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Sorgues
49 km
Wednesday 9 June
Located in the Vaucluse département, in the heart of the Comtat Venaissin area, Monteux offers the quality of life of a city on a human scale. This vibrant town has managed to reconcile its Provencal traditions with controlled and harmonious development, including the construction of modern, purpose-built cultural, educational and sporting facilities. A lively town of 10,000 inhabitants, renowned for its fireworks, Monteux likes to party and celebrate its region. A wide range of events and festivities are organised throughout the year, including the Fête Patronale de Saint-Gens, the Légende des Siècles, the Festival of Saint-Jean and the Autumn Fair. However, the main highlight is the annual fireworks display at the end of August, a dazzling mix of fantasy, magic and emotion. With a reputation that extends far beyond the local region, Monteux’s pyrotechnic extravaganza, coordinated by Lacroix Ruggieri, attracts more than 40,000 spectators every year.
Located in the Vaucluse, at the confluence of the Rhône and the Ouvèze rivers, bordered by mostly vineyard covered slopes (AOC Chateauneuf-du-Pape), fruit orchards and vegetable crops, Sorgues is a town with a thousand faces. Its proximity to major communication networks, its location midway between Avignon, the Comtat Venaissin and the Principality of Orange has contributed to its expansion. A town of contrasts, Sorgues requires time to be discovered bit by bit. Its ancient heritage, many monuments, diversified economic fabric as well as its rich and varied associative scene attract each year new inhabitants. Today, it has a population of 18,600. The end of 2010 will be resolutely focused on culture with the inauguration of the Pôle Culturel cultural centre. This new facility devoted to reading and artistic pursuits will offer a new dimension for interaction and communication. Sorgues, a dynamic, lively and resolutely forward-looking town is pleaded to welcome the Critérium du Dauphiné.
