Like a long, humpbacked tomcat, the Lubéron stretches out amid green vineyards, light olive groves and fragrant lavender fields, and seems to reach its paws into the cool waters of the Durance. Located in the Provençal département of Vaucluse, the green-clad range forms a natural barrier against the cold winds from the north. Spoilt by the sun in this way, some of the best grapes in the world thrive on its south slopes. But deep inside it, too, one of the noblest fruits of the earth in the world ripens every year: the “rabasse”. A fine Périgord truffle veined with white, the rabasse is regarded not only as a top variety but also, after the white Alba truffle from Piedmont, as the second most expensive truffle in the world. Who would not feel like a delicious journey through the Lubéron? The “Tour de Lubéron” turns out to be an extraordinary cycling tour.
By bike to culinary bliss
A newly established cycle route, the Tour de Lubéron leads once around the mountain range, which rises to 1,124 metres, and offers on a length of 235 kilometres varied insights into the culture and history of the region. That wine and truffles need not necessarily be on the menu is proved by the picturesque market town of Cavaillon. In big letters, signs at the station tell the cyclist that he is in the “capital of the melon”. And indeed: anyone who visits the Monday market around Cavaillon cathedral in autumn sees, between cherries, strawberries, apricots and grapes, veritable mountains of big, juicy melons. Quickly reached on two wheels, it is only a stone’s throw from Cavaillon to the sleepy village of Robion.
Behind grey rubble-stone walls, the “Café de la Poste” gladly serves a freshly squeezed orange juice. Well fortified, the next stage leads to Ménerbes. On several terraces the medieval fortified town nestles close to the mountain and seems somehow out of time. But the first impression deceives, for at the Domaine de la Citadelle at the foot of the hill village it is as busy as a beehive: “Dégustation? Bien sûr!” echoes through the halls and tasting glasses and bottles are handed out without pause. Next door in the Corkscrew Museum, it seems as if the “créateurs de tire-bouchon” took their cue from the winding serpentines of the Lubéron. For on arm-thick wooden levers, filigree iron handles and tiny rings, visitors discover boldly twisted corkscrews for every occasion.
Equipped with a handy corkscrew for spontaneous tastings on the way, the next stage leads to Apt. A little hungry, the “omelette aux truffes” in the airy restaurant Au Platane works real wonders. Add a glass of red cuvée from the local Sylla winery and the appetite for adventure returns at once. With the taste of the rabasse still in the mouth, the bike seems to glide effortlessly through the shady cedar and oak forests near Pertuis.
Between September and October in particular, many “rabassiers”, truffle hunters, are out here with their truffle dogs. The “fragrant nuggets of gold” are sold from November at the “Marché aux Truffes” in Richerenches. Every Saturday until the end of March, gourmets, truffle hunters and dealers meet here and set the current price of the noble tuber. With further delicious stops at the market of Lourmarin, where richly filled fougasse breads are waiting to be discovered, and at the restaurant “La Petite Maison de Cucuron”, whose chef Eric Sapet has been awarded 3 Michelin stars and kindles real palate dreams with imaginative menu creations, the epicurean cyclist reaches his starting point again after about a week: the fragrant market of Cavaillon.
Guest author: Daniela Fehrenbacher