Les Baux-de-Provence
A stone village and a ruined fortress on a spur of the Alpilles, with paintings projected in the quarry below, 40 minutes from Avignon.
The short version
- Les Baux-de-Provence is a car-free village on a limestone spur 245 meters up in the Alpilles, 35 kilometers from Avignon and 20 from Arles. The ruined château of the lords of Baux covers the top of the rock.
- Our Best of Provence in Three Days reaches Les Baux on its big day out of Avignon, after Saint-Rémy and the Pont du Gard. One Night in Provence brings you here on its Van Gogh day with Arles and Saint-Rémy. Both meet your train at Avignon TGV.
- The château costs €10. It keeps 10:00 to 17:00 from November to February and stays open until 19:30 in July and August.
- The Carrières des Lumières projects paintings over the walls of an old limestone quarry, ten minutes on foot down the road. It costs €16.50, takes cards only and opens every day of the year. The Matisse show runs on a loop of about an hour, from October 9, 2026 to January 31, 2027.
- One bus line, Zou! 707 from Avignon via Saint-Rémy, reaches Les Baux, and outside summer only two runs a day go through. The village car parks charge €5 for the first hour.
What to see
One main lane climbs from the car parks to the château gate, past chapels, shops and Renaissance houses. The Musée Yves Brayer in the Hôtel de Porcelet shows the painter’s Provence landscapes for €8. Allow an hour for the village.
The lords of Baux ruled from this rock through the Middle Ages, and what is left of their fortress spreads across five hectares of the plateau. Walk up to the keep, past the chapels and the full-size siege engines, for the view across the olive groves to the Alpilles. Allow another hour.
The Carrières des Lumières is a ten-minute walk down the road into the Val d’Enfer. The show plays on a loop over the quarry walls and floor, so you can walk in at any point and stay as long as you like. Jean Cocteau filmed The Testament of Orpheus in these quarries in 1959.
The valley below the village has its own olive oil, sold as Vallée des Baux-de-Provence, along with its cracked green olives. The mills around Maussane and Mouriès sell direct and offer tastings.
Getting there and around
By car, Les Baux is 35 kilometers and about 40 minutes from Avignon, 20 kilometers and 30 minutes from Arles, and ten minutes from Saint-Rémy. The village car parks charge €5 for the first hour and €1 for the second, and the lanes are pedestrian only.
Zou! line 707 runs from Avignon through Saint-Rémy to Les Baux and on to Arles. Outside summer only two runs a day in each direction go through Les Baux, and the summer timetable adds more. The nearest stations are Tarascon, 15 kilometers away with no bus, and Arles at 20.
Our Best of Provence in Three Days brings you to Les Baux on its second day, after Roussillon, Gordes, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Saint-Rémy and the Pont du Gard, with dinner back in Avignon. The Six Days in Provence makes the same loop, and Legendary Art and Provence spends a day in the Alpilles with the Carrières and Saint-Rémy.
When to go
Spring and autumn are the best seasons to walk the rock, with clear air and fewer people in the lanes. In July and August, come early in the morning or late in the day, when the château stays open until 19:30.
From November to February the château keeps 10:00 to 17:00 and closes on December 25. The Carrières open every day of the year, from 11:00 on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
The mistral can make the plateau cold and gusty on clear days in any season. Bring a layer for the top of the rock.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do you need at Les Baux?
Half a day: an hour for the village, an hour for the château and an hour for the Carrières des Lumières. Add lunch in the village and it fills a morning or an afternoon.
Can you get to Les Baux without a car?
Only on the Zou! 707 bus, and outside summer just two runs a day go through the village. That gives you about six hours between the morning bus and the afternoon one, with nothing else that day. Our tours bring you here by van as one stop on a day that also covers Saint-Rémy and either the Pont du Gard or Arles.
Is there a combined ticket?
Yes. The château and the Carrières des Lumières together cost €21, against €10 and €16.50 bought separately. The Carrières take cards only.
What is showing at the Carrières des Lumières?
Matisse: The Symphony of Colors, from October 9, 2026 to January 31, 2027, alongside the Picasso and Frida Kahlo program. The show runs on a loop, so arrive at any time and stay for a full cycle.
Is there a tour from Paris?
Yes. Our Best of Provence in Three Days, $1,925, includes Les Baux on its six-stop day. One Night in Provence, $775, stops here on the Van Gogh day with Arles and Saint-Rémy. Legendary Art and Provence includes the Carrières des Lumières. They meet at Avignon TGV, the art tour also at Marseille airport, and we can book your train once your dates are set.
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