Provence France

Provence, France

Van Gogh was committed to the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in May 1889, voluntarily, after the incident in which he cut off part of his own ear in Arles. He spent a year there, producing over 150 paintings including The Starry Night and several versions of The Wheat Field with Cypresses. The asylum is now both a working psychiatric facility and a tourist site, with the room he occupied and the gardens he painted open to visitors. The juxtaposition is unusual and the visit is one of the more quietly affecting things you can do in Provence.

Provence sits in the south-east of France between the Alps and the Mediterranean. The light here is unlike anywhere else in France, Van Gogh painted over 300 works during his time in Arles and Saint-Rémy trying to capture it. The landscape earns all the attention it gets.

The lavender season runs roughly from late June to mid-August, peaking in early July. If lavender is your main draw, the Plateau de Valensole and the Luberon hills are the primary areas. Outside lavender season, Provence is still excellent, cooler, cheaper, and calmer.

The Luberon

The Luberon Regional Nature Park covers an area of rolling hills and perched villages between Apt and Manosque. Gordes is probably the most photographed village, white stone houses on a cliff face, visible for miles. It’s genuinely beautiful and consequently busy in summer. Go early morning or out of season. Roussillon, the ochre village, is worth the stop for the ochre quarry trail (Sentier des Ocres) as much as the village itself, the colour variations in the eroded rock are extraordinary.

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is the Sunday market town. The market is legitimate rather than purely touristy, produce, antiques, and local goods. The town’s canals and waterwheels give it a distinctive character from most other Provençal towns.

Avignon

Avignon was the seat of the papacy from 1309 to 1377, and the Palais des Papes is the physical evidence, the largest Gothic building in the world. Entry is around €15. Audio guides help considerably here because the interior is sparse (much was stripped during the Revolution) and context matters. The Pont Saint-Bénézet, the famous broken bridge of the children’s song, extends into the Rhône and you can walk onto it for €5.

The Festival d’Avignon in July brings theatre and dance to the city and is one of the most important performing arts events in Europe, drawing 150,000 visitors. The city’s atmosphere during the festival is intense; outside festival season it’s much more manageable.

Arles

Arles has a Roman amphitheatre (Les Arènes) that still hosts bullfights and concerts, and a theatre that’s smaller and quieter. Both date from around the 1st century AD. Entry to both costs around €9. The Fondation Vincent van Gogh is the relevant museum for Van Gogh visitors; the Musée de l’Arles Antique covers the Roman period comprehensively.

Eating

The cuisine of Provence is olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and seafood, simple preparations of good produce. Bouillabaisse is the Marseille contribution: a fish stew that requires minimum three different fish species and is properly served with rouille (garlic mayonnaise) on bread, then the broth. Tapenade (olive paste) appears everywhere. Pastis (anise spirit mixed with water) is the aperitif. A bottle of the region’s rosé (Côtes de Provence is the main appellation) is appropriate at any point from midday onwards.

Le Jardin de la Tour in Arles and Chez Dédé in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue are both reliable local options. For markets: Apt Saturday, Arles Saturday, Aix-en-Provence daily (Cours Mirabeau).

Practical Notes

• A car is essential for the Luberon and most of Provence. Avignon and Arles are accessible by TGV from Paris (2.5-3 hours).
• July and August are hot (35-40°C) and crowded. May-June and September-October offer better temperatures and fewer people.
• Mistral winds (cold, north-northwest) blow unpredictably and strongly, sometimes for days. They’re why the cypresses in Van Gogh’s paintings lean the way they do.