The Bories that are found just outside the village of Gordes in Provence, France are one of the most interesting things that we have ever come across in our travels.
The Village des Bories, located a short distance outside the trendy Luberon hill town of Gordes, was one of the more unique places we visited while vacationing for two weeks in two weeks in Provence with our kids.
Read Two Weeks in Provence, France with Kids
The village consists of several bories which are “dry” stone huts. A “dry” hut means that they were constructed without the use of mortar. The limestone rocks would have been collected from nearby fields as they were cleared and then carefully stacked to build these structures.
The existence of bories in this region of France date back to the Bronze Age but it is not clear how old this particular settlement is. It is believed that it may have been rebuilt several times beginning in the 7th century and that the most recent structures were probably completed in either the 18th or 19th century as many of the tools and implements found can be dated to that time period.
Bories are found throughout the region (there was even a small one at the villa that we were renting) but this particular village is unique in that it has a large cluster of buildings remaining.
The village was classified as a historic monument after being restored and is now an open air museum which provides visitors with some insight into how life was once lived in the hills of the Luberon.
There are several groupings of bories in the village which my daughters had fun exploring. Houses, stables, bakehouses, and barns are represented among the buildings and imaginations can run wild picturing life in the village.
Here are a few of the photos that I snapped while we explored the Village des Bories.
What You Need To Know
- The village is open every day from 9 am until sunset.
- Admission for adults is 7 Euros and for children 12-17 is 4 Euros. Reduced pricing for groups.
- Reservations are recommended for groups.
- Tours of the village are self-guided and take approximately 30-60 minutes.
- There are two guided tours available on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- The 100,000 visitors who come to the Village des Bories each year make it one of the most visited sites in Vaucluse.
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Leigh
We were there years ago on a biking trip of the Dordogne – but I’d forgotten all about the Bories. They are interesting and very reminiscent of the beehive huts I saw form 600AD on the Skellig Islands in Ireland.
InsideJourneys
Wow, this must take a lot of skill and time. I can hardly balance one rock on top of the other without them toppling over.
Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista
Very interesting but I can’t imagine living in one. It is impressive they are still standing!
sabrina
I really like these houses. they look so interesting! They also look so ready to fall apart 🙂 they must be much more robust than they look since they usually stay there forever though 🙂 go figure.
Cathy Sweeney
That’s really interesting history about Village des Bories in Gordes. I didn’t know about the bories. Definitely unique. Thanks for the education!
Jessica
That is very unique. I’ve never heard of such a thing!
Mary @ The World Is A Book
This looks and sounds so interesting to visit. I have never heard of Bories either and somehow doesn’t fit my image of Provence. I like how they constructed them.
cindy thetravelgal
How interesting. I’d never heard of this either – it looks like a very cool place to photograph!!
Becca@rwetheryetmom?
Once again, you wrote about a beautiful place I have actually visited in France!! But I have never heard of the Bories – how fascinating – was this from your most recent trip?
Thanks for linking up this week!
Aleah | SolitaryWanderer.com
Those are really wonderful. I wonder how the people made them? Did they use some kind of cement? I’m sure it’s warm during winter while cool during the summer season!
lisa wood
I love how much your girls love to smile for the camera! Gorgeous photos 🙂
Lisa Goodmurphy
I haven’t heard of the beehive huts of Ireland but am going to google them now to learn more. When I first saw a borie on the property where we were staying I thought that it looked like a beehive. I expect that there was a reason that the structures were built with that shape.
Allison
I didn’t know that France had these kind of ancient structures. These are not the typical photos from vacations in France.
Your younger daughter looks like she is around the same age as my daughter. She always looks like she is having a great time. I bet they would get along well.
Lisa Goodmurphy
I know – it amazes me all the time what people used to build without the sophisticated tools that we have today.
Lisa Goodmurphy
I believe there was a decade long restoration project that commenced in the ’70s – not sure what kind of disrepair the village was in prior to the restoration.
Lisa Goodmurphy
I thought the same thing – there must be some secret to the way that they are constructed that creates stability.
Lisa Goodmurphy
We found a few places in Provence that were completely not what we expected and they were a nice break from the pretty little villages. I could spend days wandering villages but the kids liked to throw in some other activities too! 🙂
Lisa Goodmurphy
We heard about them from the people we rented our house from and were glad that we went to take a look!
Lisa Goodmurphy
I like finding unique places to visit when we are traveling. This and the village of Roussillon were probably the two most unique places that we found in Gordes.
Lisa Goodmurphy
It was a fun place to photograph and a fun place to pose if you ask my younger daughter!
Lisa Goodmurphy
It was the summer of 2010, Becca. The bories were quite close to where we had rented a house outside of the village of Gordes.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Emma is turning 9 in two weeks. If your daughter likes to have her ear talked off then they would get along very well! 🙂
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thanks, Lisa – they appreciate the kind words! 🙂
Lisa Goodmurphy
I’m not sure what exactly keeps them standing – that’s the disadvantage of self-guided exhibits – there’s nobody to answer questions!
Muza-chan
Beautiful photos 🙂
Mhie@ travelentz
Beautiful photos and this is really good for kids so they can explore the place without rushing to see another place. I like the photos inside a borie.She had a blast there.
femmefrugality
Wow… I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this. Will definitely be on my to-do France list.
Amy @Red Eye Family
It’s amazing that these structures are still standing after all these years.
Lisa
What a great place to visit. The fact that they didn’t use mortar is amazing. I bet it was fun to explore the village and see the different types of buildings and design.
jade
Looks like a great day with the family! I love how your little girl raises her arms when she takes pictures- I always did that too and every family photo I’m like Vanna White showcasing our surroundings. super cute!