© Mornas OT
© Mornas OT
© Mornas OT
© Mornas OT
© Mornas OT
© Mornas OT
© Mornas OT
Mornas, Provence
A small town dominated by its cliff top fortress
You can't fail to miss Mornas as you drive down the motorway into the Vaucluse region. As the cliffs rise up to your left you can see the imposing fortress perched on top, overlooking the town below.
The first mention of Mornas in historical records was in 818 although the town was occupied by the Romans well before that. Sadly nothing remains visible from this period.
In the middle ages the Counts of Toulouse captured the town and transformed its castle into a formidable looking fortress that you can still explore to this day.
The streets are lined with plane and sycamore trees, and you can see on some buildings the line where a huge flood from the Rhône valley once filled the town.
Four fountains can be found around the streets, which date back to around 1750 when new water pipes were built to supply the town's inhabitants. One of these was rebuilt in 1871 in honour of a local man who bequeathed 10,000 francs to the commune in his will. You can see it in the aptly name Place de la Fontaine.
Sights & Attractions in [locality]
The fortress in Mornas is its crowning glory, towering above the town on the 137m tall cliff tops. Although a lot of it is ruined, many of the ramparts still stand and they hold regular medieval re-enactments here during the summer months.
Directions
Mornas lies to the northwest of Orange at the top of the Vaucluse region. From Orange it's a short drive of only 15 minutes away or if you're coming from Avignon it's around 35 minutes by car. It's easy to get to as it lies just off the main motorway, the N7.
