Saignon

Set on the Plateau de Claparédes and draped just below the crest of an arid hillside covered with olive groves, lavender, and stone farms, Saignon is an appealing hill town anchored by a heavyset Romanesque church. Neat cobbled streets wend between flower-festooned stone houses and surround a central placette (small square) with a burbling fountain. Yes, it’s been gentrified with a few boutiques and restaurants, but the escapist feel hasn’t been erased.