Apt between the Riaille, the cycle route and culture
Accommodation in Apt
When looking for a hotel in Apt, it helps to keep the focus of your stay in mind: walking and picnics, a seasonal natural swimming area, a cycle route, or cultural and architectural history. These themes call for different planning considerations. For swimming, the months and supervised opening hours are key; the cycle route, museums and basilica offer other ways to explore the landscape and local history. This lets you decide early whether you want to spend most of your time outdoors, visiting exhibitions or exploring architecture.
Walking and a natural swimming area on the Riaille
The Plan d’eau de la Riaille can be reached on foot, by bicycle and by car; a stop on the Mobily bus route also serves the site. There are walking trails and picnic areas. The natural swimming area has two pools and is free in July and August. Access is limited to the pools’ supervised opening hours. So check the swimming dates before you travel. For planning purposes, it is important to distinguish between walking and picnicking on the one hand, and swimming, which is available only in the summer months and during supervised hours, on the other.
The VĂ©loroute du Calavon
The Véloroute du Calavon offers a different focus: it is a largely traffic-free greenway with no significant climbs and follows a former railway line for most of its route. The route passes through Apt and crosses viaducts, with viewpoints along the way. You can start from the Office de Tourisme d’Apt, where it is easy to access. The former railway line, viaducts and viewpoints give the route its distinctive character. If you are planning your trip around cycling and routes, these are specific features to help you choose this focus.
Museums and regional history
The Musée d’Apt focuses on the economic history of the Pays d’Apt. Faience, candied fruit and ochre are among the themes that have helped make the region well known. The collections also preserve the memory of the people who worked to process the region’s natural resources. The museum therefore explores both well-known products and materials and the work involved in processing them.
The Musée de Géologie at the Maison du Parc du Luberon offers a different perspective through time, tracing the region’s history over 150 million years. The Maison du Parc is located in Apt in an 18th-century private mansion and houses a permanent exhibition as well as the geological museum. Earth history and economic history thus offer different scales for understanding the region. The protected Parc naturel régional du Luberon is recognised as a biosphere reserve and a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Basilica and candied fruit
The Cathédrale basilique Sainte Anne in Apt is a Baroque basilica built on Roman structures, with several successive construction phases. Understanding the building therefore means considering its Baroque style, Roman structures and development over several phases.
La Maison du Fruit Confit sells candied fruit and Provençal specialities directly. It also has a museum and a tea room. If you are planning a visit, check the current visiting and sales arrangements in advance. Alongside the themes explored at the Musée d’Apt, candied fruit offers another way to discover a speciality that has helped make the region well known.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Roman-De-Malegarde, Auribeau, Althen-Des-Paluds, Cavaillon, BĂ©doin, Lacoste, Saignon, Entraigues-Sur-La-Sorgue.
For the wider travel overview: Vaucluse.
