History of the Auberge des Gorges du Loup, from 1912 to the present day
More than a century at Le Pont-du-Loup.
A villa, a guesthouse for tourists, then a family-run auberge at the foot of the gorges.
History
A villa turned auberge.
The Auberge des Gorges du Loup began as a villa built between 1912 and 1919 at Le Pont-du-Loup. Turned into a hotel-restaurant in 1919 under the name “Pavillon des Touristes”, it took its current name after the war. Since 1 June 1991, it has belonged to Jean-Pierre and Madeleine Blavette.
1912-1919: a villa at the foot of the gorges
On 18 June 1912, Mr Adolphe Legros bought a plot of land at Le Pont-du-Loup, at the entrance to the gorges. He had a villa built there, completed in 1919, at a time when the Chemin de fer de Provence railway crossed the valley on its viaduct.
1919: the Pavillon des Touristes
On 9 November 1919, Mr Auguste Chéret bought the villa and turned it into a hotel-restaurant. He named it “Pavillon des Touristes” and put Mr Charles Gerber in charge of running it. Postcards from the time show excursion coaches parked at the foot of the viaduct, by the river.
1944: the birth of the Auberge des Gorges du Loup
On 19 June 1944, Mr and Mrs Escalier bought the establishment. After years of legal proceedings to take back the business, they ran it themselves and gave it the name it still bears: the Auberge des Gorges du Loup. They ran it until they retired in November 1976.
After them, Mr and Mrs René Lombardo ran the auberge from 1988 to 1991.
1991: the Blavette family
On 1 June 1991, after twenty-five years in French Polynesia, Jean-Pierre and Madeleine Blavette bought the auberge. Jean-Pierre was born in Bar-sur-Loup, 3 km from Le Pont-du-Loup. The Tahitian specialities on the menu, including the marinated fish, the house signature dish, are a reminder of those years in Polynesia. Their son François joined them in December 2005. You can read their story on our About us page.
Postcards
Le Pont-du-Loup in days gone by
The Chemin de fer de Provence viaduct, the excursion coaches and the auberge in the early 20th century.
Your questions
FAQ
The villa was built between 1912 and 1919 and turned into a hotel-restaurant on 9 November 1919. It has been called the Auberge des Gorges du Loup since just after the war.
Jean-Pierre and Madeleine Blavette, owners since 1 June 1991. Their son François joined them in 2005.
Before taking over the auberge, Jean-Pierre and Madeleine Blavette lived in French Polynesia for twenty-five years. The Tahitian specialities on the menu, including the marinated fish, are a reminder of those years.
The “Pavillon des Touristes”, the name given by Mr Auguste Chéret when he turned the villa into a hotel-restaurant in 1919.
See you soon
A story to share at the table.
Lunch from Tuesday to Sunday, dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. Book online or by phone.