When thinking of Provence, endless lavender fields, colourful markets and rolling vineyards come to mind. Quintessential on most must-see lists are Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Arles, Gordes and Beaux-de-Provence. However, this part of France has other places of interest, including many small villages officially classified as some of France’s most beautiful villages. The hilltop settlement of Séguret is one of these, perched on a huge boulder against the backdrop of the Dentelles de Montmirail.
Portail de la Bise
Staying in Vaison-la-Romaine, my friends and I were intrigued by a nearby village clinging to a hill overlooking the vineyards. It happened to be Séguret and called for a visit. Being a ‘Plus Beaux Village de France’, we had to park our car (for free) in a parking lot on Place Jean Moulin just outside the ramparts. Which is a good thing actually, keeping the cobbled streets free from cars. Although the village is small, the surrounding walls date from the 10th century and protected Séguret during some turbulent times. Hence the name, which means safe or secure and comes from the Provençal word ‘segur’. My friends and I entered Séguret through the north gate, called Portail de Reynier or ‘Portail de la Bise’. It literally translates as the ‘Gate of the Kiss’, maybe because it gets kissed by the wind of the North- the Mistral.
La Maison d’Eglantine
You can also enter the village by the southern gate- Portail Neuf (the new gate)- and park at the Place des Arceaux. Inside the ramparts, you will find two main streets: Rue des Poternes and Chemin de l’Autaret. Coming from the northern gate, we followed the Chemin Sous Barry onto the Rue des Poternes. It soon enough led us to the cutest tea shop: La Maison d’Eglantine with a most charming facade and ivy-covered walls. In summer, they also sell artisanal ice cream. Us girls visited off-season, and the delicious scent of freshly baked cakes lured us inside for our first break. And we only had just started… After some homemade goodies, we continued on our way and let the picturesque streets lead us through the village.
Rue des Poternes
There are some places of interest on the Rue des Poternes, like the Mascarons fountain, the 17th century bell tower, and the Sainte-Thècle chapel which hosted an art exposition when we were there. Information signs (in French) share more about the village’s history and some fun facts. And there are also a couple of restaurants, of which two gourmet ones: Le Mesclun and Côté Terrasse. Make sure to make a reservation before you go, we didn’t and couldn’t get a table… Eventually, we reached the Place de l’Église with the Saint Denis church partly built into the cliff. From here, the views over the landscape were stunning. We skipped the Place des Arceaux and the remains of the castle and gently strolled back to our car via the Chemin de l’Autaret. Driving back to Vaison-la-Romaine, we now knew what was behind the strip of charming houses hanging above the vineyards.
