Le journal des Gîtes de Bel-Air · Vaucluse N° 51 — Winter 2025
L’Écho de Bel-Air
L'Echo de Bel-Air n°51
Édito
It's been 10 months since I stopped publishing L'Echo de Bel-Air, because I wanted to review the way the gîtes were communicated. We're more present on social networks now, but I wanted to keep L'Echo de Bel-Air and give it a facelift. From now on, it will be published quarterly, as explained in the section of the gîtes website where you can find back issues.
Mireille and I are keen to keep her advice on the sites to visit, the electric bike routes to take and the restaurants to discover the local area, after trying them out of course.
As in the past, I would like to hear your suggestions.
Either to talk about them, tell about them or share them with future readers.
I'll start the 51st issue as I did the first by talking about road cycling.
Older readers will remember this, as issue no. 1 mentioned the old railway line and the work undertaken to pass under the RD no. 2.
From the gites, you can follow a star trail and take advantage of Jean-Claude's advice, as he has tried them out.
Advice section
Don't forget: fully inflated tyres, helmets, first aid kit, bike repair kit, water bottles and a few millilitres of sun cream on sunny days.
PRESENTATION OF THE CYCLE ROUTE
La Calavon cycle route is a cycle route in the French department of Vaucluse. It is 45 km long and uses the former railway line between Cavaillon and Volx. It takes its name from the Calavon river, also known as the Coulon. It has been developed in successive sections since 2005 by the Vaucluse Departmental Council, in partnership with the Luberon Regional Nature Park.
Technical specifications:
- Length and route : 45 km from Robion to Castellet (D 48), Calavon valley, largely on the former railway line (Cavaillon - Apt - Volx), easy profile.
- Surfacing and accessibility : Gravel plaster Mostly suitable for city pushchairs; ; non-greenway sections approx. 2 km from Le Chêne, ~500 m from Beaumettes and Coustellet, ~500 m from Apt (avenue des Genêts).
- Points of interest Pont Julien, several viaducts and views of the slopes of the Luberon and hilltop villages, towns crossed : Cavaillon, Apt, Coustellet, Cabrières-d'Avignon, Maubec, Robion.
- Activities and services : running, marche, VTC, MOUNTAIN BIKE, numerous restaurants and tourist attractions, local network of bicycle services with Accueil Vélo charter (repairs, accommodation).
- Duration and conditions : about 3 hours continuously (to be adjusted according to stops); max altitude ≈ 299 m, accessible all seasons.
- Resources and planning leaflet available to help you organise your stay, downloads (maps and files) and Euro Vélo 8 reference for wider planning.
- European network is part of’Euro Vélo 8 (The Mediterranean by bike), a local stage of the major route linking Spain to Cyprus.
STAGE LOCATIONS OR TOWNS
COUSTELLET
Restaurants, bars and food shops have sprung up, making Coustellet a great place to stop. On Sunday mornings, 80 producers share the tastes and colours of the Vaucluse. Fruit, vegetables, cheese and local produce.
ROUSSILLON
Roussillon, its village and its Ochre Trail. It's a real Western setting, with its incredible fairy chimneys and totem poles carved out of rock created by the erosion of different materials. And don't forget the Okhra eco-museum, with its fun and educational activities. Of course, you'll have to travel about 8 km from the cycle route. An unusual landscape that's well worth the diversions.
GOULT-LUMIÈRES STATION
Goult-Lumières station tells the story of the railway heritage that can be discovered along the way. After all, this greenway was built on the former Cavaillon-Apt-Volx line. From the end of the 19th century, it contributed to the development of the economy of the Pays d'Apt by enabling ochre and market garden produce to be transported. There are six other stations along the 45-kilometre route: Robion, Coustellet, Les Beaumettes, Bonnieux, Apt and Saignon-Caseneuve.
Practical information: the station is on the cycle route.
THE DOLMEN AT GOULT
Less than a kilometre after Goult-Lumières station, signs tell the fabulous story of the Ubac dolmen. Unearthed in 1994 during a violent flood of the Calavon, this prehistoric vestige dating from the Neolithic period has been patiently reconstructed stone by stone just 500 metres from where it was discovered. This is how the dolmen, a necropolis 14 metres in diameter, came to be on the cycle route.
Practical information: The route passes close to the Dolmen
LE PONT JULIEN
This 80-metre Roman structure dates back to 3 BC and is the must-see spot on the cycle route, the Holy Grail between Bonnieux and Apt, which in itself would motivate many a ride along this route. A picnic on the banks with a view of the Pont Julien overlooking the Calavon is a real treat. And as you head back towards Apt, a belvedere has even been built to include the bridge in the panorama of the valley, from which you can see the ochre of Roussillon in the distance.
APT
Arriving in Apt via the greenway certainly offers a fresh perspective on the historic capital of the Luberon. The cycle route, which runs through the town from one end to the other, offers a unique view over the rooftops of the old town centre, the statue and the dome crowned with a golden Virgin of St Anne’s Cathedral. It’s quite a sight! Several routes, signposted with burgundy signs (Viaduc, La Cucuronne, Faubourg du Ballet, etc.), allow you to cycle around and explore the town’s different neighbourhoods. Among the must-see attractions are the candied fruit workshops and the earthenware potteries – two of Apt’s specialities. Not to mention, on Saturday mornings, a chance to immerse yourself in one of the most beautiful markets in the Vaucluse.
