St.Rémy de Provence and the Alpilles
Between Avignon and Arles are the Alpilles, the "little Alpes". Drive along small country roads meandering through vineyards and olive groves, view the jagged limestone cliffs, the trees and rosemary shrubs. The beauty of the Mediterraean countryside and the quality of light has inspired many artists, the most famous being Vincent van Gogh. You see the isolated farmhouses, called "mas" in France, the olive groves, vineyards and small villages always with the Alpilles as a backdrop and the blue sky above. Similar to Mt.Victoire near Aix en Provence and the Dentelles de Montmirail to the North, the Alpilles' white and grayish cliffs give one the impression of being at a fairly high elevation. In the Alpilles there are two sights which are on nearly every visitor's list, St.Rémy de Provence and Les Baux. While we appreciate the historic (Les Baux) and artistic (St.Rémy de Provence)significance of these places it is the countryside and the small villages which make a visit to the Alpilles especially worthwhile.
St.Rémy de Provence (Population: 9,429), situated on the Northern slopes of the Alpilles, is one of the "must-sees" in the Provence. The main reason is without a doubt Vincent Van Gogh, who produced more than 150 paintings of the countryside surrounding Saint Rémy, including the "Vase avec iris" (vase with iris). Many of the places painted by the artist can be rediscovered, the wild flowers, olive trees, cypruses, the Alpilles - and, sadly enough, the room in the Saint Paul de Mausole Asylum where Van Gogh stayed from May 1889 to June 1890. Were it not for Vincent van Gogh and his paintings St.Rémy de Provence would be another one of those nice historic towns in France. Wonderfully restored town houses, the main church, the shops and the weekly market. Pleasant and from a local historian's point view even remarkable but not extraordinary. Because of Vincent van Gogh a whole aura has been created around St.Rémy de Provence.
So let's view some of the sights in town, than move a bit to the outskirts and visit the Saint Paul de Mausole Asylum and, practically next to it, one of the most important Ligurian-Greco-Roman excavations in France, the ruins of Glanum.
Let's park the car in front of the tourist office and walk into the old town. You will pass by Chapelle Notre-Dame de Pitié, a beautiful 16th century church now housing the work of the painter Mario Prassinos. In town you find many shops, art galleries and restaurants. View Église Saint-Martin, built 1122 and subsequently enlarged various times until it collapsed in 1818. Today's structure is Greek-Revival dating from 1821, except the 14th century bell tower. The remarkable organ and a wonderful acoustic of the church is the foundation for the "Festival Organa" each year, where the best organ players in the world perform. Concerts take place every Saturday in July, August and September at 5:30 PM and they are free. Next we visit the Hôtel de Sade, a nicley restored town house, where the archeological museum is housed with many pieces found at Glanum. By the way, the infamous Marquis de Sade was only a very distant relative of the de Sade family in the Provence. In the Hôtel Mistral de Montdragon we find the Musée des Alpilles with its interesting collection of Provence heritage and folk art. The Hôtel Estrine, a beautifully restored 18th century town house, houses the Centre d'Art Présence van Gogh, which holds periodic exhibitions of Vincent van Gogh's reproductions and contemporary art. To view the van Gogh originals you need to visit many museums around the world, especially the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. In Rue Hoche you find the house where Nostradamus was born.
Saint Paul de Mausole is famous for the sole reason of having accommodated Vincent van Gogh from May 1889 to June 1890. The Romanesque style church and hospital was first run by Franciscan monks to care for the mentally ill. The hospital is still in use today; it is a serene place but has an eerie air about it. Visit the cloister and the van Gogh's room.
Glanum, situated on the Via Domitia, the road from Italy to Spain, was inhabited by several civilizations, the Ligurians first, then the Greeks and finally the Romans. Most of the structures excavated are from Roman times 30 - 10 years BC. There are good guidebooks available at the entrance which lead you through this rather large site; more excavations are under way. At the entrance near the parking space are two monumental structures, l'Arc de Triomphe and the Mausolée des Jules, known collectively as "Les Antiques". They are one of the more significant Roman monuments in France.
Exploring the Villages of les Alpilles
From St.Rémy de Provence drive east on busy D99, turn right into D74 to visit Eygalières, a delightful historic village perched on a small hill. Beautiful old stone houses, village church, flowers .... picture perfect! We cross the Alpilles on small country roads, first D24 west, then D25 southeast and D569 south past the ruins of the Castelas de Roquemartine until we reach the small town of Eyguières. The names Eygalières and Eyguières are so similar, that they are frequently confounded. Eyguières has many historic fountains and town houses. We continue west on D17, turn right on D25 to visit the beautiful old village of Aureille, another picturesque village with lots of old stone houses and alleys. It is peaceful here. Overlooking the village are the remains of a 12th-century Château d'Aureille (closed to the public - too dangerous to walk there).
We take Rt.D24 west to Mouriès, again very picturesque but busier than Aureille. Together with Maussane a center for oil production. It sports a lively weekly market on Friday mornings and a 3000 seat bull ring. Rather than driving on D17 straight to Maussane, we take a detour through the Alpilles on D24 north and turn left into D78. A drive through the olive groves and the magnificent Alpilles on our left and right. Maussane les Alpilles another center for olive oil production. If you happen to be in the region in November, when the olives are harvested, visit the well known oil mill Moulin Jean-Marie Cornille. From Maussane's village center drive towards Paradou, turn right at a small sign of the oil mill before you leave the village. Reportedly this oil mill produces the best olive oil in France. You can watch as the oil is being cold pressed. You may want to buy a little supply of extra virgin olive oil and some tapenade in the oil mill's store. The counter is only a few feet away from the oil press!
From Maussane drive on D27 north, turn right into D78 and will see the impressive ruins of the Château des Baux and the small village of Les Baux de Provence. Perched on a steep promontory of the Alpilles, Les Baux was settled as far back as 6000 BC. The Celts established an oppidum in 2nd century BC. The most interesting times were the Middle Ages, when the Counts of Les Baux, who controlled 79 towns and villages in the Provence and had a fierce reputation, held a glamorous court here. In the 15th century, the last descendant died and the castle was given to the Manville family. The village was a Protestant stronghold, it revolted against the French crown and was razed in 1632 by the orders of Cardinal Richelieu. In 1642 the village was given to the Grimaldi family, rulers of Monaco, as a marquisiate. Today the village is French. Only the title of Marquis des Baux remains with the Grimaldis. It is used by the heir to the throne of Monaco, presently Princess Caroline of Monaco who would succeed her brother Prince Albert II. Les Baux is definitely worth a visit if you overlook the throngs of tourists, souvenir shops and eateries. In other words, go there once and then move on to places where you can enjoy the Provence.
We leave Le Baux and drive southwest on D78, turn right into D17 and visit Fontvieille a busy little town with a distinctive Camargue character as opposed to the Alpilles villages. Many historic stone houses, squares and churches. It is here that Alphonse Daudet wrote his famous "Lettres de Mon Moulin". You can visit the Moulin de Daudet with an adjacent small museum located on a hill overlooking the valley. You might want to finish your trip at the Abbaye de Montmajour, a short distance from Arles or drive back to St.Rémy via Le Baux.
Recommendation
Les Alpilles belong on every Provence visitor's schedule. Take the time and drive through the country side and the smaller villages. This combined with a visit to Les Baux and St.Rémy de Provence is a full day's program but you need to start early. If you want to add Glanum and all the St.Rémy museums you will need two days.
Accommodation choices are numerous. We recommend to stay in B&B's or hotels in St.Rémy de Provence or the smaller villages. Another option is to rent a self-catering vacation home, there are very nice ones in the Alpilles region. Stay away if you can from busy Rt.D99 (Tarascon-St.Rémy-Salon).
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