Vaucluse

• 🌍 Avignon — well known for its Palace of the Popes where several popes and antipopes lived from the early 14th to early 15th centuries
• 🌍 Carpentras
• 🌍 L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
• 🌍 Lourmarin — among the most beautiful villages in France
• 🌍 Orange
• 🌍 Vaison-la-Romaine

• 🌍 Luberon
• 🌍 Mont Ventoux

The name of Comtat Venaissin is supposed to derive from either Comitatus Vendacensis (the county of Venasque), or from Comitatus Avennicinus (County of Avignon). The territory belonged to the Popes, but was de facto independent, governed by its own executive representative appointed by the Pope, as well as popular representatives. The area was very marked by the bloody history of the French invasion, as well as the civil war which followed, between the partisans of independence and the partisans of the attachment to France. In line with other departments across France, the Vaucluse was named after a significant local geographical feature, in this case the Fontaine de Vaucluse spring. The new name was intended both a definitive rupture with the past, and as a way to harmonise local administration into the nascent French Republic. However, despite generations of central government attempting to stamp out regional languages and cultures, a strong Occitan identity persists in the department. Linguistic aside: despite looking like a feminine noun, Vaucluse is actually masculine.

The official language remains French, but a language commonly spoken by locals until the 19th century was Occitan in its Provençal dialect. There are still some speakers of the dialect, and it is locally the daily language in some parts of the department, though like all regional languages in France, it is under threat.

Avignon is an open-air museum. Its Palace Square is inundated with tourists during the hot months. Not far in almost any direction are smaller squares, frequented by locals, where prices are found to be more affordable. Highly recommended is the Place Pie, with its halls where you can buy fresh produce, wine country, cheese, etc. Visits to the banks of the Rhône and the Jardin des Doms are essential. Pont Saint-Bénézet is not far from the Palace, on the Rhone. Calvet Museum whose wealth and the importance of its collections have earned it to be admitted among the "classified museums". They relate to archeology, fine arts, decorative arts, especially goldsmith, faience, porcelain, tapestry, ironwork and ethnology in Asia, Oceania and Africa. Petit Palais Museum is a museum of painting, and the Requien museum is the natural history museum of the city of Avignon as well as many churches and colleges.

There are many myseums in other towns of the region:

• Petrarch Museum and Museum of Resistance, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse
• Campredon Art Centre, Isle sur la Sorgue
• Museum of Arts and Wine Professions, Ansouis
• Bakery Museum, Bonnieux
• Museum of Basketry, Cadenet
• Comtadin-Duplessis Museum and Sobirats Museum, Carpentras
• Archaeological Museum of the Hôtel-Dieu and Jewish Museum Comtadin - The Synagogue, Cavaillon
• Lavender Museum, Coustellet
• Marc Deydier Museum, Cucuron
• Comtadin Costume Museum, Pernes-les-Fontaines
• Museum of Cartonnage and Printing, Valréas

There are many vineyards in this department, so wine tasting is an option for interested visitors. The department has many hiking trails, whose signs are organised by the local council. Three free hiking tours are available at the tourist office in Fontaine de Vaucluse. A favourite canoeing and kayaking route runs from Fontaine de Vaucluse to Isle sur la Sorgue along the very beautiful River Sorgue, although there are also many other opportunities along the same river. The Mont Serein ski resort, facing north of Mont Ventoux, had several trails. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are available, and there is a children's ski school on site.