"Almost" a Year in Provence: Les Baux de Provence... en famille

December 31, 2006
This morning we all set off to explore Les Baux de Provence, a medival stronghold located about an hour north west of Aix. Les Baux is situated on a steep Apilles bare rock spur. As you approach it by car, driving through vineyards and olive groves, this rocky hill rises dramatically from the valley floor. It is incredible to imagine a whole community living WAY up there. This was not our first visit here. Lindsey and I came alone in August of 2001 and Mom, Dave and I came to the village(lower) part in September 2006.

When you arrive, you park your car and walk up into the village. At this time of year there weren't nearly as many people as before. Even so we thought there was a good crowd for a chilly New Year's Eve Day. We didn't spend much time in the village but walked up through it to the plateau with its castle ruins.

This medieval village is O-L-D....it traces it's roots all the way back to Balthazr, one of the Three Kings. The lords of Baux, who lived here in the 11c., were so proud of this fact that they even placed the Star of Bethlehem on their coat of arms. These same lords were very powerful and ruled much of southern France at the time. However, their support of the Reformation and the fact that fleeing Protestants sought refuge in Les Baux was cause enough for Richelieu, in 1632, to order the castle and it's ramparts to be dismantled. This was the town's "death-blow". What remains today is a quaint village, below the plateau, where the people who fled ,and those that came after them, ultimately settled.

We got audio guides with our entrance fees and spread out to explore the vast area around us. The castle's chapel, hospital and keep are still recognizable.

It's hard to imagine what the medical care was like at this former hospital, but the view would have been spectacular! After we wandered around for a while we stopped and enjoyed a picnic lunch we brought from home.