From Hilltop Village To Hilltop Village

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If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you will see the detail of another village across the valley.  In the valley you will see vineyards and farms in this bucolic picture of Provence.

Half Level of Hilltop Village

I have been showing the laneways and levels of the houses in a Provencal hilltop village.  This is an interesting situation where this laneway is at the half level.  The laneway services some houses on the second story of these buildings and some on the ground story of this village.  The French carved out villages out of steep hillsides and the villages are virtual mazes of levels, laneways, houses and walls.

The Maze That is The Village

A lone lamp hangs to light the way in the dark when the village becomes a maze of lanes, pathways, and charming stone houses.  I think at this point, one cannot bring a vehicle into the lane.

Climbing to the top tier of a hilltop village

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The laneway becomes steeper and steeper as you climb your way to the top tier of hilltop village.  Note the plants still growing almost everywhere that they can.

Village Lane Way

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The laneway through the village houses narrows at the end of the village.  At high noon, there is no sign of the residents that live in the houses on the hilltop village.  A wheel that was used to raise water is visible in the lower center right.  This village also has a fountain in spite of it being on a hilltop.

Worn Stone Steps In Village House

These worn stone steps lead to a village house doorway.  The houses are all built together, and you get some real weird interior and exterior configurations.  You could have the interior space of one house actually encroach the space of another house or the areas between them. They can be a maze of staircases and odd dimension rooms that do nothing but add charm.

Sleepy Village Street in the Afternoon

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A sleepy village street reposes in the afternoon sun.  The roadway narrows down into a laneway.  Flowers perfume the air and the beauty of Provence is everywhere you look.

Houses on Hilltop Village Lane

The houses on the hilltop village are built of local stone and are quite picturesque, if not neatly square and planned.  This adds to the charm of the village houses.  Note, in spite of being built on stone, there is greenery where ever there can be some.

Village Terrace

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The upper terrace of the hilltop is held in place with the stone wall on the right.  However the lane is blocked by the terrace, so immediately the road turns into one way.  If you enlarge the picture, you will see the old wall of the village and the narrow gateway in the wall.  It is quaintness like this that adds charm to Provencal villages.

The Village of Saignon

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This is the beautiful hilltop village of Saignon in Provence.  These villages have a charm and an intense history that makes the past come alive.

Looking from the hilltop to the valley

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This is the view from the ruined church at the top of the village of Eygalieres down into the valley.  Rising in the background are the hills surrounding Mont Ventoux.

Steeple Dominates Skyline of Saignon

Like most mountain-top villages, the steeple of the Catholic church is the highest point in the village, and the church is built on the highest point. It would be a major chore to walk to church on Sunday morning.

Spires of a Hilltop Village

Spires point skyward in a hilltop village made of ocher.

Driveway on a Hilltop Village

I mentioned that village houses in hilltop villages are kind of weird. They have interesting passageways, sometimes over other peoples dwellings, and disjointed rooms. Here a garage forms part of a house in a very tight driveway on a very narrow hilltop village street.

The Top of The Village

Trees grow on the top tier of the village of Bonnieux built on a mountain top. Through the trees in center is visible, a crucifix (cross) on a pedestal, which is typical of the historic Catholic culture of France.

A Perfect Example

A perfect example about what I like about Provence. Here we have a terrace melding into a street with parked cars. Below is the lower tier of the village built on a mountainside. But in spite of the fact there is a stone retaining wall, it is lined with planters and pots of flowers. Flowers are EVERYWHERE in Provence.

Street Meets Gate in Village Wall

As you drive through the village on the narrow streets, you come to the ancient wall of the old village. This was a gate in the wall. It is obvious that the car will not fit through a gate made for donkeys and horses. And you have to back up all the way, because there is no place to turn around. These are some of the quaint surprises in the hilltop villages of Provence. In another place, the road changes abruptly into stairs.

Hilltop Village Tiers

Here is a schematic of the the village of Bonnieux showing how the tiers work on a hilltop village.

Cafe Row

A row of cafes and restaurants dots a village street near a garage. The menu includes plates of the day, costing 9 Euros. One of the menu choices is rabbit.

Narrow Village Streets

The streets are quite narrow in the hilltop villages. Luckily there is not much traffic. However the tour buses play chicken with you and drive forward forcing you to back up. Once when I held my ground, the bus driver kept coming at me with no intention of stopping. I suppose that if I got out of the car, he would have surrendered.