Perched Villages of the Luburon

Seeking safety from maraudng tribes, many vllages moved up the mountainside many hundreds of years ago. When peace returned, the villagers tended to move back down to the valleys. Several of these Perched Villages were nearly ghost towns fifty or so years ago, before they were "discovered" by those wealthy enough to restore the villas and infrastructures. Today they are among the most picturesque sights in Provence.
Here is the village of Gordes, set in the lush countryside:

and here is Rousillon, with houses made from the red clay of the surrounding hills. The houses range in hue from ocre to deepest blood red, depending upon the oxidation of the clay. Its beauty has made it one of the most touristed towns in the Luberon.