Les Baux - what to do
 

A friend is going to be in Les Baux for two and a half days in a couple of weeks. Any ideas re: what to do there and in that area would be welcome. He will have a car.

He should post and state where his interests lie. Almost any travel book on Provence will give him the highlights.

He has a book, but Fodors folks often have some terrific insights, and great finds/favorites that might persuade someone to do one thing over another. So I offered to solicit some suggestions about favorites in that area, nothing more.

My wife and I just returned from Provence. We highly recommend travelling through the villages especially on market days. On Wednesday we first went to St.Remy arriving early for the market and then off to Arles for the afternoon. We ended the day in Les Baux arriving around 5pm when the light was spectacular. Try to visit Rousillon, Gordes, Bonnieux, Isle de Sorgue, Fontaine Vacluse, Avignon, Pont du Garde and Aix if you can. Theres a wonderful web site Provence Beyond that can be really helpful.

To Andi: <BR> <BR>Your friend has chosen a beautiful spot to stay (I'm prejudiced since I live just outside of Les Baux). <BR> <BR>Since I don't know what days he'll be there, I can only tell you that the market in St. Rémy (a ten minute drive over the Alpilles) is on Wendesday morninngs, and the market in Maussane-les-Alpilles (two minutes from Les Baux) is on Thursday mornings. Both are worth visiting. <BR> <BR>Visiting Les Baux itself should be done early in the morning or after 6 PM - when most of the tour buses have left for the day and you can actually walk through the vilage without being crushed in the crowds. The sunset from the top is beautiful, overlooking the vineyards and the Alpilles. <BR>A visit to the Cathedrale des Images, just outside the village is worth it, as well. <BR> <BR>I would recommend: <BR> <BR>Combining a market trip to St Rémy with a visit to Glanum - the remains of a Roman town built on the remains of a Phoenician one. <BR> <BR>A day trip to the Pont du Gard and the town of Uzès. Take a bathing suit along - you can swim at the base of othe aqueduct in the river, or rent a kayak or canoe. <BR>A day trip to the Lubéron villages of Rousillon (red and yellow ochre cliffs), Bonnieux, Menerbes... Pernes la Fontaine and l'Isle sur la Sorgue if time permits. <BR> <BR>Here are a few restaurants in the immediate area of Les Baux... just in case he gets hungry doing all that sightseeing ! <BR> <BR>in Maussane: <BR>Le Fourni <BR>Chez Gabrielle <BR>La Petite France (Michelin one star) <BR>Le Bistrot du Paradou <BR> <BR>In Mouries: <BR>Vallon du Gayet <BR> <BR>In St. Rémy: <BR>Bistrot des Alpilles <BR>Grain de Sel <BR>Gousse d'Ail <BR>Xa <BR>La Source <BR>Maison Jaune <BR>La Serre <BR> <BR>PB

PB - Thanks so much. This is extremely helpful, exactly the sort of response I was hoping for. My friend thanks you too.