When we were in a campground in
Arles in Provence, we were talking to one of the caretakers who recommended that we visit a town called
Les Baux.
Les Baux is in the Alpille mountains in Provence. It is perched high on a hill, on a rocky crag, really,
that overlooks a very pretty valley. We were able to park on the road just a little way down from the town and walked up the
hill toward it. As we approached we saw what looked like a square opening cut into the bare grey stone way at the top. We
learned when we were in the town that the Romans had used this as a fort and cut that hole and others for lookouts over the valley.
Later the town was occupied by highway robbers who preyed on travelers they were able to spot from these lookouts. And still
later it became the center of bauxite mining, from which it got its current name.
The town was full of tourists and shops selling
things to tourists. But is was as beautiful as promised as the photos below and
these posted on the internet indicate.
This is what we wrote home after our visit: "
The next day we went south a little ways at the suggestion of a caretaker in the Arles
campground. He said a town called Les Baux was worth visiting. He said that it had been declared the most beautiful village in France
last year and next year would be declared the most beautiful village in the world!!! He didn’t know who the declaring agency was,
but one cannot ignore such a grand recommendation, a least if the place is only 15 kilometers away.
This village truly was a beautiful
place, high up on a hill in the "Alpilles" mountains. It was formerly a Roman outpost, with stone quarries nearby and a natural stopping
place for traders. Now, it had the usual glut of restaurants, several in gorgeous settings, souvenir shops, food shops, an eglise
and a chateau, many ruins from the Roman fort, all very, very old. The chateau boasted copies of two siege machines, but we did not
see them because we did not want to pay to see another chateau."
(Click to enlarge. These are frames from videos and will enlarge only slightly)
