TOWNS AND VILLAGES

Villars

6 km (3.5 miles) from Apt - altitude 310 metres (1017 feet) - 686 inhabitants.

Town Hall - place de la Fontaine 84400 Villars Tél. 04 90 75 40 01 mairie.villars.vaucluse@wanadoo.fr

Lying off the beaten track, Villars wraps itself around the top of a small hill. A land of stone water tanks, ochre, vines and cherry orchards, the stamping ground of the painter Guigou, who was born here in 1834. Villars and its hamlets, fountains and washhouses, chapels and oratories, is well worth your visit. The village harmoniously combines the architecture and natural beauty of the site. You will find rich flora and fauna, protected by a population that cares for its natural heritage. A total of 7 walking circuits have been laid out to enable you to take full advantage of this intact landscape. Traces of the past emerge from this haven of natural beauty and are worth making a detour:
- the Chapel of Saint Pierre at Bagnols
- the Chapel of Saint Clément, built in the 13th century on the site of an older building
- the Chapel of Saint Roch, built after the epidemic of plague which laid waste to Provence in 1720 (now owned by the community)
- the Church of Saint Jacques le Mineur (1862)
- the hamlets of Petits Cléments and Grands Cléments
- and, of course, the village centre with its narrow streets and washhouse
A charming little village, Villars is busy throughout the year, with exhibitions, spring music festival (different styles of music), markets on various themes (crafts, flowers, second-hand items, food, and even some nocturnal markets), a prayer festival, Christmas watch night with a living crib – there is a rich and varied programme and information can be obtained from the Town Hall.