SAINT REMY DE PROVENCE - LES BAUX DE PROVENCE - ARLES
This tour gives you the opportunity to plunge into Provence history : from the roman epoca to the medieval times.
Saint Rémy de Provence : This little town located at the bottom of the Alpilles chain and at the edges of the prosperous agricultural region of Chateaurenard is a very pleasant place to stop. Its streets display charming 16th and 17th century mansions.
One of its interesting site is the Clinique Saint Paul where stood the painter Van Gogh, in may 1889 after he had mutilated his ear. We still can recognise places around that he represented in his paintings. (entrance to the clinic not included)
The other point of visit is a fabulous testimony of the roman epoca. A triumphal arch and a mausoleum still stand proudly at the entrance of the former greco-roman town. These two masterpieces are considered as one of the roman buildings best preserved.
Les Baux de Provence : «No one passes through Les Baux without a sense of true nostalgia, for here, more than anywhere else, the labours of time show what becomes of the most ambitious undertakings: ruined walls and breaches onto the void. The stones of man’s proud constructions devoured by the sun and wind. Only traces remain of their ambition, fears and solitude»
(T.Fréchier)The village is situated in a wonderful and very picturesque site, in the heart of the Alpilles, perched on a rocky spur 245m high.
Entering in the village is a real experience because, despite the great number of visitors, it seems that the atmosphere is the same than 4 centuries ago. Its cultural heritage is exceptionally rich, with 22 architectural treasures classified as "Historic Monuments" (including the church, chateau, town-hall, hospital, chapels, houses, doorways... Also from the look-out points you will have a brilliant view of the Camargue and the Alpilles.
Overlooking the village, stands the ruined fortress than can be visited (entrance not included)Arles : the Celtic city colonized by the Greeks became Roman after Julius Caesar distributed the land among his veteran legionnaires in 46 B.C. This was the first Golden Age of the city dubbed « Little Rome in Gaul ». At that time, it was a city of considerable importance covering an area of some 99 acres and it possessed a wide array of monuments, including an amphitheater, triumphal arch, circus, theater and a full circuit of walls.
Nowadays, among other Roman remains, we still can see the amphitheater (where are conducted some bullfights), the theater, the Constantine baths and a part of the wall surrounding the city. They are all listed as Unesco world heritage monuments.
Also, the medieval heritage is unique, such as the fine cloisters and portal of St. Trophime’s church and Arles has preserved many lovely buildings dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. (entrances to monuments not included)
As Van Gogh lived in Arles, some places he painted are recognisable also here.
Between the sites, your driver-guide will explain you many things about the history, the tradition, the natural environment...
You will be able to stop as much as you want to take pictures, or just to breath the fabulous scents of the provençal plants...