Multi-day road trip through five castles in Provence, from the Drôme Provençal to the Luberon
Road trip in Provence: five castles between Drôme and Luberon
From Grignan to Lourmarin via Tarascon, Beaucaire and La Barben: a three-to-four-day itinerary in Provence, blending royal fortresses, French-style gardens and a historical theme park.
Editorial journal · Carte des Châteaux ·
Five castles, two departments, one guiding thread: the Provence of great families and kings. This itinerary links Château de Grignan in the Drôme Provençal to that of Lourmarin in the Luberon, passing by the twin fortresses of Tarascon and Beaucaire, facing each other across the Rhône, and the estate of La Barben near Salon-de-Provence. Allow three to four days for a couple eager to alternate between heritage, hilltop villages and the grand landscapes of the South.
BOUCHES-DU-RHONE · Tarascon
Château de Tarascon
Rebuilt in the first half of the 15th century on the banks of the Rhône, the Château de Tarascon was the favourite residence of Good King René, who held festivities and meetings there and had the closoirs (the boards between the joists) of its larch-wood ceilings painted; they can still be seen today. Alongside its historical tour, the monument now also houses the Centre d'Art René d'Anjou, devoted to contemporary creation.
GARD · Beaucaire
Château de Beaucaire
Le château de Beaucaire (Gard), monument aujourd'hui en ruine mais aménagé pour la visite, fut édifié au XIe siècle comme résidence des comtes de Toulouse; le comte Raymond VII y naquit. Disputée pendant la croisade des Albigeois, la forteresse fut ensuite annexée et renforcée par la couronne de France, qui en fit une place forte stratégique face au château de Tarascon, de l'autre côté du Rhône. L'ensemble se signale par sa tour polygonale et ses remparts médiévaux; le chemin de ronde et les jardins, offrant un panorama sur le Rhône, sont en accès libre, tandis que la visite du donjon nécessite une visite guidée à thème ('à l'assaut de la forteresse'). Le site propose également un jeu d'évasion et des animations, en lien avec le musée Auguste-Jacquet voisin, consacré à l'histoire de la ville depuis l'époque romaine jusqu'à la foire de la Madeleine au XVIIIe siècle.
The route on the map
The Provence road trip itinerary
From Grignan to Lourmarin, via Tarascon, Beaucaire and La Barben.
Markers follow the suggested visiting order. Select a castle to open its page.
Day by day
The itinerary
Grignan
Perched château in the Drôme Provençal, a French museum linked to Madame de Sévigné.
Tarascon and Beaucaire
Two fortresses facing each other across the Rhône, one tied to the good King René, the other to the Counts of Toulouse.
La Barben
French-style gardens and the Rocher Mistral theme park near Salon-de-Provence.
Lourmarin
Renaissance château at the heart of the Luberon, cultural foundation and lively village.