Les Baux has been identified as another of the 'Most Beutiful Villages in France'. It stands on the top of one of the mountains on the Alpille range in Provence about 22km from Avignon.The name derives from the French word bauç, which means rocky spur, but also interesting is that Aluminium Ore was discovered there in the 1820s, by a geologist called Pierre Berthier, who named it, Bauxite, after the village.

Like many villages in Provence, above Les Baux village is also a ruined castle. It seems that so many of the castles that used to protect villages in Provence are in ruins. In many cases, monks acquired the stonework to make churches and abbeys.

The village is indeed quite beautiful and we were blessed with a glorious sunny, if cool, day. As usual, our arrival was just in time for lunch and we enjoyed a nice meal on the terrace of a hotel La Reine Jeanne, conveniently, for hungry us, close to the entrance of the village.  As the village is located towards the top of the mountain, where the ground is relatively flat, the streets are wider, which gives the village an airy, brighter, and less claustophbic feel compared to many of the villages that we have visited. It is a lively tourist destination and benefits from more shops and restaurants, which remain open throughout the day, rather than breaking for lunch or even closing in the off-season.

Moving further up, we entered the grounds of the castle. It is hard to imagine how the castle used to look as much of it was hewn from solid rock, while most of the man-made walls have fallen down. There are vaults, water reservoirs, grain storage silos, and rooms reached by tunnels and stairs all carved out of the solid rock that take you deep into the mountain and up to the top of the old keep and watch towers affording spectular views across the valley.

A must see...

(Click on the photos for large sizes and full aspect)