Mont Ventoux (French: [mɔ̃ vɑ̃tu]; Provençal: Ventor [venˈtu]) is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km (12 miles) northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the department of Drôme. At 1,910 m (6,270 ft), it is the highest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Beast of Provence", the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald Mountain". It has gained fame through its inclusion in the Tour de France cycling race; in 2009 it was the scene of the first penultimate-day mountain top finish in the Tour de France.

Mont Ventoux, although geologically part of the Alps, is often considered to be separate from them, due to the lack of mountains of a similar height nearby. It stands alone to the north of the Luberon range, separated by the Monts de Vaucluse, and just to the east of the Dentelles de Montmirail, its foothills. The top of the mountain is bare limestone without vegetation or trees, which makes the mountain's barren peak appear from a distance to be snow-capped all year round (its snow cover actually only lasts from December to April). Its isolated position overlooking the valley of the Rhône ensures that it dominates the entire region and can be seen from a long distance away on a clear day.

Venteux means windy in French. In the 10th century, the names Mons Ventosus and Mons Ventorius were used interchangeably. The mistral has created wind speeds at the summit as high as 320 km/h (200 mph). The wind blows over the mountains at 90 km/h (56 mph) for roughly 240 days a year. The road over the mountain is often closed due to high winds, especially the col des tempêtes ("storm pass") just before the summit.

Humans have probably scaled Mount Ventoux since prehistory. The first recorded ascent was by the influential 14th‑century French scholastic philosopher Jean Buridan who is recorded climbing Mont Ventoux before 1334 while on his way to the papal court in Avignon "in order to make some meteorological observations". The Italian poet Petrarch wrote a possibly fictional account of an ascent accompanied by his brother on 26 April 1336, in his Ascent of Mont Ventoux.

In the 15th century, a chapel was constructed on the top and dedicated to the Holy Cross.^{[citation needed]}

In 1882, a meteorological station was constructed on the summit, but it is no longer in use. This observatory had been planned in 1879, along with a carriage road for access.

In the 1960s, a 50-metre-tall (160 ft) telecommunications mast was built.^{[citation needed]}

From 1902 to 1976, the Mont Ventoux Hill Climb for car and motorcycle took place on the roads of the Mont.^{[citation needed]}