Beaumes-de-Venise Provence-Beyond (Beyond the French Riviera) ® Vaucluse (84) Population: 1785 Altitude: 100 m Nearby: [ Cairanne 16 km | Caromb | Carpentras 9 | Gigondas | Malaucène | Vacqueyras | Orange 9 | Dentelles Montmirail | Mont Ventoux ] Photos: The cliffs "beaumes" and stone walls above the village (20k) A 19th-century "campanile" on the church tower (13k) An old village "porte", fountain and sitting man (21k) Below: [ History | Wine | Hiking ] The word "beaume" means caves or grottos, and Beaumes-de-Venise is built against a line of cliffs along the southwestern edge of the Ventoux mountains. The old houses and narrow streets of the medieval village rise up to the reddish sandstone cliffs with their many caves. Beaumes is a market town and obviously a commercial center for the outlying farms and hamlets. Busy and bustling, life in the village centers around an open central area with squares, weathered stone fountains, shops, outdoor terrace cafés, with plenty of shade from the plane trees. Watching over everything is the large 16th-century church with its clock tower topped by a wrought-iron belfry (campanile). The church was built in 1507; the campanile was added in the 19th century when the church was rebuilt. Part of the village activity includes a bureau de tourisme that's even open on Sundays. D21 Road Beaume-Caromb The narrow D21 road between Beaume-de-Venise and Caromb passes through many olive orchards, a change from the ever-present vineyards of this region. The road is a lovely drive and has a great view of the Mont Ventoux peak (which can be snow-capped into late April) and the rocky teeth of the Dentelles de Montmirail. Passing along this road you'll also see the fabulous castle of Le Barroux. Name The name beaume comes from "balma" which means grotto or cave. First record, 993: Ad Balmas History Prehistoric: grottos inhabited in the neolithique, with traces showing habitation since the iron age. Greek: The Greeks used the town as a spa, and brought the Muscat grape that makes the Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise wine famous today. Roman: The Oppidum de Durban was a Roman fortified site, and there are several other Roman and Gallo-Roman artifacts. Medieval: Beaumes was part of the fief of the Count of Toulouse until he gave it to Saint-Siège in 1209. It passed through several rulers over the centuries, and through the Revolution. Dates, Numbers Fête patronale: last Sunday in July Office de Tourisme - tel: (33) 490 62 94 39 Wine Beaumes-de-Venise is in the region of the Côtes de Rhône wines and the appellation Côtes de Ventoux wines. It also has it's own appellation, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, one of France's best sweet white wines. Hiking Maps: IGN "bleue" (1:25,000) 3040 ET "Carpentras" Didier Richard (1:50,000) #27 "Ventoux" Beaumes-de-Venise sits at the southern edge of the hills below the Dentelles Montmirail. Roads, fields and vineyards spread out to the south, but the Dentelles provide some impressive hiking. The trail west from the village skirts the edge of the hills, circling around to Gigondas as well as branching off for a steep climb up to the Dentelles. The trail east from the village follows small roads across the vineyards, and then goes through woods and fields where it branches to La-Roque-Alric or Le Barroux. A trail climbs north up out of Beaumes-de-Venise to the plateau (a quick rise from 100 to 300 m altitude). The trail then follows the road before getting into the trees for the final climb up to the Dentelles (627 m). If that's not enough, you can continue up through the forest northeast of Gigondas to the Grande Montagne.