BASTIDE SAINT GEORGES
Peachy provençal property in the Luberon hills
IF YOU’VE READ ALL THOSE ENTICING books about Brits putting down roots in sunny southern France, you couldn’t find a better base for checking out the provençal lifestyle than Bastide Saint Georges.
This appealing little place – just our kind of romantic getaway in France – is tucked away a mile or so outside Forcalquier. This is the kind of lived-in town that has plenty of local colour and a fabulous weekly food market, yet isn’t chock-full of tourists in summer.
Bastide St Georges fetchingly sums up the spirit of the area. Far from being a hotel in the strictest sense, it’s a sprawling hamlet of little cottage-style buildings grouped around a wide lawn sprinkled with olive trees. There’s a pool centre stage and views of the Luberon hills beyond.
Inside, everything drips with coolly elegant shades and a stripped-back feel. Rooms come in shades of neutral – everything from chalky white to biscuit, cappuccino and bittersweet chocolate – set off by whitewashed beams, bleached driftwood tables, hessian rugs, soft linens and cane armchairs.
Hit the spot
A mile from medieval Forcalquier.
Bedtime
Bed down in Amélia, done up in shades of gold and gunmetal. Or stable down in Bergère, with its chic lamps and driftwood tables.
Be savvy
It feels more like a relaxed villa than a hotel.
Be smitten
Chic simplicity in the Luberon.
Bamboo and ivory
Walls are subtly distressed or rough-textured, while immaculate bathrooms are tiled in natural stone and piled with delicious L’Occitane bathtime goodies. And each room has its own terrace where you can read in the shade or toast in the sun. Ours was done out in shades of bamboo and ivory with splashy cushions and a muslin-canopied bed.
Bastide Saint Georges has inviting communal areas, too. Like the wide terrace hung with flowers where we munched our croissants in the morning and polished off a bottle of local Luberon vino with a mound of dark olives at dusk. Or the flagstone-floored lounge, with its white timbered ceiling, ornate mirrors and high-backed raffia chairs.
Walk past the pool, ringed with sunloungers, and at the edge of this rave-worthy little estate there’s a restaurant serving commendable local fare. It’s smart and clean-cut inside, with relaxed terrace looking out towards the hills.
Nearby Forcalquier is just the sort of place to amble around during the day, with wiggly little backstreets, a couple of good patisseries and a crumbling castle at the top of the hill. Provence on a plate.
La Bastide Saint Georges was reviewed for Room for Romance by Sarah Robinson
IF YOU’VE READ ALL THOSE ENTICING books about Brits putting down roots in sunny southern France, you couldn’t find a better base for checking out the provençal lifestyle than Bastide Saint Georges.
This appealing little place – just our kind of romantic getaway in France – is tucked away a mile or so outside Forcalquier. This is the kind of lived-in town that has plenty of local colour and a fabulous weekly food market, yet isn’t chock-full of tourists in summer.
Bastide St Georges fetchingly sums up the spirit of the area. Far from being a hotel in the strictest sense, it’s a sprawling hamlet of little cottage-style buildings grouped around a wide lawn sprinkled with olive trees. There’s a pool centre stage and views of the Luberon hills beyond.
Inside, everything drips with coolly elegant shades and a stripped-back feel. Rooms come in shades of neutral – everything from chalky white to biscuit, cappuccino and bittersweet chocolate – set off by whitewashed beams, bleached driftwood tables, hessian rugs, soft linens and cane armchairs.
Hit the spot
A mile from medieval Forcalquier.
Bedtime
Bed down in Amélia, done up in shades of gold and gunmetal. Or stable down in Bergère, with its chic lamps and driftwood tables.
Be savvy
It feels more like a relaxed villa than a hotel.
Be smitten
Chic simplicity in the Luberon.
Bamboo and ivory
Walls are subtly distressed or rough-textured, while immaculate bathrooms are tiled in natural stone and piled with delicious L’Occitane bathtime goodies. And each room has its own terrace where you can read in the shade or toast in the sun. Ours was done out in shades of bamboo and ivory with splashy cushions and a muslin-canopied bed.
Bastide Saint Georges has inviting communal areas, too. Like the wide terrace hung with flowers where we munched our croissants in the morning and polished off a bottle of local Luberon vino with a mound of dark olives at dusk. Or the flagstone-floored lounge, with its white timbered ceiling, ornate mirrors and high-backed raffia chairs.
Walk past the pool, ringed with sunloungers, and at the edge of this rave-worthy little estate there’s a restaurant serving commendable local fare. It’s smart and clean-cut inside, with relaxed terrace looking out towards the hills.
Nearby Forcalquier is just the sort of place to amble around during the day, with wiggly little backstreets, a couple of good patisseries and a crumbling castle at the top of the hill. Provence on a plate.
La Bastide Saint Georges was reviewed for Room for Romance by Sarah Robinson
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Dining in
The Bastide's terraced restaurant looks out towards the Luberon hills. Virtually everything on the menu comes from local suppliers, and chef Joel Juglaret makes full use of the region's natural larder, with locally reared pork and lamb and home-grown produce. Tuck into croustillant de Banon aux herbes du marché, or grilled monkfish served with a mushroom coulis and tian of vegetables.
Dining out
Forcalquiers has a good choice of restaurants – mostly small bistro-type places with check tablecloths and a small menu du jour . Bistro du Lavande serves excellent traditional provençal cuisine and is worth a trip.
Where?
Les Terrasses de la Bastide at Bastide Saint Georges.
What's cooking?
Try the grilled seabass or local Forcalquiers lamb, polished off with an iced chocolate pyramid.
Dress the part
It's chic but relaxed.
Top table?
On the terrace where you can soak up hillside views.
See & do
There's no need to rush around here: play pétanque while sipping an aperitif or rent a bike and pedal off into Forcalquiers.
Head west and explore the hilltop villages of the Luberon, or venture to historic Avignon. See the lavender fields in full bloom in early July, and wander around nearby Apt or the the village of Saint Michel l'Observatoire, where you can cross the River Largue to reach the ruins of the 12th-century priory at Carluc. Further afield are the spectacular Gorges du Verdon, while you're just a two-hour drive from both the Alps and the resorts of the Riviera.
Shop
Don’t miss Forcalquiers’ huge Monday open air market, where you can stock up with everything from spiced olives to chic second-hand clothes. Or head off to L’Isle sur la Sorgue and browse through its antique emporia.
After dark
Forcalquiers has a few late-night cocktail bars where the music plays till late.
Dates
May
The Luberon jazz festival kicks off in late May with gigs in a number of the area's towns and villages.
The Bastide's terraced restaurant looks out towards the Luberon hills. Virtually everything on the menu comes from local suppliers, and chef Joel Juglaret makes full use of the region's natural larder, with locally reared pork and lamb and home-grown produce. Tuck into croustillant de Banon aux herbes du marché, or grilled monkfish served with a mushroom coulis and tian of vegetables.
Dining out
Forcalquiers has a good choice of restaurants – mostly small bistro-type places with check tablecloths and a small menu du jour . Bistro du Lavande serves excellent traditional provençal cuisine and is worth a trip.
Where?
Les Terrasses de la Bastide at Bastide Saint Georges.
What's cooking?
Try the grilled seabass or local Forcalquiers lamb, polished off with an iced chocolate pyramid.
Dress the part
It's chic but relaxed.
Top table?
On the terrace where you can soak up hillside views.
See & do
There's no need to rush around here: play pétanque while sipping an aperitif or rent a bike and pedal off into Forcalquiers.
Head west and explore the hilltop villages of the Luberon, or venture to historic Avignon. See the lavender fields in full bloom in early July, and wander around nearby Apt or the the village of Saint Michel l'Observatoire, where you can cross the River Largue to reach the ruins of the 12th-century priory at Carluc. Further afield are the spectacular Gorges du Verdon, while you're just a two-hour drive from both the Alps and the resorts of the Riviera.
Shop
Don’t miss Forcalquiers’ huge Monday open air market, where you can stock up with everything from spiced olives to chic second-hand clothes. Or head off to L’Isle sur la Sorgue and browse through its antique emporia.
After dark
Forcalquiers has a few late-night cocktail bars where the music plays till late.
Dates
May
The Luberon jazz festival kicks off in late May with gigs in a number of the area's towns and villages.
GETTING THERE
Location
Route de Banon, 04300 Forcalquier
Parking
There is free guest parking.
Trains
Aix-en-Provence (TGV station) – 40 minutes
Taxis
Around EUR 160 from Marseille Airport
Airport
Marseille – one hour
Rooms and suites
17 rooms and one apartment.
Special features
Most rooms have a private terrace or little private garden. The whole ethos here is to make yourself at home.
Also…
There's a swimming pool to cool off in – nicely heated for the cooler months.
ESSENTIAL INFO
Rates guide
EUR 140 - 290
Open/closed
Closed December – late February
Check-in
4pm
Check-out
Midday
Minimum night stay?
Three nights between July – September.
Breakfast
Buffet breakfast is served until 10:30am.
Room service
Available morning and afternoon.
Children
Welcome
Pets
Welcome, for EUR 10 per day
Air conditioning
Yes – all rooms
Languages
French, English, Italian and Spanish.
Wedding license?
No
Your contact
Georges Sanchez – general manager
Location
Route de Banon, 04300 Forcalquier
Parking
There is free guest parking.
Trains
Aix-en-Provence (TGV station) – 40 minutes
Taxis
Around EUR 160 from Marseille Airport
Airport
Marseille – one hour
Rooms and suites
17 rooms and one apartment.
Special features
Most rooms have a private terrace or little private garden. The whole ethos here is to make yourself at home.
Also…
There's a swimming pool to cool off in – nicely heated for the cooler months.
ESSENTIAL INFO
Rates guide
EUR 140 - 290
Open/closed
Closed December – late February
Check-in
4pm
Check-out
Midday
Minimum night stay?
Three nights between July – September.
Breakfast
Buffet breakfast is served until 10:30am.
Room service
Available morning and afternoon.
Children
Welcome
Pets
Welcome, for EUR 10 per day
Air conditioning
Yes – all rooms
Languages
French, English, Italian and Spanish.
Wedding license?
No
Your contact
Georges Sanchez – general manager
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