Les Baux and Saint-Rémy de Provence are the undisputed stars of the Alpilles Hills. One, a fortified site nestled in limestone rock, the other containing wealthy private mansions and the Glanum remains, the two villages are representative of a prestigious Provence, visited all year round by a cosmopolitan clientele.
The two obviously complement each other. Overlooking the Camargue from afar, Les Baux-de-Provence offers visitors its formidable defensive spur, which only just emerges from the bare limestone rock. Visiting the site is an exciting build-up of discovery. At first a succession of tiny alleyways, lined with manorial dwellings, then a small marketplace with chapel and tiny church, which leads on to an open rocky plateau where the remains of a medieval fortress can be seen. There is a mix of medieval pride and Renaissance beauty here, of troubadour disorder and Grand Siècle etiquette.
Saint-Rémy de Provence, on the other hand, offers a more conventional face. At the foot of the Alpilles hills, protected by a boulevard that follows the line of the ancient ramparts, the village centre unfolds to reveal twisting alleyways lined with superb private mansions. The town hasn’t forgotten its debt to its illustrious predecessors. It was a Roman citadel, which left the remains of the Glanum site for posterity.
It saw the birth of Nostradamus. It welcomed Van Gogh without qualms. In his turmoil, the painter immortalised the town and its countryside, bringing an artistic touch that has never since departed. Take a close look at its terraces and boutiques, and you’ll see for yourself. The town is besieged by an epicurean clientele fascinated by beauty and the ‘art of living’ and thrilled to combine Provencal nonchalance and creative elegance.
