Saint Remy-de-Provence

Towns and Villages - by Provence Beyond

Villages > Saint Remy-de-Provence      

Nearby:  | Alpilles | Arles 22 km | Avignon 20 km | Les Baux-de-Provence 10 km | Cavaillon 19 km | Chateaurenard 12 km | Eyragues 6 km | Glanum 1 km | Graveson 10 km | Lyon 250 km (3 hr) | Maillane 7 km | Maussane-lès-Alpilles 10 km | Saint Martin-de-Crau 20 km | Saint Paul-de-Mausole(100 m) | Tarascon 16 km |

Below: | Market Day | Illustrious Sons | History | O.T. | Dates | Wine | Transportation | Hiking | Readers' Comments | Lodging Hotels |

The most obvious remains of the 14th-century protective wall are the old portes, still in use today as the entrance ways into the ancient center of old Saint Remy. The old center is circled by a ring-road of boulevards, small enough that you can walk around the circumference in 20-30 minutes.

The ancient Porte du Trou (or Portail Trou de l'Orme) [photo-5] is on the northen edge of the old town. Entering here, you would walk down Rue Nostradamus, and find the Nostradamus fountain [photo-9].

At the opposite end of the old town, the Portail Saint-Paul [photo-4] gives entrance from the south, onto Rue de la Commune leading in to the main Place Pelissier where the town hall (mairie) is located.

The dolphin fountain (photo) from the beginning of the 19th century is located in the shaded square in front of the Mairie. That lovely building (larger photo, 22k) is from the 16th century and is on the site of an old convent.

Saint Remy is a busy, active village, with a good selection of restaurants and hotels for the traveller. Among the shops in the old village are a few with some regional pottery, including some beautiful sunflower plates no doubt influenced by Van Gogh [who lived here].

The road between St. Rémy and the autoroute (at Cavaillon, 17 km to the east) is a scenic drive out of the past: the road is lined by plane trees that are lovely and give beautiful shade during the summer, yet menacing for the imprudent driver.

Market Day

Wednesday is a major market day in Saint Rémy-de-Provence. The market spreads across parking areas and squares around the northern and western parts of the Boulevards ringing the old town of St Rémy. If you like markets, crowds, and an active experience, Wednesday is a great day to visit. Cafés and restaurants tend to be crowded around lunch time, but the atmosphere is good.

There's a smaller market on Saturdays, with food only.

Illustrious Sons

Residents more recent than the Romans include Dr. Schweitzer, Dr. Nostradamus and Van Gogh.

Nostradamus, known in ancient France as an outstanding physician and elsewhere in the world as prophet, was born here on the rue Hoche.

Doctor Albert Schweitzer was "hospitalized" here in 1917-18, for the remainder of the war. He wasn't so much ill as German. He took advantage of his "hospitalization" to write The Decay and the Restoration of Civilization and Civilization and Ethics, part of his philosophical study of civilization.

Vincent Van Gogh had been living in Arles during 1888-89. In May 1889 he was voluntarily confined in the Asylum of Saint-Paul-de-Mausole beside Saint-Rémy. During this period of his life he painted two of his most notable works: Starry Night and Self-Portrait. He was released from the hospital in May 1890 and left for Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris. He shot himself on 27 July 1890 and died two days later.

Paparazzi Notes (accuracy accidental). Caroline of Monaco lives here, and the late Princess Diana bought a place.

History

Name
First record, First record, 5th century: Glanum (a Gallo-Roman city)
Medieval Name: St. Rémy-de-Provence (when the village was given to the monks of the abbey of St-Remi-en-France)

Prehistoric: Signs such as early rock carvings and Hallstatt pottery has been discovered in local grottos, including the grotte de Baldouin, grotte des Chats and grotte des Nuits.

Gallo-Roman: The antique site of Glanum, just south of town at the edge of the Alpilles, was a Greek city, eventually covered by a Roman city, and there are some beautiful Roman artifacts, including a mausoleum and the oldest Roman arch of the narbonensis region. (Roman)

Medieval: The "modern" town of St. Rémy-de-Provence was founded under the protection of the Abbey of St-Rémi of Rheims after the destruction of Glanum.

Office de Tourisme

Place Jean Jaurès - just south of the old center, on the road towards Les Baux-de-Provence and Glanum. Tel: 04 90 92 05 22; Fax: 04 90 92 38 52
Email: info@saintremydeprovence.com;   Web: www.saintremy-de-provence.com

Dates

Every Wed - Marché Provençal
March - Carnaval
Fête de la Transhumance: Pentecôte Monday (May/June); end Sept.
Every June - Feu de la Saint Jean - parades, animations, dances around the fire - evening, 22h
Every July - Fête du Vin et de l'artisanat
Every Aug - Feria Provençale, including running the bulls in the streets, fireworks. (possibly the last weekend of September )

Wine

St Rémy-de-Provence is in the region of the new appellation, Coteaux Baux-de-Provence wines.

Transportation

Bus

Line 57A runs daily between Saint Rémy-de-Provence and Avignon, with stops in Eyragues, Chateaurenard and Rognonas.

Hiking

Maps:

IGN (1/25,000) #3042 OT "Tarascon, St-Rémy-de-Provence, Alpilles"

IGN Verte (1/100,000) #66 "Avignon, Montpellier"

• The GR6 (Grande Randonnée) goes through St. Rémy. To the west, the GR6 climbs up the center of the Alpilles to Baux-de-Provence, then follows the ridge to the end, and continues on northwest to Tarascon and Pont du Gard.
St. Rémy to Baux-de-Provence via the GR6 is 7-8 km, starting at 60 m altitude, climbing to 313 m at the Tour de Guet, dropping to 160 m, then up to 218 m at Baux. It's probably about 3 hours each way, making it a good day hike out and back. The hills are thickly forested, wild and beautiful.
• To the east, the GR6 also climbs up to the top of the Alpilles, then goes east past Eygalières and Eyguières, crossing the autoroute north of Salon-de-Provence.

Camping

Camping Municipal de Mas de Nicolas

Tel: (33) 490 92 27 05; Fax: (33) 490 92 36 83

Reader's Comments

Comments contributed by Marcia D., Los Angeles, Nov 1998

In St. Remy, we have twice stayed at the 2-star Hotel Canto Cigalo. It was about $50/night, including breakfast. The owners are exceptionally gracious, and one has a generous breakfast in the beautifully laid-out and maintained gardens.
     In St. Remy, we also found two restaurants worth mentioning. Both are a little pricey by our standards (albeit not St. Remy's). The first is Bistro des Alpilles. Excellent local cuisine, and you have to love any place that garnishes a dish with basil picked from a window plant immediately before service. The second is Jardin de Frederic, with amenities, service and cuisine typical of places costing far more. About $30/person for an a la carte dinner including 1/2 carafe of wine.

Comments contributed by Winy Chen, San Francisco, Nov 2000

I also would like to recommend a GREAT hotel in St. Remey for our future readers. The name of the hotel is called "Les Ateliers De L'Image". For those who enjoy modern amenities and bright modern rooms, I highly recommend this one. After days of sleeping in antique B&Bs, my husband was ready for a change. "I am fine with looking at antiques or Roman ruins, but I need to sleep somewhere that's modern," he said. Well, this one is surely modern! What is so interesting about this hotel is that it is a combination of photo workshop, art gallery and a 12 bedroom hotel. The hotel, which used to be a movie theater, has been renovated to become a tastefully decorated Provencal house, minimalistic and sleek in style. The staff are extremely friendly but you don't feel like you're bounded to hold a conversation with them. Relaxing jazz/classical music play throughout the day; the hotel itself is a retreat.

Comments contributed by Finn Skovgaard, May 2008

Restaurant l'Olivier, 21 boulevard Mirabeau, 13210 Saint Rémy De Provence, Tel: 04 90 92 10 19. Fresh and tasty produce, original and affordable menu, traditional French cuisine with Asian inspiration a couple of places. Their wine menu presents the best of the local wines from the appellation contrôlee Baux de Provence, and at a very reasonable price. Friendly and informal service. I recommend this. Others I've sent there have been satisfied too.

Lodging - Hotels