rue de la Republique and is open daily from 1 June to 31 October.

Église Louise Bourgeois

This former church of the Récollets was adjacent to a Franciscan monastery. During the Revolution, the church was secularised and converted into a barn. The current owner restored it with the help of the heritage protection authority and commissioned the famous artist Louise Bourgeois to design the church. Today it is a small museum where you can admire Louise Bourgeois‘ installations. It is located in Rue Aristide Briand and is open from 14 July to 15 August and from 1 to 11 September from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00.

Near to Bonnieux

Pont Julien

This old Roman stone arch bridge crosses the Cavalon about five kilometres north of Bonnieux. It was completed in 3 BC as part of the Via Domitia, a major trade route that connected Italy with Spain via southern Gaul. The bridge is almost 118 metres long and consists of three arches. It was built entirely without mortar using limestone from the Luberon and was used until 2005, which is over 2000 years ago!

Cedar forest

The cedar forest is located above Bonnieux at an altitude of 720 metres on the ridge of the Petit Luberon. In 1861, this area was sown with cedar seeds that had been collected in the Middle Atlas in Algeria. The Atlas cedar is a drought- and fire-resistant tree species with a long lifespan, sometimes lasting several centuries. During the great fire in the Petit Luberon in 1952, only the cedar forest was spared. The cedars liked it, they multiplied and the forest expanded from the 1920s and now covers an area of 250 hectares.