Les Baux-de-Provence, one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France.
I’ve previously written about the tour taking us through some of the prettiest towns in Provence (I’ll include a link to the tour further below). They are all different: Rousillon is red, the colour of oche. Gordes is a classic hill town, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse has a gorgeous location at the source of the Sorgue River.
Les Baux-de-Provence is unlike any of them. I call it the “Rock village”: the town is located in the Alpilles mountain chain, a craggy limestone range about 20 km south of Avignon. It is full of white rocks, jagged peaks and stunning views over the Entreconque Valley. Here the Lords of Baux (one of the richest and most powerful families of medieval Provence) built their castle in the 13th century, the high plateau protecting them from invasion while also giving them control over all traffic along the coast.
When the last Princess of Baux died without an heir in 1426, the Castle ended up in the hands of the French crown. In the 1600’s the town became a center of Protestantism and troublemakers, the worst of them being Raymond de Turenne, aka The Scourge of Provence. He liked to kidnap locals, and if their family could not pay a ransom, make them walk the gang-plank straight off the top of the cliff. It led to the French King (Louis XIII) laying siege to the town in 1632 and destroying the castle. That led to a slow decline of the town with the top of the town being abandoned and the growth of the “lower town”.
Today the town is a popular tourist stop in Provence. It has been used as a filming location for various French movies such a Days of Glory (2006), Dead Tired (1994), but also for international movies/reality shows such as Ronin (1998) and The Amazing Race (in both 2001 and 2017).
What to See in Les Baux-de-Provence
This hilltop village is known for its well-preserved collection of historic stone houses, chapels and mansions. Les Baux is officially one of “The Most Beautiful Villages in France”. Highlights include Eglise St Vincent and Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs. Les Baux has 22 architectural treasures classified as Historic Monuments.
You can go up to the top of the town where the castle is. What’s left today is mostly ruins. The castle gets mixed reviews and we didn’t have time on the tour (which gave us 45 minutes in Les Baux). Entry to the castle costs 10 Euros. But even if you don’t do that, it’s worth coming up here for the fabulous views of the Entreconque Valley.
Really, Les Baux-de-Provence is a place to walk around and admire the buildings and the landscapes. It’s a pedestrian-only town so it’s a pleasure to explore.
Some more photos:
For more: See the official website of Les Baux-de-Provence and have a look at the aerial video of the town to see just how impressive it is.
Practical Information on Visiting Les Baux-de-Provence
- Car. The best way to get to Les Baux-de-Provence is by car. From Avignon it takes about 45 minutes (39 km away), from Arles about 30 min (19 km away).
- Tour. I mentioned the tour we took: It brought us to 5 villages: Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Gordes, Roussillion, Les Baux de Provence, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence as well as the Pont du Gard. So we saw some of the most beautiful spots in Provence in one day.
- Bus. You can get several buses to Les Baux-de-Provence, although it will require some coordination. The 707 bus that runs between Avignon and Arles stops here a couple of times a day.
- How long does Les Baux require? Ideally, if you want to visit the town and castle (and maybe have a short stop for a beer or ice cream), I’d plan 1 ½ to 2 hours. As mentioned above, the tour we took only allowed for 45 minutes which was enough for everything except the castle.
Related: 10 Things to Do in Avignon
Related: A Guide to Visiting Carcassonne
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