At the foot of the Vachères Plateau lies Sainte-Croix-à-Lauze. Three themes provide practical guidance for planning your trip here: the Mediterranean landscape, the village’s architectural history, and the Luberon cycling route No. 12. Mohair en Provence is another option, with guided visits and an exhibition and shop. This lets you decide in advance whether to focus more on the landscape, culture, cycling, or textiles.

Landscape on the Vachères Plateau

The “Vachères” Natura 2000 site also includes the commune. It consists of wooded hills and cultivated valleys in a Mediterranean setting. Sainte-Croix-à-Lauze lies at the foot of the Vachères Plateau. This identifies two aspects of the landscape: the village’s location at the foot of the plateau, and the hills and valleys of the site. If you are weighing landscape against culture when choosing your destination, you can take these details into account as a specific landscape focus.

Church, château, and local history

The Église Saint-Didier is a small Gothic structure, probably built toward the end of the 13th century. The choir retains a rib vault with an Agnus Dei on the keystone. In a rib vault, the ribs meet at the crown of the vault; here, the keystone bears the Agnus Dei, the Lamb of God. This makes it possible to distinguish the architectural form from a specific image motif as two details of the church. The dating remains a probable estimate.

The former château, dating from the 17th century, is in the village center and is known for its elaborately wrought-iron entrance gate. While the Gothic structure and choir vault stand out at the Église Saint-Didier, the gate offers a different architectural point of interest. The dates associated with the village and the church should also be kept distinct: Sainte-Croix-à-Lauze is a village dating from the 11th century, while the church was probably built toward the end of the 13th century. For anyone interested in cultural history, these provide two different chronological markers rather than a single building history.

Mohair en Provence

Mohair en Provence offers free guided visits every day. Check access arrangements before your arrival. The farm keeps Angora goats and Merino sheep. The exhibition and shop feature mohair products such as blankets, scarves, knitting yarn, hats, gloves, sweaters, vests, and socks, as well as pure Merino wool. The range includes both home textiles and yarn, as well as various garments; the animals and the product selection offer different points of interest. When planning your visit, you can decide whether you are especially interested in the animals, the tour, or the textiles on display and for sale.

Cycling

Luberon cycling route No. 12 passes through Sainte-Croix-à-Lauze and by the Oratoire Notre-Dame de la Salette. For trip planning, this is a different way to explore the area than focusing on the village’s buildings: the route combines a specific cycling connection with a named heritage site. If you choose a cycling route as your main focus, No. 12 provides a clear reference to guide your choice. If, instead, you want to focus primarily on architectural history, the Église Saint-Didier and the former château offer other specific topics. This way, you can plan your trip around your interests without combining the landscape, local history, and cycling into a single itinerary.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Pons, Sigonce, Bevons, Seyne, Entrevennes, Pra Loup, Roumoules, Curbans

For the broader travel overview: Alpes-De-Haute-Provence.