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According to some legends, the ancient Lords of Les Baux de Provence threw enemies from the ramparts of their 11th-century castle, overlooking the Val d’Enfer (the Valley of Hell). The Lords were an argumentative bunch and in 1633 Louis XIII had the castle destroyed to quash their rebellious tendencies. The remains of the castle and the medieval ghost town (the Ville Morte), perched on a plateau at the highest point in the Alpilles, still lord it over the countryside. The rest of Les Baux is a pretty – if slightly touristique – village of winding streets and ancient stone houses, designated one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France (Most Beautiful Villages) by the French Tourist Authority. It’s full of shops, restaurants and narrow, walled ruelles – tiny streets that open to amazing vistas at every turn. If you’re not worried about heights, climb up to the Saracen Tower on the southern edge of the plateau and you may be able to see all the way to the Mediterranean at Aigues-Mortes. For the most dramatic views, follow one of the many footpaths leading down the western slope from the Rue Porte Eyguières to the Vallon de la Fontaine.
The Château and Ancient Village: Château des Baux de Provence, 13520 Les Baux de Provence, ☎ 33 04 90 54 55 56, fax 33 04 90 54 55 00, www.chateau-baux-provence.com. Open every day from 9 am, spring to 7:30 pm, summer to 8:30 pm, autumn to 6:30 pm, winter to 5 pm. Admission: Adults €7, concessions €5.50, children up to 18 years €3.50, children under seven free.
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Author’s Tip: The area around Les Baux and the Val d’Enfer is rich in short, rugged and rewarding footpaths Check out IGN’s French TOP 25/Série Bleue Topographic Survey Map 30420T. |
LA CATHÉDRAL DES IMAGES Many years ago, a good friend took me to see La Cathédral des Images, just below Les Baux, and I was, as the British say, gob smacked. Enormous underground rooms (about 40 feet high) in a former limestone mine form the backdrop for a unique photographic artform. Slides, choreographed to music, voice and sound effects, are projected onto columns of stone left when mining ended. The columns become natural screens, 15 to 30 feet wide by as much as 30 feet high, for a dizzying array of images that completely envelopes the viewer. They even wrap across the ceiling and creep along the floor. Founded in the 1970s by photographer and writer Albert Plécy, La Cathédral des Images is still run by his family, who organize a new show annually. Like nothing else you’ve ever seen! And bring a sweater or jacket. It’s very cold almost 200 feet underground. Located just before Les Baux on the D27 south of St. Rèmy. ☎ 33 04 90 54 38 65, fax 33 04 90 54 42 65, contact@cathedraleimages.com, www.cathedrale-images.com. |
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