Table of contents

• Motorcycle tour in Provence Great weather, empty streets
• Asphalt in perfect condition
• Yellow and white curve wonders of Provence
• Route ranks in the European top ten
• Information about the Provence motorcycle tour

Jo Deleker

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Impressions from the motorcycle trip through Provence.

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Impressions from the motorcycle trip through Provence.

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Impressions from the motorcycle trip through Provence.

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Impressions from the motorcycle trip through Provence.

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Lavender fields: still green in spring, a carpet of lilac and violet in summer.

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Colorful and lively: small businesses, handicrafts and plants flourish in the villages.

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Travel enjoyment: First surf on small country roads through fields and towns, then try delicacies.

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Thanks to the Tour de France, many roads here are in perfect condition.

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and on Mont Ventoux, the mountain of cyclists.

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Impressions from the motorcycle trip through Provence.

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The eye not only pays attention to nature here.

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Even if you want to go to Provence, the detour via the breathtaking Ardèche Gorge is worthwhile.

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At the top, the brilliant street prances along.

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Enjoy this breathtaking view with caution.

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Relaxed curve swing at Sault …

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Impressions from the motorcycle trip through Provence.

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Impressions from the motorcycle trip through Provence.

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Impressions from the motorcycle trip through Provence.

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Impressions from the motorcycle trip through Provence.

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Impressions from the motorcycle trip through Provence.

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Motorcycle tour in Provence

Motorcycle tour in Provence
Great weather, empty streets

Beyond everyday German life, the Provencal spring attracts with great weather and empty winding streets. The colors shine intensely, the sky is polished to a shine by the Mistral, you want to drive here forever.

Joachim Deleker

03/17/2016

Memories sometimes interfere in a journey without being asked. Like tonight. Birgit and I crouch on the banks of the Gardon, marvel at the huge Roman aqueduct Pont du Gard and wait for it to be illuminated photogenically at dusk. In any case, that’s what the camping boss promised us. We wait until eleven late in vain. There are no emitters at all. Fell for. But while we wait in front of the monumental bridge, memories suddenly slosh through our brains in black and white. Memories of an old journey, pictures of a huge gorge and an unbelievable road that prances along the edge up there and with its perfect radii invites you to drive again. The Ardèche Gorge. But why black and white? Has the memories run out of color? Stored too long? Maybe it’s just because I took black and white photos 34 years ago, back then, on my second long trip to the Basque Country, of course with my XT 500. And what does all of this have to do with the here and now? Well, we actually wanted to go to Mont Ventoux and on to Provence tomorrow. But now these memories of the famous Ardèche Gorge are so strong that we simply change our plan.

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So off to the Ardèche. Every detour is worthwhile to see this gorge. On a Monday morning in May, nobody is out and about on the beautiful Corniche panoramic road, we have the numerous viewpoints into the grandiose gorge all to ourselves. A wild canyon with countless loops, bordered by vertical white karst walls, at the very bottom the river that created it all glistens. And the road is still as amazing as it was 34 years ago. Great radii, grippy tar, no traffic. We drive it three times, twice to be amazed, once to concentrate on cornering. Or the other way around. Or just again. Did we actually have something else to do??

Asphalt in perfect condition

Oh yes, Provence. Far to the east, our next destination is already shining, the chalk-white, bare summit of Mont Ventoux. So let’s go there. The giant of Provence, called Mons Ventosus, or windy mountain, by the Romans, measures 1912 meters. In fact, the weather station on the summit often registers wind speeds over 200 km / h. Then the Mistral, a cold northwest wind, blows through the Rhone Valley. We’re lucky, the Mistral only blows shyly today, but at least it has polished the sky so carefully that we can see the Mediterranean from the summit of the Ventoux and the snow-covered Alps to the north. The glaciated four-thousand-meter peaks of the Barre des Ecrins tower razor-sharp and even further away, an unbelievable 220 kilometers, we can even see the white peak of Mont Blanc. What a crystal clear panorama!

Which the cyclists who conquer the Ventoux by the thousands, can enjoy less. They are just happy to have conquered the legendary giant of the Tour de France. Like their heroes Eddy Merckx, Marco Pantani or Lance Armstrong, just a little slower. By the way, it is good to know for motorcyclists that the asphalt is in perfect condition, as on almost all routes on which the Tour de France takes place. Entire passports are freshly tarred there.

Yellow and white curve wonders of Provence

The mistral remains true to us for a few more days, ensures perfect spring weather: crystal clear air, 22 degrees, a few white clouds bob decoratively in the deep blue sky. Yellow rape, red poppy seeds, green lavender, now and then a rustic, cozy village like Sault, Goult, Gordes or Rousillon. Perfect conditions for a wellness week with our single cylinders. And that will certainly not take place on the straight national roads, but on all these yellow and white bend wonders of Provence, with which the Michelin card lures. Let time, motorcycle hike between relaxed and committed, constant grinning under the helmet, not knowing in the morning where we will be in the evening. Let yourself drift, maybe some sign or an exciting path will tempt us spontaneously to turn unplanned and end up somewhere else than we thought. The freedom to travel, that’s exactly how it should be.

To the east of the Luberon Mountains, Provence is unspectacularly rolling. Meadows, fields, rapeseed fields, pine forests, macchia, everything bathes in the strong light of the clear mistral sky. Is this the famous Provence light that generations of painters have raved about? What should be so different in this light from other places that are 44 degrees north latitude? For example Croatia, Hokkaido or Oregon. Bright and bright in summer, warm and soft in winter, muddy and diffuse in moist Mediterranean air, but first dried and cleaned from the mistral free of fine dust, as clear as you rarely experience it anywhere else. The Mistral is definitely to blame for the story with the special light.

But slowly he weakens, the Mistral, friend of photographers, painters and surfers, the further east we drive. Cucuron, Manosque, Moustiers. When we reached the Grand Canyon du Verdon one evening, undoubtedly the greatest attraction in Provence, the wind turned south and shoveled rich Mediterranean air over the country. That’s it with the limitless vision. Nevertheless, the magnificent Verdon Gorge knocks us out of our socks again, every time, no matter how often you have been here, it is always breathtaking, gigantic and beautiful.

Route ranks in the European top ten

For a long time, the once wild Verdon patiently and persistently nibbled on the white limestone until it had created the 700 meter deep gorge. That is long gone, for 40 years five reservoirs in the upper reaches of the Verdon have taken their erosive power away. Today it sloshes gently through the canyon, caresses the rock walls just a little and seeps into the turquoise-green Lac de Sainte-Croix reservoir at the end of the canyon. We treat ourselves to two days for the Grand Canyon, drive the 110 kilometer long scenic road, which is mostly balanced at the top of the canyon, sometimes left, sometimes right, and can hardly get beyond third gear because there is just so much to marvel at . There is no doubt that this panoramic route ranks way ahead in the European top ten. But please do not drive in summer or on weekends, that is done by thousands of others who do not always know whether to look at the winding road or into the gorge.

The good weather is persistent. Good this way. Which makes us a little bold. Are the alpine passes already open? Cayolle and Champs are not, but the Allos is marked in green. Voilà. Let’s just take a look, curve towards the snow-covered mountains of the Haute Verdon, the enduros roar over the traffic-free Col du Buis and Col du Felines wine passes. North course. The cheerful atmosphere of Provence gives way surprisingly quickly to alpine melancholy. Dark spruces instead of light pines, dark gray and unwelcoming houses instead of light brown and friendly walls, threateningly narrow valleys instead of wide views, dark clouds instead of sun. Nevertheless, we climb the 2247 meter high Col d’Allos, right into another world. Deepest winter, minus two degrees. Meter-high snow narrows the road. Colorless, black and white. A reminder of the old days? No, present reality. So better get out of here. A sign points south: Cannes 165 km. Isn’t that in the Mediterranean? It’s sure to be warm and colorful there. Please turn over!

Information about the Provence motorcycle tour

Getting there: The fastest route from southern Germany is via Basel, the most beautiful route through the Swiss Alps. From the Rhineland, it is advisable to first take the fastest route in the direction of Saarbrucken, then continue on the unfortunately toll-based motorways past Lyon to Orange. The shortest distance from Cologne to the Grand Canyon du Verdon is around 1100 kilometers.

Travel time: As early as April, Provence beckons with sun and warmth, the first days with up to 25 degrees Celsius are just as possible as a late cold snap from the north. May, June, September and October are also great times to travel. In July and August it can be hotter than 35 degrees and noticeably full.

Accommodation: In contrast to the nearby Cote d’Azur, you can still find a hotel bed in Provence with a little patience, even in midsummer. Accommodation of any quality is on offer, from youth hostels to glamorous overnight stays in historic castles. There are also often beautifully situated campsites. Information z. More colorful www.logis-de-france.fr

Motorcycling: A network of small and tiny streets runs through Provence. The streets are often narrow and extremely curvy, the pavements range from the finest tar with the best grip to the devious gravel stretches where the summer sun liquefies the bitumen. Fortunately, French drivers tend to be remarkably friendly and considerate towards motorcyclists.

literature & Cards: The author had the travel guide “Provence & Cote d’Azur “from Michael Muller Verlag on board. On 700 pages it offers an impressive wealth of information for all individual travelers. Price 24.90 euros. Also recommended is the book “Provence” from Reise Know How for 23.90 euros. The DuMont picture atlas “The South of France” is ideal for browsing at home for 8.50 euros. The best maps for the region come from Michelin. The very detailed sheets 332, 334 and 340 on a scale of 1: 150,000 know almost all routes. The cards cost 4.50 euros on site, with the unnecessary cardboard envelope in Germany 7.50 euros.

Addresses: www.franceguide.com or www.sunfrance.com, www.frankreich-info.de, but also: www.provence.de

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