Following the Knights Templar through the Cote du Rhone, Vaison la Romaine

This route starts in Vaison-La-Romaine, an impressively historic town packed with Roman and medieval buildings. From the tourist office, head north on the Avenue General de Gaulle and take the last exit at the roundabout on to Avenue de Saint Quenin. Take the first right on to the D51 and follow it all the way out of the town and along a tree-lined residential road that gradually becomes less populated and more rural.

After you see the sign telling you that you’ve left Vaison-La-Romain, continue to follow signs to Le Palis until you come to a turn-off for Baud on your left, look out for the green cycle route sign. A small road cuts through farmland and brings you onto the the D7, where you shoud see another green cycle route sign on the opposite side of the road. Turn left again and follow the sign towards our next village at Roaix.

Roaix is a quiet but pretty little place with old stone buildings and the ruins of a chateau that was once a commandery of the Knights Templar. Roaix is known for the quality of its Côte du Rhône wine, which was first cultivated in the 12th century when the Order of the Knights Templar built a residence here complete with vineyards. The village is split into two parts, so if you want to see the ruins of the Templar chateau then you’ll have to deviate from our route slightly and ascend up to the old part of the village, high up on the hillside.

At the roundabout take the first exit towards Roaix village centre and follow the road through the village. Look out for the post office on your left and turn right up the opposite road, then take the first left and follow the road all the way to Rasteau.

The road from Roaix to Rasteau is incredibly scenic and passes lots of vineyards and wine merchants, where you can call in to taste the local appellations; if you’ve room in your panniers then this is a great place to pick up a couple of bottles to enjoy later.

At Rasteau turn left towards the tourist office and cycle down the Rue des Ecoles; at the stop sign turn right and continue until you come to a fork in the road just past the sign that says you are leaving Rasteau. Take the smaller right turn, marked with the green cycle sign. Follow this road until you come to the D51, here you can either turn left and visit the village of Cairanne, or turn right and continue on to Saint-Roman-de-Malegarde. Cairanne is another historic village that produces a lot of good quality wine. Ancient ramparts surround parts of the village, you can walk around some of them and see the 12th century towers, one of which is known as the “Templars' Tower". If you decide to include Cairanne on your circuit, then retrace your steps back to the D51 in order to continue to Saint-Roman-de-Malegarde via the gentle climb up to Col du Débat. On the descent from the col you’ll have wonderful sweeping views of the vineyards stretching out in all directions and the mountains in the distance, as you freewheel down to Saint-Romain-de-Malegarde.

Saint-Romain-de-Malegarde is a former outpost of the order of the Knights Templar; visit the 13th century church in the centre of the village, which bears the Templar emblem of the Maltese cross. There is also the remains of a 12th century chateau and its three towers. From the village centre, continue on the D51 towards Buisson, taking the second exit at the roundabout marked for both Buisson and Villedieu. You’ll immediately see a boules pitch on your right, take the small road on the right just after it to reach Buisson village. You’ll come a crossroads at the Place du Verdun, the central square with its massive arched gateway. The village huddles around a 12th century church and is surrounded by fortified ramparts. There are lots of examples of Templar architecture here as well as fountains, pretty old houses, shady plane trees and an old wash house. There are no shops in Buisson and it’s very quiet, but it's a lovely place to stretch your legs and have a look around. Exit the main square onto Chemin de Fontvieille and rejoin the D51, in the direction of Villedieu. You’ll eventually come to a small junction where you continue along the smaller D7, still signposted for Villedieu.

Villedieu is another former commandery of the Knights Templar with a church, chateau, towers and ramparts dating from the 12th century. The remparts are interspersed by three enormous stone gates, one of which bears the only remaining authentic papal coat of arms in the Vaucluse. The central square is surrounded by a labyrinth of narrow streets, tightly packed with ancient old houses.

Once you’ve had a wander round Villedieu, continue along the D7 in the direction of Roaix. When you come to a stop sign, turn left at the crossroads and follow the signposts back along the D7 to your starting point of Vaison-La-Romaine.

The whole route should take around 4 hours without any stops, but if you want to take your time then it is the perfect ride for stopping off and visiting some villages along the way. There are a few hill climbs but nothing too strenuous, with the steepest section being from Roaix at 75m up to Rasteau at 300m. You can follow the green cycle route signposts for much of the way but don’t rely too heavily on them, as they are not present at all junctions and turn-offs.