Joucas Provence-Beyond (Beyond the French Riviera) ® Vaucluse (84240) Population: 260 Altitude: 260 m Nearby: [ Apt 15 km | Gordes | Murs | Roussillon | Plateau de Vaucluse | Luberon ] Photos: A view of the lovely perched village (17k) The narrow cobblestone streets in the village (19k) Below: [ History | Hiking ] This lovely, light little perched village is the opposite of touristique yet welcoming to tourists. If you come here from the thronged tourist sites, you'll welcome the calm beauty of Joucas, with refurbished buildings (of natural stone of course), and tiny step-streets that climb up through the village to the top. Joucas does have the amenities, however, in spite of its small size and relaxed atmosphere. There's a combined hotel (Logis de France), restaurant and terrace café in the village, and an "Alimentation" for your groceries. You can even buy a "Joucas - Provence" teeshirt here. Outside of the village there are some very nice hotels and restaurants, dispersed individually among the trees. On the plain below the village, with a lovely view up at the ancient buildings, is a nice park, playground and tennis court. The view from the village is out to the south, past the playground, to fields and vineyards and the far-off Luberon mountains. An interesting thing in the village is the ancient olive-oil mill, now used as a museum to display the old milling implements. Name First record, 1071: Jocadae; Jocadium History Gallo-Roman: vestiges remain at the quarter Notre-Dame. Medieval: Joucas was part of the fief of Agoult during the 11th and 12th centuries, and then ruled by the Knights Hospitalers of Saint John. The village was deserted during the 14th and 15th centuries. Reinhabited in the 16th, it changed hands several times during the Wars of Religion. Dates Fête: last Sunday August Foire: 29 Aug; 26 Dec. Ballooning Hiking Maps: IGN "bleue" (1:25,000) 3141 est "St-Saturnin-lès-Apt" Didier Richard (1:50,000) #27 "Ventoux" A short loop hike onto the flank of the Plateau de Vaucluse goes west and southwest out of the village. Some variations of the marked trails will take you to the village of Murs and other places on the plateau. The local trail southwest from Joucas joins the GR97-6 (Grande Randonnée), which passes Gordes to the west or Roussillon to the east.