The Countryside around Saint Rémy

A small sheltered mountain range above the plain, the Alpilles form a dry microcosm, a harbour for Mediterranean flora and fauna (birds of prey). There is a risk of fire so please be cautious. The summit is the Tour des Aupiès (493m).

To the North
Maillane: the home of Frédéric Mistral, Nobel prizewinner for literature, founder of the movement for the preservation of Provençal customs and language during the 19th century (le félibrige). Don’t miss the Museon Mistral in the writer’s house. In Graveson: Musée des Arômes et du Parfum (Museum of aromas and perfume) and museum of paintings by the Fauvist Auguste Chabaud. In Barbentane: 16th and 18th century château and oil mills. La Montagnette: on a little mountain stands the Saint-Michel de Frigolet Abbey, which Daudet made famous with his “Elixir du Révérend Père Gaucher” and the village of Boulbon (Romanesque chapels). In Châteaurenard, two tall towers remain of the medieval castle from which there is a marvellous view of the Montagnette, the Alpilles and the Mont Ventoux. Tarascon: on the Roman road Domitia on the banks of the Rhône, across the river from Beaucaire (important market in medieval times). King René’s feudal castle is beautifully preserved. The pedestrianised old town centre makes agreeable walking (arcades, stone buildings, etc.). Famous Provençal fabric factory with museum (Souleiado). The Feast of the Tarasque at the end of June celebrates ancient legends. Boat trips on the Rhône. Between Tarascon and Saint-Etiennedu- Grès: magnificent Romanesque Church of Saint-Gabriel, Provençal fabric factory (Les Olivades), and fruit and vegetable market.

The centre
From the heart of the Alpilles rises the Citadel of Les Baux, a fortified village remarkable for its site and its architecture dating from the Middle Ages to the 16th century. The Cathedral of Images puts on son et lumière shows in the old stone quarries. The hotellery is renowned throughout the Alpilles (gourmet cuisine and luxury accommodation) as well as the Santon Museum and AOC wines.

To the South of the Alpilles
The whole of the south face of the range is dotted with typically Provençal villages. In Fontvieille, Maussane and Mouriès, villages of the Valley of Les Baux, visit Alphonse Daudet’s Mill and the Fontvieille stone, taste the olive oil from Mouriès (AOC), visit the Roman aqueduct and mill at Barbegal (see also the Musée de l’Arles antique), watch the bull running in the village bull ring, or enjoy a Provençal Christmas. By car, or bike for the fitter types, tour the Alpilles via Aureille, Eyguières (Château de Roquemartine, Castellas de la Reine Jeanne, Museum, Midnight Mass, and Aerodrome) and Le Destet: landscape of olive groves. Visit the Chapel of Saint- Sixte in the beautiful village of Eygalières and the medieval alchemist’s garden at the Mas de la Brune (high quality hotellery).