St-Rémy-de-Provence

St Rémy de Provence is a great place to spend your summer holidays. It is full of fun activities and great sights for the whole family. It has been home to many famous people over the centuries including Nostradamus the prophet and Charles Gounod the composer. Vincent Van Gogh was treated at the monastery in the town and it was here that he painted 'Starry Night'. Princess Caroline of Monaco lived here for a while, too. 

This little town nestles at the foot of the Massif des Alpilles which is now designated a National Park. The area offers magnificent landscapes and St Rémy itself is quite charming, with lots of little old 'ruelles' to explore. Guided tours are available from the Tourist Office. Here, you will find artisan shops, from posh frocks to little workshops making and selling 'santons', the traditional Provencal figurines of saints and holy people. The market is also very good.

The town has a number of good restaurants offering Provencal cuisine based on locally-grown produce. There are also various 'glaciers' - ice cream parlours, salons de thé, pizzerias and 'creperies', or pancake restaurants.

You won’t run out of things to do while staying here, you can spend your days horse-riding, rock climbing, hiking, quad-biking, cycling, and discovering the nature surrounding this wonderful destination. There is an outdoor public swimming pool and tennis courts.

If you are in the area in May, spend some time taking part in the transhumance; this is the ancient tradition of moving sheep and goats from the lowlands to higher pastures for the summer. The town dedicates three days to this festival and it is a wonderful excuse to sample all manner of cheeses, milks and other artisan foods. Other festivals include Jazz, Wine, Arts and Crafts and a big Christmas market.