The Alpilles
Designated as a Regional Natural Park, the Alpilles encompasses a chain of Limestone Mountains culminating at 498 meters and offering a panorama that stretches from the Mont Ventoux to the Cévennes and from the Sainte Victoire Mountain to the Camargue.
The Alpilles is part of the authentic Provence experience, with beautiful sun soaked landscapes of small steep roads, tree lined pathways, low mountains covered in scrub, pine or oak forests and green plains dotted with superbly restored mansions known as “Bastides”, former dry stone farmhouses. It is famous for its olive groves, vineyards and the cultivation of almond and fruit trees, used to produce local delicacies.
The region offers beautiful monuments but also the simple charms of small towns and villages with their churches, market squares shaded by plane trees, fountains and terraces with local restaurants and cafes, the ambience rich in style and refinement.
Recommended towns and villages to visit include:
-Saint Rémy de Provence, with its boutiques and rich history.
-Les Baux de Provence, renowned for its open air museum with a medieval castle and the famous ‘Carrieres de Lumieres’.
-Eygalieres and its rocky outcrop.
-Mouries and its 80,000 olive trees.
-Maussanne-les-Alpilles and its square with the Fountain of the Four Seasons.
-Fontvieille and The Alphonse Daudet's windmill.
-Tarascon at the crossroads of the Alpilles and the Camargue.
Yourchauffeur offers you a tailor-made visit of the Alpilles in order to discover the beauties of this corner of Provence. Your driver can advise you the best places to visit such as a traditional market, art galleries and artisan shops or a stop in a vineyard, an oil mill and a lunch break depending on your preferences, an ideal opportunity to enjoy local flavors.
Some suggested links you may want to peruse in advance to inform your choices:
-Glanum archaeological site in St Rémy. http://www.site-glanum.fr/en/
-Van Gogh and St Paul de Mausole in St Rémy. https://www.avignon-et-provence.com/en/monuments/saint-paul-de-mausole-monastery
-The « Château des Baux de Provence ». https://www.chateau-baux-provence.com/en/home
-The « Carrières de Lumières » aux Baux de Provence. https://www.carrieres-lumieres.com/en/home
-Castelas olive oil mill in Les Baux de Provence http://www.castelas.com/huile-olive-baux-provence/en/accueil
-The Mouries olive oil mill. https://www.moulincoop.com/en/home/
-Domaine de Valdition winery in Orgon. http://www.valdition.com/en/
-Chateau d’estoublon in Fontvieille: wine, olive oil, restaurant. https://www.chateau-estoublon.com/?lang=en
