Aurel
Last update on
Aug 17, 2026
5 km North of Sault via the D 942.
Discover the charming village of Aurel in the Vaucluse
Aurel is a village in the Vaucluse located 5 km north of Sault, at an elevation of 800 meters, on the eastern slope of Mont Ventoux.
Two hundred residents, a 12th-century church, the ruins of a castle, and the Sault region’s plateau, where fields of lavender stretch all the way to the borders of the Drôme and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.
The road descending from Ferrassières offers the most beautiful view. The village suddenly comes into view, nestled on its hilltop, backed by the foothills of Mont Ventoux. René Seyssaud and Pierre Ambrogiani came to paint this light long before the photographers arrived.
The canton of Sault is home to its most unassuming village here. Montbrun-les-Bains and its spa are eight kilometers away, Saint-Trinit and Saint-Christol are just a little farther, and the summit of Mont Ventoux is about an hour’s drive away. You can explore Aurel in an hour. The surrounding landscapes are enough to fill an entire season.
Beautiful Landscapes
Whether you arrive via the road from Sault or the one descending from the Ferrassières plateau, you’ll be struck by the beauty of the village, which sits compactly nestled amidst these wild mountainous landscapes.
A charming village
As you stroll through the village, you’ll be captivated by the charm of its narrow streets and historic houses with exposed stone walls.
They’re nestled close together, clustered around the massive church and the tower of its 12th-century castle, as if trying to keep each other warm.
A village beloved by painters
Aurel boasts beautiful light and offers breathtaking panoramic views of the entire region. Painters love coming here to work.
René Seyssaud and Pierre Ambrigiani were the first to be inspired by the colors of the lavender, the grain fields, and the shadows cast by the foothills of Mont Ventoux. Since then, many other painters—both famous and lesser-known—have followed in their footsteps; you’re sure to come across some of them there, as well as a few potters and ceramic artists.
What to see
12th century church Sainte Aurele.
Remains of the 12th century chateau.
Things to do
Hiking.
Horse-riding. Mountain biking.
Airbnb
Discover our selection of houses, villas and apartments on Airbnb for an authentic stay in this Provençal village. You will love your vacation here.
Accommodation
Vacation rentals.
B&Bs.
Hotels.
Your questions about the village of Aurel
You've sent us several questions about this charming village in the Vaucluse. Here are our answers to your most frequently asked questions.
What is there to do in Aurel?
Visiting Aurel starts on foot. The village takes twenty minutes to walk: up to the church, around the ramparts, down to the washhouse. The dry-stone houses stand tight against one another, out of line, exactly as the terrain forced them.
The botanical trail begins at the Aurel fountain, at 794 meters. It drops toward the Riou springs and climbs back through the hamlet of Les Crottes. Two hours, no real difficulty.
Everything else depends on the terrain and the season. Hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, cycling on the Ventoux roads. In July, the distilleries of the Pays de Sault open their doors and the lavender takes over.
For evenings out and tourism in the broader sense, it all happens in Sault, five kilometers away. Market day is Wednesday, and has been since 1515.
The botanical trail begins at the Aurel fountain, at 794 meters. It drops toward the Riou springs and climbs back through the hamlet of Les Crottes. Two hours, no real difficulty.
Everything else depends on the terrain and the season. Hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, cycling on the Ventoux roads. In July, the distilleries of the Pays de Sault open their doors and the lavender takes over.
For evenings out and tourism in the broader sense, it all happens in Sault, five kilometers away. Market day is Wednesday, and has been since 1515.
How do you get to Aurel?
Aurel can only be reached by road. No train station, no regular bus service: plan on a car.
From Avignon, count 73 kilometers (45 miles) on the D942 through Carpentras, Mormoiron and Villes-sur-Auzon, then either the Nesque gorges road or the Col des Abeilles up to Sault. The D942 continues due north from there. Coming from the Drôme, the D542 through Montbrun-les-Bains is the shortest route.
Marseille is 128 kilometers away (80 miles), Aix-en-Provence 114 (71 miles). The nearest high-speed rail station is Avignon.
Check the map before you leave. Aurel's location throws off any distance calculation to your hotel: the roads here are beautiful, winding and slow.
From Avignon, count 73 kilometers (45 miles) on the D942 through Carpentras, Mormoiron and Villes-sur-Auzon, then either the Nesque gorges road or the Col des Abeilles up to Sault. The D942 continues due north from there. Coming from the Drôme, the D542 through Montbrun-les-Bains is the shortest route.
Marseille is 128 kilometers away (80 miles), Aix-en-Provence 114 (71 miles). The nearest high-speed rail station is Avignon.
Check the map before you leave. Aurel's location throws off any distance calculation to your hotel: the roads here are beautiful, winding and slow.
What are the main sights in Aurel?
The heritage here amounts to a handful of monuments, all of them on the hill. The church of Sainte-Aurèle dates from the 12th century. Its Romanesque bulk serves as a landmark from the valley floor.
The castle ruins sit right beside it. The fortress belonged to the Agoult family, counts of Sault. A tower and sections of wall survive, absorbed into the houses built up against them.
The 14th-century ramparts met the same fate. You follow their line more than you actually see them. That is what makes a visit to Aurel interesting.
The other sights are minutes away: the Nesque gorges, whose river rises here, the lavender fields of Ferrassières, and the summit of Mont Ventoux.
The castle ruins sit right beside it. The fortress belonged to the Agoult family, counts of Sault. A tower and sections of wall survive, absorbed into the houses built up against them.
The 14th-century ramparts met the same fate. You follow their line more than you actually see them. That is what makes a visit to Aurel interesting.
The other sights are minutes away: the Nesque gorges, whose river rises here, the lavender fields of Ferrassières, and the summit of Mont Ventoux.
How far is Aurel from Sault?
Four and a half kilometers as the crow flies, five by road. The D942 links the two villages in ten minutes.
Aurel lies north of Sault, sharing the same postal code, 84390, and the same administrative district of Carpentras, in the Vaucluse. Sault has around 1,300 residents, Aurel a little over 200.
That proximity shapes any stay. Sault has the shops, the hotels and the tourist office. Aurel has the quiet and the view.
Saint-Trinit, Ferrassières and Reilhanette are all four kilometers out, Montbrun-les-Bains five. You base yourself in one village and range across the rest.
Aurel lies north of Sault, sharing the same postal code, 84390, and the same administrative district of Carpentras, in the Vaucluse. Sault has around 1,300 residents, Aurel a little over 200.
That proximity shapes any stay. Sault has the shops, the hotels and the tourist office. Aurel has the quiet and the view.
Saint-Trinit, Ferrassières and Reilhanette are all four kilometers out, Montbrun-les-Bains five. You base yourself in one village and range across the rest.
Is Aurel a picturesque village?
Yes, for one specific reason: the relationship between the village and the land around it.
Aurel sits on an isolated mound in the middle of an open plateau. Nothing hides it. Coming down the road from Ferrassières, you watch it arrive from a distance, with the foothills of Mont Ventoux behind.
The lavender does the rest. From late June through late July, the blue rows close in on the village right up to its first houses. The contrast with the gray stone explains why Aurel appears in so many photographs of the Vaucluse.
René Seyssaud and Pierre Ambrogiani came here to paint the light. It is harder than in lower Provence, cleaner, and it shifts fast.
A picturesque village proves itself out of season. In October, with the fields cut and Ventoux gone white, Aurel still holds its own.
Aurel sits on an isolated mound in the middle of an open plateau. Nothing hides it. Coming down the road from Ferrassières, you watch it arrive from a distance, with the foothills of Mont Ventoux behind.
The lavender does the rest. From late June through late July, the blue rows close in on the village right up to its first houses. The contrast with the gray stone explains why Aurel appears in so many photographs of the Vaucluse.
René Seyssaud and Pierre Ambrogiani came here to paint the light. It is harder than in lower Provence, cleaner, and it shifts fast.
A picturesque village proves itself out of season. In October, with the fields cut and Ventoux gone white, Aurel still holds its own.
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