Castle ruins
On the plateau.
Holger Uwe Schmitt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jean-Pol GRANDMONT — CC BY 4.0 · Jean-Pol GRANDMONT — CC BY 4.0 · Tylwyth Eldar — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Holger Uwe Schmitt — CC BY-SA 4.0
Les Baux-de-Provence is a village in the Alpilles hills of Provence, southern France, set on a rocky outcrop crowned by a ruined castle, about 15 km northeast of Arles and 23 km south of Avignon in a straight line. Its name refers to its setting: in Provençal, «bauç» means a rocky spur. The word bauxite, the ore of aluminium, comes from the village's name, after the geologist Pierre Berthier found it here in 1821. The village belongs to the «Most Beautiful Villages of France» association. The village's pale stone houses pile up on white rock, topped by the ruined castle and its crumbling walls on the rocky plateau. From the ruins a wide view opens south over the plains of Provence, with olive groves and vineyards, and over the rugged white limestone hills around. Visitors climb the narrow cobbled lanes, full of small shops, to the castle ruins. In an old quarry nearby, an art centre projects artworks onto the rock walls. The village is crowded in summer; early morning is quieter.
On the plateau.
Small shops.
Olives and vines.
Les Baux-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence, France
In the morning, before the crowds.
Yes, from Avignon or Arles.