THE ALPILLES AND THE REGION
unique experiences
Cycling and mountain biking in the Alpilles
In the Alpilles, cycling is an immersion in a landscape of contrast and light. Winding roads lined with olive trees and cypresses make ideal routes for road cycling, balancing measured effort with wide-open views. Road cyclists will be won over by elegant, demanding itineraries where gentle climbs alternate with spectacular panoramas. The region's shifting light accompanies every ride, turning exertion into something closer to a sensory experience.
For mountain biking, the massif reveals rich and varied natural terrain: technical trails, rocky paths and ridge crossings give each ride its rhythm. Between the shade of the pine woods and the brilliant glare of the stone, the experience is both athletic and profoundly refreshing. Staying in a mas at the heart of the Alpilles means direct access to these exceptional routes — setting off at dawn or at sunset, when the rock catches fire. A rare freedom, for those who seek the essential.
Hiking and trail running
On foot or at a run, the Alpilles offer a privileged setting in which to reconnect with nature.
For walkers and runners, the Alpilles provide an accessible, restful natural setting. The paths cross olive groves, pine woods and garrigue, with gentle relief and open panoramas. Every outing becomes a moment out of time, ideal for enjoying the Provençal light and the surrounding calm.
For trail runners, the massif reveals more demanding, technical ground. Short but intense climbs, rocky paths and ridge sections make a genuine playground, between effort and going beyond oneself. The variety of routes allows you to alternate between performance and immersion, in a setting at once raw and inspiring.
The Alpilles
At the heart of Provence, the Alpilles massif rises like white limestone lace, sculpted by the mistral and by time. This emblematic landscape offers a striking contrast between the raw mineral quality of the peaks and the softness of the fertile valleys. As far as the eye can see, the hills roll beneath a deep blue sky, sheltering vast olive groves whose silvered leaves catch the slightest breath of wind.
The air is steeped in the scents of thyme, rosemary and pine, creating a sensory atmosphere all its own. In this symphony of blue-grey and tender green, time seems suspended — above all when the golden light of late afternoon sets the rock ablaze. Between rows of centuries-old trees and stony paths, the Alpilles embody a perfect harmony: an ode to serenity and to the authentic splendour of the Provençal earth.
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence unfolds like a living watercolour at the foot of the limestone ridges of the Alpilles. This emblematic village, bathed in a light that once captivated Vincent van Gogh, has a charm both aristocratic and unaffected. It is a delight to lose oneself in the maze of its circular lanes, where old façades wear shutters in pastel tones, from lavender blue to almond green.
Beneath the ancient plane trees lining the boulevards, moss-covered fountains murmur a cool song that sets the pace for wandering. Among the artisans' workshops, the art galleries and the lively café terraces, the town celebrates the Provençal art of living in its noblest form. From the ancient remains of Glanum to the calm of the Saint-Paul cloister, every stone in Saint-Rémy seems to whisper the secrets of a thousand-year history, offering visitors a stopover out of time, marked by serenity and a rare Mediterranean elegance.
The Transhumance in Saint-Rémy
Each spring, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence celebrates the transhumance, an emblematic tradition in which thousands of sheep cross the heart of the village, accompanied by shepherds in costume, dogs and goats. In a lively atmosphere set to the sound of bells, the boulevards become a living stage.
The flocks, often decorated with pompoms and flowers, mark their departure for the high summer pastures. Far more than a spectacle, the event pays tribute to pastoral culture and to the deep bond between people, animals and the land of the Alpilles.
This singular moment draws many visitors each year, come to discover an authentic and well-preserved Provence. Between tradition, conviviality and wonder, the transhumance offers an immersive experience in which local heritage is lived at close quarters, in an atmosphere at once festive and deeply rooted in the history of the region.
The olive groves of Mouriès
At the foot of the southern slopes of the Alpilles, Mouriès spreads its olive groves as far as the eye can see, like an ocean of silvered leaves. Here the olive tree reigns, sculpted by centuries and by the mistral into gnarled forms that bear witness to a thousand-year bond with the land.
A true guardian of tradition, this landscape offers a perfect harmony between the whiteness of the limestone and the tender green of the orchards. Each year the olive harvest becomes a sacred moment, perpetuating the craft that makes Mouriès the olive oil capital of France. It is a place where time stands still, lulled by the rustle of leaves and the powerful aroma of sun-filled fruit.
Markets in Saint-Rémy
Every Wednesday morning, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence wakes to the joyful bustle of its great weekly market, one of the most renowned in the region. The stalls fill the Place de la République and wind through the lanes of the historic centre, creating a labyrinth of flavours and colours. In the kindly shade of the plane trees, pyramids of sun-filled tomatoes sit beside glistening olives and fresh goat's cheeses, while the heady scent of lavender mingles with the aroma of spices.
It is a feast for the senses, where one comes as much to fill a basket as to take in the Provençal soul. Among the coloured fabrics, the artisan Marseille soaps and the glazed pottery, local producers share their passion in that singing accent so characteristic of the Midi. To wander the Saint-Rémy market is to immerse yourself entirely in the southern art of living — a moment of sharing and indulgence in which every stall tells something of the generosity of the Provençal land.
Les Baux-de-Provence
Standing proudly above the Val d'Enfer, Les Baux-de-Provence rises like a citadel of stone, inseparable from the rocky spur that bears it. This hilltop village, listed among the most beautiful in France, offers a spectacle of pure mineral form in which the medieval architecture seems carved from the white limestone itself. Walking its steep lanes, you are carried into a glorious past — that of the Lords of Les Baux, whose ruined fortress still defies the sky and the mistral.
From the castle ramparts, the eye takes in a breathtaking panorama, sweeping over vineyards and olive groves as far as the Mediterranean. The light, of rare intensity, plays with the shadows of the sheer cliffs and the carefully restored Renaissance façades. Between the exceptional craft boutiques and the sacred silence of the nearby Carrières de Lumières, Les Baux embody a perfect alliance between the raw power of nature and the building genius of humankind, creating an atmosphere of legend found nowhere else.
Fontvieille
A short distance from the village of Fontvieille, the remains of the Roman aqueducts stretch out like a bridge between the centuries. This magnificent site, where nature has reclaimed its rights, bears witness to exceptional hydraulic engineering. The two arms of stone, which once carried water towards the city of Arles and the Barbegal mill complex, sweep across the wooded valleys of the Alpilles in striking mineral harmony.
Here the murmur of water has given way to the solemn silence of ruins. The Barbegal mills, in Antiquity a genuine industrial complex, still suggest the fall of their sixteen waterwheels down the rocky slope. Between umbrella pines and wild grasses, the arches of golden stone catch the sunlight, offering a contemplative walk through the heart of history. It is a place where the power of Roman engineering meets the wild serenity of the Provençal landscape, making the Fontvieille aqueducts a hidden treasure of melancholy, timeless beauty.