Issue No. 13

Les Baux de Provence
Continuing south, the road wriggling
between limestone crests to get there, Les
Baux de Provence is justly one of the most
beautiful villages in France. In fact, the
‘village’ as such sits below the great
limestone plateau on which the lords of
Baux built their chateau. Separated a little
from Les Alpilles, Les Baux, which gave its
name to the mineral bauxite, is perfectly
summed up in the words of a song by
Italian folk rock singer-songwriter Angelo
Branduardi: ‘Dans son château le Seigneur
des Baux prend la pluie au visage’ – In his
chateau, the Lord of Baux takes the rain in
his face. Climb to the highest point of this
limestone ridge, and you’ll see why that
might be; it must have been a desolate
spot in winter when there was only wine,
wenching and throwing the odd malcontent
from the battlements to alleviate the gloom.
Today, the village and its diverse architectural
heritage is a charming mix of
narrow streets, gift and craft shops, and
restaurants, all determined to delay you.
Above, for a modest fee, you can head up
onto the plateau itself and the ruins of the
chateau wherein are displayed modern
interpretations of the siege engines of war
used during medieval times. For all its
popularity, it’s easy to fashion a quiet tour
of the citadel that will give you a remarkably
valid impression – well, almost – of
what life might have been like living on this
mountain ridge. There’s plenty of parking,
for a fee, but arriving early is always a good
idea.
Elsewhere, Maussane-les-Alpilles is a
serene, unspoiled village centred on a large
square below the church, used in season as
overflow seating for nearby bistrots and
cafés. Come back mid-afternoon and sit in
the shade with a glass of chilled wine or
panaché and let the world pass you by.