48 hours in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

As the years went by and international luxury agencies began to make deals, real estate became less affordable, and the pleasure of small, typical markets and strolls in linen shirts and straw hats, so well described in Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence, waned, moving over time to the West, a little less high society. "Go West" was the motto of the day, as people discovered Eygalières, Maussane and above all Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The reputation of the Alpilles had already been established long before: the Provence of Mistral and Daudet, the light of Van Gogh and Gauguin, the world-famous Oustau de Baumanière, not to mention the Roman arenas and Nostradamus, provided curious travelers with plenty to satisfy their appetites. Why Saint-Rémy-de-Provence? Because it offers the compact architecture of a preserved village, circumscribed by its circular boulevard, entirely pedestrianized at its heart, small but rich enough in lanes, fountains and squares to welcome the summer world every year, halfway between Arles and Avignon, easily accessible from the Cavaillon exit of the A7 motorway... In thirty years, with its boutiques and restaurants, its still not very exclusive tourism has conquered a large share of the Provence market. Luxury hotels are more likely to be found around Les Baux, hidden away in the countryside, and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence still retains the somewhat universal appeal of a simple, authentic place that discourages Lambos and Bentleys. You can still stroll around in shorts and flip-flops, ice cream cone in hand, without being noticed. And yet, there's plenty to see. The archeological site of Glanum, an ancient Gallic oppidum 3 kilometers away, is just one example. The Hôtel de Sade, built on the site of Roman thermal baths, exhibits excavations from the Glanum site. The arena regularly organizes Camargue races, where the raseteurs compete in skill, without ever injuring or killing the bull. There's also plenty to drink - some of the best estates in the Baux-de-Provence appellation, such as Hauvette, Milan and Romanin (a magnificent estate in the hills on the road to Eygalières) - and to eat, with a good fifteen restaurants of all kinds listed in the guide. And then, without having to go far, less than half an hour away by car, Les Baux-de-Provence, the Camargue, photography in Arles, theater in Avignon... Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is of course part of the Alpilles Regional Nature Park, which groups together 16 communes covering more than 500 km2, protecting its heritage and promoting sustainable tourism. And it's Saint-Rémy that hosts the Maison du Parc, in an 18th-century bastide house, La Cloutière, where you'll find most of the activities and walks to be enjoyed in the park, such as the path leading to Lake Peïroou, an artificial reservoir nestled in a magnificent site. M. E.