Mont Ventoux

About this place

Mont Ventoux is a mountain in Provence in southern France, about 20 km north-east of Carpentras in the Vaucluse department and about 45 km in a straight line north-east of Avignon. At 1,910 m it is the highest mountain in the region. It stands alone above the Rhône valley and can be seen from far away, and its bare limestone summit looks snow-capped all year from a distance, though snow usually lies only from December to April. Its name is linked to the wind: the mistral blows across the top on many days of the year and has reached 320 km/h at the summit. It is nicknamed the Giant of Provence and the Bald Mountain. A road climbs through forest and then across white scree to the summit, where a red-and-white weather and radio tower stands. On a clear day the view reaches the Alps and the Rhône valley, and sometimes the Mediterranean. Ventoux is famous among cyclists for the Tour de France climbs from Bédoin, Malaucène and Sault. The summit road usually closes from mid-November until spring because of snow and wind, while Chalet Reynard on the south side and the Mont Serein ski station on the north side stay open. Bring warm layers even in summer, as the top is much colder and windier.