St-Remy-de-Provence

There are other towns as pretty as St-Rémy-de-Provence, and others in more dramatic or picturesque settings. Ruins can be found throughout the south, and so can authentic village life. Yet something felicitous has happened in this market town in the heart of the Alpilles—a steady infusion of style, of art, of imagination—all brought by people with a respect for local traditions and a love of Provençal ways. As many of them have been gossip-column names or off-duty celebs, it is easy to understand why this pretty town has earned its nickname, the Hamptons of Provence.