Holiday homes in Lauris

Lauris clings to a rocky spur above the Durance valley in the southern Luberon, a few minutes from Lourmarin. Its old centre, built against the cliff, keeps cobbled lanes, vaulted passages, shady little squares and houses of pale golden stone. At its heart stands the church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Purification, built from the 11th century and remodelled in the 18th. The 18th-century château is not open to visitors, but its terraces are. They hold the Jardin conservatoire des plantes tinctoriales, described by the tourist office as unique in Europe. More than 250 species of dye plants show how textiles were coloured over the centuries. Next to it, the Jardin Blanc is free to visit. From the terraces the view stretches across the Durance to the Montagne Sainte-Victoire. Below the village lie vineyards, olive groves and orchards, crossed by footpaths and cycling routes through the southern Luberon. The tourist information point is at the Maison Aubert, at the entrance to the Jardin Blanc.