Le journal des Gîtes de Bel-Air · Vaucluse N° 50 — 1 February 2025 – 28 February 2025
L’Écho de Bel-Air
L'Echo de Bel-Air n°50
Édito
I wanted to get away from the traditional February festivities and talk to you about the Clévacances Sud Est eductours. Clévacances is a French 100% quality label, specialising in the rental of holiday accommodation since 1995.
This label offers accommodation that has been checked and inspected in accordance with our Quality Charter, guaranteeing our travellers a successful stay with complete peace of mind. Careful checks result in a score of 1 to 5 keys, reflecting the level of comfort and services offered by each accommodation provider.
Eductours are an opportunity to discover a tourist destination, to tell the story of a town so that you can stay there, eat there and then show our seasonal friends around.
The latest of these took place in Châteauneuf du Pape, where we were invited to rediscover this beautiful town full of history.
This Echo de Bel-Air will therefore have a Châteauneuf du Pape theme.
A favourite tourist spot
CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE
Situated between the towns of Avignon and Orange, Châteauneuf-du-Pape lies at the very heart of a region steeped in history, culture and the art of living
At the top are the remains - a wall, a tower and the lower hall - of the château built by the popes in the 14th century as a summer residence to escape the summer heat of Avignon. In fact, it was the popes who first planted vines in the commune. The château was ransacked and partially destroyed during the Wars of Religion. The Germans delivered the final blow in 1944.
Accessible on foot via the steps leading up to the top of the village or, more easily, by car, the ruins offer views of the Dentelles de Montmirail, Mont Ventoux, the Rhône and even Avignon and its Palais des Papes.
If you leave your car in one of the free car parks, you can visit the village on foot. Stroll along the narrow, winding streets past medieval houses, the communal oven, the olive press and the town hall with its round tower. There is also the picturesque grocer's shop, still frequented by the villagers. The Place de la Fontaine with its café terraces and restaurants invites you to take a break.
Special features
Rue de l'Eglise or «Rompe cul» street «Facing you, steep and craggy, is Rue de l'Eglise, a street that has not always carried this name. The village elders still call it rue »Rompe Cul«, from the Provençal »Roumpo qiéu«, which means »ass-breaker", and although it's difficult to climb, be even more wary on the way down! It is said in Châteauneuf-du-Pape that there have been so many falls over the centuries that you can still hear the screams and swear words of the victims on this street. So if you're reading this, be warned!
Eating out
Designed as a place to share and relax around truffles and wine, TERRAE Truffles and Wine offers two distinct atmospheres: the «Bar Area», which extends onto the terrace and serves light meals at lunchtime and cocktails in the evening, and the Restaurant, where you can enjoy simple yet refined cuisine featuring seasonal truffles. Our deliberately natural setting, both rustic and lush with greenery, is situated in the lower part of the iconic village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Our entire team looks forward to welcoming you… for a little break from the daily grind, combining culinary delights with a warm, friendly atmosphere centred around truffles and wine!
Drinks and delicacies
I've deliberately left out the vineyards and cellars of Châteauneuf du Pape because their reputation has spread beyond our borders and is known the world over.
ÉTABLISSEMENT BLACHERE
I'm the oldest distillery in Provence. But I'm more than just walls and machines. My heart beats to the rhythm of the people who run me. V.L Blachère, my founder, and his son, Auguste Blachère, set me up in 1835 at 14 rue Molière, right in the heart of Avignon. I often get away from it all and let myself be carried away by the powerful perfume that blows in from the heights of Mont Ventoux.
In 1960, I launched «PAC Citron», a sugar and lemon-based syrup with no artificial colourings. It was a huge success throughout the region, and from then on it became my flagship product. The recognition is there: PAC Citron has become an iconic drink of Provence. Almost 60 years later, PAC Citron is still produced in the VAUCLUSE by the SARL A. BLACHERE. In Provence, it is said that: «People who have never tasted PAC Citron are not true Provençals»
CASTELIN FACTORY
Located at the same place on the road to Sorgues, you will enjoy tasting the CASTELIN chocolate factory. Bernard Castelain founded the Chocolaterie in 1994, in the heart of the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards in the Vaucluse. He made his first chocolate, Palet des Papes, with the aim of finding the perfect balance between dark chocolate and Marc de Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and creating a great chocolate for a great vineyard.
Committed to the quality of our products, we make top-of-the-range chocolates every day, selecting quality raw materials and adding the traditional know-how that is a credit to French gastronomy. Our positioning hasn't changed since the company was founded, and we're still committed to offering quality products at fair prices!
